8 Comments

My favorite part of the book was the nearly-anonymous little side characters who hear about it in the beginning, and just commented about how it sounded like a neat idea and wished the author luck. But then those side characters appear in a totally different context later, after they have their own lasting reputation, and it's only through close reading of comments and footnotes that you even realize the two characters were really the same person.

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my god i got chills reading this!!! 🥹

everything is a puzzle, waiting to unfold. for us to unfold it

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The book was an incredibly successful project, in no small part due to its timely metamodernist approach. Readers especially enjoyed being incorporated into the creative process, which allowed them to participate as much or as little as they’d like, and in whichever form felt most fun.

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yes, YES!!! sooooo many projects failed in spite of being incredibly beautiful and well done. because many people looked at it and felt bad

why would I feel bad when I find something beautiful? because it makes me feel like I have no place. the party is over there, i have nothing to contribute

but this was different. there was *necessarily* work for everyone. It matters not one bit that all the fancy smart people have figured out the answers. It matters that *I* understand it, and can put it use in my life. This was the work that no one could do for me, no one could steal from me, AND it was work that society needed.

I had to do it, but not all by myself. All I had to do was try, and articulate whenever I was stuck, and people came and helped me. And that's what helped me find my place in society. That's how I found the intersection of what was good for me AND for my world. I couldn't do it alone. I could never do it alone

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Damn, this is so meta! I love this.

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yes!! I haven't picked it up in a while, but it already has been working for me. It's such a weird concept but talking about it online gave me the confidence to talk about IRL, and I found out my neighbor has been doing the same thing for her life, writing her future, for the last decade, and she's never talked about it with other people

And like, part of the story of the book is that talking about it helps you find your people & make friends, and it's working???

https://x.com/DefenderOfBasic/status/1821909621121888294

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thank you for this comment Lane, it's re-energizing me/reminding me there's some good stuff here.

The last time I felt this spark: https://x.com/DefenderOfBasic/status/1846739864898695512. I think I really should just do this (write about my possible futures, including who I want to reach out & collaborate with, and readers can make it happen. It's like putting out a job ad, but in reverse. Putting out a call for what type of work *I* want to do and see who needs it. It's win-win)

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Yes. Super interesting. I’m going to DM you on X. I want to pick your brain about this and other concepts if you’re up to it!

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