# Trying!

> Funny, weird, thought-provoking, and occasionally insightful essays and reportage, brought to you almost daily, by Matt Gross

This file provides information about Trying! to help large language models understand and reference this publication's content.

## Posts
- [The Odysseys after The Odyssey](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/odyssey-recommendations-books-movies): What to read, watch, and think about once you've finished the epic poem (or the movie version).
- ['None of this is believable unless you choose to believe'](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/zachary-mason-lost-books-of-the-odyssey-interview): A Q&A with the author of 'Lost Books of the Odyssey.' Plus: Traumatic gym-class memories!
- [Homer the travel writer](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/odyssey-travel-writing-lessons): The Odyssey isn't just the bedrock of Western literature — it's a master class in transforming experience into narrative.
- ['It's a many-headed Hydra'](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/daniel-mendelsohn-on-the-odyssey-movie): A Q&A with author and translator Daniel Mendelsohn on what he's looking for in an Odyssey movie.
- [The Odyssey is strange](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/the-odyssey-is-strange): Especially when you're trying to turn it into a Hollywood movie.
- [The world's best cheese is ...](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/the-worlds-best-cheese): ... definitely not what you think it is!
- [My left foot (and right calf, and right wrist, and left shoulder)](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/my-left-foot-and-right-calf-and-right-wrist-and-left-shoulder): Everything hurts, and I'm full of rage. Will that help me heal?
- [Bottomless brunch is the worst, and also the best](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/bottomless-brunch-is-the-worst-and-also-the-best): Eggs! White girls! Mimosas! Fedoras!
- [The history of hot sauce in America](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/the-history-of-hot-sauce-in-america): How we got from 19th-century bird-pepper vinegar to the chef-driven creations of today.
- [Is this email better than it needs to be?](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/is-this-email-better-than-it-needs-to-be): I hope so! Or are your expectations so low that it's easy to exceed them?
- [Welcome to sauce season!](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/welcome-to-sauce-season): Most people call it "grilling season," but we know better, don't we? Here's a few recipes for the most essential additions.
- [Everybody wants him dead](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/everybody-wants-him-dead): Except me! Nooooo, definitely not me. The rest of them, though, are murderers in their hearts.
- [Running will not save democracy](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/running-will-not-save-democracy): The sport may bring us all together, but once we cross the finish line, we are far from united.
- [What happens when an author dies?](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/what-happens-when-an-author-dies): On reading Roland Barthes in the age of A.I.
- [I will not be the next editor of 'T' Magazine](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/i-will-not-be-the-next-editor-of-t-magazine): SCOOP: I am not the arbiter of taste you all imagined me to be.
- ['He's not responding as we'd like'](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/gary-gross-memorial): Gary Gross (March 8, 1950–April 1, 2026)
- [You don't know the words to this one](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/you-dont-know-the-words-to-this-one): When we construct ourselves through language, how will future generations understand us?
- [Are these boots made for walking?](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/are-these-boots-made-for-walking): How a former travel writer preps for a fashion apocalypse — and an emotional one.
- [What is life without work?](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/what-is-life-without-work): After I lost my job, I thought I'd have loads of free time to enjoy. The reality is a lot more complicated.
- [Like thy neighbor](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/like-thy-neighbor): A new Pew study shows Americans more polarized — more filled with loathing — than ever. Is there any escape from misanthropy?
- [All I need is noodle soup](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/all-i-need-is-noodle-soup): In an imperfect world, the perfect dish.
- [Fun is a constant problem](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/fun-is-a-constant-problem): Why is a concept so simple, joyful, and universal so difficult to communicate?
- [Parenting tips for the apocalypse](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/parenting-tips-for-the-apocalypse): Having kids is tough enough. Now add zombies, nukes, climate change — and the prospect of mid-season cancellation.
- [Racism is bad — and, worse, it's not even all that funny](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/racism-is-bad-and-worse-its-not-even-all-that-funny): Am I going to talk about the president? Yeah, I'm going to talk about the president.
- [The best way to sell protein pudding](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/the-best-way-to-sell-protein-pudding): Let's take a look at a bunch of things that are in my head, okay?
- [A tale of two Alexes](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/a-tale-of-alex-pretti-alex-honnold): On Saturday, two men on opposite sides of the planet faced their fates — and we all watched.
- [The most luxurious ingredient of all](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/the-most-luxurious-ingredient-of-all): It's deceptively humble, but when you want to make it rain, culinarily speaking, there's no better choice.
- [The president invites you to die](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/the-president-invites-you-to-die): The administration clearly wants to kill tens of millions of people. But why?
- [When enough is enough](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/when-enough-is-enough): Allow me to rearrange your deck chairs.
- [You are not cool](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/you-are-not-cool): It's okay — neither am I. Notes on the death of a once-essential cultural attribute.
- [What to eat in 2026](https://mattgrossistrying.com/p/what-to-eat-in-2026): A foodie's guide to 12 months of existential despair.