During the early days of the pandemic, when nonessential retail outlets were closed, our local bookstore owner began taking orders at the door. We would knock, Oscar would open the door a crack, ask what book we wanted, then fetch the book and bring it to the door, where we would pay for it and leave. It was kind of thrilling, like buying black-market coffee in Havana. We could also order books by phone, and Oscar would deliver them to our house. On his bicycle. In winter. We’d open the door and there he’d be, snow drifting off his hat, our book carefully wrapped in plastic.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Nicola. I agree with you about this moment in the history of technology. I've written elsewhere that technology has become like the Farmer in George Orwell's Animal Farm; we depend on it for things we can no longer do for ourselves. I'm not a Luddite (well, I am a bit of a Luddite), but I worry that our reliance on technology is taking us places we don't need to go, and making blind spots of places we should be going. A turning point indeed.
I've just found your substack via a notes recommendation from Margaret Atwood. I love what I've read so far, so thank you!
I'm also keen to read you wife's book based on this comment: it’s rare that the advent of a new technology spells the death of an old one...what new technologies do is force old technologies to adapt.
I think we are at such an interesting time in technological history. I'm reading and thinking a lot about how this is influencing writing/reading/publishing. For example, tiktok's impact on the publishing industry. How AI and large language models are advancing (at what at least feels like) an exponential rate and how this is changing how we work, live and learn. In regards to your point about the importance of story, I couldn't agree more. I think that whatever medium your creative work takes, a novel, essay, video, even a tiktok post - story should be at the heart of it - in my mind at least it's the foundation of communication.
Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Nicola. I agree with you about this moment in the history of technology. I've written elsewhere that technology has become like the Farmer in George Orwell's Animal Farm; we depend on it for things we can no longer do for ourselves. I'm not a Luddite (well, I am a bit of a Luddite), but I worry that our reliance on technology is taking us places we don't need to go, and making blind spots of places we should be going. A turning point indeed.
I've just found your substack via a notes recommendation from Margaret Atwood. I love what I've read so far, so thank you!
I'm also keen to read you wife's book based on this comment: it’s rare that the advent of a new technology spells the death of an old one...what new technologies do is force old technologies to adapt.
I think we are at such an interesting time in technological history. I'm reading and thinking a lot about how this is influencing writing/reading/publishing. For example, tiktok's impact on the publishing industry. How AI and large language models are advancing (at what at least feels like) an exponential rate and how this is changing how we work, live and learn. In regards to your point about the importance of story, I couldn't agree more. I think that whatever medium your creative work takes, a novel, essay, video, even a tiktok post - story should be at the heart of it - in my mind at least it's the foundation of communication.
Then there’s this: https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/aug/02/up-lit-the-new-book-trend-with-kindness-at-its-core