Matt Kaul

Matt Kaul

'What man needs is silence & warmth; what he is given is an icy pandemonium.' ~Simone Weil

Reading

Book Art

The Power Broker

Robert A. Caro

    Loving Rick Rubin’s two-part interview with Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend (my family’s favorite band).

    The episodes dive deep into each of VW’s albums, which winds up being a tour of all kinds of music—Rubin & Koenig are both …

    Luke Burgis offers a reading list for creators & entrepreneurs.

    Personally, I’d replace Mill & Emerson with Middlemarch & any Jane Austen. And add McGilchrist as the third book for this century, along with some poetry.

    But it’s an …

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    Current listening: Ron Carter, All Blues.

    Roland Hanna’s solo on “Light Blue” is a beautiful little miracle. 🎵

    Finished reading: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.

    What a remarkable book. I love academic memoirs, & this fits within that genre—but pushes well beyond it as well. It’s also a profound meditation on cancer, mortality, healthcare, …

    We’ve got a trip to Yellowstone & Grand Tetons coming up next month. Any recommendations for must-do hikes, must-see sights, etc? 🥾 🏕️

    Currently reading: Middlemarch by George Eliot.

    An old favorite. Profound from the first paragraph. 📚

    Finished reading: Moonbound by Robin Sloan.

    So great! Handed it off to my daughter—she’s 11; I’m sure she’ll enjoy it just as much. 📚

    Finished reading: Night Train by A. L. Snijders.

    Wonderful microstories, translated by Lydia Davis. Highly recommended. 📚

    Currently reading: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 📚

    Cleaned like a zillion ants out of our mailbox today. (!?!)

    Now spending the afternoon creeped out by feeling like I’ve got tiny ants crawling all over me. 🐜🏡

    Matt Levine is hilarious & spot-on, exhibit 389247 🔗

    Matt Levine is hilarious & spot-on, exhibit 389247 (likely paywalled unless you subscribe to his newsletter, which you should):

    AI sorting

    A dumb simple model of artificial intelligence companies is:

    1. It would be good to develop good AI (AI …

    Currently reading: Moonbound by Robin Sloan 📚

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    The pizzas turned out very well. I made four different pizzas, 5 pizzas of each style—turned out to be plenty to feed 40 people over a couple hours:

    • Marinara
    • Margherita
    • Pepperoni + hot honey (pictured; the fan favorite)
    • Prosciutto + arugula

    🍕

    Father’s Day Special:

    Wordle 1,093 2/6

    ⬛⬛🟩🟨🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

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    Prepping a whole lotta pizza for tomorrow… #pizzaparty 🍕

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    Jeff Koons and T.J. Maxx: a match made in heaven.

    Want to read: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake 📚

    Thomas Chatterton Williams pens another chapter in the story of how every sport is breaking under the twin strains of global spectacle & algorithmic efficiency.

    Two options: embrace it (sports betting, fantasy everything) or go hyper local (high …

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    Ran my first 10k this morning at the Fargo Marathon. I beat my goal, finishing in 54:25. More importantly, I discovered that these races are a blast and a great way to to structure my training toward a concrete goal. I’ll be back. 🏃💪

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    Our first pizza night with the wood-fired Ooni was a great success! Can’t wait to start using this amazing tool weekly. 🍕

    Finished reading: Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford.

    This book is incredible—it connects many of my interests: jazz, counterfactual American history, religion, noir; the characters are wonderfully unique; the plot is gripping. Highly recommended! 📚

    Currently reading: Night Train by A. L. Snijders.

    Very short stories translated from Dutch by Lydia Davis (who herself writes brilliant microfiction). 📚

    Currently reading: The Shield of Achilles by W. H. Auden 📚

    Currently reading: Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford 📚

    I love the impulse toward community in the work of the great Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto, winner of this year’s Pritzker Prize.

    But I find the reliance on concrete, glass, & stark metals off-putting—working against the goals of his …