The Ironist
Differing Perspectives
Some Marginalia from Somerset Maugham II: The Double Life
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...
A Library of Delusions (and Grandeur)
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...
A Library of Aspirations (and Back Pain)
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...
How the Renaissance Invented the Creator Economy
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, and...
Running to Catch the Bus
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...
The Jar with a Face in It
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...
Northern Lights and Low Expectations
A humorous reflection on life’s lowered expectations, fine dining dreams gone cold, and existential musings from an Arctic kitchen. There comes a point in every man’s life when he realizes that all the years of carefully curated knowledge, refined tastes, and grand...
Rules and Unwritten Rules
Indifference is not a response in unsettled times Love, not indifference, protects. Here is a Downy woodpecker by Maria Corcacas. This morning, as the ‘dim temple of the Dawn1’ paled the sky, our red-headed male downy woodpecker announced his return with his staccato...
Choices
Be skeptical, and think afresh... Flying Fish Services Ltd. The Editor of The Ironist has long asked me for my views on the war in Ukraine. For me it is a long way to Europe – let alone across the Atlantic – as I haven’t left the Black Sea. But sturgeons live longer...