A newsletter about existential dread.
Something Interesting
Any consumer of contemporary pop culture is undoubtedly familiar with the apocalyptic or post-apocalytic genre. When viewed or read or played in the right (or wrong) mood, it can feel like the most relevant, most spot-on accurate reflection of our society. But sometimes it’s easy to forget that we are not the first generation to fear (or hope) that the world was coming to an end.
Perhaps, therefore, it is helpful to think of the Millerite movement of the 1840’s. William Miller, was a lay minister (a.k.a. regular dude) who thought the Book of Daniel had predicted the second coming of Christ during the 365-day period ending on March 21, 1844. When that timeframe passed uneventfully, Miller moved the goalpost to April 18, 1844. When Jesus continued to be a no-show, his community switched to a different version of the Jewish calendar and set a final, final date of October 22, 1844. So effective was Miller’s preachings, and so profound were his followers’ beliefs, that when that magical day came and went, the subsequent time period was named the “Great Disappointment.” The group would shrink and splinter and its remnants can be found in the current-day Seventh Day Adventist Church.
It would be quite easy to dissect the flaws in Miller’s thinking, to question his reliance on translated translations of ancient writings by fallible human beings. To mock the leap of faith that converted 2,300 days from Daniel’s prophesy into 2,300 years of actual timekeeping.
But instead, perhaps we should note how, like Miller, people today are still fervent in searching for answers amongst the dozen or so unconnected clues that they find in their limited worldview. How willfully people can distort plain-as-day facts to serve their emotional needs and to plainly shift their interpretation as the need arises. Or perhaps we should just take solace in knowing that we’re not the first people to feel this way and, hopefully we won’t be the last.
Something Beautiful
As much I enjoy “The Raven,” my favorite poem by Edgar Allan Poe is “Annabel Lee.” I’m drawn to the rhythm of Poe’s lines and how well he adds dimension to a relatively straight-forward narrative with only a few words.
The fourth paragraph, out of only six, is the least graceful of the poem because it serves as the turning point in the story:
The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me—
Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
In a poem that tells of kingdoms and angels, the words “Chilling and killing” just strike immediately to the core of a timeless theme.
Read the full poem here.
Something I Worked On
I’ve just finished writing a story called “Thirteen Pieces.” Ironically, it initially began a few months ago as an idea that I wanted to craft into an Edgar Allan Poe style story. Turning my attention to it recently, I was able to work out a decent outline, but then struggled to write something that conveyed the vibe I was going for. Interestingly, once I decided to switch it from third person to first person, the words flowed easily and I finished the story in a day.
You can read it here, or eventually on my fiction Substack.