I am slightly relieved that you consider the amount you wrote this year to be a lot. I had wondered how anyone can write so well *and* so much. BTW I also usually read the substacks in the email; the first few sentences draw me in and I find myself reading to the end, whatever I was doing before the email appeared.
Corey Robin (who, in addition to other notable qualities, is a *great* reader) was asked recently, in an otherwise good interview, which writers he would like to meet in person, and he said “none of them”; that, with one exception, every in-person meeting with writers he admires had been awkward - for him and for the writer. He said it’s the author’s voice he’s after, not the person’s. A good answer.
I have enjoyed your work this year more than I can really convey - it’s so stimulating in the very best sense. Cheers!
Thank you. As a philosophy student who has primarily been confronted with analytic philosophy so far, the amount of inspiration your writing gives me to think outside the box of analytic rigour is eye-opening. It has enriched my studies (and possibly my life) profoundly. I discovered you through my tutor at uni, Jonathan Egid. He suggested I look into your podcast, and from there the leap to your Hinternet wasn't far. I'm incredibly glad I found this place.
Votre écriture - tél un labyrinthe - est toujours une source d'étonnement et de vagabondage de l'esprit assurés - une sorte de guirlande éternelle à la G.E.B. - merci !
Thank you for your writing(s). I like to read them in my email - it's as if I finally receive a real letter (for the vast majority of emails nowadays, for common people I guess, are either workrelated or the job itself or confirmations of delivery of some products one ordered online). And I re-read it here as well from time to time.
Love the descriptions of the musical genres at the gym. Speaking of that, I think this is the second or third time the gym has popped up in your writing. Can we get a full on gym essay in 2023? This might seem a bizarre request, but now that the comments are open and other readers’ interests can be seen as well, I feel confident in saying that you bringing your intellect to this curious contemporary place would be enjoyed by all.
I am one of those readers who opens your articles once, and then closes them right away. I can imagine how, through the narrow lens of a technology that purports to ken much more completely than it does, it would appear that I'd not read a thing.
Instead, I open the article long enough to add it to my Instapaper stack and then read it on the weekend when I get my weekly "magazine" sent to my E-Reader.
I generally read and enjoy every single one. Thanks very much for being the voluble and unique person that your path has led you to be.
However -- just to keep your ego in check -- I don't drop everything just to read your latest, "hot off the presses." I got shit to do.
Hi, it's been a great pleasure reading your stuff, and though I started out to challenge the "above" meaning of "meta-" at least in modern greek, I guess now it's rather trivial. Your take on the "mongol" issue ChatGPT (programmers) seem to have, and the bit about censorship without thinking really made my day. Bleaker that is. Keep up the good work, as I am sure you will do.
I am slightly relieved that you consider the amount you wrote this year to be a lot. I had wondered how anyone can write so well *and* so much. BTW I also usually read the substacks in the email; the first few sentences draw me in and I find myself reading to the end, whatever I was doing before the email appeared.
Corey Robin (who, in addition to other notable qualities, is a *great* reader) was asked recently, in an otherwise good interview, which writers he would like to meet in person, and he said “none of them”; that, with one exception, every in-person meeting with writers he admires had been awkward - for him and for the writer. He said it’s the author’s voice he’s after, not the person’s. A good answer.
I have enjoyed your work this year more than I can really convey - it’s so stimulating in the very best sense. Cheers!
Well done JEHS! I am positively giddy at the thought of you translating the Voynich!
What a brilliant and humorous summary. Love the content you put out since subscribing early this year, and happy holidays!
Thank you. As a philosophy student who has primarily been confronted with analytic philosophy so far, the amount of inspiration your writing gives me to think outside the box of analytic rigour is eye-opening. It has enriched my studies (and possibly my life) profoundly. I discovered you through my tutor at uni, Jonathan Egid. He suggested I look into your podcast, and from there the leap to your Hinternet wasn't far. I'm incredibly glad I found this place.
Greetings from Brazil! Love the newsletter, I never roll my eyes reading it, even though I open most links only once
Joyeuses fêtes, Mr. Smith !
Votre écriture - tél un labyrinthe - est toujours une source d'étonnement et de vagabondage de l'esprit assurés - une sorte de guirlande éternelle à la G.E.B. - merci !
a new [contrarian] reader from Paris.
I’ll second “Boogaloo”, it was one of the best things I read all year. I always look forward to your writing, enjoy your rest!
Thank you for your writing(s). I like to read them in my email - it's as if I finally receive a real letter (for the vast majority of emails nowadays, for common people I guess, are either workrelated or the job itself or confirmations of delivery of some products one ordered online). And I re-read it here as well from time to time.
Enjoy the time off!
A reader from Romania :)
Readers who "open the same post 70, 80, 120 times" usually turn out to be cats.
Love the descriptions of the musical genres at the gym. Speaking of that, I think this is the second or third time the gym has popped up in your writing. Can we get a full on gym essay in 2023? This might seem a bizarre request, but now that the comments are open and other readers’ interests can be seen as well, I feel confident in saying that you bringing your intellect to this curious contemporary place would be enjoyed by all.
Enjoy the rest of the year off, a well deserved break.
Like the rest of your grateful subscribers, I’m very pleased the Sub-stack plunge has worked out so well.
See you next year.
I am one of those readers who opens your articles once, and then closes them right away. I can imagine how, through the narrow lens of a technology that purports to ken much more completely than it does, it would appear that I'd not read a thing.
Instead, I open the article long enough to add it to my Instapaper stack and then read it on the weekend when I get my weekly "magazine" sent to my E-Reader.
I generally read and enjoy every single one. Thanks very much for being the voluble and unique person that your path has led you to be.
However -- just to keep your ego in check -- I don't drop everything just to read your latest, "hot off the presses." I got shit to do.
P.S. yes, paying subscriber from the get-go.
Thank you so much for sharing your writing, across venues these many years. It's always a delight to see your mind at play. Joyeux Noël!
Happy Holidays Mr. Smith.
Hi, it's been a great pleasure reading your stuff, and though I started out to challenge the "above" meaning of "meta-" at least in modern greek, I guess now it's rather trivial. Your take on the "mongol" issue ChatGPT (programmers) seem to have, and the bit about censorship without thinking really made my day. Bleaker that is. Keep up the good work, as I am sure you will do.
I'm not exactly sure how I ended up here.
I felt good reading that piece so thank you :)