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Letter From The Founder
As the Omnibus and the STSC have grown and found their feet I have had two main goals, two main points of focus. 1) Encourage members to develop projects that can become actual physical books and 2) Encourage members to develop as writers and become more creative and develop their own voice and style.
I want to help new works come into the world. I want us to change the shape and scope of what independent, internet distributed writing can be.
And so I am delighted to announce that the second physical book release from a Social Club Member is out now. Olli- chef extraordinaire, king of the #food-and-drink channel and outstanding writer to boot- has released his debut book Principles of Contemporary Home Cooking.
It has all the makings of a cult classic and genuinely helpful addition to any home library. I predict people will be buying multiple copies- one to keep as a beautiful object, another that will get battered and grease stained from constant in-kitchen use as readers take their culinary skills to the next level.
As I often say here- this is still just the beginning. There will be many more books, essay collections, short story anthologies, novels and more. The STSC shelf will become the STSC library.
And to think- there is still a chance for you to join us on the ground floor as both a supporter and a participant. If you have a desire to create and build a body of work but need guidance, inspiration and/or people to help you improve your craft we are here.
The Soaring Twenties Social Club is what you have been looking for. Join us and find out for yourself.
Until next week,
Live well,
Tom.
Essays
Front Porch Immortality by Pr0ph3t
A new feature from our friend Pr0ph3t here. These meditations are poetic linkings of observations, quotations and ponderings all cut through with our mans trademark future optimism, erudition and keen sense of the transcendent and spiritual.
Route 3: Crystal Palace—Whitehall by Charlie Sherritz
Another week another journey and through this mist restrictive of formats Charlie once again finds the extraordinary in the ordinary and the gold in the everyday. Personally, I am going to keep praising and encouraging him until he rides and writes on every single London bus and releases the collected works in a book.
And Online But Online by Craig Burgess
Don’t tell him I said this but as well as being a genuinely funny podcaster (and the glue that holds my own Tragedies of Modernity podcast together) Craig is also an excellent essayist, especially in this latest piece from his ongoing ‘C*ntent’ series. But like I said, this is just between me and you.
What learning to draw taught me by Thomas Kealy
The title made me a little unsure, so bombarded are we with content replete with easy and meaningless ‘learnings’. But thankfully Thomas is a fantastic writer and also refreshingly honest, qualities which elevate this essay. A quick example:
‘Art has a habit of showing you who you are, like Frankenstein your creations take on a new life separate but connected to you. I can see now that I was afraid of my emotions, burying them so deeply I couldn’t say I felt anything except an anaesthetic pleasantness.’
This was excellent.
How to Be Happy by Brady
Stop the search. Burn all of your how to find happiness books. Brady has the definitive answer. And I mean that genuinely. As with Thomas’ work above I think this borderline-clickbait-title-as-Trojan-horse-for-real-insight approach might have some legs. Brady’s concluding paragraph especially is some real profound truth and wisdom.
Sendoff by Olli
As I said in the intro- Olli’s book is out! And judging by this essay and the rest of his body of work it is going to be much much more than a glossy but dull ‘cookbook’. No sir. My copy is winging its way to me as we speak and I highly, highly recommend everyone reading this picks one up too. Olli is the real deal as both writer and cook and he is clearly on the path to true mastery in both of those fields. I’m incredibly proud of his achievements here so far. And this is just the beginning.
Timestamps/Preconceived Conversations by Tony
Tony- Humble Wordsmith/Ball player/Not a drug guy- is back with another stream of consciousness. Searching, poetic, a little bit debauched, full of just-right details and specificity, this is another dense wall of text for the Tony cult to swim in. And I count myself a member. You get it or you don’t. And I feel for you if you are in the latter category.
Rug Pulled by Simon
Simply put Simon is one of the most reasonable, honest and balanced voices talking about NFTs which makes him an essential read if you want to understand them better. His latest essay here is a fine example of all of those qualities in action.
