the art of writing

The robot was quite good at copying my style, but much less good at writing anything meaningful. It could predict which words I would be most likely to use but it couldn’t make an original argument for me. Using the robot made me think a lot about the nature of writing and what goes in to its peculiar form of labor. AI tools fundamentally promise t... See more

"In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts."

Creating a collection of my favorite writing is so satisfying. It's like saving links, but I'm saving the objects themselves. There's some physicality to it, more like a bookshelf of sorts. Crazy to think how this could evolve (1/x)

When I sit down to write, the meadow is still sunk in darkness, and above it, satellites pass by, one after the other. My thoughts are flighty and shapeless; they morph as I approach them. But when I type, it is as if I pin my thoughts to the table. I can examine them. They feel porous to the touch and crumble. But among the fragments, I discover t... See more

Needless to say, my ability in English composition didn’t amount to much. My vocabulary was severely limited, as was my command of English syntax. I could only write in simple, short sentences. That meant that, however complex and numerous the thoughts running around my head might be, I couldn’t even attempt to set them down as they came to me. The... See more

‘We all have a story to tell – the denial of that story can cause despair.’ I credit this to Arnold Zable but I think it comes from Jungian psychology . We are nothing but the sum of our stories. The more I write and perform, the more clarity it gives me on my personal history and understanding of human nature. Writing releases so many emotions and

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