Clerestory (Bryan Kam)

I’m Bryan Kam. I endeavour daily to make philosophy accessible and relevant. To that end I write this newsletter and host a podcast called Clerestory. I’m also writing a book called Neither/Nor and I’m a founding member of Liminal Learning. In London, I host a book club, a writing group, and other events. My work looks at how abstract concepts relate to embodied life, and how to use this understanding to transform experience.Recently, I had a conversation with Haneen Khan, a sex coach and fellow thinker, about the relationship between abstract thinking and embodied experience. The Nature of Abstraction and ExperienceWe began by discussing the academic paper which Isabela Granic and I recently submitted, which describes my philosophy Neither/Nor. The paper and the forthcoming book focus on the relationship between experience and abstraction, or theory and practice. The paper critiques what we term “latent Platonism,” an unconscious tendency to prioritize abstract, theoretical constructs over direct, embodied experience. This can reveal itself in conversation, for example, when sharing about an uncomfortable experience can lead an interlocutor to leap to broad generalizations rather than discussing the experience itself.The Need for Balance and AwarenessThroughout our conversation, we emphasized the importance of balancing abstract reasoning with experiential knowledge. Haneen and I agree that awareness is key — awareness of when we're gravitating too heavily towards abstraction at the expense of our felt experiences (or, less frequently, vice versa).Haneen shared valuable insights from her coaching practice, emphasizing the power of grounding practices that help individuals reconnect with their bodies and emotions. This balance, or oscillation as we’ve termed it, is crucial for a holistic understanding of the self.Abstraction, while powerful, can become a tool of escapism or avoidance if unanchored by embodied awareness. Maintaining a strong connection to one’s felt experience, on the other hand, can enrich not only personal wellbeing but also interpersonal interactions.Integration: A Path ForwardWe concluded by emphasizing integration — a synthesis of experiential and conceptual wisdom — as a winding path forward. This integration offers a potential solution to the pitfalls inherent in each mode of understanding when pursued in isolation. Concepts like Internal Family Systems Therapy illustrate such an integration, offering a framework where conceptual understanding aids emotional and physical awareness.I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this topic: How do you navigate the balance between abstraction and experience in your daily life? Let me know in the comments.BryanP.S. If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with someone who might benefit from it. Please also like it, subscribe, or support me on Patreon or Ko-Fi!A photo, not by me, of the place where we recorded the podcast, including the “fake grass” I mention

My friend ⁠Pen⁠ interviewed me about Type 1 Diabetes, which I've lived with for 38 years. This is the second episode, in which we focus on my current daily experience living with diabetes. We also discuss how the intensity of managing diabetes relates to the book I'm writing, Neither/Nor, which explores the nuances between conceptual understanding and lived experience. I emphasize the need for a balance between experiential and conceptual knowledge, drawing from my own life to illustrate how these realms relate. The first episode, in which we covered early diagnosis, is available here. Clerestory by Bryan Kam • Writing on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Support this podcast at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join a heartfelt discussion on the realities of living with Type 1 diabetes. Discover personal challenges in managing blood sugar levels while navigating daily life. The conversation offers insights into the autoimmune nature of the condition and highlights the importance of support. Learn about the risks of high blood sugar and the essential role of insulin. Experience a blend of personal stories and nature's wonders, creating a rich tapestry of understanding around this chronic illness.

I spoke to director, cinematographer, and my good friend Cécile Embleton (instagram) about her work and influences and her new film ⁠Mother Vera⁠, which is playing at the London Film Festival next month. This is a feature documentary about the life of a young orthodox nun from Belarus, I have seen it, and it is spectacular. Cécile and I discuss literature, her influences, and the challenges and joys of making arthouse cinema. It is also playing at Camden International Film Festival, in Camden, Maine, on Friday 13th September, 1pm @ Journey’s End Cinema. Other films/shows we mentioned: Nomadland The Taste of Things Godland Silent Light Sátántangó The Turin Horse The Act of Killing Drive Only God Forgives The Neon Demon Too Old to Die Young Copenhagen Cowboy

This is a cross-post from my friend David Valerio's new podcast, Discern Earth. In it, we speak about what nature is. Here's David's description: We discuss the etymology of nature and related terms, whether there is a hard distinction between man and nature, hypostatization and reification, the Christian roots of theories about the inherent value of nature, and the role of embodied experience in facilitating ecological regeneration. Clerestory by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bryan Kam⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Writing on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Support me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Delia and I walked along the ⁠Parkland Walk⁠ in London with Zoom f2 recorders and lapel mics. We cover a bit about ⁠Neither/Nor⁠, as well as existentialism versus essentialism. The biologists I couldn't think of at the end was ecologist Robert MacArthur; see ⁠r/K selection theory⁠. Listen to Delia's podcast, ⁠Growing Up with Delia Burgess⁠. Recorded in June 2024.

In this episode I spoke to Dr. Noah Martin, Director of the College of Modern Anxiety. We discussed the relationship between phenomenology and existentialism, and the relationship between subjective and objective understanding in philosophy. We cover thinkers like Edmund Husserl, Donna Haraway, Sartre, and de Beauvoir. Clerestory by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bryan Kam⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Infrequent updates at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • All my work plus exclusive content at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

I spoke to Kit Tempest-Walters about his new book: Plotinus on Eternity and Time, which includes a translation and commentary of Ennead III.7. We discuss the challenges of translating, philosophical perspectives on the self, consciousness, and mysticism. We also talked about some of my perspectives from the book I'm writing, ⁠Neither/Nor⁠, including the differences in the organizing assumptions of Eastern and Western approaches to philosophy. Clerestory by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bryan Kam⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Infrequent updates at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • All my work plus exclusive content at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Expert Maggie Appleton discusses the progress of AI in writing and search engines. Topics include perplexity, Exa, IFS therapy app refract.space, Philosophy Discord, and Telegram channels.

At the end of 2023, I asked seven people I knew to join me in a WhatsApp group experiment. Read more ⁠here⁠. We set up a schedule by which one of us, each Thursday, would record a (suggested) 5 minute question on a creative or existential quandary we were facing. The other seven members had committed to responding with a (suggested) 10 minute response, meaning that one person would ask a question, and receive over an hour of perspectives. Over two months this WhatsApp group supported each other through the trials and tribulations of the holiday period, finishing a documentary film, the meaning of intuition, seasonality, the struggle to re-engage with work, and more. This episode of Clerestory contains an audio call with seven of the eight participants. Clerestory by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bryan Kam⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Infrequent updates at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • All my work plus exclusive content at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