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2026
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Anthropic Works List Lookup, listing books that have been ingested into Anthropic’s AI, part of a class action lawsuit against Anthropic.
Oh, Alex, by Jay Connor
I don’t know how to do this, by Emily Atkin
The Names they Call Themselves, by John Gruber
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2025
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Summary: Lee's 500 Words newsletter reviews his 2025 predictions-correctly forecasting entertainment consolidation and infrastructure vulnerabilities, but missing deepfake videos' political impact. For 2026, he predicts nature will heal from climate damage, podcasting will mature with quality-focused networks, people will reject "snackable" content for long-form material, and AI will force humans to prove their worth through authentic writing, reporting, and in-person communication.
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Trump posts deepfake video of Jeffries, Schumer with racist tropes as shutdown looms
Waymos blocked roads and caused chaos during San Francisco power outage
The “HBO of podcasting” finally emerges
AI will force us to be more ambitious, more human storytellers
Roomba’s bankruptcy may wreck a lot more than one robot vacuum maker
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Summary: Introduces FOR THE WIN, a column highlighting positive world developments. Also public speaking tips for introverts, book gift recommendations from professional booksellers, and introduces the author's Storyline Sessions masterclasses and science fiction novels.
Links:The Golden Age of Protest is Now
Los Angeles will nearly double recycled water for 500,000 residentsPower surge: law changes could soon bring balcony solar to millions across US
Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine Partner With ElevenLabs to Produce AI Replicas of Their Voices
The Storyline Sessions YouTube Channel
Buy my books (link to my author website)
Falling in Love with Books, featuring Pat Walker of Vroman’s Bookstore
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Summary: Lee promotes his third book LIBERATION, reassuring readers they can understand it without reading the previous two books in the series. He explains writing techniques that make later books accessible, like introducing new characters who need backstory or using memory triggers. The newsletter also features THE FUTURE LAB"interview with Eiren Caffall about her climate fiction novel All the Water in the World, which resonated with Lee during his recent Palisades fire evacuation.
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