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You Never Arrive

A famous writer was on the phone.

Oct 30, 2024 • Michael Agger

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Index Cards

The magazine was an empire built on index cards.

Oct 23, 2024 • Michael Agger

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Uncommon Bravery

As you get older, you start to get little foretastes of death.

Oct 16, 2024 • Michael Agger

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September 2024

The Slush Pile

Teenage girl poetry.

Sep 27, 2024 • Michael Agger

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Permission Slip

An editor once gave me a piece of advice that I still think about: “You have to give yourself permission to be a writer.”

Sep 18, 2024 • Michael Agger

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Ghosts in the Sunlight

It’s another perfect weather day for September 11th—the city buildings standing out against a brilliant blue sky—just like the original day.

Sep 11, 2024 • Michael Agger

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The Silence

When I first started in magazines, the office was often quite loud, bustling.

Sep 4, 2024 • Michael Agger

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August 2024

Bored Couples in Restaurants

Welcome to the exciting conclusion of how I (sort of) cured myself of chasing traffic and checking metrics.

Aug 28, 2024 • Michael Agger

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The Chartbeat Needle and the Damage Done

I can remember the moment when my life as an editor changed completely.

Aug 14, 2024 • Michael Agger

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Writing for Artificial Intelligence

It’s easy to feel both impressed and depressed by how good ChatGPT and the other LLMs have become at writing.

Aug 7, 2024 • Michael Agger

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July 2024

The Joy of Bad Books

One of my early jobs in New York was working as an assistant to a book editor.

Jul 31, 2024 • Michael Agger

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How Good Writers Work

Many people who want to be writers don’t actually like to write.

Jul 24, 2024 • Michael Agger

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