Prelude:

Wow! The last time I wrote one of these things was February 2nd, 2022! I’m STILL HERE though. While it feels like I’ve spent the last 5 months sitting and staring at a wall, a lot has happened in that time. I went to Denver! I had a girlfriend and then I didn’t have a girlfriend. I took two trips to Los Angeles, California and ended both trips early. The first due to existential dread and the second because my liver got temporarily fucked up. Needless to say, I hate LA! I’ve been through what feels like at least 20 job interviews. What!? And I still haven’t left my current job. And I’m moving back to New York! Eventually. But yeah, I’m still here and I’ve had a lot of time to think about things. Important things like what the hell I want to do with my life. And what I want to do in this whole WEB3 space. Watching the events unfold at NFT NYC mostly from the sidelines (didn’t get there till Wednesday evening, blame the liver issue alluded to above) was eye opening. Seeing all the cool events unfold really cemented in my mind that whatever we are all building here in WEB3 is important. It feels like we’re all doing our own small part in fostering the development of the future of the internet. And I really want to contribute to this. It feels like everyone will soon come on board. So this is what I decided. I’ll continue periodically doing these write ups though they will be infrequent. I enjoy writing these, but they are rather energy intensive and purchasing art on the blockchain is resource intensive. In addition to this, I have also started a separate Substack called MB305 where I’m going to write about anything going on in WEB3 that interests me. The only overall theme is that the topic relates in some way to WEB3. I see my role and way to contribute in this space as one of amplifying and spotlighting whatever cool things people are creating/building. So that’s what I plan to do for now.

Write Up:

‘Brave New Wold’ by Aldous Huxley is my favorite book. It’s the only book I’ve ever read three times. I read it first in 2015 at 21 years old, second in 2020 at 26 years old and most recently in 2022 at 28 years old. I like to leave subtle references to the book all throughout the different profiles I have here in the WEB3 space. The sentence below in my Twitter bio is just one example.

I don’t really know what this sentence means, but it sounds cool and edgy.

That’s actually a huge component of this book. Subtle references. Subtle references to Shakespeare and allegorical character names referencing controversial figures in world history. But, I think the biggest reason I love this book so much is because after reading it three times, I don’t fully get it. The book portrays a dystopian society which I think could be best described as a chaotic utopia. I’ll come back to this book, but first, let’s look at the two images below.

My first impression of Austin’s photo was that it looked idyllic. The bright colors that make the image look like a painting exude a sense of utopia. The white picket fence, the bright sky, the trees, it all looks so quiet, peaceful and perfect.

Jess’ photo exudes a feeling of chaos and instability. Look at the way the subject’s body is all contorted. Her feet are pointing forward but her torso is in an almost supine position. And that darth vader like mask! What’s going on there? Her shirt says ‘thank you for consuming me’ and she’s in a grocery store aisle full of consumer products which I guess are consuming her. Those energy drinks on the left? They’re addictive! Don’t drink them else they’ll consume your life! I speak from experience. You’ll develop a crippling addition to caffeine which will leave you feeling like an all consumed slave to the product. And that 12 for $12 sign!? Okay I kid here, but side note it looks like this took place in a King Kullen. Only true Long Islanders like myself and Jess know what King Kullen is.

Chaos, utopia, dystopia, stability, instability, perfection ,tragedy, these are some of the motifs explored in ‘Brave New world,’ the book I referenced above.

Every time I think of this book I harken back to this one scene with John, who is not a member of Civilization and Lenina, who is a member of Civilization. John and Lenina have never seen anything like each other. They come from different societies. Lenina is brought up in a society where you are encouraged to copulate freely with anyone and everyone. John comes from a society where copulation can only occur after marriage. They both like each other. This is made very clear. But, in one of the most tempestuous scenes in the book when Lenina finally has the courage to break through the pent up sexual tension and go in and make a move on John, he reacts in the most peculiar way. He clearly wants her, but instead he decides to level pejoratives her way that he read in the play ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare. He acted how he thought he was supposed to act in the situation based on what he read in a play. This later proves troubling as during the last three chapters, it seems John takes on the role as the voice of reason. But, how is the reader to trust that John is the voice of reason when his earlier actions were the antithesis of what a reasonable person would do? I’m left grappling with how exactly I should interpret this contradiction.

