Five things for June 4
The “five things” format dates back to the days of Livejournal, apparently. I was prompted to try it by this […]
Rough Drafts
Inner life
At Tennessee Beach, on the Marin headlands just north of the Golden Gate, jagged fins of soft, striated rock curve
Rough Drafts
Can you use AI to write?
I’ve been saying for awhile that AI is a useful tool but that it’s no replacement for thinking things through yourself, which is what the process of writing helps you do.
How haiku can help you be a better writer
Haiku helped me become a better headline writer. They have helped me write better subject lines for emails. But most of all, they’ve helped me enjoy and appreciate life more.
Finding your flow as a writer
What do you do when your creative flow feels blocked, your energy levels are low, or you simply don’t feel
Never let AI write your first draft
If you want to stand out from the sea of AI slop in 2026, you need to make AI work for you — rather than the other way around.
The magic of magazines
tl;dr: I helped make a magazine! I fell in love with magazines as a young adult. In college, I contributed
Haiku changed my life
One crisp autumn day, on a whim, I started sending haiku to a few friends via email and text message.
Collaboration and photography
This summer, my friend Janne-Pekka Manninen, a Finnish journalist and photographer, began a three-month artist’s residency in Berlin. He invited
It’s Clippy’s world now
When Microsoft first introduced its Office assistant, “Clippy,” it was ridiculed by many. The cutesy animated paperclip came across as