Letter From The Founder
I say it every week but I’ll keep saying it until it stops being true- this is a great edition here this week. Possibly the greatest to date. Over a dozen essays, fiction, art, podcasts, all of an extremely high calibre. There seems to be a real creative energy in the air and everyone here is digging in to their own particular works and visions.
And again- as I keep on saying- this is only just the beginning. The more great artists we attract to the roster, the more books and projects we successfully bring out into the world, the more this thing is gonna snowball. For me personally I already make a living from this- the small premium subscription dues keep the wolf from the door. So the primary goal for me isn’t money, it’s culture. I genuinely think that in the end the STSC and all of our works will raise the standards of what online writing is and should be. If you dig into any of our contributors archives you will see that over time their work is becoming more and more unique, weird, interesting, challenging and creative.
They are becoming more and more like themselves.
And if that resonates with you there are still spaces available for you to get on the tea, and contribute and benefit from all of our collective experience.
But it’s up to you. Either way the STSC and its members will continue to march the narrow path to mastery.
Until next week,
Live well,
Tom.
Essays
6 new, fresh, modern, secular alternatives to the angel and devil on your shoulders trope by Lyle
A fun little list of analogies from our man Lyle. Interesting to see a lighter side to his newsletter.
Blame it on the Rain by Clint
‘The old timers here like to say that, “we have only two kinds of rain in Texas…too much or too little. Heh.” But this morning’s rain wasn’t too much or too little. It was exactly the right amount for the soul of a man who wanted to think.
Rain is perfect background white noise for contemplating.’
As a fellow pluviophile this spoke to me. A lovely meditation here.
How I made GTD work for me, and how maybe you can too by Thomas Kealy
I know virtually nothing about Dave Allen’s (apparently) much maligned GTD productivity system but this analysis of it from Thomas is quite persuasive in showing that there are elements of it that can be used to good effect. I suspect this piece could be useful for a lot of people.
Confronting Hubris in Technology by Hayden
In many ways this Omnibus is a continuation of the work started by the now closed Hyperion Magazine, a short lived but cult favourite online website which I was honoured to be a contributor too. Hayden was a fellow regular contributor and this reprint of a piece from that era stands up fantastically and makes me reminisce fondly on those past times (even though it was only a year or so ago!)
Deafening Silence by Luke Burgis
‘One of the unfortunate byproducts of our Cult of Experts: 99% of the content that I stumble upon—or at least content that is marketed at me—is aimed at my head and not my heart.’
Have truer words ever been spoken? Aiming at the heart is what we at the Omnibus are going for, and this piece by Luke is a great example of that in action. Luke has never, ever phoned a piece in which is some of the highest praise for a writer I can think of. To never lower yourself to hackwork is the sign of a true writer in my book.
bookmark #385 by Deepansh
These short daily meditations are utterly unique and have built into a true body pf work. Deepansh’s prose style is gorgeous while still being clear, though provoking and readable. Style and substance both. A real, real talent here.
Regrets, good and bad by AJ
‘The easiest way to separate the old from the young - aside from counting white hairs on the head - is to ask someone what regrets they have in life.’
AJ aims straight for the heart with this piece, which I would argue is his finest to date. Simple but poignant. I loved it.
Reflections on The Pathless Path by Charlie Becker
Two birds with one stone with this one. Here STSC member gives an informative and suitably lengthy review/analysis of STSC member Paul Millerd’s recent release The Pathless Path. I highly recommend you read this piece and then head off and read the book itself. You won’t regret either decision.
Give up the toast by Kieran Moran
‘So while toast is great, toasters are shite. We’ve got the technology to talk to the lights in our house, watch a live stream from mars or scan and track the faces of a billion people (depends how authoritarian you feel). And yet, we still haven’t mastered the toaster.’
In a world of cowardice and censorship I’m glad there are people like Kieran still brave enough to tackle the real issues. Hilarious as always from our man in Scotland.
Insta by Adam
Our man Adam (the founding editor of the above-mentioned Hyperion Magazine) has launched a new Substack and it is an explosion of pure creativity. Short poem-like pieces with excellent complimentary drawings. An utterly unique aesthetic experience. You should subscribe to it immediately.
The Guilt of the Innocent by Charles Schifano
‘Even though the world is complex and dynamic and anything but predictable, there will always be a temperament that never quite matures, that will always believe in the solution they thought of just this morning, despite their almost uncanny ability to make every situation worse.’
