Lisa Weiss

In this issue:

This Halloween season, Manual Cinema in Chicago presents Frankenstein. Such a perfect play for our times, as the monster 'Frankenstein' was a product of man's (the titular character, Dr. Frankenstein's) hubris. Aside from being moved by the artistry of Manual Cinema, I learned something new about the author, Mary Shelley, who was married to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary was only 18 years old when she wrote Frankenstein. The book came out of a ghost story writing contest held by Lord Byron. Mary didn't win the contest (ridiculous, I know), but we have Frankenstein. Here's a bit more on the birth of Frankenstein.

Cooking is a balm during these increasingly disembodied times. Greek bowls are probably my family's favorite dinner. Here's a recipe I like. But really, all you need to do is cook a chicken breast, cut up cucumbers, slice grape tomatoes in half, add olives if you like them, and layer it on top of some Israeli couscous in a bowl. For me, the key to a good Greek bowl is the homemade Tzatziki sauce. It's really easy to make and it's so much better fresh. Just grate 1 cucumber (squeeze out the moisture in a kitchen towel), 1 clove of garlic, chop about a tablespoon of dill or mint, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and one tablespoon fresh lemon juice to 1 cup of sour cream. You can bring leftovers to work for lunch, and it doesn't really get boring.

The writing practice for this month draws inspiration from Frankenstein and Sherry Turkle.

On page 50 of Artificial Intimacy, Sherry Turkle writes about an 8-year-old boy in Chicago whose grandparents live in China, so they talk over WhatsApp. The boy also uses the same phone to talk to ChatGPT. His conclusion is that his grandparents and Chat are "The same kind of thing—things you can reach on the phone." (Aritificial Intimacy, p. 50).

What are your thoughts on the passage above?

How are you holding onto your originality, voice, and human connection now that chatbots have entered, and are often dominating, the conversation?

Whether or not you're engaging with chatbots, what parts of your voice and story are the ones you most want and need to protect? Have you noticed any flattening of your thoughts and ideas after you engage with chatbots?

Are you giving yourself space, even just a few minutes, to handwrite your thoughts on a physical piece of paper?

Try to practice sharing your raw, honest thoughts on the page.

Our imperfect, human writing is incomparable in its ability to connect us to one another.

See you next month!