O.W. Root

Everything and everyone is saturated to the gills with political commentary, hot takes, discourse, and pissed-off snark. People and the internet are so filled with all of this they don’t really have time or space for anything else. Longtime followers know that I think this whole culture and drift is toxic and erodes the human spirit and the possibility of culture and life. You also know I am most interested in writing about, talking photos of, and exploring life in our modern world. Trying to make, and document, (honest) life as art in our age of clickbait-algo spectator reactive discourse. For the past six months I have been working on compiling a collection of short essays and vignettes I have written over the years into a single print volume and I am thrilled to share it with you. In curating this collection for print I was adamant about a few things. I wanted a classic, simple, beautiful design inside and out. I wanted a book that you could carry around, toss on your bed, put in your pocket, shove in your bag, manhandle on the beach, write in, write on, and everything else in-between. For me, the point of this collection isn’t to produce an epic hardcover tome. It’s something more informal and approachable. Something simpler and relatable. I’ve always loved those little paperbacks. You know, the ones they say they aren’t going to make anymore. Well, I want to still make them or something similar to them. I wanted this collection to be as close as possible to that rugged, personal, carefree spirit. The book itself is about 5 in. X 7.75 in.. About as small as you can get these days. The design is simple and (hopefully) timeless, the font is warm, the margins are ample, and the pieces honest. There’s a link in my linktree / bio to Amazon where you can Buy Modern Lives. Or of course, just search Amazon as we all so often do and that will work just as well. No politics, no hot-takes, no reaction, no discourse; just life.

Every strep in the right direction is a good step.

1964

My best photos are ones I take of my kids. But I don't show pictures of my kids' faces publicly. So the best photos are ultimately private. There's something nice in that.

@damhoos1127 @Will_Tanner_1 Thank you!!!

@Will_Tanner_1 @owroot Agreed, what a fit.

Embrace the small paperback you can manhandle and fold up into your pocket.

@Will_Tanner_1 Thank you, man! I have been loving this all winter. Though, I have to say, the fact that I am still needing a DB harris tweed in mid march is making quite annoyed at our continuing winter! Ha!

@owroot Gorgeous jacket

Referring to everything in life as “just the cost of doing business” to make myself feel better.

The best hold music is classical music. It's the least offensive, the least annoying, most listenable on a loop, has some value, and at least gives a classy vibe as you are waiting to talk to someone in India about your wireless internet router.

Blinded by the light, or something.

We've all got them, we all know them. Your morning style memo is waiting in your inbox

@KJP 🫡

@owroot Root/Patrick Summer family road trip across America?

Summer goals

@MalachiONeill Yes, I completely agree Malachi.

@owroot #1 thing to focus on, and stay committed to. "Lifestyle Creep" is biggest threat to long term independence. Don't have to live like a hermit, but very intentionally.

If you are trying to figure out a way how to work for yourself, do your own thing and be in control of your own destiny one of the most important things you can do is lower your overhead. As soon as you start getting into more than you need you end up overextended and inflexible. It's so tempting to try to get the place at the top of your budget or keep up with whatever someone else is doing but it's kneecapping you. That extra 700 dollars you are spending every month on rent or mortgage is making you less flexible and keeping you stuck. You want to maximize your wiggle room and flexibility. That's the path to happiness, much more than a new bathroom.

@on_rise7 Yes yes.

@owroot Paradoxically - and in ever facet of life - discipline makes you free.

Sometimes academically inclined people are unable to see the intelligence in others. They think other people might get lucky or might be crafty or something but they are unable to see the different form of intelligence.

@Empty_America One of the ones I stayed at last summer was a little motel way up in Copper Harbor (basically the northern most point) in the UP. The rooms were right out of the 50s! It was right across the street from Lake Superior and just dead quiet!

I can strongly recommend the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas NM. Real Keys, extremely old school, a nice old bar. Filming set for many movies, including "No Country for Old Men," many stars have stayed there.

Modern Lives - O.W. Root a.co/d/0ja8pRDD

I used a couple real keys like this at some old not-modernized hotels last summer. It was pretty sweet.