The Art of the Reply: An Interview With Rick Paulas

Exploring hustle and creative misuse on Twitter

I often ask myself why I still use Twitter. Twitter is an aging platform that refuses to fix its primary systemic problems like platforming some really bad actors and enabling disinformation. It is literally the preferred broadcast system for demagogues around the world, from President Trump to El Salvador’s President Bukele. However, it also happens to be where prominent journalists interact with the public and where we can catch up on the most important internet drama. Or it’s where we get to see a take so singularly incoherent or outrageous that Twitter’s algorithm puts it first in the feed when we open the app.

But there are some bright spots within Twitter’s endless doomscroll, and if you’re lucky, you may encounter something that makes your day better. You may get the chance to see writer Rick Paulas selling his book in the most Twitter way possible: in the replies to some of the site’s worst takes.