As the world and its technologies barrel forward relentlessly into the future, I find myself moving back, back, and further back into the past.

Here is what I mean: for one, I have long been a write-by-hand-in-notebook kind of writer. I cannot think with the blinking cursor yelling at me in that bossy voice of his. But this past year I’ve de-mechanized even more by taking up the collection of inks and fountain pens. Slowing down my slowness.

I’ve also moved backwards when it comes to my reading:...