Last year, I conducted an experiment where I started writing mini-poems as replies to my readers in comments. I captured those mini-poems in my 100th post, and was recognized as a “Substack Featured Publication”. This spotlight tripled my subscriber count!
Before that moment, Hello Universe was a small community, filled with readers who read and engaged regularly with this newsletter through comments and responses. I had grown it piece by piece, and knew almost all of my subscribers well. This sense of comfort allowed me to take many risks with this newsletter, like video poems, philosophical explorations, and guest posts.
I feel that over the past year, as I’ve been busy settling into a new city and new job, I’ve somehow lost that sense of connect with the Hello Universe community and taken fewer risks with the format. As a result, I’m taking this edition to reintroduce myself to you, dear reader, and invite you to participate in making Hello Universe a fun place on the internet.
Please share in the comments: What would you like to see on Hello Universe? A new poem topic? A new style of writing? A different format?
Share your thoughts in the comments below, and I will be eternally grateful for your suggestions.
Alright, so here’s my introduction, dear reader.
Poem starts in 3… 2… 1!
Hello, I’m Punit, from Ahmedabad city, a place that made me entrepreneurial and witty. I grew up with books, art, and circuits, technology felt magical, wild, and perfect! My friends say I’m vibrant, fun, and thoughtful, my glass, they say, is always half-full. At work, through marketing and leading teams, I’ve found new ways to unlock new dreams. When free, I love discussing AI and tech, or rapping tunes that are delightful as heck. My life’s best day was in 2022, Belgium, When I visited the Hergé Tintin Museum. I've been writing to you for 152 weeks, learning new literary techniques. In “Hello Universe”, my thoughts take flight, when I write these poems, my day feels right. I'm happy to meet you, I'm glad you've arrived. Welcome, this will be a fantastic ride. This has been my story, straight from my heart, In this beautiful world, I play my humble part.
That’s it! Thanks for reading edition 152 of Hello Universe. Check out Some Fun Stuff below.
Some Fun Stuff
This is where I share something cool to read, something cool to listen to, and something cool to watch! The underlined words are links that you can click to visit the recommended content.
1. Try this three hundred year old dexterity exercise for your hands: Dexterity is a capability that becomes more and more important with age. This exercise, used specifically by pianists, is one such exercise that can benefit all of us. I thought that my typing skills on the keyboard would be enough to help me nail this, but boy oh boy, it was quite difficult to nail down. Can you do this perfectly at the first go? If yes, please share in the comments below!
2. Listen to Dancing on Manhattan by Marcos Cabral: A non-stop banger, full of metallic sounds and techno energy. I’ve danced a lot to this one.
3. Watch The Battle for Central Park by Hoog: If, like me, you're fascinated by the history of urban development, you need to check out Hoog on YouTube. This channel offers incredible insights into the evolution of cities like Amsterdam, Paris, and Tokyo. Their latest video on New York City and the creation of Central Park is captivating. Based on my recommendation from 3 weeks ago, if you're reading "The Power Broker" about Robert Moses, consider this video a fascinating prequel. It explores the pivotal decisions that shaped the city's design around Central Park. I especially loved how the animations illustrated alternative park concepts, offering glimpses of a New York City from a parallel universe.
That’s it for this week, see you next Tuesday!
Hello, Punit! I'm one who found you through the Substack feature and I've enjoyed reading your work regularly ever since. Your poetry is part of my intentional (admittedly, sometimes forced) habit of reading poetry regularly, something I've tried to do since an undergrad art professor told the class, "to make good art, you must read good poetry." Your poems make me think; I especially enjoy when you ask a question that prompts me to engage. I'd be interested in you sharing some poetry that's been inspiring you in your Some Fun Stuff section!
All the best for future, keep writing for us. I love the way you handle your subject