About World’s Strongest Librarian
Refuse to deal with life. Make it deal with you.
Strong, Smart, Twitchy Nerd... At Your Service!
World’s Strongest Librarian is a blog for anyone looking to get stronger, healthier, smarter, and who wants to enjoy every day.
And: I have a memoir on the way! The World’s Strongest Librarian will be published by Gotham Books in 2013.
Until then, here’s what I’ve got for you
A Majestic And Noble Promise
The inside of my wife’s wedding ring says “I will never bore you.”
That’s the promise I’m making. I’ll even try to keep it. My main goal is not to bore myself…or you. And to sell you my bookmark. We’ve all got enough drama in our lives. This is a chance to lighten up and get our bodies and minds clicking in ways that we all need.
What You Will Find Here:
Librarians catalog things. We organize compulsively. This blog is how I catalog my life, whether it is a review of a video game I played for the Atari 2600, something I overheard at work that I want to think through in writing, or whatever else is on my mind. I like having readers but I write for myself to try and make sense of my own existence.
You will find:
- Articles about enjoying life. Whatever you see here is about being better in some way, every day.
- The How To Have Tourette’s series
- Articles about how to get strong.
- The Stronger, Smarter, Better Newsletter (my online book club)
- Guest posts from loyal weirdos
- The Store
- Book reviews from myself and guest reviewers (want to write one? Please get in touch. My goal is to eventually have an entry on this blog for every book. Yes, every book, which is why I need your help!)
I also answer questions that I receive on the reference desk here on the blog, so I never know exactly what I’ll be writing about, which keeps it fun.
About Josh Hanagarne
I am an aspiring strongman, bookish nerd, twitchy guy with Tourette’s Syndrome, devoted family man, tearer of phonebooks, and humble librarian. A tall, thin paradox wrapped in thick glasses.
And I’m all yours!
I got into lifting weights during a decade-long battle with Tourette’s Syndrome. My strength endeavors got very extreme, very quickly. Weights became kettlebells became strongman feats…as time went by, this distraction became my passion, my entire way of living and viewing life.
Healthy body = Healthy Mind and all that
Let’s Stay In Touch!
- Please subscribe to the RSS Updates so you don’t miss anything
Want to contribute?
If you would like to contribute a guest post for World’s Strongest Librarian, I’d love to hear from you. Here’s how you can write for WSL.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Josh—-
Just read your article over on Darren’s site and was very impressed…great piece of writing. I just signed up for my Wordpress blog last night, and am working on the first post and “About Me” page, and I will write in the same fashion…to enjoy it, hopefully offer some value, and write for “myself”. If the readers come great, if they don’t…I’ll still keep writing!
Thanks for today’s bit of inspiration.
Joe D., thank you very much. Let me know when the blog is up. I’ll watch with great interest. Good luck to you.
I just want to let you know that your philosophy “Don’t make anyone’s day worse” is fantastic. It’s so concise and to the point, I want to embroider it on a pillow, but first I’ll have to learn how to embroider.
I’ll add you to my reader and visit any time you post.
Rosie, thank you. When you learn to embroider, I want one of those pillows!
I found your guest post on problogger and was so inspired! I have been threatening to start blogging for a couple of years and have always stopped short. I will press on and look forward to your posts.
Lisa, thanks for the kind words. Enough with the threats. Start your blog and don’t listen to anyone who tells you that blogs are a matter of life and death.
“Refuse to deal with life. Make it deal with you.”
Josh, I don’t know where you got that quote, but it’s perfect, I repeat, perfect. I think I’ll start tossing it about in my own head until that kind of attitude sinks in for good!
Ron, I rarely say this, but that quote might be the only original thought I’ve ever had. I actually think it’s mine, but I usually find out that I’ve stolen things way after the fact. But until I’m called out, I’m claiming it! Glad you like it, thanks for the encouragement.
Hi Josh!
I found you because, well, you found me and posted a comment to my site.
