by Aashisha Chakraborty | Essays
Trying to uncover how Maugham wove himself into his fiction, be it through The Razor’s Edge, Of Human Bondage or The Moon and Sixpence “The writer is more concerned to know than to judge.” — W. Somerset Maugham The primary reason I admire Somerset Maugham is because I...
by Aashisha Chakraborty | Essays
A response to Jonathan Bennett’s back (book?) pain Jonathan, I’m glad you’re moving house, truly. Because I know what it means to move house. And city. And country. Trust me, it’s not a logistical decision, it’s an existential calling. While you’ve built what you call...
by Jonathan Bennett | Essays
Wherein Jonathan Bennett avoids packing by reflecting on the weight—literal and spiritual—of unread books and overgrown libraries. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of too many books must, at some point, try to move house. That moment...
by Aashisha Chakraborty | Essays
Call them creatorpreneurs. Call it the new Renaissance. Either way, the frame has changed but the hustle hasn’t. In 1482, Leonardo da Vinci sent the Duke of Milan a letter. It was 11 bullet points long and boasted of his ability to build bridges, design weapons,...
by Nigel Scotchmer | Essays
Are you on the proverbial bus yet? Whether it’s the AI bus or just a good old TTC ride across Toronto, we all keep running to catch something. But the real question is: where are we headed? More than fifty years ago, I held a record for running fast in the City of...
by Jonathan Bennett | Essays
On Homunculi, Algorithms, and the Small Souls We Make Jonathan Bennett follows a thread from alchemy to algorithmic avatars in a reflection on our age-old desire to imitate creation—and the uncanny reflections we’ve unleashed. 19th century engraving of Homunculus from...