I’m firing the blog back up again after letting it sit idle for a couple years. We’re giving the website a modest refresh as well. Watch out: there may even be new issues of Escape Hatch in the near future.
I was on Twitter in early 2009… before Elon Musk even. I had some good times there. And some not so good times. The place got its hooks into me and after a while became my go-to outlet for sharing thoughts and promoting new work. I always had other channels, like the newsletter, and Instagram… but Twitter was fun and easy and casual and accordingly hogged my attention.
I wasn’t always too happy about that. I never liked feeling addicted to it. You know how you know when you’re addicted to something? When you’re using something, and it makes you feel bad, a sensible person will stop using it; an addict will tell himself the way to feel better is to use it even more.
But maybe I can let myself be done now. That idea feels a little like stepping outside and getting a breath of fresh autumn air. The richest man in the world had 44 billion dollars burning a hole in his back pocket and decided why not buy a social network? (I hope to God if I ever have 44 billion dollars just lying around I won’t spend it on something as stupid as Twitter) It took Elon Musk just under a week to make the joint a weird, sad shitshow. On the one hand, that’s obviously terrible. On the other hand, it feels like I just won parole. (Note to Elon : I read that you were chortling about Twitter use being at an all-time high since you took over. Yeah, uh, I don’t think that means what you think it means, bro. People always slow down to look at a car accident)
I still need a place to yap, though, about future projects, and what I’m reading, and what I care about. I did MySpace, I did Tumblr, I did Twitter, I think I’ve ridden all the social media rollercoasters I care to ride. The thought of trying another just makes me tired. (Mastadon? Pass. TikTok? I’m 50 and I think you’re legally required to be under 40 to do that one)
Maybe the blog and the newsletter can be enough? That would be okay, wouldn't it?