Longread Hips Don't Lie

“I worry that the assumption that people are clamoring for long form writing is incorrect. The main mission of most web browsing sessions — to dick around on the Internet — points directly to the value of brevity. To say people are looking for the gravitas in their writing through length is akin to telling a Shakira fan they’ll really like Joanna Newsom — after all, Newsom is just a female singer who sings longer. Like Shakira but inherently ‘better.’”
 — Did you know that Matter, which wants to publish a piece of writing once a week, got $140,201 pledged on Kickstarter? They have already planned a “Best of Matter” print anthology! It’s so magical. It’s like puppies flying out of unicorns riding rainbow skateboards. Anyway, I enjoyed this sort of sense-making, sort of not, reaction to the current hilarious vogue for longreading. It actually doesn’t make any sense, really: of course some people want to read some things, and other people want to read others! And some people like Shakira and Joanna Newsom and wish they would collaborate.