The bean plants in the garden are dead, dead, dead—killed by a frost I should have seen coming. This is This Republic of Letters, ready to replant until spring will stick. ❧

"El Jaleo" by John Singer Sargent, here.

The frost might have killed the garden my daughter and I put in, and I'll have to warm up the car before taking her to school. This is This Republic of Letters, annoyed that stubborn winter is making a grab for the weather. ❧

"Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat," by Vincent van Gogh, here.

I've decided to give blogging another shot. If you don't know me, I'm John West, a writer and technologist, currently reporting the news with code at the Wall Street Journal, where my work has received multiple awards including two Pulitzer Prizes.

I've written a few books: a book-length personal essay called Lessons and Carols (Eerdmans, 2023), a reported book called The Internet Will Die, and So Will You (Here Below, September, 2026), and The Psalmist (Union Square, Hachette, January, 2027). I'm hoping this will help me write my next.

Welcome to This Republic of Letters. Don't change that dial. ❧