I love this essay for how chock-full it is of information, ideas and behind-the-scenes looks. The review in LARB is leaner and it successfully hits the points it meant to; I got a review of Building SimCity (which I might not have considered reading otherwise because I don't play video games), an understanding of what it provides in contrast to Nelson's game and how the California Forever project (an ostentatious name, btw) validates and connects to SimCity's popularity.
I found it interesting how building a simulation game has the collectivist spirit of what actually happens in Nelson's game, but the end result is the the fantasy of absolute, individual control in influencing and designing something as big and complex as a city. Businesses sell to individuals, but here it popped out more, probably because the self-as-god theme was a major focus.
Looking at the document list in Zotera here, I have to ask: How do you find time to read so much and ensure you don't develop only a surface-level understanding of it? Since you had a specific aim with the articles, I imagine reading and mining them for interesting, thought-provoking bits would be easier. But, I am still curious to know how you manage to read so widely especially with a day job. (This is also in light of your recent post where iirc you read 11 books in a month)
Thank you for going in such detail about your review here. It's always cerebrally pleasurable to read what you write.
Thank you Esha—it is so so lovely to be read this deeply and I really appreciate it! I was nervous about making the SimCity → California Forever connection land well (and kept on revising the argument leading between them) but I’m glad it worked
In terms of time to read and write…I took the summer off (starting a new job end of the month) which helped a LOT. I read fast but like, not that fast…I really wanted to use this summer to read more extensively than I can normally, and write things that are slightly beyond my capacities when I’m working! So the LARB piece, and tbh all the longer writing I’ve done on Substack, benefited enormously from that. Plus some unpublished personal essay–ish things I’m still working on…and I also spent a lot of time speaking with friends about the piece, which helped me deepen my argument a lot.
(I’ve also noticed that putting multiple books in conversation with each other, and then with the world, inherently deepens my argument bc I need to work harder to draw interesting connections between them)
A mentor once suggested that work/life balance (and perhaps work/writing/life balance) often has seasons—rarely will everything be perfectly balanced at one time, but when you look at a year or an entire life, hopefully leaning in or out of different things has led to the balance working out.
"putting multiple books in conversation with each other"—love this! I think that's what I am moving towards doing, too. It certainly deepens your thinking and the richness you can create; it comes through as one of the strengths in your writing.
Basically, I don't have Tiktok on my phone; rarely watch YouTube videos (maybe 2 a week, max); I hate TV; and my daily average screen time for Instagram (which I do use to DM friends and keep up with events!) is 15 minutes or so. I didn't really grow up with TV, so I have zero attention span for video content…it is actually more fatiguing for me to watch a 5 minute video than read a 5,000 word essay.
This actually frees up SO much time for reading!!!!! And I'll bring an e-reader or physical book with me whenever I leave the house
Screens are the biggest distractions! Once you eliminate them, there is so much time available.
What you wrote tracks with my experience, though. I usually max out at 4-5 books per month (most likely) because once I finish one, I take a pause to gather my thoughts and write a little bit about it. If I start with the next one, it detracts my mind from the writing and then I am jumping between two world without being able to inhabit either one fully.
Celine, I found this so fascinating, thank you! You're consistently writing some of the most interesting, well-researched essays on here -- I appreciate it! (And I just saw on a previous post you're reading Lies and Sorcery, which took me the better part of a month (maybe more?) earlier this year but changed my life a little bit!)
thank you Clara! and yes—I am picking through the book VERY slowly but it’s so amazing…the psychological insights that Morante offers in it feel very profound and exciting
Very interesting to read how you think and work. Loved reading about the golden age of criticism, and the way you use a work (in this case, software) to write about broader issues. So fascinating!
thank you Marje!! I do think it’s exciting how accessible and innovative criticism is now (on Substacks and on larger publications)…though I wish this was also associated with more economic opportunities for critics (staff positions, better pay, overall a less precarious industry)
I am still mulling over this one so unfortunately I have no other comment except that this was a really awesome read, thank you!! Also for the recs—I saved many of them to read later!
"We shape our art forms and artifacts, and thereafter our art shapes us"
I loved that! I wrote a post not so long ago that discusses this. It's based on an article by the Basque philosopher Daniel Innerarity that uses Edward Lee's idea of “digital creationism". If you could take a look, that would mean the world to me. (https://writerbytechnicality.substack.com/p/do-it-for-the-machines)
BTW you just made my "to read" list grow by a dozen books. I hate you. Thanks!
I love this essay for how chock-full it is of information, ideas and behind-the-scenes looks. The review in LARB is leaner and it successfully hits the points it meant to; I got a review of Building SimCity (which I might not have considered reading otherwise because I don't play video games), an understanding of what it provides in contrast to Nelson's game and how the California Forever project (an ostentatious name, btw) validates and connects to SimCity's popularity.
I found it interesting how building a simulation game has the collectivist spirit of what actually happens in Nelson's game, but the end result is the the fantasy of absolute, individual control in influencing and designing something as big and complex as a city. Businesses sell to individuals, but here it popped out more, probably because the self-as-god theme was a major focus.
