{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1","title":"Micro.blog - Matt Kaul","home_page_url":"https://micro.blog","feed_url":"https://micro.blog/posts/mjkaul","_microblog":{"about":"https://micro.blog/about/api","id":"79","username":"mjkaul","bio":"Minnesotan. Technical writer, editor, teacher. Skeptical Christian humanist.","pronouns":"","is_following":false,"is_you":false,"following_count":276,"discover_count":0},"author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2024/21/79.jpg"},"items":[{"id":"97643275","content_html":"\n

Finished reading: Axe in Blossom: Last Poems & Fragments by Franz Wright 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/09/16/finished-reading-axe-in-blossom.html","date_published":"2026-09-16T15:28:41+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-16 15:28","date_timestamp":1789572521,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"97596810","content_html":"

Hoping to one day write a history of terrible newspaper columnists entitled Vile Columny.

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/09/15/hoping-to-one-day-write.html","date_published":"2026-09-15T21:12:44+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-15 21:12","date_timestamp":1789506764,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"97520855","content_html":"

@isaacgreene @bethanyh My grandmother similarly inspired me: after raising 8 children, she suddenly found herself with an overwhelming amount of free time, & devoted it to learning guitar, piano, & church organ.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/97520855","date_published":"2026-09-14T15:06:54+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-14 15:06","date_timestamp":1789398414,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"97520650","content_html":"

@ReaderJohn 💯

\n

The most radical techbro types are, I think, the most predictable (contrary to their own self-understanding). Insist humans are mere machines, & you wind up proving your case in your own life: the same limited range of inputs inevitably leads to the same limited range of outputs.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/97520650","date_published":"2026-09-14T15:02:30+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-14 15:02","date_timestamp":1789398150,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"97512934","content_html":"

@davoh @ReaderJohn I’m reading it aloud to my 13-year-old daughter right now. We’re both shocked at its relevance for our world, & grateful for all it has to teach us about living with courage and honesty in the face of seemingly insurmountable opposition.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/97512934","date_published":"2026-09-14T12:24:07+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-14 12:24","date_timestamp":1789388647,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"97189253","content_html":"

@ablerism Just a freshman, and she’s already got it all figured out

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/97189253","date_published":"2026-09-08T22:56:28+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-08 22:56","date_timestamp":1788908188,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"97189224","content_html":"

My new bedtime prayer:

\n
\n

News media makes me want to weep

\n

Or lie down for a nice long sleep.

\n

If I should ever have a take,

\n

Lord, make me step upon a rake.

\n

Amen

\n
\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/09/08/my-new-bedtime-prayer-news.html","date_published":"2026-09-08T22:55:38+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-08 22:55","date_timestamp":1788908138,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"97070882","content_html":"

@todd Everyone needs a sax metal playlist

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/97070882","date_published":"2026-09-06T18:58:44+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-06 18:58","date_timestamp":1788721124,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"97037772","content_html":"

@KevinHoltsberry Dang man that’s still really quick. Nice work!

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/97037772","date_published":"2026-09-06T01:22:34+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-06 01:22","date_timestamp":1788657754,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96996238","content_html":"
\n

He is conducting a choir when he plays, no matter what he’s playing. In that sense, the notes are anthropomorphized; they are voices and the voices are alive, so anything he plays is imbued with a dynamism that I suspect surprises even him at times.

\n
\n

~Cécile McLorin Salvant on Sullivan Fortner, in a great little NYT profile (h/t Ethan Iverson) 🎶

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/09/05/he-is-conducting-a-choir.html","date_published":"2026-09-05T06:19:41+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-05 06:19","date_timestamp":1788589181,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"96954035","content_html":"

@isaacgreene glad you like it! Dig into his catalogue—he’s got some great records for ECM

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96954035","date_published":"2026-09-04T13:17:27+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-04 13:17","date_timestamp":1788527847,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96951949","content_html":"

Current listening: Oded Tzur’s wild new single “Sky River” 🎶

\n\"\"\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/09/04/current-listening-oded-tzurs-wild.html","date_published":"2026-09-04T12:26:15+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-04 12:26","date_timestamp":1788524775,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"96760029","content_html":"

