Books for Men

Entry #35 shares two things I watched recently that didn't land as well as they could have—The Batman and Tokyo Vice. Each for a different reason, though. Take a listen. Maybe you disagree. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on the podc...

Entry #34 shares three books I just finished reading—two novels and an essay book. The books are authored by Fuminori Nakamura, Patrick Hoffman, and David Mamet. It also shares a great Mamet insight for storytellers. Oh, and I almost forgot it mentions an article I wrote back in 2019 titled A Modern-Day Dating Problem . (Lol, I know.) If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a fr...

Entry #33 documents the very strange phenomenon of magnetic people. It starts the discussion around energy transfer between two people and/or within a group of people. Abstract? A bit, but it feels too real to ignore. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a questio...

Entry #32 documents the difference between "subject matter" and "angle of attack." If you don't have a great subject, then create one. After that, it's all about the angle at which you attack the subject. That's what makes artists (and everyone) unique. Some people can see the angle and some people can't, lol. There are two creators mentioned in this entry—Michelle Obama and Todd Snider. If you en...

Entry #31 documents three types of thinking that I try to avoid. I don't always succeed, but I try. I guess that means I think you should try to avoid them, too. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on the podcast: 1) Go to DouglasVigliot...

Entry #30 pivots out of the reflections countdown and explains why. It also shares probably one of the strongest forces that move through my life today. And it's a sentiment that I want to pass along. Maybe you already feel the same way. I hope so. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the...

Entry #29 shares reflection number seven from my Paris-to-Barcelona trip. How short is too short to visit an international city alone? And, fear not because we are amazingly adaptable as a species. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on...

Entry #28 shares reflection number eight from my Paris-to-Barcelona trip. It's about the power of walking a city. Oh, and the observation that Paris and Barcelona are totally different cities. Maybe you agree. Take a listen. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a...

Entry #27 shares reflection number nine from my Paris-to-Barcelona trip. It's really about having to step back and/or slow down to make sense of things. Maybe you agree. Take a listen. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on the podcast:...

Entry #26 starts counting down ten reflections I have about my Paris-to-Barcelona trip. I call this one "discomfort as a rule." Maybe you agree. Take a listen. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on the podcast: 1) Go to DouglasVigliotti...

Entry #25 comes to you from Barcelona where I've been sightseeing the last two days. Some people and places mentioned in the episode are Renfe-SNCF high-speed train, Flamenco Palau Dalmases (hence the entry title), Museu Picasso, El Born, Moco Museum, Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Banksy. Oh right, and I talk about US Covid proto...

Entry #24 documents some of my Paris explorations. You can also hear me butcher French, lol. Some places and people mentioned are Musee L'Orangerie, Louvre, Shakespeare & Company, Closerie des Lilas, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Julius Cesar, and Jim Morrison. As much as I included, I missed a lot in this recap, but it doesn't matter. In the end, no...

Entry #23 is sent from Paris with love. It feels like a movie set. Oh, and excuse the poor audio quality. I kinda like it, though. I don't know, don't ask, just listen! (Boost up the volume, lol.) If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on t...

Entry #22 documents an interesting way to look at movies, shows, and books. Some art allows you to escape life, while other art brings you closer to it. In fact, I think most art is designed to do one or another. So, which do you prefer? If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry....

Entry #21 builds off entry #20 and briefly covers how I like to self-edit. I was moving fast, so I didn't cover everything. C'mon, gimme a break! Just consider this a good starter to what I feel is important to self-editing. If you're a writer, it's a skill you def need—eventually. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcas...

Entry #20 answers a listener question about writing—what about grammar? In short, it matters. But probably not as much as you think it does. You need enough to prove you're not an idiot, but not so much that it prevents your voice (see entry #16) from getting on the page. (Oh, and I was kinda hoping "grammatist" wasn't a word. It is—damn it.) If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it w...

Entry #19 documents three things that I'm currently pretty bad at. In some ways, these things probably hinder me. Actually, at times, I know they do—aargh! If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on the podcast: 1) Go to DouglasVigliotti.com...

Entry #18 reminds you that anything documented on It's Not What It Seems is not meant to be advice. It's just my current thoughts, quirks, and ways of doing things. For other creators, your own taste will reign supreme. Just like a chef.  This entry also mentions an idea known as "The Taste Gap" by Ira Glass. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/follo...

Entry #17 documents a way I like to think about books—genre, literary, memoir, or whatever really. For writers, this is just a simple strategy to evaluate stories on a bit of a deeper level. (Use at your own risk, lol.) As mentioned in the entry, here is the link to my Lyrics I Love column and the ongoing Spotify playlist. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or sub...

Entry #16 documents the two main components of that infamous thing known as "writer's voice." Daunting? Maybe, but the hard part isn't finding it. The hard part is listening to it. Other people mentioned in this entry include Chuck Klosterman and Tyler Cowen (who was a guest on this podcast back in 2019—great episode btw, go check it out.) If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with...

Entry #15 shares a small dilemma that writers face when they're crafting something. Or at least I do, and I'd imagine most creators across most artistic disciplines face the same challenge. It really comes down to one question—how clear should I actually make this thing? If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform,...

Entry #14 takes a timeout to send thoughts and prayers to all the Ukrainian people as they fight for their freedom. Like many of us, this evolving and extremely sad situation has been on my mind a lot over the past week.  If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a que...

Entry #13 pivots to share what I feel is our biggest problem (as a society) as we move forward. Not democrats or republicans. Not crypto or China, or your jerk neighbor. I will get back to more creative-centric topics but this is deeply embedded into how I think about the world so it was worth documenting. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/followin...

Entry #12 addresses a common myth about creative work—speed hinders quality. Does it? Some artists mentioned in the entry are Miles Davis, Shakespeare, and Stephen King. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t miss the next entry. To submit a question to be answered on the podcast: 1) Go to Dougla...

Entry #11 reconsiders the closing line from Entry #10. Are all great writers actually rewriters? Or, is there a case for not rewriting? Some artists that are mentioned in this entry are Hunter Thompson, Charles Bukowski, Ernest Hemingway, and Neil Young. If you enjoyed this entry, please consider sharing it with a friend. Or subscribing/following on your favorite podcast platform, so you don’t mis...