Rochester, plague, peloton, ruins, and more

Seven links to worthwhile thin(g/k)s

Hello dear reader,

I am reporting from a somewhat gloomy Los Angeles. All that’s missing is some rain, which LA desperately needs. In my neck of the woods, I’ve been exploring the ever-unfolding world of fountain pens, considering fitness options (gym/tennis/Peloton), dreading visits to the dentist, and baking bread.

Here are seven links to bits of the world I have been exploring this week, shared with the hope that you will find them to be an inspiring springboard for deeper thinking.

1. The Plague, Albert Camus — Exile and Companionshiop, my book review on YouTube.

2. How to remember what you read: This article was e-mailed to me from a friend and fellow Francophile who thought it would be of interest to you. It holds the premise that consuming information should be the equivalent of acquiring knowledge (I am a big proponent of this idea; hence my irritation with multi-tasking and other distractors that shorten our attention spans). The article also offers a note-taking method called Blank Sheet, and I’m curious to visually explore how this would pan out in upcoming personal reads.

3. Prof. Neil Postman lecture on the ‘surrender of culture to technology.’

4. Speaking of tech, Apple will start scanning individuals’ iPhones for images constituting child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and text messages or communications that are deemed inappropriate for minors. Here’s Bill Maher adding color to Apple’s decision.

5. Against the commodification of capitalism, and taking shots at “exercise machines [that] enact the endless, grueling task of being alive in late capitalism…you know that you aren’t going anywhere.”

6. The romance of ruins

7. Thoughts on Jane Eyre, and as promised on Instagram, a couple of highlights — (1) here and (2) here — from an interview with Toby Stephens, the actor who played Rochester in the 2006 Jane Eyre miniseries.

Until next week!

Warmly,

Ani

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Prompt of the Week: Instead of bypassing conversation by way of a Google search, consider asking a person by way of a conversation, and see where it goes :)

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