The Monday Media Diet with David Seth Moltz

On @kriyayogaguru, Cao Xueqin, and P.G. Wodehouse

David Moltz is a friend of WITI and co-founder of the always excellent DS&DURGA (a CJN favorite brand). We’re happy to have him on the page with us, following his partner Kavi’s excellent edition.

Tell us about yourself.

I make perfume with the wife as D.S. & Durga. I made kids with her twice too. I play music in Hiko Men. Write poems. Draw. 

Describe your media diet. 

I read BBC and the NYT on the phone. I keep up with classical music in Gramophone online. I have a subscription to “Speculum” the Medieval Acadamy’s publication - strangest name. I have a subscription to GQ and Cigar Aficionado. I get the daily emails from Business of Fashion, Beauty Matter, WWD, and Perfumer & Flavorist. I subscribe to a newsletter called Icons & Their Interpretations which is rad. Jason Diamond’s The Melt always inspires. Not sure it counts but I read a lot of Wikipedia when researching history, music, and anything else. I check ESPN multiple times a day via the app. 

On the gram I follow @kriyayogaguru to make sure I get spiritual prompts from Paramahansa Yogananda while scrolling through videos about animals, art, sports, and people doing weird shit. I should say I find instagram a great tool to see what’s going on with people and subjects I care about. I don’t feel stuck or addicted but I know it can suck you in. 

What’s the last great book you read?

The Conference of the Birds by Attar.  A Sufi epic poem written in 12th century Iran, whose rich language contains deep wisdom about the search for God in prayer & meditation.

What are you reading now?

I read a ton of books at once. Here goes :

-The Story of The Stone by Cao Xueqin (amazing 18th century family drama)

-Lord Dunsany collection

-The Dark Eidolon

 (I love to read seasonally and am ramping up to Halloween. I also dig reading the authors that directly influenced authors I live. these two inspired HP Lovecraft)

-A collection Goldaric poetry

-A collection of Hafiz poems

-The Bhagvad Gita commentary by Paramahansa Yogananda - always reading this. When I finish, I start again

-Whispers from Eternity by Paramahansa Yogananda

-In Love with the World by Mingyur Rimpoche

-Christ and Sophia by Valentin Tomberg

-I have a few stories left in the complete Conan Chronicles by Robert Howard that I’m saving.

- Same as above for the last few Sherlock Holmes stories I haven’t read.

 - Mists of Avalon Marianne Zimmer Bradley

What’s your reading strategy when you pick up a print copy of your favorite publication?

I keep books on the phone so I can always have them with me. I’m always trying to get back to my chair to read real books and will do that even if only for a few pages. I don’t read too many magazines in print but when they come I devour them right away. 

Who should everyone be reading that they’re not?

If you’ve never read P.G. Wodehouse, he’s probably the funniest writer all time. Seinfeld in the roaring 20s. 

Also poetry! It’s short. It’s deep. It’s the pinnacle of the art of language. Read ancient Chinese, Persian, Yeats, Mary Oliver, so many more. 

What is the best non-famous app you love on your phone? 

Merlin Bird ID - now I know which birds are singing. 

Plane or train?

Train 

What is one place everyone should visit? 

The Highlands of Scotland 

Tell us the story of a rabbit hole you fell deep into. 

I excel at rabbit holes. For the past few years I resisted getting into comic books.  Last year I started to read some.  Soon I was at the comic shop every Wednesday to get the newest stuff - following 20+ different story lines.  I starting subscribing to digital comics and voraciously saving series and reading what I could.  Thinking back, it was quite stressful to try to keep up with so many conflicting story lines and characters.  This past Feb, we went away and I couldn’t get to a comic book store.  When I got back, I realized how much mental space I would have if I just gave it all up.  I haven’t been back to one since and loving it!  Comics are cool, I just have too much other stuff I want to read.

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Thanks for reading,

Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) David (DM)

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