A contender for the best book I've read this year is George R. Stewart's Ordeal by Hunger, which is considered the definitive account of the Donner Party tragedy. I came across this book as an admirer of Stewart's delightful treatise Names on the Land, a historical accounting of the US and its place names. I … Continue reading On the Donner Party
Author: T Coe
On 7 things from last week (5/15/23)
Rain. The amount of rain we got last week was astounding for the Front Range. Our home weather station recorded 3" in two days, which is a shocking amount for out here. (The Denver region is in a "semi-arid" climate zone.) Tilling. Getting ready to xeriscape another section of our lawn involved 20 minutes of … Continue reading On 7 things from last week (5/15/23)
On generating content and enjoyment of an experience
The results of a recent article in the Journal of Marketing should not surprise. The authors claim to observe a connection between generating “content” during an experience and the perceived enjoyment of that experience. The takeaway—given that this is in the Journal of Marketing—is that smart shrines (in their “content generative” possibilities—offer an opportunity for … Continue reading On generating content and enjoyment of an experience
On whether or not to expect a reasonably well-informed person to know who Grimes is
In trying to explain the emerging world of AI-generated art to my dad, I touched on how Grimes had recently made her voice (or an AI-generated version of it)available for creators—so long as she receives 50% credit for the song. Sure, said my dad. But who is Grimes? Clearly, there were two different frames of … Continue reading On whether or not to expect a reasonably well-informed person to know who Grimes is
On the next-in-line effect
I can't remember when I first learned about this phenomenon, but I do remember having the dumb thought: I don't fall for this. But whenever the opportunity for it next came up—going around the table introducing ourselves—I discovered that the name of the person who'd gone just before me was—well, exactly. I had no idea. … Continue reading On the next-in-line effect
On metonymy
Synecdoche, which I looked at last week, is actually a subcategory of another rhetorical device: metonymy. Metonymy involves the substitution of one term for a closely related term. In the case of synecdoche, that substitution involves the whole for the part ("the FBI" for the "the agent") or the part for the whole ("the hand" … Continue reading On metonymy
On Garden of the Gods and monotheism
Residents of the Denver metro area have our suspicions about Colorado Springs, our neighbor to the south. With its surfeit of megachurches, religious right advocacy organizations, and military bases, "the Springs" (as we call it) has a certain reputation. A recent news story only deepened the fringe perception: Garden of Gods signs vandalized — again … Continue reading On Garden of the Gods and monotheism
On stretching the meaning of “wedding”
At some point on the third day of the wedding weekend, the luster wore off. It was in the middle of what was scheduled as an 11-hour "pool party" that it no longer felt like a "wedding." It was hanging out on the beach with family I don't often see and a whole not of … Continue reading On stretching the meaning of “wedding”
On 7 things from last week (5/8/23)
Beach vacations. My cousin's wedding down in Sarasota (Anna Maria Island, to be specific) gave us an excuse to take the whole family on a beach vacation. Having grown up on the East Coast and spent nearly every summer weekend of my childhood on the beach, the idea of a beach vacation always seemed silly … Continue reading On 7 things from last week (5/8/23)
On Jason Isbell’s “Cast Iron Skillet”
As my friend and fellow Isbell fan Dan put it: This may be the best song Jason Isbell has written in a while. "Cast Iron Skillet" is a marvel of songwriting—partly because it offers an update on the template of "Outfit," one of Isbell's most famous songs. That song, written in the voice of Isbell's … Continue reading On Jason Isbell’s “Cast Iron Skillet”
Taylor Coe 