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The Smartphone Model Is Rotten: You Don’t Own Your Device

January 9, 2023

Let’s be clear, I’m not breaking any new ground here. The topic described by the heading has been talked about and analyzed a lot. And for good reason: The smartphone model – that is, the way smartphones are designed and sold – is rotten to the core. The subtitle might give you a hint why: You don’t really own the device you paid for and purchased.

What you own is the temporary, easily withdrawn right to operate the device for a short, undefined period of time.

Perhaps you’ve either realized this yourself or you’ve read about it elsewhere. As I said, I’m not breaking any new ground. Nonetheless, in this post I will share the… Kafkaesque experience I recently had with “my” smartphone – the model of which isn’t important; they’re all the same disaster.

At the same time, I will bring to your attention some menacing repercussions you might not have thought of, some news you might have not heard. Put simply, the… smartphone model of doing business is spilling over into other industries with potentially dystopian consequences.

How would you like not to own your car? Or, here’s a better one: How would you like the right to operate “your” car to be revoked if, say, you left a nasty review about the manufacturer?

smartphone model
There are many things to dislike about smartphones. One of them, they’ve facilitated a whole generation of people who take videos at concerts, missing the experience
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Why and How I Made Up a Literary Agent

January 2, 2023

Quite a provocative title, you must admit. It’s true, I essentially made up a literary agent when I couldn’t find one. The problem is, it worked… sort of.

Much of our existence – as creators and generally – is ambiguous and self-contradictory. People are complex beings, there are no simple answers. And so, though I’ve generally disowned my past as a published author, at the same time I still use the designation on Amazon, Goodreads, and such platforms. I also use it in the introductory pages of my books. It’s supposed to be some sort of sign of merit.

This is all bullshit, of course. 

I’m only playing a part doing that; it’s the persona of a writer selling a book. I don’t really believe being a published author means anything in terms of quality. By the way, I also mention I have a PhD in English literature, but I don’t think that means much either

It’s all a performance; theatrics.

Which is the topic of today’s story, too: Why and how I made up a literary agent. This is something very few people know (perhaps as few as three: the “agent”, the publisher, and myself). I’ll talk about the why’s and how’s, as well as the aftereffects. This should reveal to us a few things about the publishing industry.

made up a literary agent
When I made up a literary agent, I thought I was smartly creating a hole to let light in. I didn’t like what I saw…
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Teach Literature the Right Way

December 19, 2022

The title of this post might make you think it’s not relevant to you if you’re not a literature teacher or a writing advisor. Not so fast. Though in this post I indeed share with you how to teach literature the right way – based on 12 years of university experience – the lessons are highly revealing to everyone who’s interested in literature.

If you’re a writer, you want better readers.

If you’re a reader, you want better books to read.

And of course, if you indeed teach literature – at any level and in any capacity, be it a college teacher or simply running a local book club – you will find plenty of interesting tips here. As I often say, I don’t claim to have the best (let alone the only) solutions. But my advice is honest, not trying to please audiences or sponsors (which I don’t have any).

I’ve divided the post into 3+1 short sections: The first three describe the foundations of how you could approach teaching literature to others; what goals to set, what methods to use, what to expect. The fourth one is a list of practical tips, based on my long and painful experience – as a student as well as a teacher.

teach literature
Keeping students engaged is a major element in teaching literature successfully. It’s really hard to learn anything when you’re bored and would rather be anywhere else than in that room, with someone blabbering all the time
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