In an earlier paragraph I characterized Austin’s photo as idyllic and Jess’ photo as chaotic. I was talking to another person about ‘Brave New World’ recently and she said what’s so fascinating about this book is that it’s open to so many different interpretations. So too with these two photos. Granted I saw an idyllic situation, I could definitely see how someone could describe Austin’s photo as too perfect and therefore chaotic or Jess’ photo, given the graceful movement of the subject, as serene. This is perhaps the core reason why ‘Brave New World’ leaves me puzzled each time I read the book. The civilization it presents is a utopia, but at the same time it’s a dystopia and these two things seem to contradict each other but maybe they’re one in the same.

Aldous Huxley was dismissed as a quack and the overall reception to ‘Brave New World’ when it was first released in 1932 was negative. People were offended by the view of the future the book presented and many schools and libraries actually banned it. Today, it’s widely considered as one of the greatest novels ever written. The lessons from both this book and the way it aged over time abound. Art is art. Art is subject to a myriad of interpretations. People may hate your art today and love it tomorrow, but you’ll never know unless you release it. Everything is neither as good or as bad as it seems.

I started writing this post on Tuesday, June 28th. I wrote the first couple paragraphs and then was hit by this sudden jolt of inspiration to write about something else that had been on my mind. By late Tuesday night I had written four pages documenting a certain time in my life and after spending all day Wednesday, I completed the document of 12 pages. Writing it brought a fleeting and wistful sense of nostalgia. I wanted this time I wrote about back, but I’ll never get it back. The experience of writing it was cathartic. For the first time in my life I took accountability for an interpersonal situation that went awry. In the past I have never done this. Maybe I’ve changed. This tangent has nothing and everything to do with the passage I wrote above. Onwards and upwards.

Postlude:

Jess Licata is a talented photographer based in Brooklyn, New York.

She can be found on Twitter Here

Her work can be found on Foundation and OpenSea

Austin J Schofield is a talented photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts

He can be found on Twitter Here

His work can be found on Foundation and OpenSea

While you’re here, I’m moving back to New York eventually and once I do, I’ll bring back the random nightly Twitter Spaces I used to do. Look out for these and come hang. If you enjoyed this piece, consider subscribing and following me on Twitter for other updates. Also, consider subscribing to my other Substack, MB305 where I write about WEB3.

Prelude:

Wow! The last time I wrote one of these things was February 2nd, 2022! I’m STILL HERE though. While it feels like I’ve spent the last 5 months sitting and staring at a wall, a lot has happened in that time. I went to Denver! I had a girlfriend and then I didn’t have a girlfriend. I took two trips to Los Angeles, California and ended both trips early. The first due to existential dread and the second because my liver got temporarily fucked up. Needless to say, I hate LA! I’ve been through what feels like at least 20 job interviews. What!? And I still haven’t left my current job. And I’m moving back to New York! Eventually. But yeah, I’m still here and I’ve had a lot of time to think about things. Important things like what the hell I want to do with my life. And what I want to do in this whole WEB3 space. Watching the events unfold at NFT NYC mostly from the sidelines (didn’t get there till Wednesday evening, blame the liver issue alluded to above) was eye opening. Seeing all the cool events unfold really cemented in my mind that whatever we are all building here in WEB3 is important. It feels like we’re all doing our own small part in fostering the development of the future of the internet. And I really want to contribute to this. It feels like everyone will soon come on board. So this is what I decided. I’ll continue periodically doing these write ups though they will be infrequent. I enjoy writing these, but they are rather energy intensive and purchasing art on the blockchain is resource intensive. In addition to this, I have also started a separate Substack called MB305 where I’m going to write about anything going on in WEB3 that interests me. The only overall theme is that the topic relates in some way to WEB3. I see my role and way to contribute in this space as one of amplifying and spotlighting whatever cool things people are creating/building. So that’s what I plan to do for now.

Write Up:

‘Brave New Wold’ by Aldous Huxley is my favorite book. It’s the only book I’ve ever read three times. I read it first in 2015 at 21 years old, second in 2020 at 26 years old and most recently in 2022 at 28 years old. I like to leave subtle references to the book all throughout the different profiles I have here in the WEB3 space. The sentence below in my Twitter bio is just one example.

I don’t really know what this sentence means, but it sounds cool and edgy.

That’s actually a huge component of this book. Subtle references. Subtle references to Shakespeare and allegorical character names referencing controversial figures in world history. But, I think the biggest reason I love this book so much is because after reading it three times, I don’t fully get it. The book portrays a dystopian society which I think could be best described as a chaotic utopia. I’ll come back to this book, but first, let’s look at the two images below.

