RIP: The Unintentionalist
Mike Nagel signs off at Little Engines
Mike Nagel’s beloved column at Little Engines has come to an end.
Recently, Nagel told me that he’s not a very good writer, but sometimes he’s a lucky one. These are the feelings of any lonely scribe, no doubt, but Mike’s economic, out-loud honesty, his humor and his heart, belie the clever self-description.
Editing and publishing Nagel’s monthly nuggets has been a gift. I’ve revisited them as a whole this weekend, purely as a reader—free from tweaking, proofreading, or a deadline. I see some through lines; a goddamn character arc!
In his final entry, Mike confesses to struggling with the year-long project, but concedes that he learned some things. As did I, sir! If you’ve been reading along, I bet you did, too.
You'd think I'd have more to say about books, having read a number of them over my life, having majored in them in college, having even written a very small one myself, but I don't.
Saying things about books bums me out. It makes me feel dumb.
It feels good to admit these things. I’ve hated thinking I might be mistaken for a person who has something to say.
-Mike Nagel, The Unintentionalist
If you missed any of the twelve dispatches, you can brush up on the site.
If you’re new to the column, scroll to the bottom, August 2022, and do them in their original order. If you’ve been reading as they’ve come, I suggest you start with Mike’s sign-off from last week and go backward. Reverse engineering the thing is a treat.
Some personal highlights are below.
Mike and I are gonna hang out in Seattle next weekend, where we’ll kick around with what comes next.
Best,
Adam
PS: I’ve selected a few pieces for Little Engines Issue Nine, I’m hunting a few more, and an artist in residence from Nashville is down to do some paintings. It’ll be out this fall! There are still print copies of Issue Eight available. They’re free, just ask. All back issues are gone, gone, gone in print, but always available online at littleengines.pub.
great stuff!