I subscribe (for free) to Daniel Piper’s tongue-in-cheek Serious Literary Author on Substack, and today I’m borrowing a short piece from him to share here.
In my younger years, roughly ages 5 to 60, I fully expected I’d become a great American novelist (think Steinbeck, Buck, Hemingway, and the like). As it turns out, writing and publishing are pretty key requirements for that particular dream. Who knew?
Daniel’s piece caught my attention because it overlaps nicely with my current series on The 10 Things I Cannot Live Without. I’ve bolded the portion where he talks about getting rid of a smartphone, mostly because I found myself nodding along, and then immediately realizing that keeping my smartphone actually reduces the clutter in my life rather than adding to it.
So consider this an interlude (Interlude #1) before I return to my list. Read and enjoy for today while I continue to sort through my remaining ten. If you’ve been following along the past couple of days, I’d love to hear what you’ve decided you can’t live without so far. Feel free to drop a comment.
And just to clear one thing up: it appears our vehicle is firmly on the “keeper” list. Joe has absolutely no intention of walking, taking an Uber, or biking to work this winter. ❄️🚗
Dear littérateurs, I have decided to become a minimalist. I have always flirted with the idea of minimalism. My writing setup is incredibly simple. It consists only of a desk, a chair, an iPad plus Bluetooth keyboard (plus chargers), noise-cancelling headphones (plus charger), a desk organising tray (which doubles as a wireless charger for my phone), four lamps, an extension lead (for the chargers and lamps), twelve notebooks, twenty-four pens and ten piles of Post-It notes. But in 2026 I intend to take my minimalism practice even further, and truly embody the spirit of simple living. In order to begin my minimalism journey, I have ordered seven books on minimalism. I have also removed perhaps the single greatest barrier to a minimalist life; my smartphone. To replace it, I have ordered a flip phone, a digital camera, an iPod, a calculator, an alarm clock, a compass and a torch. I have also dramatically cut down the contents of my wardrobe, which now contains just seven copies of the same roll-neck jumper, and five copies of the same pair of corduroy trousers. But of course, minimalism is not just about reducing possessions. It is also a mentality. It is about being able to exist with only one’s thoughts, to resist the dopamine and distractions of modern life. This afternoon I sat in complete stillness, concentrating only my breathing. I managed a full thirty seconds before my arms and legs began to convulse and I reached for my iPad. I am only a few days into my new minimalist life, but I am already feeling very stoic. As Marcus Aurelius once said, “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” Being a Serious Literary Author, I am naturally blessed with high quality thoughts. And now, thanks to minimalism, they have more space to breathe. |
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