David Skinner

Formerly of @humanitiesmag and The Weekly Standard. Language, culture, history.

[Nicole Ault @NicoleReneeAult]

“On birthdays, we celebrate that we are here, not that we are perfect but that we are alive.”

Remembering the Spirit of 1976 by @EditorSkinner

https://t.co/SaMX3JDqFf via @WSJFreeEx

[Elliot Kaufman @ElliotKaufman6]

Outstanding Weekend Interview of @Reihan by @Tunkuv.

Think of it as the story of New York, told via the differences between two men: Reihan Salam and Zohran Mamdani.
https://t.co/fGh1fyrEtB

[Tevi Troy @TeviTroy]

“The #SPLC raises money and sustains its relevance by stoking the perception that white supremacy is pervasive and influential. I have argued since 2008 that this aligns the center’s interests with those of supremacist groups.” @JamesTaranto @wsjopinion https://t.co/No2WDRG4WX

[Whit Stillman @WhitStillman]

For those who prefer the criticism, a great piece on John Cheever by Peter Tonguette from the DOGE shuttered "Humanities" magazine. Read it while you can! @humanitiesmag https://t.co/cC0fKP1kUU

[Victorino Matus @VictorinoMatus]

"When Reagan elevated Rehnquist to succeed Burger as chief justice, he appointed Scalia, 50 years young, to the associate justice position that Rehnquist had occupied. Scalia was aghast to discover the moribund intellectual culture of the Court." @EdWhelanEPPC reviews James Rosen's latest Scalia volume.

[Matthew Continetti @continetti]

Wonderful piece by @EditorSkinner on writing and America's Founding @WSJFreeEx @WSJopinion
https://t.co/zYyOe8K7nD

[John J. Miller @heymiller]

"A colleague said that even if AI could do all his writing for him, he would still have to write to discover what he thinks. He was onto something."

@EditorSkinner: Mightier Than the Sword https://t.co/h1fjTMUrqa via @WSJFreeEx

[David Skinner @EditorSkinner]

"Sifting through fabrications and compiling a dossier alleging academic dishonesty was not my idea of fun. Or maybe it was?" Sweet piece of writing on AI in academic writing in @chronicle by @LKonstan (@aldaily): https://t.co/tIb6y9eSqH

[Victorino Matus @VictorinoMatus]

"Roosevelt sought in 1906 to introduce 300 new spellings, recommended by the Simplified Spelling Board, into all government publications through the Government Printing Office. T.R. was then mocked relentlessly by the press." https://t.co/Frw2IJZ2dF

[David Skinner @EditorSkinner]

We have been "speaking truth to power" for centuries, not just decades (as previously believed). So I learned and so I wrote today at @thedispatch. https://t.co/GyMU9sSziP

[David Skinner @EditorSkinner]

"Safe" as a verb to mean "make safe"? Never seen it used this way before: "Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site . . . and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue."

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

On Wednesday, June 18 at approximately 11 p.m. CT, the Starship preparing for the tenth flight test experienced a major anomaly while on a test stand at Starbase. A safety clear area around the site was maintained throughout the operation and all personnel are safe and accounted for.
Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue

[Victorino Matus @VictorinoMatus]

"There is a purpose, Mamet says, that unites his essays as a group. It is an overtly political purpose, a response to the unsettling political and social dramas of the last 10 to 20 years." @EditorSkinner reviews David Mamet's The Disenlightenment. #WeekendBeacon

[David Skinner @EditorSkinner]

David Mamet has turned full-on MAGA. He believes the United States is in decline but remains hopeful, saying, "Trump is a hero, and his heirs will, God willing, increase the longevity of the American Experiment." My review: https://t.co/KqfCy4nRTK

[Victorino Matus @VictorinoMatus]

The Weekend Beacon welcomes Robert Messenger, who reviews Tim Bouverie's Allies at War, plus @PaulHTice on The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto, Kevin McNamara on Summer of Fire and Blood, @EditorSkinner on David Mamet's Disenlightenment, & @cjscalia on Brian Wilson!

[David Skinner @EditorSkinner]

@Blahbliptyblah Also not on the 7th specifically, there was a nice piece in the Atlantic recently, describing Bernstein's fixation on Mahler. https://t.co/gGuHSOFV9j

[David Skinner @EditorSkinner]

@VictorinoMatus Samoas, friend

[Victorino Matus @VictorinoMatus]

"Says Who? proceeds through a venerable circuit of quintessential usage and grammar dilemmas: double negatives and why other dialects and languages allow multiple negation," writes @EditorSkinner. Double negatives! Oh yeah, that's the stuff... https://t.co/p1SIPGNXbd

[Victorino Matus @VictorinoMatus]

The WB lineup: @aroberts_andrew on Winston Churchill, Harvey Klehr on To Overthrow the World, @mattklewis on @TeviTroy's The Power & the Money, @MikeWatsonVa on Singapore, & @EditorSkinner on Says Who? Keep Calm and read the Weekend Beacon! https://t.co/7AAqFA0eYL

[David Skinner @EditorSkinner]

Had the pleasure of praising Anne Curzan's new usage guide and critiquing one key aspect: the discussion of politically correct language.
https://t.co/88gxXbxnWT

[Humanities Magazine @humanitiesmag]

The modern portrait of the Aztec society has been constructed using Spanish texts discussing Aztec culture. Camilla Townsend discusses how narratives written by the Nahuas themselves reveal a far more complex version of a history we have simplified. https://t.co/tbFt2ALJ3h