If you want to join us in the Soaring Twenties Social Club and have your work featured here simply subscribe as a monthly, annual or founder member to get your invite.
Letter From The Founder
At this point the work speaks for itself. Beyond the few sentences after every link I don’t feel I have to introduce or champion the writers and their works here. They are know quantities and they are building their own bodies of work and carving their own paths.
Like all artists I believe they would do this come what may, with the Omnibus being a nice promotional bonus for them.
This has always been the vision, to promote those who are too busy actually doing the real work to promote themselves. My audience is your audience, and yours is mine, all for one and one for all. This has always been the idea.
For this to work the Soaring Twenties Social Club must remain at a certain scale, but we are not quite there yet, luckily for some of you. So- despite my best efforts- it is hard to convey in words just how unique and special the Social Club Discord group is. Which is why to celebrate its one year anniversary I sent out this email offering a two weeks free trial for those who want to be a part of this artistic vanguard but are still on the fence.
The trial expires on April 1st, so click the link and grab it while you can.
But whether you choose to participate or simply stay here as a valued reader, know that every week the Omnibus will be here, showcasing some of the best essays and fiction around.
So on with the show…
Until next time,
Live well,
Tom.
Essays
Healing Generational Wounds by Hayden
‘I believe strongly that emotional communion is one of the great needs of humanity, and that one of the greatest gifts you can give to another person is the pure, unadulterated expression of who you are.’
Very insightful stuff from Hayden here. Personally I would be interested in reading more from him on such topics.
Simon- Memeification by Simon
Excellent discussion of memes using the infamous Antonio Guillem stock photo ‘disloyal man with his girlfriend looking at another girl’ which thanks to this piece I now know the name of. Real journalism here!
A Movement Practice for Westerners? by Kevin
‘A central problem in the Western philosophical tradition – whether it is known or unknown – is the lack of a movement based mind-body practice.
The West has no movement practice similar to yoga, Tai Chi, walking meditations, and the sacred dances etc. we find in other cultures and traditions.‘
A serious problem and I genuinely believe that Kevin with all of his expertise is the man to remedy this. Read this call to arms and then follow Kevin’s work.
The Truth of Beauty by Pr0ph3t
‘Beauty is the deep longing of humankind… No proofs are forthcoming. You know it to be true, your bones and spirit shake to this music and they have your whole life. The mother and the mystic, the theologian and the sybarite, the warrior and the artist, are seeking it while they spend each earthly day.’
Another hugely resonant manifesto. Pr0ph3t has done it again.
Learning to Surf #7 - Bali by Gavin
In which Gavin resumes his surfing series and by proxy gives us some insights into learning to learn, bingeing and comfort zones, linearity of progress, Bali and it’s beauty and more. All told with Gavin’s usual wit and clarity of course.
bookmark #343 by Deepansh
These daily nuggets of musing and insight are a constant delight, as I say here every week. Some start the day with the news and cereal, some scroll their feeds, some do the daily Wordle puzzle, but those who really know how to live make a few minutes for a daily bookmark as part of their routine.
I question things (because that’s what we should all do) by Craig
When it comes to the online world of content and platitudes Craig has increasingly become one of the few voices to consistently ask why. Such critique and questioning is vital, so instead of being like the brainwashed, toxically positive twitterheads perhaps we should stop saying “cheer up” or “stop criticising” and take on board what Craig os saying. The online sphere would be much better for this in my opinion.
Be Like Mozart by Clint
‘“Self-help” is an interesting term, isn’t it?
Think about all the books in the “self help” section of a bookstore. The irony is, if we were truly engaging in self help - we wouldn’t need any of those books.
A “self help” book might help you, but it’s not self help.’
Exactly. Clint absolutely nails it in this short and to the point piece.
Watching The World Wrecking by Ivan
I don’t like to play favourites are talk about ‘the best’ because every writer here is working in different idioms, in different voices and towards different ends. It’s comparing apples and oranges. However- this might be one f the best written pieces we’ve ever featured here. And it’s subject matter is of vital importance too. Absolutely outstanding. If you only read one, read this.
The House That Pulp Built by Frank
I’m hugely excited for this new Substack from Frank. And this opening piece gives me further hope and excitement. I love pulp magazines, stories and novels and can’t wait to learn more and discover some forgotten classics and hidden gems of the genre as we progress. If you’re anything like me you'll want to subscribe to this one.
