He writes *so* well. But I think he'd be a bad friend, and god *help* the person who falls in love with him. He sounds profoundly narcissistic, and so engrossed in the task of conveying his own complex dysphoria in a striking, accurate, entertaining way that he has no time or attention for anyone else's sensibility and the rocky hills it's rolling down.
Yes, all of that. But whatever his flaws are, he utilizes them to literary perfection. I would be excited to read a menu written by him. If we're lucky, maybe sycophants like me will inflate his ego so far that he eventually goes insane and becomes a living embodiment of his reality bending essays...a girl can only dream.
But for real, he is the only one who rises to the challenge of satire these days, and he reaches so deep into the guts of a metaphor, and seamlessly weaves archetypes through time and dimension. It might be a matter of taste, but "Sam Kriss is the best writer of a generation" is one of my strongest taste opinions.
If the NYT reads this exchange they're gonna be snarky about how people here use the expression "update your epistemic status." They want to be, like, the archetypal smart perceptive people, the ones who are just smart and perceptive, with no admixture of dirt and contaminants. They see clearly and they see far, but they don't use odd expressions. They just say things like "so are you going to be able to do that Q&A you mentioned, Scott?" They've got clear complexions! We're smart but from their POV our appearance is marred by these culty ingroup phrases and mannerisms, like warts, you know?
Are kids welcome? I wish to bring them and feel that they will both get a lot out of this, be respectful, and contribute their share of positive energy. I just want to confirm that others will appreciate this too.
Okay, Berkeley! That's tempting. September 9th... hmm. You know, that feeling of awkwardness you mentioned? I get it. It's like the first few times I played Flappy Bird - utterly hopeless and convinced everyone was watching me fail miserably. Seriously though, good on you for explicitly calling that out. I might just brave the social anxiety. And Sam Kriss? Now that seals the deal. (Assuming he's actually showing up and not just a figment of your blog-post imagination.) See you there, maybe!
Sounds like a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people! Berkeley's a cool location for a meetup, and I appreciate the welcoming vibe. It's always a little nerve-wracking going to these things, but the reminder that everyone's welcome really helps. I might even bring my laptop and work on some game development projects, maybe even brainstorm some ideas for a hyper-realistic drifting game. It's always fun to chat about games like Drift Hunters and see what inspires others in the field. Looking forward to potentially seeing some of you there!
The possibility of Sam Kriss being there is definitely a draw. If he does come, is there a set time for the Q&A, or is this just a social affair? Either way, it's a great reason to come!
Someone please get awkwardly starstruck around Sam Kriss and tell him it's from me
Man, what is the appeal of that guy?
I can't stand him. And I'm not just saying that because he got MeToo'd; I actually think that attack was real weak. His writing just repels me.
Are you interested in explaining?
He writes extremely well. I admire that. But his sole subject, really, is himself.
He writes *so* well. But I think he'd be a bad friend, and god *help* the person who falls in love with him. He sounds profoundly narcissistic, and so engrossed in the task of conveying his own complex dysphoria in a striking, accurate, entertaining way that he has no time or attention for anyone else's sensibility and the rocky hills it's rolling down.
Yes, all of that. But whatever his flaws are, he utilizes them to literary perfection. I would be excited to read a menu written by him. If we're lucky, maybe sycophants like me will inflate his ego so far that he eventually goes insane and becomes a living embodiment of his reality bending essays...a girl can only dream.
But for real, he is the only one who rises to the challenge of satire these days, and he reaches so deep into the guts of a metaphor, and seamlessly weaves archetypes through time and dimension. It might be a matter of taste, but "Sam Kriss is the best writer of a generation" is one of my strongest taste opinions.
A previous announcement said "possibly Q&A with Scott." Scott, could you update your epistemic status on that?
Let's update it to "probably Q&A with Scott"
If the NYT reads this exchange they're gonna be snarky about how people here use the expression "update your epistemic status." They want to be, like, the archetypal smart perceptive people, the ones who are just smart and perceptive, with no admixture of dirt and contaminants. They see clearly and they see far, but they don't use odd expressions. They just say things like "so are you going to be able to do that Q&A you mentioned, Scott?" They've got clear complexions! We're smart but from their POV our appearance is marred by these culty ingroup phrases and mannerisms, like warts, you know?
Note to self: Next time make a manifold market on whether there's Q&A with Scott at the Berkeley ACX Everywhere.
I want to apologize for the weather.
Are kids welcome? I wish to bring them and feel that they will both get a lot out of this, be respectful, and contribute their share of positive energy. I just want to confirm that others will appreciate this too.
I'm bringing mine.
I brought mine!
I live in Japan and don’t have the opportunity to attend the meetup in person. Could you please stream it online?
It's mostly people having individual conversations.
You may be interested in the Tokyo ACX Everywhere next Saturday: https://www.astralcodexten.com/i/172013953/japan
Thanks I’ve emailed them 2 days ago but haven’t got a reply
I met one of my readers last night in Chicago. I asked who do you read besides me? He said uh… Scott Alexander
>> Sam Kriss, unless his commitment to attend was after the point in our conversation where he subtly shifted from fact to fiction.
I am dead. Perfect.
Okay, Berkeley! That's tempting. September 9th... hmm. You know, that feeling of awkwardness you mentioned? I get it. It's like the first few times I played Flappy Bird - utterly hopeless and convinced everyone was watching me fail miserably. Seriously though, good on you for explicitly calling that out. I might just brave the social anxiety. And Sam Kriss? Now that seals the deal. (Assuming he's actually showing up and not just a figment of your blog-post imagination.) See you there, maybe!
https://flappybird2d.com
Sounds like a great opportunity to connect with like-minded people! Berkeley's a cool location for a meetup, and I appreciate the welcoming vibe. It's always a little nerve-wracking going to these things, but the reminder that everyone's welcome really helps. I might even bring my laptop and work on some game development projects, maybe even brainstorm some ideas for a hyper-realistic drifting game. It's always fun to chat about games like Drift Hunters and see what inspires others in the field. Looking forward to potentially seeing some of you there!
https://drifthunters3d.io
The possibility of Sam Kriss being there is definitely a draw. If he does come, is there a set time for the Q&A, or is this just a social affair? Either way, it's a great reason to come!
https://leveldevilgame.com/