Oct 16, 2022·edited Oct 16, 2022Liked by Antonia Malchik
"Enclosure isn’t just of land and resources but of ideas and experience."
"Isn’t that, in a way, what resistance is—finding and fighting for our own ways to be in the world? Isn’t that what living is?"
"Walking is always a composition. We compose our lives by walking through them, however that looks and whatever that entails. Every part of that experience is our commons."
Hmm. Wow. Lots to chew on there. It's almost like a little Meaning of Life 101 gift package. But more like Meaning of Life 301; not immediately obvious until you stop (walk?) to think about it and then it's like, of course. This idea of extending the "commons" concept beyond resources to the lived realm of experience, ideas, testimony and difference - openness, respect, curiosity, attending - is intriguing. It's true, we live in a world in which everything that ever happened and was experienced.....legitimately exists. Yet this experiential realm isn't shared equally, or even seen. I'm just starting to think through a possible project or paper about trust and related themes, so this feels connected. Which I suppose, is the point of the commons: that everything is connected.
That's a fascinating story about the Walking Compositions, thanks for sharing that.
If you pursue the project or paper on trust and related themes, I'd love to read it when it gets to where you want it. I'm actually working on an essay for an anthology due out next year and landed on trust as the main theme. Maybe there's something in the air ...
Glad you enjoyed it! It's something I've really appreciated having in my life. Alex and I have stayed in touch, and he continues to do really interesting things with composition.
I've been reading your Walking Compositions since you were doing them on Instagram and I think this is the first I've ever heard the FULL full story. Interesting. I love your mind even though it often baffles me.
I love this so much--the intention behind a 'walking composition.' How beautiful. (ahem, I also cannot wait for the sci-fi nerd out!). The commons is such an important concept on so many levels and I love that you are focusing on it in your work. No trespassing indeed....
Maybe I should change this to a sci-fi newsletter! Or better yet, all of us sci-fi and fantasy and speculative fiction enthusiasts get together and co-write one. That would be so much fun!
"I’ve walked enough by now to know that it’s those memories full of sensory detail—traffic on a city bridge in Pittsburgh, chickadees calling outside my home in early spring, the broken cobblestones of a Boston sidewalk, the particular scent of imminent snow,"
"overly generous interview". Haha. ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF BIAS? *lawyers up*
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STATEMENT FROM EVERYTHING IS AMAZING:
Please note that Everything Is Amazing is a factual publication that adheres to rigorous standards of truth and fairness in its storytelling, and will defend, in court if necessary, any statements that it doesn't see fit to retract. And it does *not* retract the statements made about the defendant A. Malchik at this time. And regarding our statements on the high quality of the defendant's work, we present as evidence the particular newsletter that this comment is published under. Thank you.
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It was a delight to chat. And dear lord, Part 2 with all its scifi references is going to be fun...
I love this view of writing as a fully-embodied compositional process, feet and all. After reading Annie Murphy Paul's "Extended Mind" I've been thinking so much about how where I write affects what I write - but there's so much more to consider there, including the physical state you're in. I mean, it's fairly common knowledge that going for a walk is terrific for finding moments of insight on the things your mind is wrestling with - but that's a very functional, problem-solving way of looking at it. Writing while on the move, while your whole body is in that raised-energy state? And the thinking about that writing being done in the same way?
(I mean, thanks to Paul Salopek I'm now thinking the only way to write about human migrations, ancient and modern, is to move between countries on foot, taking months at a time...)
There's so much here to consider. And experiment with! Because walking along while capturing everything you experience? That's a hard skill to master. To be fully present enough to compose accurately? Harder still. Just a mad amount of stuff to learn...
Whew! I'm glad this came up before my liability insurance runs out, since they're canceling my policy. But it's still good for the moment so if this gets ugly ... ;)
I have kept "Extended Mind" close at hand ever since reading it -- which I did on your recommendation, if you recall! I keep going back to it, thinking of all the ways our mind-body is interacting with and in the world that we're incredibly ignorant of. What are we missing all the time? A lot.
I am so envious of Paul Salopek. That's all I'd really like to do with my life, exactly what he's doing. I will never forget the essay he wrote about one day walking toward a red-sunlight horizon and feeling the turn of the earth. Would that we could all have that experience.
That’s so cool about walking composition. And that zucchini!
It is still waiting for someone to tell me what do with it besides “zucchini bread for the entire 5th grade” 😂
Freeze it and make a lot of cream of zucchini soup this winter?
You’re going to come over and do the grating and/or chopping for me, right?!
Maybe gift it to a soup kitchen?