What's missing in photos of presidents by Andrew
I’ll give the game away here. What’s missing in photos of presidents at work is a computer.
Andrew- a man who knows about computers and tech at depth- has some very enlightening things to say about this seeming anomaly in this excellent short piece.
Tequila Shot Musings by AJ
‘In that outdoor bar in Miami while sucking on a lime slice, I began to realize that life is a series of discrete, binary chunks. There’s a period in life when you’re able to attend destination weddings and a period when you can’t. There’s a time in your life when your parents are alive and a time when they’re dead.’
Children’s books, Existentialism, liquid courage and wisdom all in one here from AJ. Great musings.
A Low Dishonest Decade by Charles Schifano
‘Of course it is worth noticing that Tolstoy’s digressions aren’t incidental—there’s a significance to how an unprepared society slips into a preventable war, to how delusions of security leads to complacency, or to how fear of escalation itself triggers an escalation.’
A truly excellent essay that uses War and Peace to highlight the differences between 19th Century attitudes versus those of our present age. Great literature always offers a bulwark against confusion and tunnel vision.
A Streaming Comes Across the Sky by Ryan
Resident film review Ryan gives his assessment of two Denis Villeneuve joints—Polytechnique and Blade Runner 2049. Insightful, opinionated, willing to go against the grain and not bow to received opinions. Exactly what you want from a real critic. This strikes a perfect balance between accessibility without falling for pandering or compromise. This is now one of my go-to sources for movie recommendations.
Make wholes, not pieces by Vita
‘Our lives are much more fragmented, as a fundamental consequence of technology. One thing I have not explored yet is how that influences the artists of the Internet.’
Vita gets it. As well as diagnosing the quandary of the online artist he offers practical solutions. This may well be his best essay to date, and that is a high bar to have managed to clear here this week.
Fiction
Mr Death by Katavasis
I believe this is Katavasis first foray into fiction. And it’s very, very good indeed. We knew he had writing chops from his essays, and a voice, and a viewpoint, but it appears he has the other fiction writer intangibles too. Hopefully this is the start of a flood of fiction from him.
To Emelia by GKGaius
A short and powerful epistolary story, which is no easy feat. GK has been pretty prolific of late, quietly putting in the work for which he (and us) are being rewarded by him becoming better and better each time he hits publish.
Click the button below to purchase a beautiful paperback edition of my debut essay collection. We’ve got work to do if we’re going to catch up to James Clear! Every little helps.
Podcasts
Whale Oil Beef Hooked by Madspace
Well this was… something. 13 minutes of jigs, exhaustion and learning how to say naughty words in an Irish accent. Lesser men would have decided not to publish this. But Matt is not lesser men. And so here we are.
What this could have been (WA #45) by Craig Burgess
Craig ‘multiple personalities’ Burgess oscillates between being an upbeat, positive ‘content creator’ and his true miserabilist self to try and make a point or something. It’s like Schrödinger's Podcast, this. And whether Burgess’ performance is up there with James McAvoy in Split is something you will have to decide for yourself…
TJB Film Recommendation
Near Dark (1987)
D. Kathryn Bigelow
W. Kathryn Bigelow, Eric Red
S. Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright, Lance Henriksen
I rewatched this off the back of going down a Tangerine Dream movie soundtrack rabbit hole. There work on this is up there with their synthy atmospheric best. And this film, like its soundtrack, is a bit of an unsung gem outside of its cult following.
What you have here is a vampire film like no other. Any trace of old world decadence, of Dracula and Nosferatu is gone and replaced with neon beer signs and cowboy boots nocturnal Americana. It works and Bigelow’s directorial eye, sense of pacing and ability to deftly walk the tightrope between actual drama and need levity and genre silliness (see also her later much well known masterpiece Point Break) carries the day.
This is a hugely fun 90 something minutes of cool, quotable, over the top, neo-western horror enjoyment.
Give it a go.
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, I will release the debut public episode or The Soaring Twenties Podcast on Monday 28th. Two hours of me and Craig wittering on- or more specifically two hours of Craig trying to be a professional and keep the thing on the rails as he struggles to coax answers out of me. Is that not entertainment?
Well, I guess we’ll find out one way or the other on Monday.
And don’t forget if you want to tune into future recordings live from within our Discord (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!