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How to Read Faster: A Practical Guide

February 14, 2018

I am what you would call a fast reader. However, the designation is a bit misleading. I am a fast reader if the book is interesting, and a slow reader when it’s not. I’ve finished 900-page books in two days, but I can spend months on something boring. Still, sometimes – boring or not – you must read a book as soon as possible. A student of mine once asked me for tips on how to read faster. I gave her a simple answer: just read more. Today’s article will expand on that short but accurate piece of advice.

I will divide my tips in nonfiction and fiction, as the dynamics are a bit different. But you should read both sections, as the lessons from the one can be partly applicable to the other one as well.

how to read fast — To read fast you need to read more

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Fear, Nonconformity, and Action

February 12, 2018

Experiencing

action, conditioning, experience, fear, feelings, injustice, life, nonconformity, society

A – formerly metal 😉 – Swedish band sings “fear is the weakness in all of us”. But they’ve got it wrong. It’s not fear that is the weakness; it’s what it pushes us to do (or not). We mostly do something we wouldn’t (or leave undone something we’d like to) because of our fear of nonconformity. Usually we are deathly afraid of doing something unexpected. We are paralyzed in the thought of doing something our parents and teachers, our peers and society, wouldn’t anticipate. Fear, nonconformity, and action are all interconnected.

fear, nonconformity, inaction — Fear is not the problem. But conditioning is.

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3 Gothic Characters with a Secret (that You Don’t Know)

February 9, 2018

Criticism

academia, children, criticism, economy, experience, Gothic, literature, time

Gothic works seem to be as undead as the characters parading through them. Individual… species might come and go – vampires were trendy couple of decades ago, then we had zombies – but the fact remains: Gothic and horror fiction* will remain relevant, reflecting inner human fears. Gothic characters are merely manifestations of our own fears, both personal and social.
*read my article on the differences between Gothic, horror and science fiction

In today’s article I’d like to show you a sample of just how many secrets Gothic characters might hide. Forgive my somewhat assuming title, but whereas many know of Count Dracula and some might know there is something odd (indeed queer) about his sexuality, how many could claim to know the secrets around, say, the character of Quincey Morris?

Without further delay, let’s begin our list. The Gothic characters I have picked are:

Margaret Saville, Frankenstein
Belle, A Christmas Carol
Quincey P. Morris, Dracula

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