Stephen Coles
@stewf.com
(he/him) Editorial Director & Associate Curator at @letterformarchive.org in San Francisco. Cofounder of @fontsinuse.com & @typographica.org.
Primarily on Mastodon: https://mstdn.party/@stewf
https://stephencoles.org
End the genocide. Cease fire now!
Primarily on Mastodon: https://mstdn.party/@stewf
https://stephencoles.org
End the genocide. Cease fire now!
Pinned
Stephen Coles
@stewf.com
· Nov 17
#introduction
Hello, my name is Stephen Coles.
I am a writer, typographer, archivist, and amateur curator who was extremely lucky to get into type at a time that enables and embraces two of my favorite things: building resources and communities.
This penchant began at an early age…
Hello, my name is Stephen Coles.
I am a writer, typographer, archivist, and amateur curator who was extremely lucky to get into type at a time that enables and embraces two of my favorite things: building resources and communities.
This penchant began at an early age…
#Oakland is not just underrated, it’s one of the most beautiful & livable cities in the world.
@laureola.bsky.social & I spent the day downtown where we witnessed the grand reopening of The Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. Our city’s auditorium was built in 1915 as a civic arena and theater.
@laureola.bsky.social & I spent the day downtown where we witnessed the grand reopening of The Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. Our city’s auditorium was built in 1915 as a civic arena and theater.
January 25, 2026 at 6:28 AM
#Oakland is not just underrated, it’s one of the most beautiful & livable cities in the world.
@laureola.bsky.social & I spent the day downtown where we witnessed the grand reopening of The Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. Our city’s auditorium was built in 1915 as a civic arena and theater.
@laureola.bsky.social & I spent the day downtown where we witnessed the grand reopening of The Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. Our city’s auditorium was built in 1915 as a civic arena and theater.
Reposted by Stephen Coles
Also! The Bay had me on to talk about CCA's closure. This team does such audio magic: we hear from a current BFA student just starting his second semester, I talk about the ripple effects on the art community, and we give the school the respect our mayor did not.
www.kqed.org/news/1207045...
www.kqed.org/news/1207045...
‘Nowhere Left to Go’: As California College of the Arts Closes, So Does a Pathway for Bay Area Artists | KQED
The school's closure stands to have a devastating impact on the Bay Area’s arts ecosystem
www.kqed.org
January 21, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Also! The Bay had me on to talk about CCA's closure. This team does such audio magic: we hear from a current BFA student just starting his second semester, I talk about the ripple effects on the art community, and we give the school the respect our mayor did not.
www.kqed.org/news/1207045...
www.kqed.org/news/1207045...
It’s a pretty great night when I get to bump fists with both Lateefah Simon and Sundra Manning at the mighty Paramount Theatre. #Oakland #LivingJazz #SlyStone
January 18, 2026 at 8:30 AM
It’s a pretty great night when I get to bump fists with both Lateefah Simon and Sundra Manning at the mighty Paramount Theatre. #Oakland #LivingJazz #SlyStone
Do you need another reason to cancel Spotify?
Glad I never signed up and then felt locked in. I see how other people got there, but there isn’t really an excuse to stick around now.
Glad I never signed up and then felt locked in. I see how other people got there, but there isn’t really an excuse to stick around now.
In April 2024, Spotify implemented a new scheme: songs with less than 1k streams per year would no longer receive royalties.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.
Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.
January 16, 2026 at 5:58 AM
Do you need another reason to cancel Spotify?
Glad I never signed up and then felt locked in. I see how other people got there, but there isn’t really an excuse to stick around now.
Glad I never signed up and then felt locked in. I see how other people got there, but there isn’t really an excuse to stick around now.
Another reason to boycott Amazon. If you haven’t heard, they are scraping indie shop data and using AI agents to purchase those products through Amazon’s shop. www.forbes.com/sites/johnko...
Amazon Agentic Hypocrisy? Agents For Me But Not For Thee
Amazon doesn't want other brands' AI agents on its site. But Amazon's AI agents are trawling the internet to sell products it does not stock.
www.forbes.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Another reason to boycott Amazon. If you haven’t heard, they are scraping indie shop data and using AI agents to purchase those products through Amazon’s shop. www.forbes.com/sites/johnko...
