We miss you too!
It's been almost a year since we kickstarted the Library of Scroll, and the last two weeks are the first proper break we've taken in its existence. Spending our days without publishing feels nothing short of strange, our curations have now piled up and not a day goes by when we don't get heartfelt messages from many of you wishing for us to recover. To all of you, we say - thank you for sticking by, and you'll have to wait no longer - we’re officially back up next week!
Until then: as is true for many of you, poring through the Library of Scroll archives has been a comforting activity for both of us. Rereading some articles which struck a chord, forwarding pieces to friends who felt like they'd benefit from some gems, or just immersing ourselves in some wonderfully narrated piece is nothing short of therapeutic. Hence, as a precursor and an exercise in reminiscing: we're going to be sharing our favorite reads all week!
We start with a piece that aims to decode the vague blob of a concept that is adulthood…
What’s your default setting?: Touted as one of the finest commencement speeches ever given, here is a glimpse into the ever-so-electric-mind of David F. Wallace. Join the Class of 2005 at Kenyon College as Wallace tries to uncover what allows one to traverse the trenches of adult existence in this thought-provoking long read.
…stumble into lessons in achieving the ever elusive idea of excellence…
Solitude & leadership: The pathway to conventional ‘excellence’ is templatized to a fault – the ‘right’ hobbies, degrees, the jobs. But for true excellence, the secret ingredient might just be to cut out all the noise. This evergreen lecture by William Deresiewicz at West Point drives this home.
…witness a life deliberately lived and excellently narrated by Murakami…
The running novelist: Here is a gem of a conversational piece by best-selling author Haruki Murakami – first published in The New Yorker in 2008, and changing lives ever since. We get to dive into the several beginnings Murakami brings onto himself – first as a jazz club owner, then an author, and finally a marathon runner – all while learning a thing or two on how to take a chance on yourself.
…contemplate the boundaries within which social media giants operate…
Till where can a platform grow?: Brace yourselves: this is a long read, and one of our absolute favorites worth every minute and more. Read Eugene Wei do some fantastic analysis as he delves through what users seek from the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and more, and identifies what each might be up against as they grow bigger.
…and chase it down with an absolutely riveting tale to satisfy your appetite for fantastic journalism.
Sushi for the North Korean Supreme Leader: In this remarkable piece written in 2013, Adam Johnson from GQ meets with a man who, through a series of bizarre events, found himself in the role of first Kim Jong-Il’s personal chef, and later one of his closest confidantes.
That's all for now - we hope you have a blast reading or re-reading these, and urge you to: DM us with your experiences reading our curations (we love to chat!), comment with your favorite pieces, and forward our collection and/or your favorite picks to friends and family. Our archives are always available, separated by genre, here for your reading pleasure.
Cheers!