The Curse of Potential

What is Oxford Sour for? Why would these nice people want to listen to my mad ramblings?

I don’t believe that one should devote his life to morbid self-attention, I believe that one should become a person like other people.

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Dear readers,

Welcome to a slightly less consequential event in the history of humanity. This is the other Big Bang.

For too long, Oxford Sour has suffered from the curse of my generation—potential. There have been flashes of brilliance, a few mutterings of what might be. Over the past few months, I’ve published more regularly. But that isn’t enough.

Oxford Sour is now my full-time job.

I can promise this and hint toward that, but talking and doing are two very different things. So, here’s the doing: over the next six weeks, I’ll publish twenty-five new essays. Your inbox will ping with a fresh Oxford Sour piece every other day or so. You’ll get so tired of winning, you’ll beg me to stop winning so much. (I’m joking. Mostly.)

This sustained, controlled explosion of wit, wisdom, and mischief will—with your help—catapult Oxford Sour from part-time pretender to full-time force of ironic nature.

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Until now, I’ve struggled with the why. What is Oxford Sour for?

I wondered why would these nice people want to hear what I have to say? They have their own problems. Well, thousands of you do want to read Oxford Sour—and for that, I’m grateful.

So, what is Oxford Sour for? In an age of artificial slop, dopamine addiction, and our current nerd-led dystopia, Oxford Sour exists to champion what makes us human—the real, the imperfect, and yes, the ridiculous.

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I won’t tell you what’s coming next. I’ll show you. You’ll see it land in your inbox, one piece at a time.

If you’ve been reading for free—great. That’ll continue. One essay a week will remain open to all. Another column, Provocations, will be free for now. The Matinée—a three-part column and revue of the week—will be for paid subscribers.

The next essay will arrive soon. Then another. And another.

No more bullshit. No more Millennial prevarications. No more self-esteem-addled nonsense.

The first 125 readers get 20% off an annual subscription—forever.

Best wishes,

— Christopher Gage
Oxford Sour

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