Bookshop.org is one of the rare great things to happen to the internet in the last decade.
January 6, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Bookshop.org is one of the rare great things to happen to the internet in the last decade.
Reposted by Stephen Coles
The Flickr album of my favorite signs just passed 100: www.flickr.com/photos/stewf...
Here’s the map view: www.flickr.com/photos/stewf...
As always, Flickr remains the best place to store, organize, and share photos.
#Signs #Lettering #Photography #Flickr
Here’s the map view: www.flickr.com/photos/stewf...
As always, Flickr remains the best place to store, organize, and share photos.
#Signs #Lettering #Photography #Flickr
Best of Signs
Explore this photo album by Stephen Coles on Flickr!
www.flickr.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:44 PM
The Flickr album of my favorite signs just passed 100: www.flickr.com/photos/stewf...
Here’s the map view: www.flickr.com/photos/stewf...
As always, Flickr remains the best place to store, organize, and share photos.
#Signs #Lettering #Photography #Flickr
Here’s the map view: www.flickr.com/photos/stewf...
As always, Flickr remains the best place to store, organize, and share photos.
#Signs #Lettering #Photography #Flickr
So far, the best corporate statement on AI is @buttondown.com’s: buttondown.com/blog/generat...
How Buttondown uses your content to power generative AI
Nope nope nope.
buttondown.com
December 30, 2025 at 12:59 AM
So far, the best corporate statement on AI is @buttondown.com’s: buttondown.com/blog/generat...
Reposted by Stephen Coles
this is a good reminder of how things that are shitty but have been accepted as normal and inevitable can actually turn out to be abnormal and evitable with some science, time, education and political will
December 19, 2025 at 8:44 PM
this is a good reminder of how things that are shitty but have been accepted as normal and inevitable can actually turn out to be abnormal and evitable with some science, time, education and political will
Seen on the back of a tanker truck on the road yesterday. I am still puzzled.
December 17, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Seen on the back of a tanker truck on the road yesterday. I am still puzzled.
Reposted by Stephen Coles
While Amazon is investing billions of dollars to expand AI, independent bookstores are hosting community events, personally recommending books to readers, and providing a space that is safe and welcoming during a time when we need them most.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
December 15, 2025 at 4:11 PM
While Amazon is investing billions of dollars to expand AI, independent bookstores are hosting community events, personally recommending books to readers, and providing a space that is safe and welcoming during a time when we need them most.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
Never underestimate the power of a local bookstore.
Reposted by Stephen Coles
Big housing news in San Francisco today: the Board of Supervisors (their equivalent of City Council) votes to upzone the entire western half of the city. Currently much of the westside is houses. Commercial streets get a height boost.
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
December 3, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Big housing news in San Francisco today: the Board of Supervisors (their equivalent of City Council) votes to upzone the entire western half of the city. Currently much of the westside is houses. Commercial streets get a height boost.
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
Nearly 20 years ago, after I first moved to SF, I had no idea what I was looking at as I posed in front of this rad shop window. Pleased to hear that MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing) was just named among the 50 Best Clothing Companies by the New York Times. The store opened in 1980. flic.kr/p/2nTsin
mac
flic.kr
December 3, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Nearly 20 years ago, after I first moved to SF, I had no idea what I was looking at as I posed in front of this rad shop window. Pleased to hear that MAC (Modern Appealing Clothing) was just named among the 50 Best Clothing Companies by the New York Times. The store opened in 1980. flic.kr/p/2nTsin
I could watch a whole season of David Byrne talking music. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEj...
Testing David Byrne's Music Knowledge | Track Star*
YouTube video by Track Star*
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I could watch a whole season of David Byrne talking music. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MEj...
Reposted by Stephen Coles
Billie Eilish asked an important question: "If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?"
