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Letter From The Founder
I’ve been away this week. Other than reading and listening to the works by our contributors below I haven’t touched as computer, looked at a device or connected to the internet at all.
And it’s been fantastic.
Firstly because it has affirmed my personal belief that the works of the STSC are the best things online (at least for my taste and interests) and so still being able to enjoy them while forgoing the news and all other low bandwidth ‘content’ has been like experiencing a hugely time-saving best of the internet.
And secondly because while I have been away I have been offline dreaming up what is next for the group as we move into 2023 and beyond. I am hugely optimistic about what we have created here so far and I can’t wait to see what happens and what is created once we kick it up a gear and these new ideas are brought about.
But for now enjoy this weeks offering and as always thanks for all of your support.
Until next week,
Live well,
Tom.
Essays
bookmark #536 by Deepansh
i have sat for the past two hours and pretended to write, not having thought of a single thing.
Man, I related to this one. Fantastic as always.
Fictitious vol. 17: 3000 things to read by Oleg
I decided to heed Ray Bradbury’s advice and challenge myself. 1000 days, one short story, one poem, one essay a day. So, 3000 things to read.
Wow, Oleg is a busy guy. And the Ray Bradbury idea/challenge sounds like a wonderful initiative for an attention deficit era where people complain they lack the time to read. I may well have to take this up myself- although the STSC itself of course offers tons of great stories, essays and poems and I read all of those religiously.
The Aftermath by Yardena
Yardena’s personal aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Extremely powerful stuff and needless to say great writing on display.
Losing power during a storm is like going back in time. You become connected to your surroundings and yourself. Not even hiking a trail in the middle of nowhere compares. When you go out in nature, you choose to leave technology and electricity behind. That safety blanket remains, though. You can always go back. In a hurricane, there’s nowhere to go.
Masterpiece in the Subway, Trash in the Museum by Clint
The Subway, The Gallery and the lessons from both. And excellent piece of contextualising and observation from the consistently thoughtful and observant Clint.
On the Day of your Dying, a Finally Transition by Trilety
I’ve noticed for a while how Trilety has become a real master of the very short, short form packing an awful lot of imagery and heart into just a few paragraphs. But this weeks piece shows she is just as good with longer works and sustaining the readers attention over a longer distance. An excellent and completely unique voice.
So, you're creatively blocked. by Thomas Kealy
Excellent, compassionate, truthful and helpful advice. I only wish this would’ve been published about a week sooner when I was struggling with my essay for the beach Symposium.
Seven Rules of Oktoberfest, A Very Orderly Drinking Binge by Samantha Childress
An essay on art should make you want to go look at art, a film review should get you thinking about cinema. In the same vein an essay on Oktoberfest should make you thirsty for a nice tall beer. Mission absolutely accomplished by Samantha here. A pass with flying colours.
Book Review: Going to the Dogs — Erich Kästner by Charlie Sherritz
He’s back! That’s all I’m saying. Actually that’s a lie. I’ll also say this- read this immediately, sign up to Charlie’s Substack and then dive into his back catalogue of work. Do it!
my grandpa, my car, and also me by Alex
This piece was featured on Substack Reads. An absolutely deservedly so. I love to see one of our own get the spotlight their work merits (who underrated our writers here are is genuinely unbelievable at times). So give Alex’s piece a read and see why it was clearly worthy of finding the wider audience that it has.
Round-up #1 — Over a year in by Craig Burgess
One year in and there is no sign of him stopping (I will resist the urge to add a snide bit of banter as a footnote here). There is an awful lot of insight here (actual insight not ‘insight’) from our man as he escapes the mental clutches of Content Creatordom and became free to make what he wanted to make.
Thank you, Charles Beaumont by Frank
Frank is my algorithm. If he champions a forgotten pulp writer I add them to my reading stack. It’s that simple. I highly recommend this strategy.
Creative Realizer - A Notebook Harvest by Mark Dykeman
As someone who has a brand new Moleskine purchased and ready to go for tomorrow this piece could not come at a better time. I always get something from Mark talking about his process and this one was no exception.
Writing for Me by Lou
Writing, like any art form, is an act of ego. I might as well admit it.
I may once have thought of this a bad thing to disguise through a pretense that I am writing to enlighten or entertain, but no longer. I’m writing here primarily to express myself, and secondly to enlighten and entertain you, my dear reader.
Man, I felt this one. A great, great piece.
Eight Books That Inspired Me In Under 300 Pages by Charlie Becker
I’m a big fan of interspersing long reads with much shorter books. The novella and the short novel are underrated forms (although I suspect this is changing as we speak). If you are looking for a short book to add to your stack then Charlie has you covered. Personally, I’ve read 3 of these 8 and really enjoyed all 3.
