This next novel will be my first I-novel ever; of course, it won’t be an I-novel of the Literary Establishment sort, but it will be an attempt to vivisect myself in which I will turn on myself the blade of psychological analysis that I have honed for the hypothetical figure so far. I will aim […]
Osamu Dazai (1909–1948) was a Japanese writer known for his deeply personal, existential, and often autobiographical fiction, and one of the most significant authors in modern Japanese literature. A pen name for Shūji Tsushima, Osamu Dazai was born into a wealthy family in Kanagi and his life was marked by turmoil and tragedy, with a history […]
Celebrated as one of the major figures in modern Japanese literature and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, Jun’ichirō Tanizaki (1886-1965) was a Japanese author known for his exploration of themes such as female beauty and destructive erotic obsessions. His notable works exploring these themes include Naomi (1924), Some Prefer Nettles (1928), […]
There’s a tale by this title in Andrew Lang’s The Blue Fairy Book, and that’s closely related to the tale “The Fisherman and His Wife” collected by the Brothers Grimm. It’s also sometimes known as “The Enchanted Fish”. This tale however is a different one, collected by Joseph Jacobs in English Fairy Tales (1890). Its […]
Edogawa Ranpo, born Tarō Hirai on October 21, 1894, in Nabari, Japan, was a prominent writer and literary critic known for his influential contributions to the mystery genre. He passed away on July 28, 1965, which means that his works will be in the public domain in around 10 years. Edogawa is celebrated for his […]
It might be because of my background in architecture, it might be because it’s fantasy, but Italian intellectuals insist it’s not (which is hilarious when it’s not infuriating), but I’m particularly fond of Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities. Today I give you one of the cities connected with death: Eusapia. If you’re not familiar with it, […]
Italo Calvino‘s collection “Italian Folktales” includes this fairytale as coming from the region of Liguria, and that makes perfect sense, as it’s a region known for its coastal landscapes and maritime culture (and the parsimony of its inhabitants, but that’s a different story). You can read the story on my Patreon.
“The Two Cakes” is a story from The Pentameron, or The Story of Stories by Giambattista Basile, here given in the translation by John Edward Taylor. You can also read the story on my Patreon. I have always heard say, that he who gives pleasure finds it: the bell of Manfredonia says, “Give me, I give […]
As my workshop with the Women in BIM group and my class at Autodesk University in San Diego approach, many of you asked me to provide additional resources on the LEGO Serious Play methodology, so here’s a handful of them. Foundations and State of the Art the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY Open Source Guide Issued by […]
On my Patreon we combined our Monday appointment with water creatures and the ritual eBook after I get a rejection, making it free for everyone. Undine, by Friedrich Heinrich Karl de la Motte Fouqué, is spooky, it has water creatures and it’s beautifully gothic in its themes of being human. Do we need more reasons? […]