There are FIVE ways to accumulate a billion dollars:
1) Profiting from a monopoly
2) Insider-trading
3) Political payoffs
4) Fraud
5) Inheritance
Billionaires are the result of a failed system.
There are FIVE ways to accumulate a billion dollars:
1) Profiting from a monopoly
2) Insider-trading
3) Political payoffs
4) Fraud
5) Inheritance
Billionaires are the result of a failed system.
November 18, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Billie Eilish asked an important question: "If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?"
There are FIVE ways to accumulate a billion dollars:
1) Profiting from a monopoly
2) Insider-trading
3) Political payoffs
4) Fraud
5) Inheritance
Billionaires are the result of a failed system.
There are FIVE ways to accumulate a billion dollars:
1) Profiting from a monopoly
2) Insider-trading
3) Political payoffs
4) Fraud
5) Inheritance
Billionaires are the result of a failed system.
Who is the most influential person in your community or industry, but doesn’t post on social media?
November 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Who is the most influential person in your community or industry, but doesn’t post on social media?
Reposted by Stephen Coles
Friends, please stop linking to Spotify like it’s ok.
The company steadily siphoned money from indie artists, spent millions to host Joe Rogan, littered their library with AI music, and now the CEO is investing in AI weapons.
There are plenty of less damaging ways to listen to music and podcasts.
The company steadily siphoned money from indie artists, spent millions to host Joe Rogan, littered their library with AI music, and now the CEO is investing in AI weapons.
There are plenty of less damaging ways to listen to music and podcasts.
August 15, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Friends, please stop linking to Spotify like it’s ok.
The company steadily siphoned money from indie artists, spent millions to host Joe Rogan, littered their library with AI music, and now the CEO is investing in AI weapons.
There are plenty of less damaging ways to listen to music and podcasts.
The company steadily siphoned money from indie artists, spent millions to host Joe Rogan, littered their library with AI music, and now the CEO is investing in AI weapons.
There are plenty of less damaging ways to listen to music and podcasts.
Reposted by Stephen Coles
Democratic party leadership has been on autopilot for ten years, they weren't losing to fascism, fascism isn't popular enough for them to lose to fascism, they were allowing it to fill the void where their leadership should have been. Tonight we're seeing that we have other options. They should too.
November 5, 2025 at 5:14 AM
Democratic party leadership has been on autopilot for ten years, they weren't losing to fascism, fascism isn't popular enough for them to lose to fascism, they were allowing it to fill the void where their leadership should have been. Tonight we're seeing that we have other options. They should too.
Reposted by Stephen Coles
Tonight's even more proof the mainstream reporters who are still on Twitter are suffering from a brain problem akin Havana Syndrome that is preventing them from accurately doing their jobs. They are being cooked alive by a snuff-focused apartheid algorithm.
November 5, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Tonight's even more proof the mainstream reporters who are still on Twitter are suffering from a brain problem akin Havana Syndrome that is preventing them from accurately doing their jobs. They are being cooked alive by a snuff-focused apartheid algorithm.
Reposted by Stephen Coles
We did 163 essays at Evening News Plus. This was our last one: Why Journalism? substack.com/profile/5411...
John Dickerson (@johnfdickerson)
We did 163 essays at Evening News Plus. This was our last one: Why Journalism?
substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:50 PM
We did 163 essays at Evening News Plus. This was our last one: Why Journalism? substack.com/profile/5411...
Reposted by Stephen Coles
I am surprised to finally read something from Ana Marie Cox that I do not agree with.
I think this is a very limited take on reader-supported independent news that ignores the massive success of several important outlets like 404 Media, Hell Gate, The 51st, RANGE, Racket and beyond 🧵
I think this is a very limited take on reader-supported independent news that ignores the massive success of several important outlets like 404 Media, Hell Gate, The 51st, RANGE, Racket and beyond 🧵
I did not enjoy writing this; it can't even serve as an ad for my newsletter, which I've suspended due to an overbilling situation that has me almost regretting leaving Substack. But, you know, it's evidence for the piece I just didn't get to include.
talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/patro...
talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/patro...