Leaving Eternity's Parking Lot by Edward
I’m also writing for someone who finds me, years from now. If that’s you, it’s nice to meet you. I have stories. Worlds of words are coming.
Wow. I can’t really think of anything to say. This was as human as it gets. I feel privileged that Edward is a part of the team and sharing his work with us here.
Dog Kennels, Apples everywhere and Culture Change by Timothy
The longer I spend in the online world the more I see the value of posting real photographs and writing real accounts of doing things in the real world. Not to cultivate an image or persona but to show the act of life being lived to inspire people to log off and do likewise. This is why I love these ‘fortnight in the life’ posts by Tim. A genuine reminder of what matters.
Close Calls by Paul Publisher
Of Mission Impossible and the Aries Full Moon. I say it every time but no one writes like Paul or can explain the present moment in the way that he does.
Of Two Minds by Charles Schifano
I had never heard of John Jay Chapman before reading this. And I’m now glad that I do. Charles gets into Plato, Irony and more in his own inimitable, literate, delightful-to-read way. Incredible as always.
Your Personal Occam's Razor by Luke Burgis
It’s when he mixes the philosophical with the practical that we truly see the wisdom that Luke has to offer in full effect. This piece is a prime example of this in action. Luke is essential reading for everyone in these strange times that we find ourselves in.
Travel Diaries #34 - Chicken by Gavin
Not only is Gavin really prolific with these in depth travel pieces but his work also rewards re-reading I have found. I might have to go back to Travel Diary #1 and soak it all in again. The eye for detail is incredible.
There it is, again by Lyle McKeany
Sometimes life seems to put our man Lyle through the ringer. But he always finds a way to gather hope and wisdom from it. Which is why his work is always so resonant and so moving. This is another great piece of work from him.
Fiction/Poetry
In Too Deep by GK Gaius
Great to see GK pushing creatively here. Can’t wait to see how this new project develops over time.
The Blue Pill Of Atlantis by Vanya
It was never something that I expected but I’m really enjoying this audio development that seems to be happening at the STSC. Podcasts, stories, collaborations. I love it. and Vanya is one of the guys at the forefront as this new audio version of a story of his shows.
Be none but to give me the world’s crimes ( and parry by James Maynard
This is the latest in James’ ongoing sonnet Crown. Click the link above to dive in from the beginning.
Podcasts
Episode #20- Shooting you Shot. Well, almost by Thomas J Bevan and Craig Burgess
It was only a matter of time before I was publicly shamed and forced to make an apology to the mob. I hope my elongated contrition pacifies you.
Revisited: The Gods of the Land by Pr0ph3t
Another audio elaboration/revisitation of a prior work, this time from the consistently excellent and genuinely forward thinking Pr0ph3t, a man who truly embodies his anonymous online handle.
Alexperiment/Bradperiment by Craig Burgess (and Alex Dobrenko!)(The Wednesday Audio #73)
How long before Alex (the real talent) ousts Craig from his own podcast and usurps the King of Wednesday throne? You’ll have to keep listening every week to find out…
TJB Film Recommendation
The Limey (1999)
D. Steven Soderbergh
W. Lem Dobbs
S. Terence Stamp, Lesley Ann, Warren Luis Guzmán
With 1999 being such a banner year for cinema (some have argued that it was the single best year for film ever) it’s easy to see how The Limey was overlooked and overshadowed by some of the bigger commercial and artistic successes of that year.
But still, it is well worth a watch. You’ve got the capable assured direction of Soderburgh (this film immediately follows the great Out of Sight in his filmography and precedes Erin Brockovich and Oceans Eleven) combined with a hugely charismatic performance by the great Terrence Stamp. This is a solid revenge thriller and something of a meditation on age given the presence of Stamp and Peter Fonda as well as the clever and excellently executed use of old Ken Loach footage to serve as flashbacks for Stamp’s tough guy ex con Wilson. This is an ingenious idea to use footage of the same actor as a younger man in a previous film and it works perfectly.
From the Cockney rhyming slang to the LA backdrop to the pacy script and great editing, this is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend 89 minutes.
Thanks as always for reading/listening and thanks in advance for pressing all of those various buttons at the bottom which help the Omnibus spread further.
There’s no podcast this week (not because I’ve been shamed off the airwaves following Shotgate- I hasten to add) but we will be back to our regular Sunday recording schedule next week. I hope.
So if you want to join us live next week and listen in and post questions/comments/heckles in the podcast channel chat you are more than welcome. You simply have to sign up to the community first.
I look forward to seeing you over at the Social Club.
Cheers!