Thank you!

‪If you could not attend nor watch the "Haunted Woods and Grimm Tales" event from March 27, with Philip Pullman and Sam Leith discussing various topics (including some rose or field considerations... but not only) with Julia Eccleshar, it is here for you to watch...

Not at all. It deserved a reply. And I agree with all you say.

All valid questions. Like I say: I’m baffled

Working at speed on a moving story is one. But I take your point. His last for me was Jan 2023 though, which is I *think* a bit before LLMs were quite what they are

Yes, true. But the obverse would be that writing - if the money’s not the point - is something he does for satisfaction and esteem so by that token he’d be more rather than less attentive to doing it well in a marquee publication. (I mean, if I were really rich I’d probably still write to show off.)

Not that I can easily see

This gets to the fundamental reason why I won't use AI: if you have to check everything it says, is its value greater than your reputation?

Entirely agreed. Also, it’s deeply satisfying work. It’s FUN.

💯

Well, no, and a world of difference in their responses too

V sorry to hear that and be the cause of your triggering

Preston's account of his ChatGPT-plagiarism makes AI out to be a monkey's paw/evil genie, fulfilling your wish but in a way that does you far more harm than good

No, and that’s a fair point

Why on earth would Alex Preston, a talented and experienced literary critic, risk using Ai to write a review for the notoriously nitpicky New York Times? Excellent explainer behind baffling story by @questingvole.bsky.social

I tend to agree

Why LLMs Ruin Everything Reading, Writing: feat. Matt Goodwin, Alex Preston and the Bookpocalypse

PS: more on it here if you’re a glutton for punishment open.substack.com/pub/samleith...

Fingers crossed

😘

Why LLMs Ruin Everything Reading, Writing: feat. Matt Goodwin, Alex Preston and the Bookpocalypse

I wrote on AI trashing literary life, and spoke to Alex Preston about the NYT book review scandal

Sorry! Not sure!

Thank you!

The illusion and delusion of Matt Goodwin “MattGPT” is a nickname that will follow failed Reform candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election Matt Goodwin to his grave

On MattGPT and the future of bookishness

Glad you enjoyed it. Privilege to be there.

Just watched a very informative discussion arranged by @britishlibrary.bsky.social, called Haunted Woods and Grimm Tales with @philippullman.bsky.social and @questingvole.bsky.social

#ReaderSky #WriterSky

☺️

So pleased you enjoyed. Thank you. If you haven’t read it I strongly recommend Stefan’s book. It’s really fun and interesting.

Enough Recovery, writing, reading: feat. Midwinter Break, Depeche Mode, Count Orsino, Robert Browning and some nearly cloned corgis

samleith.substack.com/p/enough

In #Aristotle’s ‘Rhetoric’, we hear of ‘Polycrates, who delivered a panegyric to the mice that gnawed through the bow strings of an invading Assyrian army.’

Sam Leith (
@questingvole.bsky.social), ‘You Talkin’ to Me? #Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama’ p. 30.

Trump Erupts in Fury Over His War Failures—and Exposes a Big Weakness His rage at NATO is actually an admission that he needs our allies’ help—and that he wants somebody to blame as his war goes from bad to worse.

Trump just raged at our NATO allies for refusing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bail him out of the fiasco he created. He threatened to withdraw from NATO with childish insults.

This is best seen as an admission of serious political weakness. 1/

(new piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2080...