In pandemic times, fears of waldenponding seem less applicable. It's not about building a new city or society, but a transient, protected retreat. (e.g. the Recurse Center). …It seems valuable to shield these sorts of endeavors from an environment that's increasingly hostile to knowledge work.

After each draft, I found myself asking "...why?," and I scratched them out and started over. but the truth is that that's not really what's occupying my mind these days…so, this month, as with every month, I'll give you what's actually on my mind. It's August now, and I have so few memories of doing anything this year. I've had a lot of group chats, FaceTime calls, phone calls, video calls, and even a few trips out of town, but those memories all feel translucent somehow, like I could put my hand right through them.

(When's the last time this many people were forced to think about the same thing, all at once?)