The Leftovers

The Leftovers Substack explores the intersections of literature, culture, societal norms, and personal identity through critical analyses and personal reflections. It addresses themes such as the authenticity of literary and artistic expression, the impacts of capitalism and technology on society, and the value of diversity and individuality within cultural and personal narratives.

Literature and Criticism Social Media and Technology Self-Publishing and Literary Culture Urban Studies and Capitalism Personal Identity and Expression Artistic and Literary Funding Cultural and Social Commentary Digital Life and Death

The hottest Substack posts of The Leftovers

And their main takeaways

All these fucking books

219 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
📚 Literature
  1. It's okay to declutter books you no longer enjoy or plan to read, even if it feels disloyal.
  2. Reading should be a pleasure, not a chore. Don't feel obligated to finish books that don't captivate you.
  3. Critically assessing books and not blindly elevating them all as inherently good is essential. It's important to question the value of what we read and not give everything undue respect.

Scatterbrain: a letter from Knee-Jerk Land

159 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Art AI Public Discourse
  1. State-funded art in the UK is facing challenges due to expectations around political statements and reputational risks
  2. It's essential to be cautious of dependence on the state for art funding, as it can lead to limitations in artistic expression and self-defeatism
  3. The impact of AI on various cultural aspects is a growing concern, raising questions about the future of creativity and human innovation

Circle jerks: in praise of negativity

479 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
📚 Literature Reviews Criticism Authors Book promotion
  1. Negativity in literary culture is often repressed, leading to toxic behaviors like sabotaging peers on platforms like Goodreads.
  2. Year-end book lists can sometimes involve favoritism and promotion rather than honest critique, affecting the authenticity of recommendations.
  3. Encouraging fair and open criticism among writers and reviewers is essential for a healthy literary discourse and reducing toxic behaviors.

Inside looking in

139 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
📚 Literature Memoirs Criticism Writing Style
  1. Memoirs can pose challenges for authors and critics, leading to delicate evaluations and special treatment.
  2. Authors can offer universal insights by looking inward, Personal experiences can embody broader themes and human conditions.
  3. Advocating for a shift from 'the political is personal' to 'the personal is political', encouraging connections and unity amidst societal fragmentation.

To beat the empty page

59 implied HN points • 11 Mar 24
📚 Literature Writer's block Creativity Productivity Self-reflection
  1. Writer's block may not really exist and could just be about trying to write the wrong thing at the wrong time.
  2. Sometimes difficulties in writing can be attributed to starting from a wrong place rather than a complete inability to write.
  3. To overcome 'writer's block,' it may require changing approach or perspective rather than waiting for inspiration.
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Scatterbrain: a spring letter

39 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Literature Travel Writing
  1. London Book Fair attracts writers who wander like wailing souls, seeking inspiration and connections in trade fair events.
  2. The writer reflects on the weather in London and news from Rosario, Argentina, contemplating the idea of staying in a grey island country.
  3. Cheltenham event signifies springtime, aligning the writer's narrative with seasonal changes and events.

The death of a pub: Rochester Castle, N16

119 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture London Community Urban Development
  1. Pubs are important social spaces that foster community, diversity, and human connection. The disappearance of pubs in London reflects a broader issue of losing social spaces in cities.
  2. The Rochester Castle, despite being a Wetherspoon, has historical significance and unique charm that has made it a cherished gathering place for diverse locals.
  3. The potential sale of the Rochester Castle threatens to displace many regulars, including vulnerable groups like pensioners, highlighting the negative impact of commercial decisions on community interaction and well-being.

Scatterbrain: a letter from Pantomime Kingdom

79 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Literature Politics Diversity
  1. Significant events are unfolding at the Royal Society of Literature in the UK, showing a divide between those seeking to diversify the institution and those resisting change.
  2. Accepting honors like OBEs or being part of institutions with royal ties can contradict principles like decolonization and anti-imperialism.
  3. Literature doesn't require royal approval to thrive, and embracing diversity without structural change may still uphold existing power dynamics.

