Category Archives: Solitude

The Parable of the Man in the Cave

Suffa lived in his cave and every day he prayed that he might somehow win the house across from him. He imagined what it would be like living in a palace, looking out across the desert and even overlooking the … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Solitude | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Parable of the Man in the Cave

Narcissism and Greed in Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein’s Balance

Perhaps one of the clearest exhibitions of narcissism is the breakdown in cooperation of the characters in Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein’s Balance. In the film, five men live on the world of a smooth metal plate which they must keep … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Solitude | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Narcissism and Greed in Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein’s Balance

Nutrient on the History Channel Show Alone

A central preoccupation of the show Alone is, naturally enough, how to get enough food to stay alive. The show has featured survivors who have made deadfall traps to catch mice, eaten slugs, and relied on seaweed to keep themselves … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Health, Media, Self-reliance, Solitude | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Nutrient on the History Channel Show Alone

Winnipeg Bus Conversations

Conversations on public transit are less frequent with each passing year. Although print media in the form of books and newspapers have always protected the less socialized from interaction, that has been exacerbated by the use of smart phones. Normally … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Internet, Media, Social Media, Solitude, Winnipeg | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Winnipeg Bus Conversations

Preface to my Novel about Colonizing Mars

I first thought about the lone colonist of Mars by the chance association between two very different and, some would say, antithetical ideas. I designed a university course on the changing perception of Mars in literature over the past two … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Mars, Solitude, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Preface to my Novel about Colonizing Mars

Self-reliance and the Helping Hand

Someone asked me recently if my books were linked by a common trait and for a moment I found the question daunting. Then I leapt at the one attribute that they all possess, from my long poem to academic work … Continue reading

Posted in Code World, Literature, Post-Apocalyptic, Self-reliance, Solitude, Travel, Winnipeg, Writing | Tagged | Comments Off on Self-reliance and the Helping Hand

Writing is a Poor Person’s Art

Writing is the poor person’s art, just like soccer is the poor person’s sport. All you need to play soccer is a will, for a ball can be made out of torn nylon stockings, my friends from Chile tell me, … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Culture, Literature, Solitude, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Writing is a Poor Person’s Art

Preparing for Visitors

It was sunny all day today, which is kind of what I’d expected when I came to the bush. Instead this is the first day of sun. I went for a walk to the stream but spent most of my … Continue reading

Posted in Code World, Editing, Solitude, The Cabin, The Land, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Preparing for Visitors

Back in the Cabin

On the third day with not enough sleep, I was looking forward to getting back to the cabin, although I wasn’t overjoyed about fording the creek. As it turned out, we got underway late, spent some time with Dennis’ parents, … Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, Solitude, The Cabin | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Back in the Cabin

Getting Wet in the Winter

You wouldn’t think that a shower in the icy cold greenhouse would be that nice, but I thought again today how it was at least as pleasant as other showers I have had in the UK, for instance, where the … Continue reading

Posted in Editing, Solitude, The Cabin, The Land, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Getting Wet in the Winter