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John Williams

@johnwilliams.bsky.social

2.9K followers 560 following 400 posts

Books editor at Washington Post. Apollonian/Order Muppet. Highly sociable misanthrope.

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · Sep 8

The answer to the first two questions below is yes if certain conditions are met: Putting reviews in front of online readers; not expecting/caring that every review do equally "well," traffic-wise; and caring about subscribers' desires/behaviors beyond clicks. Etc.

New York Magazine @nymag.com · Sep 8

Do reviews draw readers? Boost subscriptions? Sell ads? And if the answer is ‘no,’ what then? Charlotte Klein explores the precarious state of cultural criticism.

Do Media Organizations Even Want Cultural Criticism?

Do reviews draw readers? Boost subscriptions? Sell ads? And if the answer is ‘no,’ what then? Charlotte Klein explores the precarious state of cultural criticism.

nymag.com

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 1d

Me giving writing advice:

Sushi chef Jiro Ono saying, “In order to make delicious food, you must eat delicious food.”

John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 1d

I was just thinking today before breakfast that sometimes you happen to be alive during a truly worthwhile technological development, like the widespread availability of affordable paperbacks. Other times, you get generative AI.

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Miller on the Threshold @iammilliam.bsky.social · 1d

Welp, Backlisted has just been moved to the biggest stage at the 92nd St Y due to “unprecedented demand”. Join the waiting list, New York! Two weeks today, we’ll be celebrating William Maxwell, a century of the New Yorker and, oh yeah, a decade of @backlisted.bsky.social. Tickets via 92NY.org.

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 1d

John Oliver's half hour on Bari Weiss undid years of my blood pressure medication.

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 2d

Listen to the response to this and look how easy it is to say it.

Graham Platner for Senate @grahamformaine.bsky.social · 2d

We have armed secret police kidnapping people off the street based on the color of their skin.

When we win: we will haul them before a Senate committee. The masks will come off. There will be consequences.

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Susan DuBose @houseofbast777.bsky.social · 3d

Diane Keaton by Diane Keaton
Date unknown

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Barton Gellman @bartongellman.bsky.social · 5d

Correct. This headline and others, similar, entirely miss the meaning of the event.

Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 5d

The prosecutor put in office after the president who wants vengeance against his enemies told his AG that a WH lawyer was the person for the job — despite no prosecution experience — successfully sought an indictment against one of the named enemies, the second such indictment.

And you push this?

Notification Center
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NBC NEWS
Breaking news
Federal grand jury in Virginia charges Letitia James, the New York attorney general who investigated Trump's business practices, with bank fraud

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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 9d

Where are the commanding officers of those sailors in the background. How are they letting this happen?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 9d

Trump to the Navy: "We have to take care of this little gnat that's on our shoulder called the Democrats."

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 9d

The whole thing was better than I expected — side of the road wise. The … narrowness of some roads was a bit sweaty. Roundabouts required extra alertness but weren’t terrible. I think in the U.S. they’re much less elegantly — of course — called traffic circles. But there are far fewer of them here.

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 9d

I just drove four hours on the left side of the road, AMA (about driving on the left side of the road). Drove from Dublin to Killarney with a dear friend I haven’t seen in too long, a good Rx.

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 10d

At a hotel bar in Dublin and feeling pretty good about things (for 30 minutes or so — I’ll take it!).

A recently reissued edition of Frank O’Connor’s “The Lonely Voice” alongside a cocktail.

John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 11d

Me trying to abide by the rules about fighting jet lag on the first day and not napping.

a man in a suit is sitting at a table with his hand on his face .

Alt: Chandler Bing nodding off at work.

media.tenor.com

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Makkon @makkon.bsky.social · 12d

a flow-chart with 2 islands. "Do I need AI?" that flows into a final island saying "No"

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 12d

Lifelong Yankees fan here, and rooting as such, but Connelly Early is a tremendous baseball name. Respect.

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 12d

I’m at the airport and have had a solid four or five experiences that (further) prove technology is now serving its own obscure ends, not ours.

John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 13d

My saying it out loud is an almost Pavlovian response at this point, triggered by the end of each ad, when they reliably (and very quickly) list a number to call if youorsomeoneyouknowhasagamblingproblem...

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 13d

There are so many, but the one I repeat to myself *all the time* now, mostly out loud, because of the ubiquity of gambling ads on TV and radio, is "I call him Gamblor!!"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNkB...

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Dorian Stuber @ds228.bsky.social · 13d

A while back @mookse.bsky.social and @bibliopaul.bsky.social @johnwilliams.bsky.social discussed starter libraries—which inspired me to imagine my own

eigermonchjungfrau.blog/2025/10/01/a...

A Shelf of Promises: My Starter Library

A recent episode of The Mookse and the Gripes podcast got me thinking. Hosts Trevor and Paul were joined by John Williams of the Washington Post (mensches one and all). John had proposed a fascinat…

eigermonchjungfrau.blog

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 13d

My brilliant friend Tim with a revisionist take on Jeeves & Wooster: www.the-tls.com/literature-b...

A dashed clever fellow

“Bertie, you’re extraordinary,” she said.“Eh? How do you mean, extraordinary?”“All this nonsense you have been talking, trying to reconcile me and D’Arcy. Not that I don’t admire you for it. I think i...

www.the-tls.com

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Jennifer Szalai @jenszalai.bsky.social · 13d

Took a break from writing about political memoirs to review a big new biography of Bruce Lee [gift link] www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/b...

Bruce Lee Died Young, but He Changed the Look of Movies Forever

www.nytimes.com

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 14d

I read it consecutively with Michael Lewis's SBF book, which combo was ... interesting.

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 14d

I see that I used the same word as the Economist. That's embarrassing — but it's true!

John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 14d

He makes some memorable appearances in this very rollicking and opinionated book: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711959...

Number Go Up by Zeke Faux: 9780593443835 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

The “rollicking” (The Economist), “masterfully written” (The Washington Post) account of the crypto delusion, and how Sam Bankman-Fried and a cast of fellow nerds and...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

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John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 15d

It's a Monday in 2025, so here's a four-minute respite. A Fiona classic recorded during a tornado warning in Oklahoma. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWKe...

Fiona Apple - Fast As You Can - Letterman

YouTube video by drielycarter

www.youtube.com

John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 16d

Nothing dumber than best-of-3 baseball playoff series, but let’s go…