Propaganda

119 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Propaganda Discourse War Truth Manipulation
  1. The state of the world results from cruelty being under-reported, questioning the impact of words on changing world events.
  2. Propaganda manipulates truth, and people tend to recognize it more easily when it comes from the opposing side.
  3. Consuming one's own propaganda can weaken their position due to gullibility and uncritical acceptance.

Make self-publishing great again

219 implied HN points • 20 Nov 23
📚 Literature Self-Publishing Criticism Classic literature
  1. The preconception that traditionally-published books are inherently better than self-published ones is flawed; both avenues have their own strengths and weaknesses.
  2. Gatekeeping in the literary world may not always be based on merit, leading to snobbish attitudes towards self-published works.
  3. The way a book is released does not determine its greatness; classic works like those of Proust and Dickens were self-published and have stood the test of time.

What Odradek is like

119 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
📚 Literature Fiction Narrative Analysis
  1. Odradek is a mysterious, ominous presence described as a flat star-shaped spool with tangled threads of various colors that lurks in different places and can be difficult to define or understand.
  2. Talking openly about Odradek has become a common topic among various groups and individuals, but many people who experience Odradek's effects may refrain from discussing it directly, despite its persistent presence.
  3. Odradek takes on different shapes and forms, evolving from a spool of thread to a multifaceted entity that can impact individuals in various ways.

Boxing Days

139 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
🎾 Sports
  1. The author reflects on their childhood experience of being introduced to boxing by their grandad, which instilled in them valuable skills and memories.
  2. Growing up in a post-dictatorship society, the author found boxing to be a useful skill in resolving conflicts and navigating a sometimes violent environment.
  3. Despite trying to avoid fights, the author's experience in a state school often led to playground fights, showcasing the need for self-defense skills.

The algorithm doesn't love you back

339 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Technology Communication Activism Addiction
  1. Social media platforms are becoming more controlled and less beneficial for users, focusing on their own interests over user experience.
  2. Engaging with social media under the current algorithmic control can limit meaningful conversations and activism efforts, potentially leading to addiction.
  3. The idea of an unmediated life, free of constant sharing and social media influence, raises questions about our connection to solitude and emptiness.

Scatterbrain: a letter from the end of times

119 implied HN points • 30 Dec 23
📚 Literature Writing Books Reading Predictions Publishing
  1. The author reflects on their writing journey in 2023, touching on the challenges and aspirations of writing for a living but not yet making enough income from it.
  2. The author shares their top ten favorite pieces written in 2023, discussing various topics from AI in art to the struggles of indie writers in the literary world.
  3. Predictions for 2024 include memoirs and Substacks created by AI, highlighting the evolving nature of technology's impact on self-expression and literature.

Scatterbrain: a letter from the North Pole

79 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Film Literature Storytelling Writing History
  1. The importance of storytelling and who gets to tell stories, questioning the media's focus on certain tragedies over others.
  2. Reflection on the never-ending process of writing, revising manuscripts, and the challenge of knowing when to stop.
  3. Critique of demanding representation in mainstream media and cinema, emphasizing the need to create cultural spaces that challenge the status quo.

Accented literature

179 implied HN points • 13 Nov 23
📚 Literature Identity Language
  1. Embracing your accent can be a way to authentically express your identity and communicate your true self, rather than trying to conform to a standard accent.
  2. Accented cinema, like accented literature, offers alternative perspectives that challenge mainstream norms and reflect the cultural background of the creator.
  3. Culture thrives on cross-contamination and diversity, emphasizing the beauty in differences rather than seeking purity or homogeneity.

Phone booths

139 implied HN points • 05 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture History Literature Music Art & Illustration Humor
  1. Phone booths in the UK were used for advertising sexual services with flyers, with interesting transformations over time, highlighting cultural shifts.
  2. Superheroes like Superman and British vigilante fantasies have unique associations with phone booths, showcasing creative interpretations of iconic imagery.
  3. The song "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand" captures themes of confusion, existential observation, and beauty, resonating with the complexities of life.

Fifteen-reader books

179 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
📚 Literature Writing Authorship Reading
  1. Facing challenges and performing for small audiences is a common struggle for content creators like writers and comedians.
  2. Experiencing setbacks, rejections, and small turnouts is part of the writing journey. Writers often face low audience numbers and sparse attention.
  3. Writing entails persistence and understanding that obscurity and tumbleweed moments are a normal part of the process, requiring dedication and resilience.

