Vidēśī Press

Why another project? - Not certain, I will admit. I struggle often to convince myself that any writings or projects I put into the universe would be worth publishing, we all need much less noise to realize there are plenty of signals worth listening to here. This abysmal thought has pushed me to create a dozen blogs, purchase two score notebooks (some even unopened), and other short-term solutions ultimately resulting in next to nothing.

Is this any different? - I cannot state. I have located one small offering of "betterment" that I genuinely hold would better society: a deeper appreciation for narrative research. Incorporating research into our daily journeys is not terribly difficult, especially if it is delivered as a good story. What makes a good story, or more broadly what makes good art, is impossible to tell, but any genuine search for some truth will not be lead astray.

What is the point then? - I enjoy research. Some might even consider me not completely ignorant of "good" research. This is not something that should be gatekept, "good" research is just good listening, and one needs no degree to do just that. A communal effort of identifying what is "of note" is a deeply human endeavour, one could argue even a survival instinct. The fact that we have supplanted that with carelessly crafted algorithms that are prolonged in life purely by the profitability of their ancestors complicates this quality flow of information needed to keep a society "at peace".

What exactly do you want to do then? - Again, I am not certain. What I envision right now is, I suppose, a "research zine", some sort of literary output that focuses upon research and its incorporation into daily life and, preferably, a decent narrative. For now, these "microzines" will consist of an academic article in pdf form with some simple annotation and narrative contextualization on my part. Currently, I will be providing roughly 10% of the content, if that; hence, the reluctance to charge for anything.

Why is payment coming to mind? - I believe art is worth paying for. I think good research and writing is a form of art and, by the transitive property, also worthy of payment. That said, blatantly ripping off published research and showcasing my interpretation in a possibly slightly "simpler" to understand fashion is hardly either, but it is a start. I have ideas for things moving forward, but my proclivity towards detrimental perfectionism has pushed me to get ahead of my own insecurities for once and start with something. Teach me how I can grow from here, I ultimately think that listening will become the best form of research and publication, now we just need to figure out how that becomes possible.