@artkavanagh @artkavanagh Danish Rain? I know it well—it’s a wonderful album. And I also really enjoy that one with Pieranunzi

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96760029","date_published":"2026-09-01T10:54:26+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-01 10:54","date_timestamp":1788260066,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96739157","content_html":"

Current listening: Christian Sands, North Meets West Trio, featuring the excellent Thomas Fonnesbæk on bass and Rasmus Kihlberg on drums. It’s very good—Sands is brilliant, and Fonnesbæk is a bass virtuoso. I especially love their versions of “So Tired” and Jobim’s “Manhã de Carnaval.” 🎶

\n\"\"\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/31/current-listening-christian-sands-north.html","date_published":"2026-09-01T01:38:35+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-01 01:38","date_timestamp":1788226715,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"96738964","content_html":"

@Miraz That’s always my first move in the gym too. Step back to move forward. Never fails.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96738964","date_published":"2026-09-01T01:33:15+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-09-01 01:33","date_timestamp":1788226395,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96732390","content_html":"

@bobdoto Gotcha. I was curious what you meant by “noise.” That makes sense. Thanks

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96732390","date_published":"2026-08-31T22:41:24+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-31 22:41","date_timestamp":1788216084,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96730383","content_html":"

@bobdoto Is the first (forgetting) even “noise”? Often I’ve found that some forgetting leads to a delightful rediscovery later on

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96730383","date_published":"2026-08-31T22:05:20+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-31 22:05","date_timestamp":1788213920,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96730162","content_html":"

@mwerickson Looks beautiful. I’ve only ever been on the MN side of the St Croix Valley—but I’ve always wanted to get over to Driftless. This photo renews my desire!

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96730162","date_published":"2026-08-31T22:03:19+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-31 22:03","date_timestamp":1788213799,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96639448","content_html":"

@jabel The passages you’ve shared make this seem like a book that would resonate deeply with me at the moment. Thanks for sharing them.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96639448","date_published":"2026-08-30T04:27:24+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-30 04:27","date_timestamp":1788064044,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96636821","content_html":"

@canneddragons It’s on my shortlist; can’t wait to read it. I’m just finishing Liturgies of the Wild and it’s wonderful

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96636821","date_published":"2026-08-30T02:19:47+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-30 02:19","date_timestamp":1788056387,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96557279","content_html":"

@andrewz I just met someone who is a “sustainable realtor” in the Twin Cities. He helps people think about exactly these kinds of holistic questions when looking for a home. We could have used someone like this for our last move. I’m glad you found a deliberate way to ask these questions!

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96557279","date_published":"2026-08-28T15:31:43+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-28 15:31","date_timestamp":1787931103,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96550236","content_html":"

Current Listening: Sullivan Fortner Trio 🔗🎶 \"\" : mjkaul.com

","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/28/current-listening-sullivan-fortner-trio.html","date_published":"2026-08-28T13:04:00+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-28 13:04","date_timestamp":1787922240,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"96427280","content_html":"

@davoh Yes. Seems increasingly like the most urgent things to teach are precisely those things we cannot teach, because they are invisible to our regimes of quantification, measurement, & cost-benefit analysis.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/96427280","date_published":"2026-08-26T13:14:13+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-26 13:14","date_timestamp":1787750053,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"96334841","content_html":"

Massive, beautiful oak tree in front of the Collegeville Institute, St John’s College, MN

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\n\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\n
\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/24/massive-beautiful-oak-tree-in.html","date_published":"2026-08-24T22:53:27+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-24 22:53","date_timestamp":1787612007,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"96304468","content_html":"

MinneEncounter 2026–27 at St John’s University \"\"\"\"\"\" : mjkaul.com

","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/24/minneencounter-at-st-johns-university.html","date_published":"2026-08-24T12:18:30+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-24 12:18","date_timestamp":1787573910,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"96031993","content_html":"\n

Currently reading: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/19/currently-reading-the-lincoln-highway.html","date_published":"2026-08-19T12:47:39+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-19 12:47","date_timestamp":1787143659,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95989754","content_html":"\n

I recently found & ordered a nice used copy of Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio.