Middle-class shoplifters and the butthole of the world

139 implied HN points • 27 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Current Events Social Issues Satire
  1. A clown elected in Argentina claiming to speak with his deceased dog highlights the complexities in society and politics.
  2. The rise of middle-class shoplifting in the UK sheds light on societal issues that often go unnoticed.
  3. Challenges faced by progressive movements in Argentina showcase the impact of identity politics on concrete issues like poverty and crime.

Scatterbrain: an autumn letter

179 implied HN points • 23 Oct 23
📚 Literature Writing Authors Books Storytelling Fiction
  1. Starting a new passion or career path may not always lead to immediate success and can come with unexpected challenges.
  2. Having extra time available can be disorienting for individuals used to being constantly busy, raising questions about how time is best utilized.
  3. Public reactions to global events on social media can sometimes come across as performative, focusing on personal branding rather than genuine empathy.

Words

99 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Writing Tools
  1. It's important to be able to write with whatever tools you have available, but also nice to have tools that you enjoy using, as they can influence your writing output.
  2. Having a variety of writing tools at your disposal can help you develop different styles and avoid being a one-dimensional writer.
  3. Notebooks can serve as important tools for developing writing techniques, similar to practicing scales and arpeggios as a musician.

How indie lit magazines die

179 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
📚 Literature
  1. Authorial self-interest can contribute to the demise of indie literary magazines by isolating editors and discouraging investment in keeping the magazines running.
  2. Editing an indie magazine is often a challenging and thankless task, with little monetary reward and a high level of effort required to keep it going.
  3. External factors, such as unexpected events like the pandemic, can disrupt the functioning of indie magazines and lead to unforeseen challenges like taking the magazine offline.

Cockroaches

159 implied HN points • 16 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Childhood Facts Memoir
  1. The author recalls childhood memories of cockroaches in Argentina, where they were a common presence and even seen as pets amongst kids due to a TV show.
  2. Cockroaches lost their charm for the author when a cholera epidemic hit in the early 90s, changing the perception of these insects.
  3. The post also includes five interesting facts about cockroaches that the author found online, highlighting their resilience and unique characteristics.

AI shit lit panic

139 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
📚 Literature Culture AI Criticism Writers Books
  1. The focus is on the quality of content, whether produced by humans or AI, rather than who created it.
  2. There is a concern about AI-generated 'shit lit' cluttering platforms, and a desire for human-created content.
  3. The author embraces elitism in drawing critical lines in literary criticism.

Thanatos sent you a friend request

199 implied HN points • 15 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Human Interaction Death Literature Art
  1. Consider unfriending or unfollowing deceased individuals on social media as a healthy way to cope with death and keep a distance from it.
  2. When writing about someone's death online, it often turns into an opportunity for self-centered displays, termed as 'mebituaries,' especially common among authors.
  3. In today's digital age, the concept of being forgotten after death has transformed drastically, with the algorithm immortalizing individuals and sometimes hindering the right to be truly forgotten.

Content hell

179 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Writing Content creation AI Plagiarism
  1. Content creation can become overwhelming if driven by the need for constant output, leading to a flood of mediocre posts.
  2. Being prolific in writing comes with a trade-off; quantity may overshadow quality and necessitate resisting the urge to publish everything created.
  3. The rise of AI-generated content, including books and articles, raises questions about the manipulation of literary culture and the distinction between genuine literature and junk content.

Writing for a living

119 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Writing
  1. The author finds writing for a living to be a challenging way to make money due to low pay and lack of creative freedom.
  2. Personal experience led the author to realize the struggles of depending on writing as a career, pushing them to seek other job opportunities.
  3. Working as a writer and in an office doing admin work brought periods of depression, highlighting the challenges of these career paths.

