Johnny Clafoutis
@johnnyclafoutis.bsky.social
I write about books and many other things here:
https://johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/
https://johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/
I wrote about hit men's memoirs and the mob media circuit:
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/true-crime...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/true-crime...
True Crime for Men
The mob media circuit
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com
April 14, 2025 at 3:06 PM
I wrote about hit men's memoirs and the mob media circuit:
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/true-crime...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/true-crime...
I wrote about French memoirist Edouard Louis
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/ripleys-me...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/ripleys-me...
Ripley's Memoirs
"Change," by Edouard Louis
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com
March 23, 2025 at 11:57 AM
I wrote about French memoirist Edouard Louis
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/ripleys-me...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/ripleys-me...
I communed deeply with ChatGPT's fiction-writing algorithm here johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/machine-wr...
Machine Writing
Slop, crap, and beyond
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com
March 17, 2025 at 6:15 PM
I communed deeply with ChatGPT's fiction-writing algorithm here johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/machine-wr...
I wrote about Anora, Conclave, and No Other Land in a special Oscars special.
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/anora-no-o...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/anora-no-o...
Anora, No Other Land, Conclave
Oscars Special
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com
March 8, 2025 at 10:54 PM
I wrote about Anora, Conclave, and No Other Land in a special Oscars special.
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/anora-no-o...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/anora-no-o...
I wrote about Nabokov's first novel, "Mary," which was published 99 years ago.
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/nabokovs-f...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/nabokovs-f...
Nabokov's first novel
A stunning debut, a bold new voice
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com
March 7, 2025 at 6:35 PM
I wrote about Nabokov's first novel, "Mary," which was published 99 years ago.
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/nabokovs-f...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/nabokovs-f...
I wrote about the exhibition of Kafka's papers at the Morgan Library, up for another month:
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/kafkas-han...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/kafkas-han...
Kafka's Handwriting
Notes on a world-class tourist attraction
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com
March 7, 2025 at 4:01 AM
I wrote about the exhibition of Kafka's papers at the Morgan Library, up for another month:
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/kafkas-han...
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/kafkas-han...
I wrote about Barry Lyndon, which turned 50 this year.
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/barry-lyndon
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/barry-lyndon
Barry Lyndon
The only good period piece
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com
February 19, 2025 at 11:10 PM
I wrote about Barry Lyndon, which turned 50 this year.
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/barry-lyndon
johnnyclafoutis.substack.com/p/barry-lyndon
can anyone recommend a book about Pangea?
January 15, 2025 at 11:00 PM
can anyone recommend a book about Pangea?
Enjoying a book of John Updike's stories from the 90s, "Afterlife," and realizing that this is still basically my idea of what a short story is – even maybe what wisdom is. The "epiphany" story, of which he was the supreme practitioner.
January 12, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Enjoying a book of John Updike's stories from the 90s, "Afterlife," and realizing that this is still basically my idea of what a short story is – even maybe what wisdom is. The "epiphany" story, of which he was the supreme practitioner.
funny, this snapshot of an LLM is also a cross-section of my brain
January 8, 2025 at 7:52 PM
funny, this snapshot of an LLM is also a cross-section of my brain
Is anyone out there writing anything interesting about AI? Everything I see is by boosters, doomers or haters.
January 8, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Is anyone out there writing anything interesting about AI? Everything I see is by boosters, doomers or haters.
Watching a film (Wolf, 1994) in which I recognize most of the actors. Not just Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer, but the guy who played the judge on The Wire, the gym manager in Burn After Reading. The Bradbury Building, playing a publishing house. It's all one movie, we've been watching Movie
December 29, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Watching a film (Wolf, 1994) in which I recognize most of the actors. Not just Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer, but the guy who played the judge on The Wire, the gym manager in Burn After Reading. The Bradbury Building, playing a publishing house. It's all one movie, we've been watching Movie
I don't I'm ever going to read a book with a subtitle again. I've read enough of them (6)
December 19, 2024 at 2:13 AM
I don't I'm ever going to read a book with a subtitle again. I've read enough of them (6)
Reposted by Johnny Clafoutis
1924: In 100 years we'll have flying cars
2024:
2024:
December 9, 2024 at 8:52 PM
1924: In 100 years we'll have flying cars
2024:
2024:
I must own a black cat
December 16, 2024 at 7:29 PM
I must own a black cat
In general one is prepared for bad news but not no news.
December 13, 2024 at 12:41 AM
In general one is prepared for bad news but not no news.
"No offense, but are you AI?"
December 13, 2024 at 12:33 AM
"No offense, but are you AI?"
The World as Will and Representation is like a novel, not in telling a story, not in being a page-turner (it does neither) but in its sense of completeness. A completely imagined world. Self-contained, huge, majestic
December 13, 2024 at 12:30 AM
The World as Will and Representation is like a novel, not in telling a story, not in being a page-turner (it does neither) but in its sense of completeness. A completely imagined world. Self-contained, huge, majestic
Are these CEOs really this stupid, or are they just required to say this to pay lip service to a new fad? No one would ever be interested in a product like this. I don't think LLMs are the devil, I don't know what they are, but they suck energy and attention away from books – this man's product.
Says the CEO of HarperCollins on AI:
"One idea is a “talking book,” where a book sits atop a large language model, allowing readers to converse with an AI facsimile of its author."
Please, just make it stop, somebody.
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
"One idea is a “talking book,” where a book sits atop a large language model, allowing readers to converse with an AI facsimile of its author."
Please, just make it stop, somebody.
www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray on Hot Print Book Sales and the Use of AI
Deluxe editions of popular titles are driving sales of print books this holiday season, HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray said at a media conference this week. The company is also looking at various AI-d...
www.publishersweekly.com
December 11, 2024 at 9:09 PM
Are these CEOs really this stupid, or are they just required to say this to pay lip service to a new fad? No one would ever be interested in a product like this. I don't think LLMs are the devil, I don't know what they are, but they suck energy and attention away from books – this man's product.
I think it will come out soon enough that the UHC killer was mentally ill. These people are never folk heroes. Folk heroes rob banks. These lone shooters are a completely different type. Oswald said "I'm just a patsy," and you can believe him. He and, say, John Gotti couldn't be more different.
December 10, 2024 at 6:53 PM
I think it will come out soon enough that the UHC killer was mentally ill. These people are never folk heroes. Folk heroes rob banks. These lone shooters are a completely different type. Oswald said "I'm just a patsy," and you can believe him. He and, say, John Gotti couldn't be more different.
Is there a depression remedy that just involves sticking your face in a bag of coffee beans?
December 10, 2024 at 4:35 PM
Is there a depression remedy that just involves sticking your face in a bag of coffee beans?
people are bad
December 10, 2024 at 4:28 PM
people are bad
I guess really it's impossible to make a "solid point"
December 10, 2024 at 4:26 PM
I guess really it's impossible to make a "solid point"
Reading Schopenhauer and seeing his influence on Tolstoy so clearly. When Tolstoy describes boredom as "the desire for desires." When Levin is angry at Kitty but feels that hurting her is like hurting himself. The description of Anna's final moments. All over, really.
December 10, 2024 at 3:46 PM
Reading Schopenhauer and seeing his influence on Tolstoy so clearly. When Tolstoy describes boredom as "the desire for desires." When Levin is angry at Kitty but feels that hurting her is like hurting himself. The description of Anna's final moments. All over, really.