\n

It arrived today; I was delighted to discover that it came from the library of the Anglican writer & priest Fleming Rutledge. 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/18/i-recently-found-ordered-a.html","date_published":"2026-08-18T18:50:18+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-18 18:50","date_timestamp":1787079018,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95971467","content_html":"

Congrats to St. Paul’s Mark Dowdle, who won the 2026 Last Soul Ultramarathon after running ~390 miles over 4.5 days.

\n

I cannot imagine a feat like that, but I’d love to run a backyard ultra someday. It’s a test for every entrant: how far can you go beyond what you think you’re capable of? 🏃

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/18/congrats-to-st-pauls-mark.html","date_published":"2026-08-18T13:07:37+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-18 13:07","date_timestamp":1787058457,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95953718","content_html":"

@patrickrhone haha indeed! It’s absolutely incredible what human beings can do.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/95953718","date_published":"2026-08-18T05:16:44+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-18 05:16","date_timestamp":1787030204,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"95953700","content_html":"\n

Finished reading: Nonesuch by Francis Spufford 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/18/finished-reading-nonesuch-by-francis.html","date_published":"2026-08-18T05:15:48+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-18 05:15","date_timestamp":1787030148,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95946831","content_html":"

I’m keeping an eye on the Last Soul Backyard Ultramarathon (livestream here), where fellow Minnesotan Mark Dowdle is one of two remaining runners—they’re now on their 86th 4-mile lap. A truly remarkable athletic achievement.

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/17/im-keeping-an-eye-on.html","date_published":"2026-08-18T01:43:23+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-18 01:43","date_timestamp":1787017403,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95908079","content_html":"
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Rise at dawn, and read something that matters as soon as you can.

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~Take Arms against a Sea of Troubles by Harold Bloom

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Challenge accepted, Professor Bloom. 📚

\n\"\"\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/17/rise-at-dawn-and-read.html","date_published":"2026-08-17T11:18:56+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-17 11:18","date_timestamp":1786965536,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95882247","content_html":"\n

Currently reading: Take Arms against a Sea of Troubles by Harold Bloom 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/16/currently-reading-take-arms-against.html","date_published":"2026-08-16T20:48:30+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-16 20:48","date_timestamp":1786913310,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95833226","content_html":"

A very sad report from NYT:

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Europe’s second-longest river, the Danube, is now facing record lows, recently measuring just 9 inches deep in Budapest. Part of Italy’s mighty Po River is also at a record summertime low. And the Rhine, a major outlet for trade flowing from the Alps to the North Sea, is now shallower than at any time since records began.

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~Ben Coates, “Europe’s Great Rivers Are Dying. The Continent Is In for a Shock.”

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/15/a-very-sad-report-from.html","date_published":"2026-08-15T19:32:50+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-15 19:32","date_timestamp":1786822370,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95780513","content_html":"

Freud vs the Therapists? 🔗: mjkaul.com

","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/14/freud-vs-the-therapists.html","date_published":"2026-08-14T19:20:52+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-14 19:20","date_timestamp":1786735252,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95695882","content_html":"\n

Finished reading: Gilgamesh by Simon Armitage. I’ll have more to say about this remarkable translation. 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/13/finished-reading-gilgamesh-by-simon.html","date_published":"2026-08-13T11:34:11+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-13 11:34","date_timestamp":1786620851,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95518318","content_html":"

@jabel I’ve always been fascinated by how to account theologically for the massive work of imagination required to read Scripture faithfully and holistically.

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As you imply, the fact that imagination is involved at all would be rejected by many whose imaginations are most powerfully at work.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/95518318","date_published":"2026-08-10T13:32:25+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-10 13:32","date_timestamp":1786368745,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"95518098","content_html":"

Current listening: Wayne Escoffery’s brilliant and beautiful 2024 album Alone, featuring about the best backing trio one could assemble today: Gerald Clayton on piano, Carl Allen on drums, and the GOAT Ron Carter on bass. 🎶

\n\"\"\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/10/current-listening-wayne-escofferys-brilliant.html","date_published":"2026-08-10T13:26:57+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-10 13:26","date_timestamp":1786368417,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95517777","content_html":"

Summer WFH vibes: my kids downstairs singing Toto’s “Africa” as loudly and goofily as possible while I try to work on a massive formal design review.

