‘Witness’ is rooted in Old English’s witnes—attestation of fact or event from personal knowledge. In the past few years, I have seen new uses for the word via several thinkers at Princeton University citing Robert Jay Lifton, who defines witnessing professionals as those who leverage their expertise to recognize and warn. This is often applied to global risks, such as experts warning of the pressing threats of climate change, pandemics, or the malignant normalities of demagogues remantling the landscape of political discourse. With the Witherspoon Witness, I seek to start a practice of witnessing the subtle transformations apparent and latent in today’s world and how we navigate it—not a newsletter so much as a thoughtsletter.
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Editions:
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HONESTY & FEAR • SCARCITY & BULK BUYING • HOW TO PLAY PICTIONARY
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CONCRETE • CREATIVE EXPRESSION • MORE PATIENCE • IMAGINED DISEASES
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VERTICALITY • OLD TREES • WASHBOARDS • HUES OF GREEN • ETYMOLOGY