Dear readers of Applied Mythology,
I would like to start 2023 by thanking you for accompanying me on this Substack adventure since its launch one year ago. The study of mythology―a lifelong pastime of mine―has become an increasingly relevant aspect of my personal and professional life. Not only have myth structures helped me find meaning in some of the most challenging events I’ve faced in recent years; I’ve also come to see how good storytelling can be a valid path to building knowledge and social consensus. In post-pandemic times, when the pursuit of truth and our trust in data seems so corroded, mythology might just be the epistemological lifeline we need.
That said, and speaking of data, in order to set a 2023 agenda for Applied Mythology, I find it best to look back at what ground we covered in 2022; so here are some quick stats:
Number of entries: 21 (averaging one article every 2½ weeks)
Number of entries themed on:
Memes / Mythemes: 6.
#AStrangerArrives, #DelayedRetribution, #EvilStepmother, #DivineTheft, #TalkingHeads and #ForbiddenDoor
Genealogy: 4.
Kings of Athens, Green Knight / Red Knight, Gawain and his brothers and Calliope and her sisters
Parallel Lives: 3.
Theseus/Kyle Rittenhouse, Gawain/Lindsey Graham, Brân/Donald Trump
Intermezzos: 2.
One on architecture and residential design and the other on “Michael Jackson’s Thriller”
Most popular entry: The Parricide of Joseph Campbell, my debut article; followed by Cupid and Psyche, my take on mythological fanfiction.
My favorite entries: the long piece on Kyle Rittenhouse as a modern Theseus and the short one on Scheherazade’s Quantum Suicide.
As you can see, the content has been quite desultory, and that’s because these publications are still finding their voice. If during 2022, my writing oscillated between political commentary and slapstick trivia, this year, I’d like to focus it under the theme of putting the ‘Applied’ back into ‘Applied Mythology’. In other words, my articles will seek alignment with matters of practical concern. What this means exactly is something I, too, am eager to find out.
Regarding format, entries will be shorter and more frequent, and will provide you with insights that connect mythology to current events. Also, to stay in contact with the AI image-generation frenzy, every chapter’s icon or thumbnail will come from that realm. There is something strangely Delphic in the exercise of summoning images from the darkness of the web through the right prompt-incantation.
One more note: I’ve reset the subscription baseline to encourage paid readership. I’ve also simplified the benefits of a paid subscription: I will dedicate an article to any mythological trope you’d like and connect it to current events―or, alternatively, I’ll write on any current event of your choosing, and link it to a mythological trope. You can always reach out to my Twitter DMs @Diacriticon to set things up.
Thank you once again for your curiosity and your love of mythology. Let’s have an epic 2023.