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The Joggled Mind
You read? You ponder? You cogitate, and on occasion fume? Let essayist Dale Keiger joggle your mind.

Featured essays

Commonplace book, pg. 4 — On paying attention

Commonplace book, pg. 4 — On paying attention

Noted in Montana 23 years ago.

Noted in Montana 23 years ago.

U of Paris Class of 1215 accused of doing nothing but learning

U of Paris Class of 1215 accused of doing nothing but learning

Cal Flyn will rewild your mind

Cal Flyn will rewild your mind

What the well-unread man has not been reading

What the well-unread man has not been reading

Hello, I’m an INTJ Maven Maker Analytic Architect. And you are?

Hello, I’m an INTJ Maven Maker Analytic Architect. And you are?

”One always has to spoil a picture a little bit”

”One always has to spoil a picture a little bit”

Commonplace Book, pg. 3 — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Commonplace Book, pg. 3 — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tracy Kidder

Tracy Kidder

Lamb’s head and pluck—it’s what’s for dinner

Lamb’s head and pluck—it’s what’s for dinner

Words for my bleeding country, better than anything I might have penned

Words for my bleeding country, better than anything I might have penned

This idea will self-destruct in 30 milliseconds; you will remember nothing

This idea will self-destruct in 30 milliseconds; you will remember nothing

Besotted by language: The brilliant ornery inspired reverent irreverent Brian Doyle

Besotted by language: The brilliant ornery inspired reverent irreverent Brian Doyle

John Singer Sargent’s hands

John Singer Sargent’s hands

Commonplace Book, pg. 2

Commonplace Book, pg. 2

Apparently, the urge to climb could not be knocked out of me

Apparently, the urge to climb could not be knocked out of me

Commonplace Book, pg. 1

Commonplace Book, pg. 1

No thinking, please, we’re a university, and besides, what good is it?

No thinking, please, we’re a university, and besides, what good is it?

Revealed! Clandestine humor at The Gray Lady!

Revealed! Clandestine humor at The Gray Lady!

Because…puffins

Because…puffins

Book report for April 2025

Book report for April 2025

Slouching toward disaffection

Slouching toward disaffection

Book report for February/March 2025

Book report for February/March 2025

This city would be perfect, just look at the math!

This city would be perfect, just look at the math!

The sad and perplexing tale of Morgan Cornwell

The sad and perplexing tale of Morgan Cornwell

The mystery in the beauty, the beauty in the mystery

The mystery in the beauty, the beauty in the mystery

Can your AI chatbot flatter me as well as Perplexity?

Can your AI chatbot flatter me as well as Perplexity?

It takes 100,000 years to produce so much beauty

It takes 100,000 years to produce so much beauty

Now what.

Now what.

My ears are ringing and let’s not even talk about my mind

My ears are ringing and let’s not even talk about my mind

More than meets the eye, more than meets the camera sensor

More than meets the eye, more than meets the camera sensor

Green, violet, and the evolutionary imperative

Green, violet, and the evolutionary imperative

Pretty, loud, destructive, not so bright, and not blue at all

Pretty, loud, destructive, not so bright, and not blue at all

Know thyself through thine own spambio

Know thyself through thine own spambio

Well, of course, the shooter was a loner

Well, of course, the shooter was a loner

Behold Jesus of Bennington

Behold Jesus of Bennington

On the edge of the ledge

On the edge of the ledge

What about now? Is now good for you? My [now] or your [now]?

What about now? Is now good for you? My [now] or your [now]?

Sometimes you wait for the picture to make itself

Sometimes you wait for the picture to make itself

Imagining the sullen cave girl who became the world’s first artist

Imagining the sullen cave girl who became the world’s first artist

Iron gall ink and the sister Shakespeare never had

Iron gall ink and the sister Shakespeare never had

Latest communiqués

03
Sep
Commonplace book, pg. 4 — On paying attention

Commonplace book, pg. 4 — On paying attention

Letter No. 150 [!!!]: Includes poets, critics, a naturalist, and an economist/cognitive scientist, which you don’t meet every day.
2 min read
13
Aug
Noted in Montana 23 years ago.

Noted in Montana 23 years ago.

Letter No. 149: Maybe the laziest letter yet. At least there’s literary precedence.
2 min read
11
Aug
Book report for July 2026

Book report for July 2026

Letter No. 148: Includes more essays, some tough settlers, and a superfluity of Midwestern common sense (a little goes a long way).
2 min read
30
Jul
U of Paris Class of 1215 accused of doing nothing but learning

U of Paris Class of 1215 accused of doing nothing but learning

Letter No. 147: Includes Aristotle and Boethius, the vice of simony and the lice of Egypt, and drunk Englishmen with tails.
5 min read
17
Jul
Book report for June 2026

Book report for June 2026

Letter No. 146: Includes a spy, a designer, a murderous robot, and a dead Dead songwriter.
3 min read
15
Jul
Cal Flyn will rewild your mind

Cal Flyn will rewild your mind

Letter No. 145: Includes ghastly scenes recounted, redemptive rewilding, and Dr Essai’s unrestrained admiration.
5 min read
07
Jul
What the well-unread man has not been reading

What the well-unread man has not been reading

Letter No. 144: Includes a highly irregular number of examples of Dr Essai’s ignorance.
5 min read
20
Jun
Book report for May 2026

Book report for May 2026

Letter No. 143: Includes fictional physics, delightful envelope art that would be undeliverable today, and reckless spending on more and more books.
2 min read
18
Jun
Hello, I’m an INTJ Maven Maker Analytic Architect. And you are?

Hello, I’m an INTJ Maven Maker Analytic Architect. And you are?

Letter No. 142: Includes pop psychology, mention of a plumber, and the concept of recreational grumpiness.
6 min read
21
May
Book report for April 2026

Book report for April 2026

Letter No. 141: Includes my favorite historian, a boring Stoic, and a book about books.
2 min read