No Country

William James once said that modern people suffer from an ”ontological wonder sickness.” Through the exploration of various cultures and archaeological mysteries throughout the world, authors J David Osborne and Kris Saknussemm attempt to get to the heart of our lost moment, and provide some potential paths out. NO COUNTRY is a psychogeographical exploration of culture, art, language, and strange history.

On this episode, Kris and I discuss the current state of the writing world. Spurred on by an NPR article in which all the books look the same, we touch on Kris’s move into non-fiction, philosophy, visual art, and music. Does the passed-down structure of novels create an “assumption of frames” that make the whole medium appear dull? What are some ways to break out of this?

We also discuss the Word of the Year, writing tips, and the first object printed by a 3D printer.