So….2020. What the fuck was that even? I don’t know, but I’m glad it’s almost over.
Infinite Natures
Attempting to Go Viral Without Catching the Plague
I’ve never been much of a technology person, but for some time I’ve been thinking about how to drag my Luddite tuchus into the twenty-first century to promote my work. It seems the plague has now forced me to take drastic measures — that’s right, I made a YouTube channel. A YouTube channel, I made. Could 2020 possibly get any weirder?
Did I Mention That I’m Doing a Thing?
Last year, I attended the annual Toronto Pagan Pride Day festival, where I did a reading from Black Wolf and met some pretty cool people. I’ll be joining them again this year, but since there’s a pox on all our houses, the festivities will be online, with presentations on the first Saturday of every month from October 2020 to March 2021.
A Farewell to Celebrity Culture
Our social nature has caused us to turn blind eyes to abuse, and it is our social nature that must be reoriented to face it.
Ragnarök: Norse Mythology for the Twenty-First Century
The Netflix series Ragnarok strikes a near-perfect balance between the themes of Norse mythology and the threats facing the modern world. [Caution: contains spoilers]
Burning Down the House
No one should have to fear for their lives because of the colour of their skin.
Book Review: Forged by Iron
Forged by Iron is based on Olaf Trygvason’s saga, which appears in Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla, among other sources. Fortunately for modern storytellers, the sagas tend to focus on the big picture, which leaves plenty of room for literary license, and Schumacher’s retelling modifies some aspects of the story for narrative purposes.
Cautious Optimism in the Age of COVID-19
Writing, editing, and the arts in general may prove to be more valuable than ever, with people being quarantined or staying home out of an abundance of caution.
This Mortal Coil of Mine
I’ve been listening to Caitlin Doughty’s Smoke Gets in Your Eyes after burning through most of her videos this week. Her frank and unflinching approach to death…… Read more “This Mortal Coil of Mine”
Link Roundup #5: Trade in the Viking Age
The stereotype of the raping, pillaging Norseman has its roots in the very earliest days of Viking raids. The plundering of Lindisfarne in 793 CE was one of the earliest recorded raids, and the target—a church—made the act all the more heinous in the eyes of the Anglo-Saxons, who wrote terrifying reports of the event. However, most Old Norse people were more interested in trading. (More taxes, fewer axes.)
