The Browser - Risk and Fanfiction

Always have interesting things to talk about at dinner – get five daily recommendations for the best writing in all the world.

The Origins Of Risk

Karla Mallette | Psyche | 2nd November 2021 | U

Tracking the beginnings of the word "risk" and the idea it embodies. The Arabic al-rizq, which refers to God’s provision for creation, came to mean good chance or fortune to Mediterranean sailors. In the 12C, Genoese merchants began using a practice called resicum to share out the profits and losses from risky voyages. By the 14C, Italian writings are peppered with instances of rischio (1,619 words)

🦒: Elizabeth Minkel On Fanfiction

Uri Bram | The Browser | 10th November 2021

"When we talk about novelists, we tend to play up the solo element—it's our romantic vision of what a "writer" is. But huge portions of art that gets written in the world," including much TV, "is in fact written communally." In modern fanfiction, authors "prompt each other into writing specific things, exchange works as gifts, and comment on works-in-progress in real time as the author is posting" (3,292 words)

In yesterday's Browser we had recommendations on historical accuracy in art, being ghosted by God, literary epiphanies and more – go on, you'll enjoy it....

Caroline Crampton, Editor-In-Chief; Robert Cottrell, Founding Editor; Jodi Ettenberg, Associate Editor; Raymond Douglas, Associate Editor; Uri Bram, CEO & Publisher; Al Breach, Founding Director

Editorial comments and letters to the editor: editor@thebrowser.com
Technical issues and support requests: support@thebrowser.com
Or write at any time to the publisher: uri@thebrowser.com

Proudly published with Ghost, the fiercely independent website and newsletter platform