Patron-Supported Journalism Can’t Be the Future of News
Writing about the failure of patron-supported journalism is itself a kind of...
talkingpointsmemo.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:16 AM
I am surprised to finally read something from Ana Marie Cox that I do not agree with.
I think this is a very limited take on reader-supported independent news that ignores the massive success of several important outlets like 404 Media, Hell Gate, The 51st, RANGE, Racket and beyond 🧵
I think this is a very limited take on reader-supported independent news that ignores the massive success of several important outlets like 404 Media, Hell Gate, The 51st, RANGE, Racket and beyond 🧵
Reposted by Stephen Coles
Preach @lexroman.com The independent journalism renaissance is just getting started
The CMS/biz tools that are not VC-funded and extractive are good now, and they are getting better rapidly
And other pieces are coming too
Substack and Patreon sucking isn't the end. It's the end of the beginning.
The CMS/biz tools that are not VC-funded and extractive are good now, and they are getting better rapidly
And other pieces are coming too
Substack and Patreon sucking isn't the end. It's the end of the beginning.
I am surprised to finally read something from Ana Marie Cox that I do not agree with.
I think this is a very limited take on reader-supported independent news that ignores the massive success of several important outlets like 404 Media, Hell Gate, The 51st, RANGE, Racket and beyond 🧵
I think this is a very limited take on reader-supported independent news that ignores the massive success of several important outlets like 404 Media, Hell Gate, The 51st, RANGE, Racket and beyond 🧵
I did not enjoy writing this; it can't even serve as an ad for my newsletter, which I've suspended due to an overbilling situation that has me almost regretting leaving Substack. But, you know, it's evidence for the piece I just didn't get to include.
talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/patro...
talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/patro...
October 29, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Preach @lexroman.com The independent journalism renaissance is just getting started
The CMS/biz tools that are not VC-funded and extractive are good now, and they are getting better rapidly
And other pieces are coming too
Substack and Patreon sucking isn't the end. It's the end of the beginning.
The CMS/biz tools that are not VC-funded and extractive are good now, and they are getting better rapidly
And other pieces are coming too
Substack and Patreon sucking isn't the end. It's the end of the beginning.
“Automakers aren't doing a good enough job of convincing consumers that EVs can have the same longevity as an old 1992 Honda Accord.”
And lower maintenance costs overall! Maybe except for tires?
And lower maintenance costs overall! Maybe except for tires?
A new study into battery longevity ranks the Kia EV6 at the top—and also reveals that degradation may not be such a big deal.
insideevs.com/news/776907/...
insideevs.com/news/776907/...
The EV Brand With The Slowest Battery Degradation Isn’t Tesla
A new study into battery longevity ranks the Kia EV6 at the top, and also reveals that degradation may not be such a big deal.
insideevs.com
October 26, 2025 at 5:13 PM
“Automakers aren't doing a good enough job of convincing consumers that EVs can have the same longevity as an old 1992 Honda Accord.”
And lower maintenance costs overall! Maybe except for tires?
And lower maintenance costs overall! Maybe except for tires?
Reposted by Stephen Coles
The New York Times is wrong about the electoral value of moderation www.gelliottmorris.com/p/the-new-yo...
The New York Times is wrong about the electoral value of moderation | Weekly roundup for October 26, 2025
The paper's arguments hinge on several methodological flaws, and it dismisses valid empirical alternatives. Plus: Gerrymandering, and the Republicans' lost lead on economics
www.gelliottmorris.com
October 26, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The New York Times is wrong about the electoral value of moderation www.gelliottmorris.com/p/the-new-yo...
If you must use ChatGPT to look something up (you probably don’t), ask it to “always provide citations with answers”. This setting is saved for future chats. Then, at least, you can check the sources, the sources get credit for the content ChatGPT stole.
October 25, 2025 at 6:02 AM
If you must use ChatGPT to look something up (you probably don’t), ask it to “always provide citations with answers”. This setting is saved for future chats. Then, at least, you can check the sources, the sources get credit for the content ChatGPT stole.