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đŸŒ» expanding the market for culture (ft. celine nguyen)

23 snips
Nov 18, 2025
Celine Nguyen, a writer and literary critic known for her newsletter Personal Canon, shares her journey from Silicon Valley to the arts. She discusses how the internet enhances engagement with culture amidst the literacy crisis. Celine explores the concept of 'research as leisure' and surprisingly optimistic views on AI's impact on art. She emphasizes the importance of meaningful connection over metrics and how creators manage their public personas. The conversation highlights the challenge of cultural abundance and the value of deep engagement in artistic pursuits.
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INSIGHT

Expand The Market For Literature

  • Many people feel the humanities are shrinking while tech frames everything as always expanding.
  • Celine reframes literature's mission as expanding its market and inviting more people in.
ANECDOTE

Imposter Syndrome In Art School

  • Celine felt intense imposter syndrome entering art school and had to catch up on reference points like Walter Benjamin.
  • She now writes to demystify those references so newcomers won't feel ashamed to ask.
ADVICE

Read Strategically, Not Exhaustively

  • Read primary sources but avoid going unnecessarily deep when you only need orientation.
  • Use guided companions (like Harvey for Marx) or focused excerpts instead of entire tomes at first.
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