How to Mark Up Books Without Losing the Joy of Reading
Writing in the margins can deepen your reading or slow it to a crawl. Here are simple ways to mark ideas, track themes, and still enjoy the book.
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Eleanor Whitfield(11)
Eleanor is a film critic from Bristol who writes about slow cinema, European auteurs, and the quiet art of watching closely. She hosts a monthly screening club.
Why Good Film Adaptations So Often Betray Their Novels
Faithful adaptations often fail on screen. We look at why the best directors rewrite, cut, and even reverse the books they love, and why it pays.
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Books
For subscribers
The Long Take and Why Directors Love the Unbroken Shot
Unbroken shots make audiences hold their breath. Explore the craft behind the long take, from famous examples to the reasons filmmakers chase it.
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Six Novels That Changed How Philosophers See the World
Some stories argue better than essays. These six novels shaped debates on freedom, morality, and meaning, and they still reward a careful reread.
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Can a Good Movie Make You a Better Person? A Fair Look
Stories can stretch our empathy, but can they change how we act? We weigh the research, the critics, and the films that seem to move people most.
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Books
Featured
How to Start a Philosophy Book Club Among Your Friends
Big questions are better with company. Here is a simple plan for launching a philosophy reading group that stays friendly, lively, and on course.
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Adaptations
Featured
The Quiet Philosophy Hidden Inside Studio Ghibli Films
Beneath the gentle animation lie big questions about nature, work, and growing up. A closer look at the ideas that make these films last so long.
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Reading the Stoics on the Train: Lessons for Busy Days
Stoic writers fit perfectly into a short commute. A few pages a day can calm a noisy mind and offer practical tools for handling daily pressures.
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Philosophy
Featured
Film Noir and the Existential Dread of the Modern City
Rain, shadows, and doomed heroes: film noir turned city streets into a stage for existential fear. Discover what these old crime films still say.
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Philosophy
Featured
Slow Cinema and the Lost Art of Paying Close Attention
Slow films ask for patience, but they repay it with a rare gift: the ability to notice small things again. Here is how to watch them and love it.
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Plato's Cave and the Movie Theater: An Old Idea Reborn
Long before film, Plato imagined prisoners watching shadows on a wall. We explore why his famous cave still explains the magic of the big screen.
Read more ↗Notes on cinema, books & philosophy
Essays, reading notes and film readings — thoughtful writing on the ideas worth sitting with, delivered once a month.