Welcome to Circles in Space.
Hello and Welcome to Circles in Space!
I’m Keith Walpole, a writer in New York City.
Every Friday, I publish Five Bullets of stuff I’m hearing, reading, and seeing.
I also write about books, movies, New York City history, and more.
If you’re new here, you might be wondering: what is Circles In Space?
Circles in Space is the belief that life follows a cyclical path, instead of moving linearly from point A to point B. In my own life and writing, I often circle back to things, sparking renewed interest or uncovering a hidden enthusiasm.
Read more in my Mission Statement:
Below are some essays I’ve written:
On Books:
Reading ROADSIDE PICNIC.
·“If ants in an ant hill detect a 10-lane superhighway being built near them, would they understand how to communicate with the workers? Would they assume that the workers communicate only on ant frequencies? In fact, the ants are so primitive that they would not even understand what a 10-lane superhighway was. “
High-Rise: Surrealist Dystopia
·I first read High-Rise earlier this year after rewatching the movie. I found the book deeply interesting and exciting but when I wanted to write about it I found there was a lot going on under the surface that I was having a difficult time contextualizing. Last month, I suggested watching the movie for a discussion group with friends so I re-read…
On Movies:
The Haunting
·“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, w…
Sunshine
·Our sun is dying. Mankind faces extinction. Seven years ago the Icarus project sent a mission to restart the sun but that mission was lost before it reached the star. Sixteen months ago, I, Robert Capa, and a crew of seven left earth frozen in a solar winter. Our payload - a stellar bomb with a mass equivalent to Manhattan Island. Our purpose - to creat…
On Music:
Notes With Attachments
·Today we’re taking a look back at one of my favorite albums, Notes With Attachments.
Chris Dave at Blue Note
·On Tuesday night Chris “Daddy” Dave performed two sets with guitarist Charlie Hunter and DJ Rich Medina at Greenwich Village institution Blue Note. The group’s set was a dynamic collection of genre-bending jams from Dave and Hunter interspersed with samples and scratches by Medina. Earlier this year Dave did sets with fellow D’Angelo alums
Making a DIY Percussion Shaker
·A shaker is a kind of percussive musical instrument which creates a short staccato or sustained legato sound by moving the instrument back and forth. Shakers create rhythm which adds to or fills out a musical piece. Shakers may contain rice, beans, seeds or other materials inside a dried gourd or plastic or metal cylinder to produce…
On New York City History:
NYC's Fort Tilden: A History
·Hidden from the beach on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, NY are two towering artillery batteries, their 16-inch cannons long since removed. Visitors who keep to the beach without exploring the area’s wooded pathways may be completely unaware that the remnants of New York City’s military defenses stand nearby.
New Yorkers - Share Your Story!
·Calling all current & former NYC residents: share your story with the Neighborhood Stories Project!
On Writing & Creativity:
C.S. Lewis's Advice to a Young Writer
·C.S. Lewis responded to a young writer’s request for writing advice with eight useful and practical points.
Paul Auster: How I Became a Writer
·Novelist, screenwriter, and filmmaker Paul Auster passed away earlier this year in April 2024. I wasn’t familiar with his work before reading a New York Times obituary. I haven’t had a chance to read his books but something tells me I will enjoy them. Recently I saw an interview with Auster which really resonated as I’m currently working on my own ficti…
Walter Isaacson's Writing Tips
·Walter Isaacson has written biographies of some of history’s most influential people including Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin and Leonardo DaVinci. Isaacson draws on his experience as a journalist and countless hours of observation and interviews to write compelling and insightful biographies. Isaacson spoke with
Tim Ferris’s Tips for Engaging Interviews
·Author, blogger, podcaster and tech entrepreneur Tim Ferris has interviewed podcast guests for close to 20 years. The Tim Ferris Show has 900 million downloads and his book The 4 Hour Work Week defined the digital nomad era. Colin and Samir - a channel “about creators for creators” - spoke with Ferris about podcasting, fame, advertising and more. Near t…
Ephemera
·Earlier this week I was going through some old papers, assorted ephemera from my old band The Shockwaves. From about 2012-2018 my brother Eric Walpole and I performed in our rock trio around the New York City and Long Island areas. Since then we’ve continued writing songs but haven’t gigged in a few years.
