Brilliant...I am printing this out along with your other essays so that I will have everything you have written in hard copy (I already have your books)...These captains of the internet will not deprive me of you ever...
Great piece, Sarah. Watching humanity get stripped away these last few years has been the hardest thing for me—begging people to care about Palestine, Congo, COVID, looming climate catastrophe—while even the so-called progressives can’t be bothered. The past 10 months have been such a wake-up call, exposing just how performative so many people's beliefs and ideals really are. Appreciate you as always for helping break the illusion for myself and for so many others.
Thank you. I’ve found it hard too. One thing that was a comfort over the last decade and a half was knowing that whatever I was feeling, I wasn’t feeling it alone. I wasn’t alone in my grief or in my frustrations. Over the last two years, I’ve watched a lot of people abandon their basic morality, out of greed or conformity, and it’s been heartbreaking. Hard for the loneliness but mostly because I know that people much worse off than me will be abandoned and even reviled. Some “liberals” blaming the victims, because they’re glad it’s not them. It’s a bully’s mentality. I’ll never understand or accept it.
Exactly. My heart is broken and I do not accept any of this. I’ll keep yelling into the void for the sake of my kids, mostly because I don’t know what else parents like us are supposed to do.
Nice work, Sarah!! Ahhh, yes, a meaningful story, a veritable sub-stack 1984!! I fight every day to stay involved with likes of quality dissertations at your level! But after a daily drivel of musical chairs with the truth as reported, and a writer myself of stuff that is above ground, why is it so satisfying to write,
You know Sarah, employing just those four words at the Newer York Times only for a week might equal the impact all their TRUE takes on Trumpicity that have accidentally made the newstands this year!!! Thank You!!
Sarah: I have read your three books (are there more?) and the staff at Left Bank Books (you must know that wondrous bookstore!) are keeping me on their list for all your new works. Perhaps the best use of the internet is the dissemination of writing such as yours. I never leave your newsletters without being challenged to look deeper or farther into our society.
Thank you very much! And yes Left Bank Books is fantastic. They are a great store and they've been a lifeline for me, especially during the pandemic when I couldn't tour and they were the sole source for signed copies. The staff there is terrific.
My friend in Parumph was into Urantia. She did a lot of the writing, editing and book design/jacket design for that org. A real life's work for her. Guess it fits, though she chose Parumph over Amsterdam in which to retire. Dunno.
I remember not having any credit cards or even bank cards, just cash. When the internet came, I was apprehensive about ordering online. I know people who still are. Now its necessary to have online payment for most things you used to write checks for. I've often thought about what would happen if the grid went down. I carry cash too. It's also a way to feel like you really have something instead of plastic in your wallet.
Thank you! I am glad that St. Louis is behind the times and that places that won't accept cash here are rare. (And we still have some "cash only" holdouts.) I can't stand the invasiveness of being expected to carry my phone at all times or use credit cards, but it's downright discriminatory against people who do not have, and cannot access, those things. (For example, unhoused or impoverished people.) Every place should accept cash on principle.
We are in Stockholm right now traveling around Scandinavia for a month and it is almost entirely cashless. We were advised not to get cash at an ATM here because Sweden is the only place you can use the krona. Some locals do carry cash so they can contribute to the few unhoused folks we encountered.
Wow that is unnerving. I haven’t left the US except for a couple book tour trips to Canada since 2019 and I’m worried that when I finally do, I won’t know how anything works — or won’t want to surrender my autonomy to make it work.
My fear is not that my work will be erased, but that it'll be rewritten to express the opposite of what I believe, with my name attached. And that I won't be the only writer this happens to. It would be so easy to do, and so effective...
I take solace that this comments section still contains real humans and not spams, bots, automatons, made-up strangers, AI fakes, and paid operatives… well, not yet anyway :) Now back to my morning coffee and dystopia donut… um, was told it would taste good, but turns out it’s less filling… way less.
I love the comments section. I’m not quite sure how it’s managed to survive as a thoughtful and troll-free place, since I leave it open to anyone and charge nothing. This should have created a disaster but instead there’s a nice little community! Maybe everyone’s behaving like it’s 1997 in the comments because the newsletter could’ve been made in 1997 (or 1897 lol)
“People who could improvise in a way machines never could. People who kept the world together as technology tore it apart”.
Hurrah for the people and the pigeons , we will survive this madness, well some of us will. Thanks Sarah, another thought provoking , emotion raising bitter pill of truth delivered in a digestible way. You are such a brilliant writer, a John Steinbeck for these times.
I would invest in carrier pigeons just to read your words.
Thank you, I am in favor of this plan!
Honestly, we should probably start working on this. Calling all pigeon people...
Brilliant...I am printing this out along with your other essays so that I will have everything you have written in hard copy (I already have your books)...These captains of the internet will not deprive me of you ever...
Thank you, I appreciate it!
“The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men* do.”
-B.F. Skinner.
*Update: people
Great piece, Sarah. Watching humanity get stripped away these last few years has been the hardest thing for me—begging people to care about Palestine, Congo, COVID, looming climate catastrophe—while even the so-called progressives can’t be bothered. The past 10 months have been such a wake-up call, exposing just how performative so many people's beliefs and ideals really are. Appreciate you as always for helping break the illusion for myself and for so many others.
Thank you. I’ve found it hard too. One thing that was a comfort over the last decade and a half was knowing that whatever I was feeling, I wasn’t feeling it alone. I wasn’t alone in my grief or in my frustrations. Over the last two years, I’ve watched a lot of people abandon their basic morality, out of greed or conformity, and it’s been heartbreaking. Hard for the loneliness but mostly because I know that people much worse off than me will be abandoned and even reviled. Some “liberals” blaming the victims, because they’re glad it’s not them. It’s a bully’s mentality. I’ll never understand or accept it.
