My computer, my friend

Annalee Newitz explains why she loved her computer in her essay in Evocative Objects: Things We Think With: “I would recognize the feel of itskeyboard under my fingers in a darkened room. I haveworn two shiny spots on it where the palms of my handsrest when Im not typing. I carried it on my back all overEngland, Cuba, Canada, and the United States. When Iuse it in bed, I remember to keep the blankets from coveringits vents so it doesnt overheat. Ive taken it completelyapart, upgraded its RAM, and replaced its originaloperating system with Linux. It doesnt just belong tome; I also belong to it” (88).

It seems we can develop “perichoretic” language with things, as well as with persons.

Dear Reader,

Can I be direct with you?

War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.

First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.

But we can’t do it without readers like you.

Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.


Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.

Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.

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If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.

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