Probably not sadly, our food bank has more than enough zucchini right now 🧡🧡🧡
Lol, idk, maybe feed the squirrels?
Lol, so many no’s.
"Enclosure isn’t just of land and resources but of ideas and experience."
"Isn’t that, in a way, what resistance is—finding and fighting for our own ways to be in the world? Isn’t that what living is?"
"Walking is always a composition. We compose our lives by walking through them, however that looks and whatever that entails. Every part of that experience is our commons."
Hmm. Wow. Lots to chew on there. It's almost like a little Meaning of Life 101 gift package. But more like Meaning of Life 301; not immediately obvious until you stop (walk?) to think about it and then it's like, of course. This idea of extending the "commons" concept beyond resources to the lived realm of experience, ideas, testimony and difference - openness, respect, curiosity, attending - is intriguing. It's true, we live in a world in which everything that ever happened and was experienced.....legitimately exists. Yet this experiential realm isn't shared equally, or even seen. I'm just starting to think through a possible project or paper about trust and related themes, so this feels connected. Which I suppose, is the point of the commons: that everything is connected.
That's a fascinating story about the Walking Compositions, thanks for sharing that.
Upper Level Meaning of Life 🤣
If you pursue the project or paper on trust and related themes, I'd love to read it when it gets to where you want it. I'm actually working on an essay for an anthology due out next year and landed on trust as the main theme. Maybe there's something in the air ...
Glad you enjoyed it! It's something I've really appreciated having in my life. Alex and I have stayed in touch, and he continues to do really interesting things with composition.
Those are a gorgeous pair of boots, friendo!
They are pretty nice! I like them, anyway :)
I've been reading your Walking Compositions since you were doing them on Instagram and I think this is the first I've ever heard the FULL full story. Interesting. I love your mind even though it often baffles me.
It's probably baffling because it's full of holes 🫠
I love this so much--the intention behind a 'walking composition.' How beautiful. (ahem, I also cannot wait for the sci-fi nerd out!). The commons is such an important concept on so many levels and I love that you are focusing on it in your work. No trespassing indeed....
Maybe I should change this to a sci-fi newsletter! Or better yet, all of us sci-fi and fantasy and speculative fiction enthusiasts get together and co-write one. That would be so much fun!
Did not know you were into sci-fi books. You should mention it in some of the White Pages Community Discussions sometime 😂
BOOKS, GARRETT 🤣
"I’ve walked enough by now to know that it’s those memories full of sensory detail—traffic on a city bridge in Pittsburgh, chickadees calling outside my home in early spring, the broken cobblestones of a Boston sidewalk, the particular scent of imminent snow,"
Love.
🧡
"overly generous interview". Haha. ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF BIAS? *lawyers up*
----------
STATEMENT FROM EVERYTHING IS AMAZING:
Please note that Everything Is Amazing is a factual publication that adheres to rigorous standards of truth and fairness in its storytelling, and will defend, in court if necessary, any statements that it doesn't see fit to retract. And it does *not* retract the statements made about the defendant A. Malchik at this time. And regarding our statements on the high quality of the defendant's work, we present as evidence the particular newsletter that this comment is published under. Thank you.
----------
It was a delight to chat. And dear lord, Part 2 with all its scifi references is going to be fun...
I love this view of writing as a fully-embodied compositional process, feet and all. After reading Annie Murphy Paul's "Extended Mind" I've been thinking so much about how where I write affects what I write - but there's so much more to consider there, including the physical state you're in. I mean, it's fairly common knowledge that going for a walk is terrific for finding moments of insight on the things your mind is wrestling with - but that's a very functional, problem-solving way of looking at it. Writing while on the move, while your whole body is in that raised-energy state? And the thinking about that writing being done in the same way?
(I mean, thanks to Paul Salopek I'm now thinking the only way to write about human migrations, ancient and modern, is to move between countries on foot, taking months at a time...)
There's so much here to consider. And experiment with! Because walking along while capturing everything you experience? That's a hard skill to master. To be fully present enough to compose accurately? Harder still. Just a mad amount of stuff to learn...
Whew! I'm glad this came up before my liability insurance runs out, since they're canceling my policy. But it's still good for the moment so if this gets ugly ... ;)
I have kept "Extended Mind" close at hand ever since reading it -- which I did on your recommendation, if you recall! I keep going back to it, thinking of all the ways our mind-body is interacting with and in the world that we're incredibly ignorant of. What are we missing all the time? A lot.
I am so envious of Paul Salopek. That's all I'd really like to do with my life, exactly what he's doing. I will never forget the essay he wrote about one day walking toward a red-sunlight horizon and feeling the turn of the earth. Would that we could all have that experience.