Hello! Iām still alive (and so are you). A few updates since last time.
š¬ Thereās a new documentary out about OneTaste
The biggest book-related news is that Netflix recently aired a doc about OneTaste, the subject of the book Iām writing. Itās called Orgasm Inc., and you can watch it here and see the trailer below.
Iām in the documentary, talking about some of my past reporting on the company. Amusingly, this means the film contains many shots of me doing ājournalist b-rollā greatest hits ā typing on a laptop, talking on the phone, writing in a notebook, and watching videos while furrowing my brow (which, to be fair, is what a lot of reporting actually looks like).
If youāve seen the documentary, Iād love to hear what you thought of it! I wasnāt involved in making the film beyond sitting for interviews. I have my own thoughts, but I want to tread carefully ā the movie has already attracted some legal heat (see here and here).
Itās been fascinating to hear reactions so far from viewers as Iām continuing to work on the book. Video can simply show an audience what someone looks and sounds like, whereas Iām stuck in my writing cave with a pile of overwrought metaphors. On the other hand, a 90-minute documentary has to cut out a lot of information and is limited in some ways by which subjects are willing to go on camera. I envy the power of video, but Iām also hoping the book can go deeper and convey ideas that are harder to film.
ā ļø āHowās the book going?ā
(For what itās worth: Asking me āhowās the book going?ā is always welcome. On the other hand, Iāve realized that this question kills me: āAre you done yet?ā)
Anywho, still cranking away at the latest draft. More reporting, more revising, more rewriting, and wistfully thumbing through the William Zinsser classic On Writing Well.
The tricks du jour Iāve been using on myself to get work done:
chucking my phone across the room (surprisingly effective)
turning off wifi
doing 20 jumping jacks for a jolt of motivation (there is no avoiding that this looks really silly)
A no-longer-fresh tweet:
ā
Review it with Huet: visible mending
Hereās my latest random recommendation: This is the Instagram account of Science and Kindness, a denim repair shop in St. Paul, Minnesota. All they post is before-and-after pictures of their mending work. Often, the pieces are raggedy and overflowing with sentimental value. Sometimes the repairs are subtle, but sometimes they celebrate the scars. (Above is an example of sashiko mending, a textile version of kintsugi pottery.)
Textile repair pics! What can I say? Wholesome, resourceful, oddly relaxing. Also could be a good metaphor for something ā what exactly, thatās up to you. Mend your clothes (or pay someone to)!
āļø Other things for you to click on
I love news stories that describe the social dynamics of an extremely narrow subculture (e.g., an ideological rift in the professional rock-skipping world). Occasionally I get the chance to write one, like this recent story about a very Silicon Valley niche. Itās a peek into the expensive way that āpost-economicā people (yes that means wealthy enough to no longer have to work) socialize these days: by angel investing in each otherās startups.
āTo me itās very similar to Instagram. You follow each other. The only difference is it costs $10,000 to follow someone, and to create a profile you have to start a company.ā
āļøĀ Say hi
Have a take on the Netflix doc? Want to invest $10,000 in my nonexistent startup? Just want to say hi? You can always reply to this email and send me a string of words.
Thank you for reading! Goodbye for now! Step outside and take a deep breath