\n

It’s been a wonderful summer, but I think we’re all ready for school to start again. 😂

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/10/summer-wfh-vibes-my-kids.html","date_published":"2026-08-10T13:20:18+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-10 13:20","date_timestamp":1786368018,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95365192","content_html":"\n

Currently reading: Axe in Blossom: Last Poems & Fragments by Franz Wright 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/07/currently-reading-axe-in-blossom.html","date_published":"2026-08-07T18:08:38+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-07 18:08","date_timestamp":1786126118,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95365132","content_html":"\n

Finished reading: Bells in Winter by Czesław Miłosz 📚

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/07/finished-reading-bells-in-winter.html","date_published":"2026-08-07T18:07:53+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-07 18:07","date_timestamp":1786126073,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95365050","content_html":"

Simon Willison’s Weblog 🔗:

\n
\n

“I’m learning that’s one of the big token chewers,” Henderson says. “Turning PDFs into markdown: is that right?”

\n
\n

Using AI to transform PDFs into markdown seems like an eminently reasonable thing to do. If AI helps to disentangle us from the terrible corporate software we have to use daily, consider me an AI-maximalist.

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/07/simon-willisons-weblog-im-learning.html","date_published":"2026-08-07T18:05:40+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-07 18:05","date_timestamp":1786125940,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"95364575","content_html":"

@marmanold I love to see a link to an old B&C piece, especially one by Karl Johnson! Wonderful essay

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/95364575","date_published":"2026-08-07T18:00:12+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-07 18:00","date_timestamp":1786125612,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"95310697","content_html":"
\n

In a brief eulogy for her father, his daughter Galt wrote that with pen and paper and a relentless drive he found patterns and predicted market moves with an accuracy that was, for a time, better than a computer. Time, she wrote, caught up before the algorithm did.

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\n

~Obituary for the remarkable Victor Niederhoffer. H/t Tyler Cowen

\n","summary":"","url":"https://mjkaul.com/2026/08/06/in-a-brief-eulogy-for.html","date_published":"2026-08-06T19:23:29+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-08-06 19:23","date_timestamp":1786044209,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":false,"is_podcast":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"94927808","content_html":"

@artkavanagh Beautiful, thanks for sharing. I missed this, but love Morgan.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/94927808","date_published":"2026-07-30T18:38:10+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-30 18:38","date_timestamp":1785436690,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94865881","content_html":"

@mwerickson Certainly, and likewise!

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/94865881","date_published":"2026-07-29T17:59:59+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-29 17:59","date_timestamp":1785347999,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94824459","content_html":"

@bethanyh Enjoy!

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/94824459","date_published":"2026-07-29T01:51:37+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-29 01:51","date_timestamp":1785289897,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"94824452","content_html":"

@mwerickson I didn’t love the format—repackaged Substack essays—or, especially, the undercurrent of deep despair. But I found most of the arguments convincing and proven out by recent developments in AI, and his personal trajectory—from environmentalism through Wicca to Christianity—is remarkable.

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/94824452","date_published":"2026-07-29T01:51:15+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-07-29 01:51","date_timestamp":1785289875,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"83499319","content_html":"

@davoh congrats! What’s the topic?

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/83499319","date_published":"2026-02-03T16:54:05+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-02-03 16:54","date_timestamp":1770137645,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"82735806","content_html":"

@ayjay Yes, agreed. And I gotta say, I love Kenny Wollesen on this record, too. I’ve always been a big Dave King fan, being from the Twin Cities, but Wollesen is so dang groovy

\n","url":"https://micro.blog/mjkaul/82735806","date_published":"2026-01-24T01:47:31+00:00","author":{"name":"Matt Kaul","url":"https://mjkaul.com","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Favatars.micro.blog%2Favatars%2F2024%2F21%2F79.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"mjkaul"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2026-01-24 01:47","date_timestamp":1769219251,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"edit_url":null,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}}]}