The examined life

In this week’s piece, I’ve broken down the different kinds of future forgetting that most often trip us up, along with their likely causes, so you can better support your memory. I’ve also included a newsletter-exclusive.

It’s been a dislocating fortnight. By popular demand, find your guide to writing satire inside. Today is also Father’s Day. My intention was to write about my dad but last week, my Nana Bapa – my mum’s dad – passed away.

‘I have a terrible memory. What’s wrong with me?’ is the next addition in my series on memory. Instead of giving you more memory tools, I wanted to share how to diagnose why you forgot and how to fix it.

You might remember what to say, but struggle to express it. So while I continue to chip away at the next memory-focused article, ‘Why We Forget and How To Fix It’, I wanted to share the recipe for having magnetic conversations I learned from my improv practice.

I’ve turned to one of the forgotten cousins of memory: the comeback. This week is about the power and consolations of muscle memory, repairing my broken body, and the strange way I’ve been eating dark chocolate.

I’ve gained weight!

Why that’s wonderful will make more sense once you read this week’s story… which is, unfortunately, nowhere to be found.

This week’s story is a reflection on what I’ve realised after re-entering the world of writing in public. It turns out, my model for life has changed, which was a surprise to me.



I did something brave last week. I’ve also written up the story of when my website got taken over by Russian hackers. It was bizarre, infuriating, and promptly got turned into a stage production.

It’s Mother’s Day in the UK, so I wanted to share a special and sweet recipe to honour my mum. I’ve also written up a trick for “cheating” your way to better habits and shared a story that was previously a secret bonus read.