One afternoon some years ago I was driving through the spring countryside with my 90 year-old mother when she announced that she had just finished reading my new novel, The Birdcatcher. That was no mean feat, given that she was already going blind and could only read with a small magnifier and her face almost … Continue reading Writing Fiction | Good and bad titles
Autism |Toronto Van Rampage III |Alek Minassian and the Incels
Recently the Toronto police released their post-arrest videotaped interview with Alek Minassian, accused of driving a van down Yonge Street on April 23, 2018, deliberately targeting pedestrians, killing eight women and two men, and injuring 16 more. The Toronto Star published an extensive review of the released tape, and Minassian's case generally, in their Friday, … Continue reading Autism |Toronto Van Rampage III |Alek Minassian and the Incels
Paranormal World| Calculating the Unknown | Birds vs Mathematicians
I'm sceptical of the attempts to calculate the probability of paranormal phenomena, especially those strange or "meaningful" coincidences that psychologist C. G. Jung called 'synchronicity'. For example, in his book Synchronicity, Jung discussed the research of Dariex, Richet, and Flammarion who used 'probability calculus' to determine a probability of 1 : 4,114,545 for telepathic precognitions … Continue reading Paranormal World| Calculating the Unknown | Birds vs Mathematicians
Paranormal World | God likes Tolstoy more than me
There is a type of paranormal phenomena that no one seems to talk about anymore, maybe because it's so difficult to talk about. Here is an example. One night I was having a discussion with my adult daughter about the lamentable lack of interest in literature today, especially among young men. I was referring not … Continue reading Paranormal World | God likes Tolstoy more than me
Dreams | Are they real?
Dreams are real while they last; can one say more of life?
Autism |Neurotribes by Steve Silberman
There are so many books about autism that turn out to be disappointing because they mostly rehash all the old arguments. Many writers just want to promote their ideas while they wear blinders so they can ignore the opposition. So I wasn't particularly enthused when I came upon Neurotribes – The Legacy of Autism and … Continue reading Autism |Neurotribes by Steve Silberman
Shyness | What does a loner know?
My perspective on shyness is different because it's the perspective of a loner. During my life I've often been called shy, sensitive, or introverted. But several people, at different times, have also told me that I was the most independent person they had ever met. Well, that strong independence is genetic. It's common on both … Continue reading Shyness | What does a loner know?
Rescuing History | How the Boomers ruined everything
Who got the world into this current political/cultural/economic mess? I have to confess - it was my generation, the 'boomers'. Boomers elected Donald Trump. Boomers voted for Brexit in the UK. In my province of Ontario, Canada last year boomers elected Doug Ford as our leader, who has proven himself a match for Trump in … Continue reading Rescuing History | How the Boomers ruined everything
Rescuing the Past and/or Anthropology and/or Psychology |How reading and writing preceded Talking
In one of my books – not sure if it's in The Shyness Guide or my first novel, The Birdcatcher (could be both) - I said that reading and writing are older than speech. That's an idea that I have never seen anywhere else. But this week, re-reading the James Hillman/Michael Ventura book, We've Had … Continue reading Rescuing the Past and/or Anthropology and/or Psychology |How reading and writing preceded Talking