Exactly. My heart is broken and I do not accept any of this. I’ll keep yelling into the void for the sake of my kids, mostly because I don’t know what else parents like us are supposed to do.
Goddamn what a bummer! We deserve so much more!
“They’ll catch me too early, and you’ll catch on too late.”
That’s the cryingest shame of it all.
The words of the prophets. Too often heard too late.
Well at least I won’t die with my head in the sand. I’ve got that going for me
I'll admit, I wrote that line before I wrote the piece. I'm a 1970s outlaw country songwriter who somehow landed in 2020s nonfiction...
This explains so much
Never too late to convert to 2020’s outlaw country songwriter! Do it! I guarantee you’ll sell at least one record 🙋♂️
I like to think that there's a bit of 70's outlaw country songwriter in all of us...
I’m lonesome, on’ry and nicer than I seem…shhh…🤫
“They’ll catch me too early, and you’ll catch on too late.” Yep, I zeroed in on that one, too, Chris.
Nice work, Sarah!! Ahhh, yes, a meaningful story, a veritable sub-stack 1984!! I fight every day to stay involved with likes of quality dissertations at your level! But after a daily drivel of musical chairs with the truth as reported, and a writer myself of stuff that is above ground, why is it so satisfying to write,
"J.e.D. vance is a WANKER!!!
Because he is one!
You know Sarah, employing just those four words at the Newer York Times only for a week might equal the impact all their TRUE takes on Trumpicity that have accidentally made the newstands this year!!! Thank You!!
😂
A fascinating perspective that you have. Very creative. I often get the zombie effect but not on your pages.
Thanks! I'm hoping to make algorithms break and AI explode in frustration
Oh, PLEASE find a way to do this. I'll be there to photograph every second of the explosion.
Fascinating is the right word!!:)
Sarah: I have read your three books (are there more?) and the staff at Left Bank Books (you must know that wondrous bookstore!) are keeping me on their list for all your new works. Perhaps the best use of the internet is the dissemination of writing such as yours. I never leave your newsletters without being challenged to look deeper or farther into our society.
Thank you very much! And yes Left Bank Books is fantastic. They are a great store and they've been a lifeline for me, especially during the pandemic when I couldn't tour and they were the sole source for signed copies. The staff there is terrific.
Art Bell! 🥹🙏🏼🫶
I went to his memorial park! https://sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/i-walked-the-lake-in-death-valley
Sarah, I just LOVE your writing.
Thanks!
love it 🙏🏼💙🧂✨
I always wondered why an old friend of mine moved to Pahrump, of all places.
My friend in Parumph was into Urantia. She did a lot of the writing, editing and book design/jacket design for that org. A real life's work for her. Guess it fits, though she chose Parumph over Amsterdam in which to retire. Dunno.
https://www.urantia.org/
I remember not having any credit cards or even bank cards, just cash. When the internet came, I was apprehensive about ordering online. I know people who still are. Now its necessary to have online payment for most things you used to write checks for. I've often thought about what would happen if the grid went down. I carry cash too. It's also a way to feel like you really have something instead of plastic in your wallet.
Great article!
Thank you! I am glad that St. Louis is behind the times and that places that won't accept cash here are rare. (And we still have some "cash only" holdouts.) I can't stand the invasiveness of being expected to carry my phone at all times or use credit cards, but it's downright discriminatory against people who do not have, and cannot access, those things. (For example, unhoused or impoverished people.) Every place should accept cash on principle.
We are in Stockholm right now traveling around Scandinavia for a month and it is almost entirely cashless. We were advised not to get cash at an ATM here because Sweden is the only place you can use the krona. Some locals do carry cash so they can contribute to the few unhoused folks we encountered.
Wow that is unnerving. I haven’t left the US except for a couple book tour trips to Canada since 2019 and I’m worried that when I finally do, I won’t know how anything works — or won’t want to surrender my autonomy to make it work.
We never know where or how our work will live on.
My fear is not that my work will be erased, but that it'll be rewritten to express the opposite of what I believe, with my name attached. And that I won't be the only writer this happens to. It would be so easy to do, and so effective...
This is exactly why I buy physical copies of your books.
Yes, as in history is written by the victors. Fundamentalists (fascists, authoritarians) must not win, or yes, they will do exactly as you describe.
I understand. A Stalin tactics.
Beautifully written. And very melancholic.
Thanks!
Thank you for another dose of truth serum.
I take solace that this comments section still contains real humans and not spams, bots, automatons, made-up strangers, AI fakes, and paid operatives… well, not yet anyway :) Now back to my morning coffee and dystopia donut… um, was told it would taste good, but turns out it’s less filling… way less.
I love the comments section. I’m not quite sure how it’s managed to survive as a thoughtful and troll-free place, since I leave it open to anyone and charge nothing. This should have created a disaster but instead there’s a nice little community! Maybe everyone’s behaving like it’s 1997 in the comments because the newsletter could’ve been made in 1997 (or 1897 lol)
“People who could improvise in a way machines never could. People who kept the world together as technology tore it apart”.
Hurrah for the people and the pigeons , we will survive this madness, well some of us will. Thanks Sarah, another thought provoking , emotion raising bitter pill of truth delivered in a digestible way. You are such a brilliant writer, a John Steinbeck for these times.
Thank you!
Thank You. I feel seen.
I’m printing this one.
Luddites understand.
Thank you!