FAQ

Although these specific questions aren't directed at me frequently, they're implied because you hit the "About" tab.

What are you doing here?

Excellent question. My best guess is that I'm trying to get a handle on some big picture ideas for an audience that's not adverse to reading for six to ten whole minutes in a row. I guess that means I'm here because you're here, but not in a creepy, stalker-y way.

What do you write about?

I write short essays about cultural and religious beliefs through the lens of my everyday experiences. A lot of the time, we argue the same way some people play chess, employing a well-worn countermove for every claim. I don't think that works. Honest people can disagree in good faith, that means taking what other people say they believe seriously.

What else do you write about?

I spent about a year researching a QAnon-style internet cult. I wrote about it in my book Dragged Into the Light: Truthers, Reptilians, Super Soldiers, and Death Inside an Online Cult.

From the outside (and especially since I started writing before QAnon was a mainstream idea) this just looked like a story about one crazy person killing another. Assuming that people with even outrageous beliefs aren't psychologically damaged was my key to understanding the cult.

I'm a freelance journalist, too, so I write about a lot of different things. You can check out my portfolio page here.

Why has it taken so long to mention your podcast?

This is mostly for readers. I have started recording my Medium essays for my podcast, A Bagel Manifesto. Additionally, I do a weekly show called Day Drinking on Delmarva focusing on local arts and culture. I've done a bunch of others, they're on the portfolio.