When someone spends too much time online, scrolling endlessly through social media, they’re often advised to “touch grass”—to step outside, breathe fresh air, and reconnect with reality. It’s a reminder that the real world, the tangible one, is waiting, ready to nourish and restore them.
There should be a similar phrase for those overwhelmed by the flood of disposable digital content—a call to return to art, books, and culture. “Touch paper,” perhaps. Hold a book. Flip through a playbill. Browse the shelves of a library or a favorite indie bookstore.
The internet has ensured we’ll never be bored again. We can scroll endlessly, consuming content faster than we can process it. But is all of it nourishing? Are we engaging with ideas that shape us, stories that move us, art that challenges us? Or are we simply filling the silence with noise?
At Origin Books, we believe in a different kind of experience—one that invites pause, depth, and wonder. Our mission is to connect people with ideas that last, with books that become companions, with stories that linger long after the final page.
We live in a time when attention is constantly pulled in a thousand directions. When algorithms favor speed over depth, outrage over nuance, and quantity over quality. But the true magic of literature, of art, of culture, isn’t found in what’s easily consumed—it’s in what endures.
Origin Books is here to celebrate that endurance. To highlight writing that deserves more than a quick glance. To champion the work of thinkers and storytellers who remind us why books matter. We are building a space where readers, writers, and dreamers can gather, where words are not just read but felt, where the act of turning a page remains an act of discovery.
So let’s step away from the scroll and into the story. Let’s reclaim our time, our attention, and our imagination. Let’s touch paper.
