bryce https://paper.wf/bryce/ I'm Bryce. Humanities PhD, musician, and reader of books. Father of 2, spouse of 1. I work in Tech, but don't know much about that. Mon, 24 Aug 2026 03:00:41 +0000 I want to write https://paper.wf/bryce/i-want-to-write <![CDATA[I want to write, but I don’t know what to write about. I need something of mine, something to sink my teeth into. I want to create something, and for the time being I’ve landed on writing. writers, essayists I’m actually reading Vivian Qu Jill Lepore Frank Chimero Questions What makes a good essay? What makes me love an essay? What if this were easy? Do I need a website or page showcasing my writing? There’s too much “me” in my writing. I need a focus, a project, a muse. I think I want to write about Brian Eno, and why I’m inherently more attracted to his creative philosophy than, say, Rick Rubin’s. ]]> I want to write, but I don’t know what to write about. I need something of mine, something to sink my teeth into. I want to create something, and for the time being I’ve landed on writing.

writers, essayists I’m actually reading

  • Vivian Qu
  • Jill Lepore
  • Frank Chimero

Questions

  • What makes a good essay?
    • What makes me love an essay?
  • What if this were easy?
  • Do I need a website or page showcasing my writing?

There’s too much “me” in my writing. I need a focus, a project, a muse.

I think I want to write about Brian Eno, and why I’m inherently more attracted to his creative philosophy than, say, Rick Rubin’s.

]]> https://paper.wf/bryce/i-want-to-write Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:18:30 +0000 Southern Cultures (UNC Press) Accepted my Article https://paper.wf/bryce/an-article-i-submitted-to-southern-cultures-magazine-unc-press-was-accepted <![CDATA[An article I submitted to Southern Cultures magazine (UNC Press) was accepted for publication. I submitted an article to Southern Cultures magazine (UNC Press). It was selected for publication Winter 2026. (practicing my writing) (lemme try again) Southern Cultures (UNC Press) accepted an article I wrote. It'll be published Winter 2026. It's about the movie Sinners, and it's called "With This Here Ritual: Blues, Conjure, and Black Sacred Life in Sinners." I'm incredibly proud of it. Other than my wife, who is genuinely proud of me, i have no one to share this with. It takes an inordinate amount of time and energy to learn how to write well in an academic context. You have to be conversant with the literature from which your thesis resides. You have to try and avoid too much jargon, while still gesturing to common themes, vocabulary, terms within that body of literature. You have to assume that your readership is scholarly, yet not necessarily conversant with said literature. This means that you're allowed to use what I think of as academic shorthand. But, you can't assume a deep knowledge of the arguments and debates scholars are currently having within your area of expertise. For example, if you're a writer in the Humanities, as I am, it's probably safe to assume a general knowledge of major philosophical thinkers. If I made a comment about Plato, Hegel, or Nietzsche, most readers would possess a working knowledge of these thinkers, at least in a general way. Hegel = dialectical reasoning; Plato = platonic ideal; Nietzsche = a misunderstood genius and atheist who is commonly invoked as a nihilist, but is anything but a nihilist. I wouldn't necessarily have to elaborate or provide too much context on these thinkers unless my thesis depended on it. This is what I mean by shorthand. This is partly why it takes so long to get a PhD in the humanities: you have to be familiar with the historical and philosophical effects of the Enlightenment, which were largely influenced by some of these thinkers. The whole point of this diatribe is to point out that I'm proud to be a member of this academic community. I'm even more proud because, for various reasons, I had to take a Tech job after I graduated. It's a good job, and suits family life more than a tenure-track job would have. I now occupy an "independent" instead of "university-affiliated" relationship with the academy. I miss the students, the teaching, campus life, and access to the university library. With that said, I plan on continuing to research, conference, and publish. ]]> An article I submitted to Southern Cultures magazine (UNC Press) was accepted for publication.

I submitted an article to Southern Cultures magazine (UNC Press). It was selected for publication Winter 2026. (practicing my writing)

(lemme try again) Southern Cultures (UNC Press) accepted an article I wrote. It'll be published Winter 2026. It's about the movie Sinners, and it's called “With This Here Ritual: Blues, Conjure, and Black Sacred Life in Sinners.”

I'm incredibly proud of it. Other than my wife, who is genuinely proud of me, i have no one to share this with.

It takes an inordinate amount of time and energy to learn how to write well in an academic context. You have to be conversant with the literature from which your thesis resides. You have to try and avoid too much jargon, while still gesturing to common themes, vocabulary, terms within that body of literature. You have to assume that your readership is scholarly, yet not necessarily conversant with said literature. This means that you're allowed to use what I think of as academic shorthand. But, you can't assume a deep knowledge of the arguments and debates scholars are currently having within your area of expertise. For example, if you're a writer in the Humanities, as I am, it's probably safe to assume a general knowledge of major philosophical thinkers. If I made a comment about Plato, Hegel, or Nietzsche, most readers would possess a working knowledge of these thinkers, at least in a general way. Hegel = dialectical reasoning; Plato = platonic ideal; Nietzsche = a misunderstood genius and atheist who is commonly invoked as a nihilist, but is anything but a nihilist.

I wouldn't necessarily have to elaborate or provide too much context on these thinkers unless my thesis depended on it. This is what I mean by shorthand. This is partly why it takes so long to get a PhD in the humanities: you have to be familiar with the historical and philosophical effects of the Enlightenment, which were largely influenced by some of these thinkers.

The whole point of this diatribe is to point out that I'm proud to be a member of this academic community. I'm even more proud because, for various reasons, I had to take a Tech job after I graduated. It's a good job, and suits family life more than a tenure-track job would have. I now occupy an “independent” instead of “university-affiliated” relationship with the academy. I miss the students, the teaching, campus life, and access to the university library. With that said, I plan on continuing to research, conference, and publish.

]]> https://paper.wf/bryce/an-article-i-submitted-to-southern-cultures-magazine-unc-press-was-accepted Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:29:45 +0000