Unboxing videos, cover quotes, acknowledgement pages

179 implied HN points • 04 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Media Literature Critique
  1. Unboxing videos, cover quotes, and acknowledgment pages in the Anglophone scene are criticized in the post for being disliked authorial rituals.
  2. The author started the day with reflection and writing, but an encounter with an unboxing video led to an angry rant about aspects of the contemporary literary scene.
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Writerly bravery and publishing hype

199 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
📚 Literature Etiquette
  1. Writerly bravery can be reflected in various ways, from speaking out fearlessly against injustice to trying new genres and styles.
  2. The use of words like 'brave' and 'bravery' can sometimes be manipulated in the publishing world to generate hype around a book, despite personal preferences or biases.
  3. Reflecting on the genuine acts of courage by historical figures like Rodolfo Walsh can offer perspective when considering contemporary works labeled as 'brave.'

Scatterbrain: a letter from hell

139 implied HN points • 31 Jul 23
📚 Literature Review
  1. The author discusses the critical poverty of the _London Review of Books_, suggesting that the lack of readership may contribute to the subpar content.
  2. The author expresses impatience with the content they are discussing, hinting at a desire to move on quickly.
  3. A glimpse into the author's personal experiences with literature and literary journals like the _London Review of Books_.

Faithfulness in translation

199 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Translation Teaching Language Theory
  1. Translation is a crucial art that applies across various sectors, including literary work.
  2. Literary translation requires a different skill set but still follows similar principles as other forms of translation.
  3. Engaging in translation work offers a profound hands-on experience with language, revealing the truth of translation.

Why do I write?

199 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
📚 Literature Writing Online Communities Subscription
  1. The online literary community is evolving with readerships shrinking, posing a challenge for writers.
  2. It is essential to adapt to the changing landscape of writing and readership.
  3. Consider offering free trials to attract more readers and grow your audience.

Chronicles: an antidote against literary navel-gazing?

59 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
📚 Literature Translation
  1. Chronicles have a prominent place in Latin American literature and were one of the first forms of written journalism in America
  2. Writing chronicles can be seen as an antidote to excessive self-absorption in literary works
  3. Mario Vargas Llosa highlights the significance of the early chronicles and their impact on Latin American writing

Writing oneself onto a page

199 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
📚 Literature Writing Memoir Authorship
  1. Writing about oneself can lead to unexpected reactions from readers.
  2. There's a conversation about the responsibilities of industry towards authors who write candidly.
  3. Personal writing can be a therapeutic practice, even if it's not meant for public consumption.

Literary clickbait

79 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
📚 Literature Analysis Critique Rhetoric
  1. Clickbait often targets specific demographics, like authors, to generate outrage and drive traffic.
  2. Be wary of overgeneralizations in clickbait articles and carefully consider the rhetorical strategies used to manipulate readers.
  3. Understanding how literary clickbait operates can help readers resist its allure and approach content more critically.

On the shitfication of cities

219 implied HN points • 05 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Urbanism Capitalism Gentrification Resistance
  1. The city is constantly evolving and being impacted by the dynamics of capitalism.
  2. Urban capital accumulation leads to the homogenization of city spaces, diminishing social opportunities and diversity.
  3. A solution to combat the negative impacts of capitalism on cities is through collective efforts to re-socialize spaces and address urban alienation.

The hatred of fiction

139 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Fiction
  1. Many true crime documentaries today use drone shots excessively, which can feel forced and manipulative to the viewer.
  2. The author's experience with documentaries made them reflect on their relationship with fiction, realizing they have been slowly drifting away from it.
  3. The author's last finished fiction book was chosen more for the language than the desire to consume fiction, indicating a shift in reading preferences.

Writing visually

79 implied HN points • 29 Aug 23
📚 Literature Dialogue
  1. Visual writing can be achieved by thinking of the narrator as a camera and by using 'props' to direct readers' attention to different elements of the narrative space.
  2. Prioritizing pace over ornament and thinking of dialogues as a plot-building device are essential aspects of achieving a visual effect in writing.
  3. Extreme awareness and conscious use of the narrative space, such as locations and details of 'props', can enhance the visualization of the story for the readers.

Becoming human

119 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture AI Criticism
  1. AI is impacting the cultural landscape by potentially taking over scriptwriting jobs previously done by humans.
  2. The automation of culture has been ongoing even before AI, with much of culture being formulaic and automatic.
  3. There is a significant amount of mind-numbing ideological junk produced in the cultural sphere that extends beyond just popular blockbusters.