In 2003, I wrote a spirited–some would say snarky–op-ed for the Washington Post. Headlined “It’s a Little Too cozy in the Blogosphere,” it called out what I saw as excessive chumminess and logrolling in the then-new literary blogosphere. I took some heat from members of said blogosphere, some of whom forgave me and went on… Continue reading »
How do we get anything done? Honestly. This morning’s rabbithole: Saw intriguing album cover posted on friend’s Instagram account. Searched for album on iTunes. Got frustrated (we’re so spoiled now) when iTunes failed to deliver. Googled artist/album. Found artist on SoundCloud. Turned up album after several searches. Prompted to listen via SoundCloud app. Had to… Continue reading »
Is this internet killing books? What do poetry and software have in common? Can computers write literature? The Times Literary Supplement asked me to write about three books that take up those questions: The Edge of the Precipice: Why read literature in the digital age?, edited by Paul Socken; Geek Sublime: Writing Fiction, Coding Software,… Continue reading »
Are you busy? Of course you are. It’s the modern (Western, middle-class, parent, plugged-in) condition: For many of us, life unspools as a never-ending to-do list. Wake up, pack lunches, get the kids to school, get ourselves to our jobs, work all day, collect the kids, make dinner, supervise homework, do the laundry, walk the… Continue reading »
What does our email say about how we spend our days? Last December, the Cambridge classicist Mary Beard, who blogs for TLS, posted a recap of a day’s worth of email from her inbox. The summary gives you a sense of what Beard called “a Don’s (real) life” and what she’s asked to think about… Continue reading »
