Your conversational style suits your writing. I can rather imagine sitting with you on the other side of the sofa as we natter away about the world and his wife. Your breadth of reading and the infectious enthusiasm which you share always add value.
I love this and your writing style! (And I whisper to myself, please let it be all human written and not machine generated). I am not religious about anything except art, and this essay spoke to me. Thank you.
You are my favourite writer on Substack. I love everything you share and find that you’re articulating thoughts I have in my own soul that I have yet to put into words. Brilliant. God bless you. You’re making a difference.
This was a breath of fresh air. Can already sense the turn in your writing towards more casual and letting us into your brain in a natural and smooth way, but still delivering something profound. Simply beautiful. Honored to be in your orbit. Talk to you in 2026, brother.
It was nice to go through 2025 accompanied by your writing, Tommy. On some days it was an inspiration, on others, a mirror for those parts of me I didn’t really want to see. Thank you for both. Looking forward to whatever is to come!
It's been a joy to read your writing this year, Tommy - it's always nice to know that there's a whole load of folks like me who are also pondering these deeper questions and seeking greater presence in our lives in meaningful ways.
Tommy, as a half-Belarusian half-Russian, I am beyond excited to see you dedicate a year to Russian literature! It’s actually inspires me to return to these roots myself instead of always reaching for foreign authors. Having lived in exile for almost 4 years now, I find myself deeply missing the tactile feeling of holding those specific Russian or Belarusian paper books in my hands — there’s a weight to them that an e-reader just can’t replicate.
I deeply share that struggle of trying to be "perfect", of polishing the prose until the form starts to overshadow the substance. It’s a tiresome battle to constantly strive for excellence. That's why I also relate to your goal of being more casual and relaxed with your insights. Can’t wait to read your next pieces of art, simple or not!
Thanks Nastya! Appreciate you being here and the kind words. And you're right about the tactile weight of a paper book that's hard to replicate, and almost lends a certain texture to reading. It feels especially right when reading literature, I think.
I truly enjoyed reading your essay. It resonates deeply with where I am on my spiritual journey. I also thought that my biggest achievement for 2025 (which I still sort of think so) was completing a reading of the "Guru Granth Sahib". As you said for the Bible, it is not a text one simply finishes; it feels more like a beginning. A lifelong path of learning, and most importantly, living the teachings, not just reading them. Consistency is something I struggle with, and I recognize my tendency to take on too much at once, which also leads to feeling overwhelmed, and this awareness also feels like part of the work. The online era is another topic I am looking forward to reading more about through your writing. Thank you for continuing to share your insights- they offer both grounding and perspective.
I admire how you're sticking to your lifetime reading plan while also making room to be pulled by certain books as life ebbs and flows. Also revisted your previous post on your lifetime reading plan.
Wishing you more reading and writing in 2026, Tommy!
Each time I read something you post (im infrequently drawn to substack), I feel like you're on the other side of the screen, like it's a paper thin, delicate boundary.
Which I think is also what you said yourself about some of the greats 'That you can hang out with Stevenson or Hrabal or Steinbeck or Austen, inside their mind, and they can reach across distance and space, sometimes thousands of years, and shatter the shackles of time, defeating death and the grave, to speak clearly and directly to you.' So while you're not reaching across time, space, death etc... your writing reaches out to me.
So thank you for sharing it, and your thoughts. One of my 2026 goals is to consume things which feed the turning part of my mind, and your work is on my curriculum. Happy New Year.
Thank you Abigail, for the thoughtful note here. That's perhaps one of the best compliments a writer can receive & got a big smile out of me. Hope you have a lovely start to your New Year.
As I am Russian myself I'm exited to see Russian literature included into your reading list! Many of the authors you mentioned I read back in school as part of the program, but as a teenager I didn't have the capacity and experience to comprehend it all properly. Lermontov is my favorite poet in Russian literature, I guess. I even learned his entire poem The Novice by heart.
And I really like your ideas and essays! The ideas around extremely online era resonate with me greatly. Thank you for writing here! Looking forward to reading more from you😊
"Everyone shall be remembered, but each became great in proportion to his expectation. One became great by expecting the possible, another by expecting the eternal, but he who expected the impossible became greater than all." (Kierkegaard)
Your conversational style suits your writing. I can rather imagine sitting with you on the other side of the sofa as we natter away about the world and his wife. Your breadth of reading and the infectious enthusiasm which you share always add value.
Thank you Howard (: appreciate you reading & the kind words. Hope you've had a lovely holidays and a great start to your new year!
I love this and your writing style! (And I whisper to myself, please let it be all human written and not machine generated). I am not religious about anything except art, and this essay spoke to me. Thank you.
Ha thank you Maggie (:
You are my favourite writer on Substack. I love everything you share and find that you’re articulating thoughts I have in my own soul that I have yet to put into words. Brilliant. God bless you. You’re making a difference.
