This poem has been excerpted from Richard Siken’s forthcoming book, I Do Know Some Things.

A college senior returning to classes this fall has spent nearly their entire undergraduate career under the shadow—or in the embrace—of generative AI. ChatGPT first launched in November 2022, when that student was a freshman. As a department chair at Washington University in St. Louis, I witnessed the chaos it unleashed on campus. Students weren’t sure what AI could do, or which uses were appropriate. Faculty were blindsided by how effectively ChatGPT could write papers and do homework.

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On this summer Sunday, spend time with stories about how the Ivy League broke America, parenting with friends, and more.
How the Ivy League Broke America
The meritocracy isn’t working. We need something new.

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In 2024, Russell Shaw made the case for the Lighthouse Parent. “A Lighthouse Parent stands as a steady, reliable guide,” Shaw writes, “providing safety and clarity without controlling every aspect of their child’s journey.

President Donald Trump berated President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. He allowed the Pentagon twice to halt prearranged military shipments to Ukraine. He promised that when the current tranche of armaments runs out, there will be no more. He has cut or threatened to cut the U.S. funds that previously supported independent Russian-language media and opposition.

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Donald Trump traveled to Alaska yesterday to meet with Vladimir Putin. In the brief remarks that followed the summit, Trump acknowledged that he and the Russian president had not reached a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

When news broke this week that Sherrod Brown would run next year to reclaim a Senate seat in Ohio, Democrats cheered the reports as a huge coup. Before losing a reelection bid last year, Brown had been the last Democrat to win statewide office in a state that has veered sharply to the right over the past decade. His entry instantly transforms the Ohio race from a distant dream to a plausible pickup opportunity for the party.

On the subway a few weeks back, I noticed an ad for a “buy now, pay later” service from Cash App. It read: “Little payments are so much cuter.” This ad wasn’t made for men, I thought.
“Buy now, pay later” is promoted as interest-free borrowing, which many people, frightened by the idea of going into debt, see as safer. But miss a payment, and the late fees kick in—$8 here, $6 there. Miss payments on a few different orders, and the fees add up fast.