The ninth year of keeping a reading list: I like to chronicle what I’ve read and how I’ve reacted, mostly to share my thinking about my thinking. Books are listed in the order in which I’ve finished them, which may not reflect my reading order — I sometimes have two…

Now that Phish has announced a New Year’s Eve broadcast show from “The Ninth Cube” with an obvious reference to the “Sci-Fi Soldier” Halloween show, it’s time for me to share some thoughts on what has been widely and wildly divisive show in the Phish fan base. Halloween is a…

My unintended prelude to Benjamin Rosenbaum’s “The Unraveling” started with the Orthodox Kosher fish monger. Our biennial gefilte fish purchase of several pounds is consummated with an asymmetric series of well-wishes: His in Yiddish, mine in Hebrew. The fishmonger won’t speak Hebrew with me, as he reserves it for studying…

The usual intro: I like to chronicle what I’ve read and how I’ve reacted, mostly to share my thinking about my thinking. Books are listed in the order in which I’ve finished them, which may not reflect my reading order — I sometimes have two books going at once if…

Monica Byrne, author of “The Girl In The Road,” conducted a virtual interview with me about her latest book, “The Actual Star.” Our Q&A session danced along for months, parallel to my thinking through and turning over the ideas in this wonderful, powerful and impactful book. This is simultaneously up…

September 11, 1977: Windows on the World has been open for about five months, and it is the trendy place to have lunch and see the city. I’m terrified of heights, and New York City is just exiting the Summer of Sam, so it’s a choose your own adventure. My…

At the midpoint of the year, I’ve finished 30 books, which is slightly higher than average and much more reading given that I haven’t been on a plane for business travel in over 18 months. The bulk of my spring reading was women sci-fi authors and diverse authors; features were…

This is virtual Princeton Reunions weekend, the second year of the pandemic in which the annual orange and black cavalcade is virtual. Reunions, like Hanukah and the Olympics, are the slightly weird friend who comes to your house, each year in a new shape and size, and fires up memory…

The ninth year of keeping a reading list: I like to chronicle what I’ve read and how I’ve reacted, mostly to share my thinking about my thinking. Books are listed in the order in which I’ve finished them, which may not reflect my reading order — I sometimes have two…