After The Fire
Pick Of The Week –11th November 2025
This newsletter is a curated cornucopia featuring some of the best of Medium and Substack, and the wider world, rumoured to exist outside of these platforms.
Please note that in view of the impact of AI on the writing community, Eco has a stringent “No AI-content” policy, and will seek to actively avoid any articles we consider to be partly or fully generated by AI, and not feature authors believed to be using it in this way again. We are fully committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. In support of our aims and objectives, 10% of earnings from this series will be donated to Greenpeace.🌈
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Sponsors – a link to donors and paying Substack subscribers 🦄 will appear here:
Ecosia; The Environmental Transport Association; Mary Grindeland; Writer Chick With A Ukulele; Adéla Valčíková; Rob Moir;
Pick of Medium – (advisory allergy note – may contain poetry)
Mary Cappelli comments on life after the Palisades fire in Los Angeles, and the hidden dangers that lurk even as residents try and rebuild:
https://medium.com/policy-panorama/stop-the-rush-to-return-to-campus-7d5bf5b5c095
Sean Corcoran shares what helped him escape from a gambling addiction:
Michael Burg waxes lyrical about the woes of Medium:
Adéla Valčíková explores the infinite (POETRY advisory note):
https://medium.com/no-instructions/infinity-in-plus-and-minus-8c0a54913293
Aeryn Wylde exposes the great fork mystery:
Vincent Halles explores the fantasy language problem:
https://medium.com/babel/the-fantasy-language-problem-ae26949157d3
Here, Vincent gets philosophical about solipsism:
https://medium.com/lines-of-flight/the-bread-and-butter-of-existential-crisis-70e9178f00b0
Sean Corcoran weathers the storms of life:
https://medium.com/the-memoirist/when-it-storms-i-finally-feel-normal-a65d5a2fe583
Dr Seema Patel explains the concept of a wind phone:
https://medium.com/weeds-wildflowers/do-you-know-what-a-wind-phone-is-0d9ccea674c1
Carlo Zeno explores the positives of failure:
https://medium.com/never-stop-writing/failing-with-a-wide-open-mind-846127cf7b1b
Miller Bolo reflects on the differences between Medium and Substack:
https://bolomiller.medium.com/what-i-learned-about-substack-that-you-should-know-1439dcc3aea2
Pallvi is tempted by bad boys:
https://medium.com/quirky-rants/why-i-like-bad-boys-cdd0112346d3
Nofisat Damilola wonders if writers tell lies?!
https://medium.com/pen-with-paper/two-truths-and-one-lie-0de591161e6c
Marya Khan just wants to write:
https://medium.com/the-pages-between/i-dont-like-weekends-i-just-want-to-write-02f9c1a58c69
Bin Jiang questions whether he is on the right path:
https://medium.com/bin-jiang/am-i-going-the-right-creator-path-886dbab6f10a
Here Bin considers the use of AI:
Rishita Sharma is haunted:
https://medium.com/quirky-rants/am-i-the-only-one-haunted-by-this-6f7aa9fb184f
Tip of the week –
Wes Pearce highlights that Substack is changing as influencers move in from TikTok and YouTube – don’t miss the party!
Chi Melanie shares some tips to stop the scroll:
Pick of Substack:
Welcome to the extraordinary world of Madam Füsun:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-178037370
Nirav Mehta explores influencer culture:
Vincent Halles considers the ethics of tipping other writers:
Here Vincent reflects on the differences between writers in France and England:
Peter Murphy was broke and alone in Paris:
Here, Peter urges caution over what is shared:
Rob Moir introduces a forest planting technique one town is using to protect itself from flooding:
Susie Kearley highlights the motivation of Michael Morpurgo, the author of “War Horse”:
Just Beach Happy seeks enlightenment:
Mymy Khan has a hedgehog of a day:
It’s the taking part for Ali Hall:
Lady Libertie examines the psychology of losing power:
The wider world:
Scientists warn of the risks of geoengineering:
The future of the Great Barrier Reef looks bleak:
Amid climate scepticism, some city mayors are taking a lead:
The Drax power station in the North of the UK continues to receive subsidies to burn through old-growth forests from the US:
A feature on work to save red kites:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crrez8x7l55o
The President of Brazil calls for deeds not words:
The carbon offsetting market is in trouble:
The UK has declined to invest in a tropical forest protection fund:
The UN describes a moral failure over the climate:
Ukraine is using old fishing nets to try and protect residents and soldiers from Russian drones:
Political News
The tectonic plates of UK politics are shifting:
What if Reform UK won?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2kyjrg77eo
A right-wing council is closing care homes, and facing a potential conflict of interest:
This article suggests that internet bile is driving populism:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/07/gen-x-internet-radicalisation-populist
Musk turns right:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/08/elon-musk-global-far-right
AI News
This article considers why super-recognisers are so successful:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/05/ai-research-super-recognisers-identify-faces
Another revelation of the dangers of AI without guardrails:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3x71pv1qno
We should not let AI steal our joy:
Tech News
Scientists are developing “carebots” – this feature explains the future in store:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wdzyyglq5o
A remarkable insight into the world of hacking:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2w0pvg4wko
Crypto News
A major crypto criminal has been arrested:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg4w1g9ezko
Life Hack of the Week –
Let it go urges Ripton Green:
https://medium.com/write-a-catalyst/stop-letting-your-ideas-live-only-in-your-head-413daf336b0a
Aim to be the best version of yourself, recommends Sriram Yaladandi:
https://medium.com/pen-with-paper/inspired-by-the-fear-of-being-average-b8eda126e7cc
Take your time, urges Nancy Anderson:
https://medium.com/write-a-catalyst/stop-scrolling-a2ea60940d8f
Pocketboo shares some tips to stop you procrastinating, and be sure to read this straight away!:
https://medium.com/pocketboo/stop-procrastinating-easy-ways-to-get-things-done-a14a24401de9
Vincent Halles has advice for the coffee break that gets out of hand:
https://medium.com/lines-of-flight/the-coffee-break-that-gets-too-real-69e4370a810e
Quote of the Week:
“People who think that grammar is just a collection of rules and restrictions are wrong. If you get to like it, grammar reveals the hidden meaning of history, hides disorder and abandonment, links things and brings opposites together. Grammar is a wonderful way of organising the world how you’d like it to be.”
— Delphine de Vigan
Joke of the Week:
(Health warning – swallow coffee before reading)
I’m thinking of getting a pet to take jogging with me. Maybe a tortoise.
Dogs can bark up to 500x a day. That’s just a ruff estimate.
Did you know?
The Pomodoro Technique – a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It uses a kitchen timer to break work into intervals, typically 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for tomato, after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used as a university student.
Word of the Week:
brumation – To survive extremely cold temperatures, some reptiles undergo brumation, which is a state of inactivity equivalent to hibernation in mammals.
Clip of the Week:
Some more great wildlife photos for your perusal:
As always, thank you for reading, and enjoy your day.
Editor’s comment: It is noted that the authors featured above have not consented in advance to their inclusion - I have assumed that authors appreciate a mention and sharing of your work – but if you do not wish to be featured please let me know and apologies.
Have a great weekend! You sent me the clouds!!!
Thanks for the mention