Other Life

Oscar Wilde and J.R.R. Tolkien used consumer culture to create works of art. In this podcast, we try to draw some lessons from their lives. I'm joined by Paul Fortunato, an English professor at the University of Houston Downtown. Paul is also a member of Opus Dei, and the author of a book about Oscar Wilde's "consumer modernism." We discuss how Wilde and Tolkien successfully navigated the "creator economy," as well as Oscar Wilde's little-known Catholicism.✦ Subscribe to Paul on Youtube✦ Paul's book on Oscar WildeOther Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computer✦ We're building a new country at https://imperceptible.countryIndieThinkers.org✦ If you're working on independent intellectual work, join the next cohort of https://IndieThinkers.org

It's widely believed the YouTube algorithm radicalizes viewers but Mark's research puts this theory to rest. Researcher and longtime member of the Other Life community, Mark Ledwich, has been studying the YouTube algorithm independently for several years. His research has been published in academic journals and now on a public website called transparency.tube. He joins the podcast to discuss how the YouTube algorithm really works, what everyone is getting wrong, and why it matters. He also comes to pick a bone with my position on shoplifting from self-checkout kiosks.Check out Mark's research at transparency.tube.Follow Mark on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mark_ledwichOther Life ✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co ✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computer ✦ We're building a new country at https://imperceptible.countryIndieThinkers.org ✦ If you're working on independent intellectual work, join the next cohort of https://IndieThinkers.org

Colin Redemer is a professor at Saint Mary's College of California and VP of the Davenant Institute. This podcast is all about Virtue Ethics and the Aristotelian ethical tradition. Is Virtue Ethics superior to utilitarianism and effective altruism? What is human excellence? What is eudaimonia? How should one live? We also discuss later developments in Aristotelian ethics, from Aquinas to Anscombe to MacIntyre.✦ Order Colin's new book, The Shining Human Creature✦ Follow Colin on Twitter✦ Learn more about the Davenant InstituteOther Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at imperceptible.computer✦ Become a member at imperceptible.countryIndieThinkers.org✦ If you're working on an independent project, join the next cohort of IndieThinkers.org

Some lessons from the life of painter Francis Bacon. I think the unique force and violence of Bacon’s paintings derive partially from the ascetic Lebenswelt he cultivated. Into his small but chaotic atelier, Bacon allowed almost nothing other than painting supplies and his varied source materials: Photographs, books, magazines, etc. He locked himself into an otherwise closed circuit of his own reflections. He would even write handwritten notes to himself about what he should be thinking about.✦ Read more (with images) at otherlife.co/francisbaconOther Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Join the community at https://imperceptible.countryIndieThinkers.org✦ If you're working on an independent project, join the next cohort of https://IndieThinkers.org

I spent a lot of time reading and thinking about AI this week. I’m especially interested in the implications it will have for writers and the so-called creator economy. Obviously things will change if it becomes nearly free to generate decently intelligent content with machines. But how will things change exactly, and how should writers spend their time now to position themselves for these changes? I think the implications are not obvious. Specifically, AI will increase the economic power of deep classical education, and truly unique artistic personality. In this podcast, I explain why.I wrote more about this at otherlife.co/writing-machinesOther Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computer✦ Join the community https://imperceptible.countryIndieThinkers.org✦ If you're working on independent projects, join the next cohort of https://IndieThinkers.org

I'd like to share with you some biographies of great writers, artists, maybe some inventors—people who represent the other life ethos—people who have produced great work from the fringes, or in weird niches they carved out for themselves in life.Here is a passage from a biography of the French novelist Balzac, Prométhée: ou, La vie de Balzac (1965) by André Maurois. I've translated it to English, of course.This is a story about reading books, childhood, the productive benefits of disordered knowledge, unjustified presumption, an obsession with printed paper, ecstasy as a motivator and a product, and a kind of hunger that nothing can ever satisfy.It paints a fascinating picture of education in France in the early 19th century. But it's also an inspiring vignette about something we see in the early lives of many great writers, which is... Here we have a strange, disaffected, aloof child who just seems a bit absurd or confused or even dumb—his teachers and classmates literally thought he was just stupid—but his appetite for wonder and knowledge drives him, from an early age, to just totally withdraw from society, into a life of the mind. That's the other life.If you'd rather read than listen, see otherlife.co/balzac.Other Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computer✦ Join our network state at https://imperceptible.countryIndieThinkers.org✦ The next cohort of IndieThinkers.org starts Jan 16. If you're working on independent projects, request an invitation.

Luke Smith was a PhD student in linguistics before he grew his Youtube channel to 168,000 subscribers—with his unique perspectives on digital, financial, and mental sovereignty. This is the first time he's told his story at length.I invited Luke to be the special guest at this year's mansion because I think he exemplifies the Other Life mentality. Luke has totally exited the institutional grid, he maintains a very independent perspective and lifestyle, and he publishes his ideas to a growing audience without compromising his principles. Luke only uses Free and Open Source Software, does not watch any TV or streaming services, and recently became an Orthodox Christian.I think you'll find this talk interesting, unique, funny, and inspiring.A special shoutout goes to Marissa Cade—a longstanding and most valued member of the community—for running the mansion meetup this year. It wouldn't have happened if she didn't volunteer to run it. And she did a great job, so huge thanks Marissa.Other Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computerIndieThinkers.org✦ If you're working on independent creative work, join the next cohort of https://IndieThinkers.org

Asher Penn is the founder and editor of Sex Magazine, now in its 10th year. We talk about the magazine business, how to persist on countercultural projects for the long haul, what's cool and what's not, how to spot underground talent, the enduring value of print, what Asher learned from interviewing William Gibson, and much more. This was recorded at Urbit Assembly 2022. Asher PennBuy Sex Magazine at https://sexmag.bigcartel.com/Other Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computerIndieThinkers.org✦ If you're working on independent work, join the next cohort of https://IndieThinkers.org

Subscribe to The Network Age podcast wherever you get your podcasts https://rss.com/podcasts/thenetworkage~timluc-miptev: https://twitter.com/basileSportif~nilrun-mardux: https://twitter.com/alephdao~bichul-ritsen: https://twitter.com/bichulrRecommended reading mentionedhttps://bichulritsen.substack.com/p/how-to-explain-ftx-to-your-motherhttps://www.thediff.co/p/money-credit-trust-ftxOther Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computer

Alex Lee Moyer is the director of TFW NO GF and most recently Alex's War. We discuss Alex's perspective on filmmaking, Hollywood, independent vs. institutional pathways, and why it's worthwhile to produce politically difficult work. This was recorded at Urbit Assembly 2022.Alex Lee Moyer✦ Watch Moyer's new documentary on Alex JonesOther Life✦ Subscribe to the coolest newsletter in the world https://OtherLife.co✦ Get a free Urbit ship at https://imperceptible.computerIndieThinkers.org✦ If you're working on independent intellectual work, join the next cohort of https://IndieThinkers.org