Thank you Amber. Appreciate the kind words & encouragement here. Writing can be frusturating and hard at times and this reminder means a lot
This was a breath of fresh air. Can already sense the turn in your writing towards more casual and letting us into your brain in a natural and smooth way, but still delivering something profound. Simply beautiful. Honored to be in your orbit. Talk to you in 2026, brother.
Thank you Jeremy, it's good to hear from you man. Grateful for how our relationship grew this last year.
It was nice to go through 2025 accompanied by your writing, Tommy. On some days it was an inspiration, on others, a mirror for those parts of me I didn’t really want to see. Thank you for both. Looking forward to whatever is to come!
Thank you Eva (: that really means a lot. Appreciate you reading my work this past year
It's been a joy to read your writing this year, Tommy - it's always nice to know that there's a whole load of folks like me who are also pondering these deeper questions and seeking greater presence in our lives in meaningful ways.
Thank you Antje (:
Tommy, as a half-Belarusian half-Russian, I am beyond excited to see you dedicate a year to Russian literature! It’s actually inspires me to return to these roots myself instead of always reaching for foreign authors. Having lived in exile for almost 4 years now, I find myself deeply missing the tactile feeling of holding those specific Russian or Belarusian paper books in my hands — there’s a weight to them that an e-reader just can’t replicate.
I deeply share that struggle of trying to be "perfect", of polishing the prose until the form starts to overshadow the substance. It’s a tiresome battle to constantly strive for excellence. That's why I also relate to your goal of being more casual and relaxed with your insights. Can’t wait to read your next pieces of art, simple or not!
Thanks Nastya! Appreciate you being here and the kind words. And you're right about the tactile weight of a paper book that's hard to replicate, and almost lends a certain texture to reading. It feels especially right when reading literature, I think.
I truly enjoyed reading your essay. It resonates deeply with where I am on my spiritual journey. I also thought that my biggest achievement for 2025 (which I still sort of think so) was completing a reading of the "Guru Granth Sahib". As you said for the Bible, it is not a text one simply finishes; it feels more like a beginning. A lifelong path of learning, and most importantly, living the teachings, not just reading them. Consistency is something I struggle with, and I recognize my tendency to take on too much at once, which also leads to feeling overwhelmed, and this awareness also feels like part of the work. The online era is another topic I am looking forward to reading more about through your writing. Thank you for continuing to share your insights- they offer both grounding and perspective.
Great piece. Also- I vote: don’t change your writing style, I’ll hang out in the deep end all day. It’s more fun there!
Ha thank you Erin! You might just be right.
I admire how you're sticking to your lifetime reading plan while also making room to be pulled by certain books as life ebbs and flows. Also revisted your previous post on your lifetime reading plan.
Wishing you more reading and writing in 2026, Tommy!
Thanks Becky (:
Each time I read something you post (im infrequently drawn to substack), I feel like you're on the other side of the screen, like it's a paper thin, delicate boundary.
Which I think is also what you said yourself about some of the greats 'That you can hang out with Stevenson or Hrabal or Steinbeck or Austen, inside their mind, and they can reach across distance and space, sometimes thousands of years, and shatter the shackles of time, defeating death and the grave, to speak clearly and directly to you.' So while you're not reaching across time, space, death etc... your writing reaches out to me.
So thank you for sharing it, and your thoughts. One of my 2026 goals is to consume things which feed the turning part of my mind, and your work is on my curriculum. Happy New Year.
Thank you Abigail, for the thoughtful note here. That's perhaps one of the best compliments a writer can receive & got a big smile out of me. Hope you have a lovely start to your New Year.
I appreciate your unartificial intelligence and I’m looking forward to reading more of it in 2026!
Ha thank you Jake! Appreciate you being here
As I am Russian myself I'm exited to see Russian literature included into your reading list! Many of the authors you mentioned I read back in school as part of the program, but as a teenager I didn't have the capacity and experience to comprehend it all properly. Lermontov is my favorite poet in Russian literature, I guess. I even learned his entire poem The Novice by heart.
And I really like your ideas and essays! The ideas around extremely online era resonate with me greatly. Thank you for writing here! Looking forward to reading more from you😊
Thanks Maria! It's funny, we were forced to read Shakespeare in high school which I found boring and dry at the time but now it's delightful.
Appreciate your kind words & you being here
I have very much enjoyed and benefited from your writing this year. I look forward to more in 2026.
Thanks Belle (: appreciate you being here
ABSURDLY EXPECTANT. I am taking that one with me into the new year. Thank you, per usual for your glorious thoughts and ideas.
"Everyone shall be remembered, but each became great in proportion to his expectation. One became great by expecting the possible, another by expecting the eternal, but he who expected the impossible became greater than all." (Kierkegaard)