Archy de Berker is no stranger to career transitions. Trained as a neuroscientist, he became a data scientist after attending a data science bootcamp. After a few years at an AI startup, Archy began looking for more meaningful work. He did contract work with a number of renewable energy companies…

I don’t know how decorous it is to be visibly upset that so much that is dear to me is (barring a miracle whose nature I can hardly imagine but whose million undoings I easily can) going to be annihilated, either in front of me or my children, maybe a…

Eric Satie, Gnossiennes №1–3 (of 7), performed by Reinbert de Leeuw. These pieces disarm me and it is impossible to use fancy words when talking about them, because they are completely naked, more than I ever was in front of anyone, not my friends, not my relationships, not my therapist…

Another visit to Russia, another trip to Moscow just to visit blackskywhite — this time to see “Bertrand’s Toys”. The trailer, unfortunately, does the performance almost no justice: you know it’ll be something powerful, but nothing can prepare you for what it actually is. It is very, very different…

…Adrenaline shock pain screaming hydrocodone braces morphine ER screaming more morphine more ER more screaming CT more hydrocodone MRI more hydrocodone less screaming. Can you scratch my leg over there. Salvation in intoxication, temporary, bonding… 2018 is not over but it has been by far the hardest year of my…

*This is not a body A couple weeks ago I visited an exhibition of Magritte at SF MoMA. I’ve always liked the weirdness and romanticism of his paintings, and I enjoyed the exhibition, but I did not leave stunned. This was about to change. First time I saw this…

Food is not at all something I expected to ever write about, and yet here I am, having eaten at Hélène Darroze. Excuse the superlatives in advance, it was a peak experience and I feel like writing in superlatives, okay? You take a bite and it catches you off guard…

Here’s what happened since 2016. Breakup. Irrational Man as I suppose a goodbye gift that I keep telling myself I ought to re-read because it is an amazingly good book. Piano piano piano, playing Fantasie Impromptu more or less. Cold white shiny rapid happy solo double diamond slopes. New Zealand…

Yesterday I read a book recommended by a good friend, “Bluets” by Maggie Nelson. It is remarkable poetry, but what I’ve been thinking about since reading it, set off by one phrase in there, is about me and not about the book. Like the ding of a bell before meditation…