Why Awards Make Lousy Paperweights (And Even Worse Motivators)

The Shelf That Doesn’t Matter I’ve got a few awards. They sit on a shelf. Most are collecting dust, and at least one is propping up a stack of mail I haven’t opened yet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m ungrateful. I appreciate the gestures. It’s nice to be noticed, and sure, it […]

“You Don’t Choose How to Live, But You Can Choose How to Die”

What We Control—and What We Don’t If life has taught me anything, it’s this: you don’t get much say in the setup. You’re born into a world that never asked your permission. You inherit family dynamics, flawed institutions, bad weather, and a list of neuroses longer than your arm. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re not. […]

Behind the Curtain: The Real Story of SXSW’s First Chaotic Year

It Was Messy from the Start People see SXSW now and think it must have always been this way—polished, sprawling, international. But the truth is, the first year of SXSW was chaos. Beautiful, maddening, joyful chaos. There was no template, no step-by-step plan. Just a handful of us who believed Austin deserved something more, something […]

Why I’m Opening a Bookstore at 74 (and What I Hope Happens There)

A New Chapter, Literally At 74, most people are settling down. Slowing the pace. Reflecting on what they’ve done. Me? I’m opening a bookstore. It’s not a retirement project. It’s not a nostalgic nod to the past. It’s the most alive I’ve felt in a long time, and maybe the most connected I’ve ever felt […]