So, I’ve been to your site three or four times today to read your posts, your about page, and other “stuff.” I love it!
Your blog is easy to navigate, funny, helpful, and most of all, I love your writing style and content. I’m glad we ‘found each other.’
Very simply – you had me at hello.
Keep up the great work! I know you’re going places – don’t forget us little people.
Lori, thanks. I’m not so sure I’m going anywhere. Not sure I want to, either, but I will take this compliment and add it to the collection. I take them out, print them, and when I’m feeling insecure I roll around in them and say “there there, everyone loves you.”
Hey Josh,
Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog, I hope I answered your question.. I didnt realise your such a funny guy, cant wait to see that dance youve promised everyone
Kind Regards
Beatrice (student at blogmastermind)
Love it, love it, love it. I follow Darren Rowse on Facebook and just happened to read “I came, I saw, I commented…” this morning. Funny. More importantly good. So I kept clicking links and ended up reading a couple more of your posts on Problogger, and then ended up here.
Now understand this, I’m a relatively new blogger, overwhelmed by the amount of blogging advice, tips and shenanigans out there. So much so, I don’t read much of it. So the fact that I propped myself up on my elbows long enough, early on a Saturday morning, to read three of them in a row, is a minor feat.
I love your writing style and love that you write about whatever the … you want to write about. I think that’s what makes you fun to read. Kudos. Really looking forward to the book.
Grace
Josh@
I take them out, print them, and when I’m feeling
insecure I roll around in them and say “there there,
everyone loves you.”
Try adding butter, it makes the compliments stick longer
Hi, nice to read your about page…I saw your guest post on Darren’s Poblogger.com (I came, I saw, I commented). It’s true that bloggers no matter how celebrated or skillful or experienced s/he is, s/he still needs comments, responses, badly…It’s fine to say we keep posting even nobody visits or comments on our blog but eventually comment is something that we always long for. I just started blogging not more than a couple of months ago and finding a visitor voluntarily commenting on my blog posts is rewarding..I feel like I was doing something worthwhile for others and the feeling of being appreciated and acknowledged is unbeatable (though I sometimes know that’s only what I imagine). I don’t even care about spams, insincere comment, or irrelevant comment, or anything..Comment propels my spirit to stay on the track.
Akhlis, if it works for you, enjoy whatever you want and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Keep it fun or you won’t keep it.
I thought I was the only librarian who weight trained! Open joke at Gold’s was that I was “world’s strongest librarian” as there, y’know, wasn’t much competition.
Keep up the good work.
Josh – I love your attitude! Reading your story gives me hope… & some ideas to try with my son. He’s also named Joshua (great name!!), & when he was *finally* diagnosed with Tourettes, we got a few others – hi-fuctioning Autism & ADHD. He is an AMAZING kid with talents out the wazoo – the challenge is to help him manage himself so life doesn’t manage him. Hmm… sounds familliar, eh? Great minds think alike!
I’ll be reading regularly! Thanks for sharing your struggles (not a strong enough word…) – you bless & encourage others to find what works for them. As a mom, I am so grateful.
I just saw this and thought of TS. Now this guy puts life in perspective:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciYk-UwqFKA&playnext=1&list=PLE625EA3A5BAFEF76
No arms, no legs, and no worries…
Just found your blog this morning. I’ve embraced my short attention span and hopped all over reading a bit of this and that. Nice writing! Loving it so far. Definitely subscribing!
Hi Josh,
I thought I’d stop over to see what the World’s Strongest Librarian was offering and I like what’s going on. In fact, I find your About page to sound more like a manifesto … and I really appreciate it.
Can’t wait read future updates.
Glad to hear it, Michael. If I can ever help you with anything, say the word.
I nominated you for The Versatile Blogger Award. It seems to be the equivalent of a chain letter for blogging, but it seemed fun. You can see details here: http://emilyjanuary.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/the-versatile-blogger-award/
You probably don’t need this “award” but you deserve it. I’m so impressed with everything you’ve done.
Thanks Emily.
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