A truly excellent discourse on/around Graham Greene’s The Quiet American. And to think he’s written nearly 100 pieces or such incisive, lucid and elegant prose. Truly honored to have someone or Mr Schifano’s talent on the team here.
Route 3: Crystal Palace—Whitehall by Charlie Sherritz
Route 3 of Charlie’s (why do we attract so many talented writers called Charlie/charles her?) ongoing odyssey around London by bus. I love this and can’t wait to own the eventual book collection of these pieces and I will keep saying that until I have manifested it like a crystal touting New Age hippy.
Saints vs Banks by Thomas J. Bevan
I’m back! Back to the weekly essay writing schedule that built my audience and my reputation in the first place. I talk a lot about the importance of having a ‘body of work’ and so I am going to lead by example and keep up with the ranks of the great, consistent week-after-week writers we have here. Enjoy.
In the room by Craig Burgess
Two things. First of all Craig and I have a standing bet going. We’re each to post a new piece each week for 25 weeks and failure to do so means we have to pay the other £5 each time. Secondly the STSC is going to publish special monthly ‘symposium’ editions where each contributor tackles the same set topic. The first- out in June- concerns beauty and this is Craig’s contribution. And this weight room set observational piece is a gem. Really excellent work.
Fiction
Drunk by Brady
This is excellent. Brady the storywriter is threatening to surpass Brady the essayist. This ultrashort story packs so much into so little and is so pleasing to the ear and eye with the exuberance and audacity of its style. It’ll stay with you. And it’s under 500 words long. A really remarkable feat.
Art
Yosemite National Park by Dom
Podcasts
Burgess Beach Blasphemy (Tragedies of Modernity #4) by Thomas J Bevan and Craig Burgess
Craig thinks the beach is overrated. He is wrong. Craig, like myself, thinks Grammarly and other such writing apps are rubbish. He is correct.
Revisited: What is the Metaverse For? (and Other Unasked Questions) by Pr0ph3t
Out man Pr0ph3t puts down the pen and picks up the microphone as he revisits and expands on an old essay from back in December. This format of reading your old world aloud and then critiquing and elaborating on it on the fly is fantastic. A genuinely tremendous idea very well executed.
...then I found it (May the Fourth Double Feature Special Edition Remastered 2022 Edition) (WA #51) by Craig Burgess
May the 4nd be with you, as people allegedly say- at least in Craigs warped worldview. If your a Wednesday Audio fan (which for my sins I am) you know what to expect- sound effects, Muzak, endless repetition, audio snippets of myself used without my consent or approval (‘Yeah, Wednesday’) and the occasional genuine belly laugh. Good, if you like that sort of thing.
Creative Constipation by Madspace
A little bit of misanthropic sauna etiquette discussion before our commuting friend gets into pilsners and oysters, Olli’s cookbook and the beauty of signed editions, If by Rudyard Kipling and much more. Great episode.
TJB Film Recommendation
Black Cat, White Cat (1998)
D. Emir Kusturica
W. Emir Kusturica, Gordan Mihic
S. Bajram Severdzhan Srđan Todorović Zabit Memedov
At my old job we used to have an after hours movie club. We lived in the residential care home for the 48 or 72 hours we were on shift and so we staff often found ourselves bored and unable to sleep at 10pm or so. And so the late night movie habit in the unoccupied lounge was born. We started with simply watching whatever was on Netflix but over time the club (of a maximum 3 staff) evolved to be a shiftly ritual of us inflicting the weirder ends of our DVD collections on each other.
And it was through this escalating oneupmanship that I first encountered Black Cat, White Cat- one of the strangest, most memorable and most unique films I have ever seen. I won’t even try and recount the madcap, Marx Brothers-esque plot of the Danube dwelling river gypsys with all of its ribald, almost Shakespearean broad comedy and weddings and surreal absurdity. This film is both a hilarious delight and genuinely dark at times. I could try and make comparisons and attempt to offer frames of reference (Terry Gilliam comes to mind for some reason) but in truth there is nothing quite like this Yugoslavian gem. You have to see it.
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.
Finally, Craig and I will be recording another episode of the Soaring Twenties Podcast tomorrow at 9pm GMT. We’ll host it and record it live from the Discord and then post it onto this Substack on Monday.
All exclusive for STSC premium subscribers.
So if you want to hear that either live or via recording (and if you want to join our ranks and contribute your work) then click the button below and choose either monthly, annual or founder member.
I look forward to seeing you over at the Social Club Discord.
Cheers!