Ben George

@RonCharles I'm sorry they've made this terrible decision. You've long been my favorite writer on books -- the wittiest, most astute, and spot-on. That will remain true wherever I read your writing. (The Harry & David pear quip is yet one more example.)

I’ve Been Laid Off. I’m Not Done. open.substack.com/pub/roncharles…

Zoom in for an amazing letter (circa 1989) from Tom Robbins to the bookstore—about The Satanic Verses & Rushdie. Very rousing.

@brychristian @Logically_JC Very sad but very true.

@AlanZibel That makes sense.

@bencgeorge @Max_Fisher less tied to Biden

Three very difficult truths on election post-mortems 1. "Dems could have won if they'd only done X." Everyone has a version of this. But in virtually every case they *did* do X, often to an unprecedented degree. Economic populism, working class wages, abortion. $200m ads on the economy. If you're asking why she didn't message on X, the answer is she did, relentlessly; it just didn't hit your blue bubble twitter feed. 2. It actually did work! In states where both Harris and Trump campaigned heavily, she outperformed national trends by D+3 to D+5. That's huge! 3. But was overwhelmed by an R+6 swing that blew through every state and demo. This is consistent with the anti-incumbent swing hitting every developed democracy on earth. Tactical campaign choices cannot explain a global trend. And it is extremely difficult to imagine a campaign that could've overcome it.

A treat to see the fantastic SPLINTERS by @lsjamison in Esquire’s Top 20 Books of the Year!

@Puyana @TexasMonthly Wonderful piece, Ale, and I loved seeing the photos of you and your family -- especially the one of you and your brother as youngsters!

My essay in @TexasMonthly, where I tell the story of how I found my identity as a Venezuelan writer in the heat of Austin, TX.

@brychristian @washingtonpost Same action on my end. I was furious.

The complaint goes back to at least 1907, apparently.

Texas plans to execute Robert Roberson at 6 pm tonight, despite evidence of his innocence. The courts and parole board have failed to stop the execution. So legislators have issued an “unprecedented subpoena” in a last-ditch effort to save his life. texastribune.org/2024/10/16/rob…

Brilliant & necessary reporting and writing about election interference efforts in GA from the indefatigable @DougBockClark (who also happens to be the author of the magisterial NF book #TheLastWhalers), featured on @LastWeekTonight

@SimonWDC @JaysonFras To invoke CA and NY is a straw man. I said PA, GA, AZ, and NV. Trump is ahead in AZ and GA, within a point in NV, within 2 points in PA (538 averages). That’s MOE levels and completely possible. The point is not to make a 2016 mistake and to keep working.

@JaysonFras @bencgeorge We are not talking math here guys. We are talking politics and where the other states are. Mathematically CA and NY could vote for Trump. But is it never going to happen. “Mathematically possible” is a ridiculous standard.

There is no Trump 270 without North Carolina. Harris is tied or leads in every recent independent (non-GOP) poll in the state, and now this ongoing Robinson shitshow. It's an enormous development in the 2024 election, and a very, very bad one for Trump.

@SimonWDC Dipshit? You’re an MSNBC commentator, dude. No need to bring the discourse down to Trump or Musk levels because of a fact check. I’m pulling for Kamala every day. I just wouldn’t use what the Trump campaign is saying as a truth barometer. It’s math.

@stepfordnot Congratulations, Katharine! The stellar campaigns will continue unabated. :)

@RZAgent Congrats, Renee! An impressive run for you in recent years, with IF I SURVIVE YOU also coming to mind. :)

@MilesHa91389803 @ohiostatepress @DePaulLAS @DePaulNewsline @DePaul_English Congratulations, Miles!

My short-story collection drops today, which makes me want to sing. No one need that, however, so instead here's a playlist of songs, one for each tale in THE REGISTRY OF FORGOTTEN OBJECTS. Check it out and buy the book! @ohiostatepress @DePaulLAS @DePaulNewsline @DePaul_English

@postcardsfrmv Edith Pearlman

@melflashman @Tyler_A_Harper Yes, Mel! The IGA in Wilmore had a vending machine outside with this famous soda—though as you know its full name is Ale-8-1 (“A Late One”). An idiosyncratic and tasty thirst quencher.

@Tyler_A_Harper And as any real Kentuckian knows, your coke of choice is called Ale-8

Should we hear him out?

Couldn’t agree more! I predict many readers will share this euphoric take by @MarlonJames5