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johnwilliams.bsky.social
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
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.
nymag.com
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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Reposted by John Williams
bartongellman.bsky.social
Barton Gellman @bartongellman.bsky.social · 7h
Correct. This headline and others, similar, entirely miss the meaning of the event.
chrisgeidner.bsky.social
Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 7h
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 22 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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Reposted by John Williams
kairyssdal.bsky.social
Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 4d
Where are the commanding officers of those sailors in the background. How are they letting this happen?
atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 4d
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 4d
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 4d
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 5d
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.
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 6d
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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Reposted by John Williams
makkon.bsky.social
Makkon @makkon.bsky.social · 7d
a flow-chart with 2 islands. "Do I need AI?" that flows into a final island saying "No"
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 7d
Lifelong Yankees fan here, and rooting as such, but Connelly Early is a tremendous baseball name. Respect.
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 7d
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.
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 8d
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 8d
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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Reposted by John Williams
ds228.bsky.social
Dorian Stuber @ds228.bsky.social · 8d
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 8d
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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Reposted by John Williams
jenszalai.bsky.social
Jennifer Szalai @jenszalai.bsky.social · 8d
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 9d
I read it consecutively with Michael Lewis's SBF book, which combo was ... interesting.
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 9d
I see that I used the same word as the Economist. That's embarrassing — but it's true!
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 9d
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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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 10d
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
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 11d
Nothing dumber than best-of-3 baseball playoff series, but let’s go…
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Reposted by John Williams
elderman.bsky.social
Edward Elderman @elderman.bsky.social · 13d
This only happens to you once
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 11d
A favorite among my many sports memories is listening to Game 7 between Dallas and Colorado in 1999 while driving from Austin to Dallas. Supremely dramatic radio!
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 12d
I need to read more deeply about the philosophy of court packing because I’m genuinely not sure how it doesn’t just lead to this, administration to administration, and an eventual SC of 30,000 justices. m.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZLo...
The Simpsons - Itchy and Scratchy Big Guns
YouTube video by Top Clips
m.youtube.com
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 13d
Relevant (enough) book review: www.washingtonpost.com/books/2025/0...
Review | Amelia Earhart, her husband and the myths they created
In “The Aviator and the Showman,” Laurie Gwen Shapiro recounts Earhart’s drive and the ways her husband, George Putnam, put her at risk
www.washingtonpost.com
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gunstreet.bsky.social
divine beastmode @gunstreet.bsky.social · 14d
the post office is a public service. it doesn’t need to make money. public transit doesn’t need to make money. the library doesn’t need to make money. some things exist for the public good and we desperately need lawmakers to stop thinking about them in terms of capitalism. these are not businesses.
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johnwilliams.bsky.social
John Williams @johnwilliams.bsky.social · 13d
This is great. I’m seeing her play again in October. Neko Case 4eva.
ninacorcoran.bsky.social
Nina Corcoran @ninacorcoran.bsky.social · 23d
Interviewed the one and only Neko Case about memorializing your friends through music, the cruel idolatry of muses, and her gorgeous new album for @pitchfork.com
Neko Case Gets Better With Age
The prolific singer-songwriter discusses the silver lining of grief, her everlasting obsession with nature, and her new album, Neon Grey Midnight Green.
pitchfork.com
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