My first impression of Austin’s photo was that it looked idyllic. The bright colors that make the image look like a painting exude a sense of utopia. The white picket fence, the bright sky, the trees, it all looks so quiet, peaceful and perfect.

Jess’ photo exudes a feeling of chaos and instability. Look at the way the subject’s body is all contorted. Her feet are pointing forward but her torso is in an almost supine position. And that darth vader like mask! What’s going on there? Her shirt says ‘thank you for consuming me’ and she’s in a grocery store aisle full of consumer products which I guess are consuming her. Those energy drinks on the left? They’re addictive! Don’t drink them else they’ll consume your life! I speak from experience. You’ll develop a crippling addition to caffeine which will leave you feeling like an all consumed slave to the product. And that 12 for $12 sign!? Okay I kid here, but side note it looks like this took place in a King Kullen. Only true Long Islanders like myself and Jess know what King Kullen is.

Chaos, utopia, dystopia, stability, instability, perfection ,tragedy, these are some of the motifs explored in ‘Brave New world,’ the book I referenced above.

Every time I think of this book I harken back to this one scene with John, who is not a member of Civilization and Lenina, who is a member of Civilization. John and Lenina have never seen anything like each other. They come from different societies. Lenina is brought up in a society where you are encouraged to copulate freely with anyone and everyone. John comes from a society where copulation can only occur after marriage. They both like each other. This is made very clear. But, in one of the most tempestuous scenes in the book when Lenina finally has the courage to break through the pent up sexual tension and go in and make a move on John, he reacts in the most peculiar way. He clearly wants her, but instead he decides to level pejoratives her way that he read in the play ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare. He acted how he thought he was supposed to act in the situation based on what he read in a play. This later proves troubling as during the last three chapters, it seems John takes on the role as the voice of reason. But, how is the reader to trust that John is the voice of reason when his earlier actions were the antithesis of what a reasonable person would do? I’m left grappling with how exactly I should interpret this contradiction.

In an earlier paragraph I characterized Austin’s photo as idyllic and Jess’ photo as chaotic. I was talking to another person about ‘Brave New World’ recently and she said what’s so fascinating about this book is that it’s open to so many different interpretations. So too with these two photos. Granted I saw an idyllic situation, I could definitely see how someone could describe Austin’s photo as too perfect and therefore chaotic or Jess’ photo, given the graceful movement of the subject, as serene. This is perhaps the core reason why ‘Brave New World’ leaves me puzzled each time I read the book. The civilization it presents is a utopia, but at the same time it’s a dystopia and these two things seem to contradict each other but maybe they’re one in the same.

Aldous Huxley was dismissed as a quack and the overall reception to ‘Brave New World’ when it was first released in 1932 was negative. People were offended by the view of the future the book presented and many schools and libraries actually banned it. Today, it’s widely considered as one of the greatest novels ever written. The lessons from both this book and the way it aged over time abound. Art is art. Art is subject to a myriad of interpretations. People may hate your art today and love it tomorrow, but you’ll never know unless you release it. Everything is neither as good or as bad as it seems.

I started writing this post on Tuesday, June 28th. I wrote the first couple paragraphs and then was hit by this sudden jolt of inspiration to write about something else that had been on my mind. By late Tuesday night I had written four pages documenting a certain time in my life and after spending all day Wednesday, I completed the document of 12 pages. Writing it brought a fleeting and wistful sense of nostalgia. I wanted this time I wrote about back, but I’ll never get it back. The experience of writing it was cathartic. For the first time in my life I took accountability for an interpersonal situation that went awry. In the past I have never done this. Maybe I’ve changed. This tangent has nothing and everything to do with the passage I wrote above. Onwards and upwards.

Postlude:

Jess Licata is a talented photographer based in Brooklyn, New York.

She can be found on Twitter Here

Her work can be found on Foundation and OpenSea

Austin J Schofield is a talented photographer based in Boston, Massachusetts

He can be found on Twitter Here

His work can be found on Foundation and OpenSea

While you’re here, I’m moving back to New York eventually and once I do, I’ll bring back the random nightly Twitter Spaces I used to do. Look out for these and come hang. If you enjoyed this piece, consider subscribing and following me on Twitter for other updates. Also, consider subscribing to my other Substack, MB305 where I write about WEB3.