Looking at the document list in Zotera here, I have to ask: How do you find time to read so much and ensure you don't develop only a surface-level understanding of it? Since you had a specific aim with the articles, I imagine reading and mining them for interesting, thought-provoking bits would be easier. But, I am still curious to know how you manage to read so widely especially with a day job. (This is also in light of your recent post where iirc you read 11 books in a month)
Thank you for going in such detail about your review here. It's always cerebrally pleasurable to read what you write.
Thank you Esha—it is so so lovely to be read this deeply and I really appreciate it! I was nervous about making the SimCity → California Forever connection land well (and kept on revising the argument leading between them) but I’m glad it worked
In terms of time to read and write…I took the summer off (starting a new job end of the month) which helped a LOT. I read fast but like, not that fast…I really wanted to use this summer to read more extensively than I can normally, and write things that are slightly beyond my capacities when I’m working! So the LARB piece, and tbh all the longer writing I’ve done on Substack, benefited enormously from that. Plus some unpublished personal essay–ish things I’m still working on…and I also spent a lot of time speaking with friends about the piece, which helped me deepen my argument a lot.
(I’ve also noticed that putting multiple books in conversation with each other, and then with the world, inherently deepens my argument bc I need to work harder to draw interesting connections between them)
A mentor once suggested that work/life balance (and perhaps work/writing/life balance) often has seasons—rarely will everything be perfectly balanced at one time, but when you look at a year or an entire life, hopefully leaning in or out of different things has led to the balance working out.
All this to say: my day job reading pace is a bit slower—like maybe 7 books a month?—and probably best reflected in this yearly roundup https://www.personalcanon.com/p/best-books-of-2023
"putting multiple books in conversation with each other"—love this! I think that's what I am moving towards doing, too. It certainly deepens your thinking and the richness you can create; it comes through as one of the strengths in your writing.
Seven books a month is still an impressive number (remembering this to remind myself that it is possible). Do you then, perhaps, relate with this: https://pandorasykes.substack.com/p/but-how-do-you-read-so-much
(Thank you for such a detailed response; it felt like a delicious appetizer).
I relate a lot to Sykes's post (though I don't have kids! not even a dog or cat or houseplant…) and also Jordan Santos's post about how she reads so much https://jordanrisa.substack.com/p/where-i-find-the-time-to-read
Basically, I don't have Tiktok on my phone; rarely watch YouTube videos (maybe 2 a week, max); I hate TV; and my daily average screen time for Instagram (which I do use to DM friends and keep up with events!) is 15 minutes or so. I didn't really grow up with TV, so I have zero attention span for video content…it is actually more fatiguing for me to watch a 5 minute video than read a 5,000 word essay.
This actually frees up SO much time for reading!!!!! And I'll bring an e-reader or physical book with me whenever I leave the house
Screens are the biggest distractions! Once you eliminate them, there is so much time available.
What you wrote tracks with my experience, though. I usually max out at 4-5 books per month (most likely) because once I finish one, I take a pause to gather my thoughts and write a little bit about it. If I start with the next one, it detracts my mind from the writing and then I am jumping between two world without being able to inhabit either one fully.
Celine, I found this so fascinating, thank you! You're consistently writing some of the most interesting, well-researched essays on here -- I appreciate it! (And I just saw on a previous post you're reading Lies and Sorcery, which took me the better part of a month (maybe more?) earlier this year but changed my life a little bit!)
thank you Clara! and yes—I am picking through the book VERY slowly but it’s so amazing…the psychological insights that Morante offers in it feel very profound and exciting
I truly enjoy every one of your hyper fixations
Arabelle!!!! thank you so much…I do love a pointlessly elaborate deep dive and then emerging with THOUGHTS to share with the world!
Very interesting to read how you think and work. Loved reading about the golden age of criticism, and the way you use a work (in this case, software) to write about broader issues. So fascinating!
thank you Marje!! I do think it’s exciting how accessible and innovative criticism is now (on Substacks and on larger publications)…though I wish this was also associated with more economic opportunities for critics (staff positions, better pay, overall a less precarious industry)
Yes, agreed!
Beautifully done! Loved both the LARB article and this backstage view of your process.
thank you for reading! I honestly worry these process writeups are very self-indulgent—but I’m very happy when others find them interesting!
Thanks for the shout out!
I am still mulling over this one so unfortunately I have no other comment except that this was a really awesome read, thank you!! Also for the recs—I saved many of them to read later!
thank god i came across your page
Just started reading Games: Art as Agency after seeing you mention it here and wanted to share how much I'm loving it so far!
"We shape our art forms and artifacts, and thereafter our art shapes us"
I loved that! I wrote a post not so long ago that discusses this. It's based on an article by the Basque philosopher Daniel Innerarity that uses Edward Lee's idea of “digital creationism". If you could take a look, that would mean the world to me. (https://writerbytechnicality.substack.com/p/do-it-for-the-machines)
BTW you just made my "to read" list grow by a dozen books. I hate you. Thanks!