Matt's Mix Tape, Vol. 111
Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, and this is Matt’s Mix Tape, a mix of essays + links on books, writing, and fitness as vehicles for a vibrant and creative middle life.
This week’s Mix:
The Mix Tape Logo (fiction rules!)
Fiction books: The anti-algorithm
Review and highlights: The Midnight Library
Doing is the best learning
The hidden value of writing a newsletter
This week’s Florida photo
This week’s Mix Tape logo (fiction rules!)
I’m a big believer in reading books—and not just business and self-help. Fiction is an important part of any reading mix.
I have personal and scientific (#science!) reasons for that growing belief, which I share in this week’s essay below.
Fiction books: The anti-algorithm
As the amount of information online rises, empathy declines. Our social media algorithmic bubbles are, no doubt, at least partly to blame. We bathe in homogenous ideas and experiences.
One way to burst the algorithmic bubble: read fiction.
Few people take the time to explore other viewpoints and think deeply about them. Reading a rich variety of fiction books is the antidote.
Here’s my essay on the benefits and importance of reading fiction.
Review and highlights: The Midnight Library
Imagine bouncing from life to life, undoing every regret you’ve ever had. In the space between life and death lies an infinite playground; the opportunity to reverse choices, right wrongs, and live “correctly.”
That’s the premise of Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library.”
The main character, Nora Seed, has attempted suicide. In the space between life and death she visits a quantum library filled with the stories of lives she could have lived.
Interesting premise, and Haig intertwines lots of philosophy in his story. In the end, Nora learns a lot about the energy wasted by lugging around regret.
You can read my review and three passages that made me stop and think here.
Doing is the best learning
The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson has an album coming out in November—acoustic, piano-driven versions of 12 classic Beach Boys songs.
Brian Wilson never had a piano lesson:
“We had an upright piano in our living room and from the time I was 12 years old I played it each and every day. I never had a lesson, I was completely self-taught,” Wilson said of the album in a statement.
As someone who loves to collect information before taking action, I’m learning a hard new lesson:
The fastest way to learn is to act.
The OODA loop, developed by Air Force Colonel John Boyd, might be the best learning model, because it emphasizes action:
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
Note to self: maybe I overlooked it, but I don’t see anything here about reading books or taking courses before taking action.
Second note to self: Books and courses are great, but only as guides for action.
The hidden value of writing a newsletter
There’s some very bad writing advice floating around Twitter that says new writers should not start newsletters.
Shipping a weekly newsletter is the best thing I’ve ever done as a writer:
Provides a weekly writing deadline
Mechanism for new friendships
Rekindled my interest in drawing
Provides a filter for my content consumption
Builds my own reader list from day one
Yes, your audience is small when you start. Maybe for a long time. But the early days with a small audience are super valuable.
A small audience creates breathing room to experiment without the pressure of thousands of people reading.
As Cam says:
If you’re a new writer or have written intermittently for years, start a newsletter. And ship consistently.
Newsletter writing offers enormous benefits for your writing and your life.
This week’s Florida photo
Sometimes my wife takes one of our dogs with her to Lowe’s.
(I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.)
Anyway, this is Finn, who’s clearly fired up to rocket past Halloween and go straight to Christmas.
Personally, I don’t think we should rush it.
We’ve passed 600 subscribers!
Thank you for reading, and welcome to 13 new subscribers this week, including Kaitlyn, Trisha, and Christopher.
Please reach out and say hi, ask a question, or make a suggestion anytime.
The Midnight Library looks so good! I'm adding it to my fiction book list, right now!