Now: computational journalism @wsj, formerly @cortico, @medialab, and @qz. Book: *Lessons and Carols*, @eerdmansbooks (2023).
Kingston, NY
Joined April 2009
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My book was just talked about next to Annie Dillard (who sadly passed recently). She is an absolute icon, and I wish I could write *more* like her.
Here's the review: substack.com/home/post/p-212…
Here's my book: bookshop.org/p/books/the-int…
The first review of THE INTERNET WILL DIE, AND SO WILL YOU is out: "His wide-ranging meditations, which touch on everything from Bach to TikTok, will appeal to readers who want to search for meaning rather than scroll for distraction."
publishersweekly.com/9780802…
John West retweeted
We break down the rest of the president’s financial disclosures in our article today.
Give it a look!
Story w/ @neilmhta @JohnWest @DavidUberti @pswsj
John West retweeted
on Amazon I have discovered a book called "Infinite Jeffs" which is apparently a copy of Infinite Jest where each word has been replaced with the word "Jeff"
As the pandemic dragged on, I (a little self-consciously) read the Psalms. I was raising a baby, so each seemed to say something about that quotidian miracle when we make families out of only feelings and time.
I'm pumped to say that turned into THE PSALMIST, out in January.
This is an essay about how I created a very-little-language model using Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener." I asked it to finish my sentence: "I would..." and it responded "...prefer to, yes." My AI never quite got it right—the most human thing about it.
Experimenting with the math and data behind large language models helped me understand how AI “thinks.” I wish everyone had the chance to do the same, writes WSJ software engineer John West. on.wsj.com/4nF3OoV
John West retweeted
Toxic Fumes Are Leaking Into Airplanes, Sickening Crews and Passengers;
Big story and analysis by @_benkatz @JohnWest @AndrewTangel wsj.com/business/airlines/ai…
John West retweeted
So proud of @WSJ data team member @JohnWest and formers @coulterjones and @anfuller for their dogged work "chronicling political and personal shifts of the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, including his turn to conservative politics." pulitzer.org/winners/22641
Inspired by this mad scientist, I made leaves-of-grasstok.vercel.ap…, which guides readers through Walt Whitman's amazing book of poems, LEAVES OF GRASS.
It learns what you like in his poems, and illustrates each with a photo from a Depression-era photo (loc.gov/pictures/collection/…).
Harris tried to build it. They just didn’t come.
Turnout among core Democratic blocs dropped, and the Harris campaign reached out—and failed to sway—Republicans.
From me, @karadapena, @rob_barry, and @maureenlinke for @WSJ.
wsj.com/politics/elections/v…
Call it Field of Bad Dreams: Harris tried to build it, but they just didn’t come.
wsj.com/politics/elections/v…
In every core blue bloc, voters didn’t turn out. The electorate that did shifted toward Trump—an analysis of vote data from me, @karadapena, @maureenlinke, and @rob_barry.
With @sestamm at @WSJ, I wrote about the whitest county that votes Democratic. Trump wants to expand his advantage in white, working-class enclaves. Harris wants to claw back votes in old union strongholds. Places like Lake County, MN are the battleground. wsj.com/livecoverage/harris-…
If you prefer a little pun: In Black and Hispanic neighborhoods, the diploma divide is deepening... by degrees.
The partisan split between college and non-college voters is deepening across racial lines. wsj.com/politics/elections/d…
DEGREE OF SEPARATION: College divide erodes Democrats' support in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
With tons of hyperlocal data and a mess of exclusive analysis from me, @sestamm, @jackgillum, and @ben_warren0—and thanks to @maureenlinke and @rob_barry.
wsj.com/politics/elections/d…
I'm starting a book club where we only read brand-new works of fiction, gossip about them, and drink Earl Gray. It's called novel-tea.
John West retweeted
Bitcoin, burgers and big money donors: a behind-the-scenes look at why Trump says he'll block a Fed-backed digital currency, fire the SEC chair and free the founder of an online illicit drug market... (with @Vlajournaliste and @ceostroff)
wsj.com/politics/elections/d…
At the Miami Herald, @ShirshoD et al have published a disturbing series on Florida's juvenile crime law, which sees more Black kids tried as adults than white kids. (And do yourself a favor and check out the impressive methodology at the bottom)
miamiherald.com/news/local/c…
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Because I’m one of those sickos who likes to read critical material about books I just finished, I was looking at reviews of and interviews around SMALL RAIN by Garth Greenwell, which is an incredible book that I can't recommend strongly enough.
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And then I stumbled on his NYT interview (nytimes.com/2024/09/05/books…), where he discusses reading Heidegger, and I pulled up a book I read for my own research, PHILOSOPHY AS POETRY by Richard Rorty.
