Predicting War, Oligarch Types, and Zombies
Office Hours - February 27, 2026
I had a piece in Persuasion this week, take a look if you like. The gradual decline of American cultural hegemony is a fascinating subject. But I would not write for them again. Not a fan of the edits, adding italics and parentheses to signal intent as if the reader can’t be trusted. Reading is not a mass pursuit anymore, we don’t have to cater to everyone. Plus they changed my title “The Slow Death of American Cool” to the cliched and abrasive “Yankee Go Home”. This is supposed to be an elegy goddammit. Does anyone except the author care? No. But that doesn’t help me. Another reason to write here, where I can let my petulant mania for complete control run unchecked.