Perpetual Motion by Charles Schifano
Cassblanca, a dark haired boy, a moment in time perfectly captured. Man, every week I am blown away by how good a writer Charles is. Remarkable talent.
The Violent Bear It Away by Luke Burgis🔒
‘What Carlos seemed to have learned from Mother Theresa is this: desire which is subsumed by and transformed into love never dies. He realized that he needed to find a way to do that in absolutely everything that he did—even his subsequent career in business. Products, companies, and people come and go, but the love we pour out for them endures.’
A powerful, useful, Girard tinged piece that also showcases underrated skills as a storyteller. Easily, worth the paltry cost of admission to get behind the paywall and access this excellent piece.
bookmark #373 by Deepansh
How Deepansh fits so much into so small a space and does it consistently day after day after day is beyond me. What a talent he is.
Fiction/Poetry
Transcendental Memes by Ivan
‘Imagine internet memes as artefacts, knots on the thread of time that inflict the same changes on the course of humanity’s history as the Renaissance and Roaring Twenties did. This, let’s be honest, cannot be said about all of the memes. The majority of them become obsolete in a matter of days or weeks – what we lol and rofl about today loses its charm tomorrow, leaving no knot on the thread. For a second, imagine the opposite will happen. Imagine how some of the memes will survive and become subjects of study for future researchers specialising in the culture or the absence of it at the beginning of the 21st century.’
Simply put, he’s done it again. Another wonderful, uniquely Ivan short story. If the STSC achieves nothing but spreading Ivan’s fiction it will have probably been worthwhile.
A Poem for You by Adam Kozak
Adam published two poems this week. The longer, technical, Classics steeped The Curse of Polyphemus is probably the better of the two, but A Poem for You made me laugh so it gets the spotlight.
You know what, read them both. None of use read enough poetry.
Podcasts
Episode #3.5- Getting Beyond the Tragedies of Modernity by Thomas J Bevan
A brief and sincere missive from me in lieu of a podcast. Beneath the layers of cynicism I am a sincere soul after all.
A Fine Sick of RAM by Madspace
He’s back after a week off with a double episode of barely repressed rage and whimsical life observations. Having stumbled through my own monologue above I now have a new appreciation for how hard it is to actually talk entertainingly and off the cuff for half and hour. Matt here is way more talented than he gives himself credit for. Listen and then tell me I’m right. Thaaaank yooou.
A guy walks up to me... (WA #49) by Craig Burgess
‘I’m not saying these people are clowns but I am playing clown music.’ New feature Reading Bios gets off to a flying start, especially with Craig’s accurate definition of what being a ‘storyteller’ online actually refers to. As always the joke will continue until the laughter improves…
TJB Film Recommendation
Don Juan DeMarco (1994)
D. Jeremy Leven
W. Jeremy Leven
S. Johnny Depp, Marlon Brando, Faye Dunaway
(No, I haven’t been following the trial, and no, this review is not a sly nod to that.)
So it turns out if you want to be the world’s greatest lover all you have to do is be a complete romantic, speak with a cod-Spanish accent and look like a mid ‘90’s Johnny Depp. Simple, really.
So this is not a great picture, but it is a good one. The plot is silly of course- or is it that we are too serious and don’t know how to take things for what they are- but the performances are good especially from Depp and a bloated but still hugely enjoyable Marlon Brando.
I enjoyed this and if you are after a short, fun, 3-3.5 star film then this might well be the one for you. And you never know, perhaps it’ll stir up a few ‘carpe diem’ type sentiments along the way.
Enjoy.
Thank you for reading/listening. Feel free to share this email and the individual authors work and also feel free to leave comments either here or on the authors own sites.
This weeks episode of the Tragedies of Modernity podcast has been postponed because I’m ill but we will be back for another live-in-the-discord recording on May 1st, so fret not.
If anything this gives you enough time to join the Social Club, learn the ways of our cult, er, collective and thus get maximum benefit from the May 1st Episode.
Something to think about.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing you over at the Social Club Discord.
Cheers!