Day: January 31, 2023

Carin Goldberg, Who Transformed Book and Album Cover Design, Dies at 69

She was part of a vanguard of women designers who looked to the past to upend the cool modernism of the ’70s with a style that would become prominent in the ’80s. Carin Goldberg played off her knowledge of antique designs and typefaces to create elegant and witty combinations. Carin Goldberg, a graphic designer who […]

Can ChatGPT Save You From the Agony of Writing a Cover Letter?

A chatbot powered by artificial intelligence is spurring intense ethical debates across industries from education to media, while striking fear in the hearts of many knowledge workers who worry they could lose their job to a computer. But in certain corners of TikTok, some argue that ChatGPT, the darling chatbot released by the tech firm […]

Writing just got easier thanks to this Toronto-made AI app

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is either really cool or downright terrifying. Commonly abbreviated to simply AI, it’s a theoretical technology meant to give computers thinking and response capabilities similar to humans. Many people are psyched about future possibilities, while others fear that technology will take away their job. At the time of writing, AI is nowhere […]

TV writer shares how much he makes in residuals: ‘Talk about passive income’

You may not know the name Michael Jamin, but chances are you know his characters. The veteran TV writer has written some breakout hits over the years, including King of the Hill and Beavis and Butthead. But recently, Jamin also gained some notoriety on TikTok, where he regularly shares industry secrets, tips for aspiring writers, […]

Technical Writer Skills You Need for a Career

Technical writers have a crucial job: no matter what they’re writing, they must communicate complex information in an easy-to-understand way. They must also master a variety of communication channels, from software documentation and reference guides to press releases and social media. For those who adopt the necessary skills, technical writing can prove a profitable career. […]

A conversation among Duke Thompson Writing Program Faculty about ChatGPT

In a recent Thompson Writing Program (TWP) faculty meeting, writing faculty members discussed their concerns and opinions about ChatGPT. What follows is a summary of the main themes of that discussion. In general, the discussion was colored by concern but highlighted with hope. Please note this narrative is a summary of the TWP faculty discussion […]

Why you should build a writing-heavy culture in your company

Some of the best companies in the world today have a common cultural character: they almost all have a culture of writing as a primary mode of communication, presenting ideas, and collaboration. They put everything in writing: “We don’t do PowerPoint (or any other slide-oriented) presentations at Amazon. Instead, we write narratively structured six-page memos. […]

When AI Is Writing, Who Is the Author?

The next-level artificial intelligence capabilities of ChatGPT, a chatbot released in late November by the research company OpenAI, have inspired many predictions, both drastic and ecstatic, for the end of essay writing, if not education as we know it. While some in higher education view ChatGPT as a learning tool to be leveraged and others […]

Remembering Paul La Farge, Writer and Friend

Paul La Farge and I used to roam up and down the mid-Hudson Valley looking for a new place to have a bite or a tipple. One overcast day, we pulled up to a bar that had a reputation for the roughness of its clientele. We could see the grizzled men within and the equally […]