Letter From The Founder
A while back I posted the following on Notes:
I stand by the idea that not only do people need to ‘touch grass’ a lot more frequently and consistently (myself included) but that the possibly eye-roll inducing act of talking about the damaging personal and societal consequences of the internet on the internet is actually vital and not merely an act of hypocrisy.
And though this is what I think, you’ll be pleased to learn that what follows is not simply a collection of a dozen works harping on about phones being bad. Long term readers will know by now that the Symposium topic rarely stays truly on topic and that our writers and artists will always seek to play with, bend, break, distort, contort, vandalise or otherwise destroy the neat and clear paths that a set topic may well imply. This is the way of the true creative.
So what you have here today then features, but is not limited to: frog beauty pageants, Massive Journals, huckster satire, lawn pissing contemplation, ice cream selection crises and much more. Who else offers you things like this1?
We hope that you enjoy this selection while taking a brief break from touching grass and living life. If the STSC can act as a scrolling antidote and grass touching facilitator then our work here will be done.
Enjoy.
Essays
Your feet shake the Earth through your skeleton all the way down into the soil, and the worms giggle by Minna
Well straight off the bat I can say that this lovely poetic piece from Minna wins the coveted Best Title of the Month Award (honourable mentions must go to Dane Benko and Vanechka ). It also manages to achieve the very important thing of making you want to kick off your shoes and touch the earth which is something that we too often neglect. Hence the theme of this Symposium.
Frog: Who drew it best? by Konstantin
So much fun this one. Konstantin Asimonov has written some serious, hard hitting stuff for us here at the STSC but he also has a really enjoyable, silly, playful side that I for one really get a kick out of. And besides, who doesn’t like frogs?
Touch Grass in fake Disneyland by Mike K
Like me, like everyone, I’m sure your first reaction to Mike Kueker ‘s reflection here will be a strong sense of envy regarding his Massive Journal. Maybe the reason why so many start the journal habit but never see it through is because they don’t have a suitably gigantic and monstrously hefty tome in which to capture their thoughts and days. It’s a theory anyway.
Everything Burns by Ana
As Matthew Martin mentions in the comment, this piece perfectly captures the oppression of the summer heat. Ana Bosch also reminds me- vividly and unpleasantly- of the repressed memory of drinking kalimotxo on an overly hot day many summers ago. Such is the power of her prose.
Rake in the Green by Jeanne
Though she might not think of herself as such Jeanne S is for my money one of the very best satirists writing on Substack today. You need the eye and the bite but to also not have it all collapse into self-righteousness or mere moaning. She gets the balance just right, which is why we laugh.
Word salad, with nettle leaves and rakes by Vanya
An uncharacteristically late submission from Vanechka . The reason? ‘I was too busy touching grass.’ Hard to argue with that, just as it is hard to argue against the quality of our mans prose and the consistency with which he can casually throw out an absolute knockout line that you wish that you yourself had written.
Fiction
Untitled by G.K. Gaius
It takes a real artist to get away with casually calling a work ‘Untitled’. Fortunately then gkgaius is such a true blue artist. As his latest story yet again proves.
The Dreamer Who Wanted to Touch Grass by Clint
Clintavo ‘s work- whether essay, story or missive on Notes has a cryptic confidence. It’s compelling. What I mean by this is that Clint will happily throw out a puzzle, an enigma, something that doesn’t immediately make sense knowing that the lightbulb will go off above your head in due course. He trusts you which in turn is why we trust him. It’s a refreshing dynamic.
The Rosemary Beetle by Matthew
Matthew Martin’s Substack ‘Notes from The Drift’ has three posts on it to date. Three bangers. A 100% strike rate. The taking his time methodology is paying off. A serious body of work is being built. Get in on the ground floor.
Infinite Sample Doom Loop by Greg
Warning: This story from Greg Lemon may forever change the way you see ice cream shops. Man, Greg really is a unique voice with a truly imaginative mind. Always a pleasure to read.
To Piss on Manicured Lawn by Tony
Should this go in the fiction section? Is it a factual essay? Would it be poor form to ask? Does Tony care either way? These are all philosophical questions to ponder after you have finished with this brief but wild ride.
Cinepoem
Touch Grass! Touch Everything! Wash Your Hands! Be Careful! :o) Only Touch With Consent. by Dane
If Dane Benko doesn’t get offers for hand modelling work off the back of this then there is seriously something wrong with the world.
So that was the STSC Touch Grass Symposium. Be sure to join us on the first Sunday of next month for the next one. The topic is yet to be determined. Maybe we’ll out it to a public vote. Maybe I’ll autocratically impose something from above. Who knows…
But anyway, before I leave I need to note as always that all of us here are eternally grateful for all of the support this project receives. We appreciate the time that people take to read our work, and to share it and comment on it. It is never taken for granted.
And of course we are immensely thankful for all of the contributors and for those who help keep the STSC going via their kind support.
Cheers.
TJB.
Who else would be crazy enough to?
Thank you, Thomas! I just returned from Finland and am writing another piece about the strange but very real "reality membrane" between my life here in the USA and that I encounter every time I return to Finland.