Is the grid dead?
AUGUST 19TH, 2026
This week we’re hosting our Monthly Forest Gathering and tours of people’s spaces. This Thursday at 2pm ET. Monthly Forest Gathering
News
Is the grid dead? How young people are changing the feed (Dazed) — The rise of “ghost-posting” — people trying to share their lives online, but without showing up in feeds. Come on over to the Dark Forest, gang. Much easier over here!
AI has plunged the book publishing industry into chaos (WSJ) — Excellent Wall Street Journal piece covering the challenges created by AI writing in book publishing, from canceled books to angry authors to unsure publishers, a vivid look at the consequences of this technology. Paywalled, but worth it if you can get access.
A new legal structure for creative people (NPR) — This weekend NPR re-ran the hour-long show they made about Artist Corporations, with a new update on where we are now. Lots of great creators stories. Well worth a listen.
DFOS Spotlight: Studio Slowcore
One of our absolute favorite DFOS spaces is also one of the first ones: Danica Swanson’s Studio Slowcore, “a small publishing business inspired by slow culture, gift economics, and the wordsmith arts” that celebrates “reclaiming time and attention from hustle culture.” Their motto: move slow and preserve things.
The 100-plus members treat it like a shared clubhouse where ideas are explored and appreciated without pressure and at their own pace. A private chat discussing artists’ livelihoods became their main publication. A section called the Public Domain Art Portal posts something new every day. A world cultivated by and for them.
The project doesn’t just aim to be a clubhouse. It’s also building something bigger: releases, a treasury of funds to pay each other with, and a platform for members to put out their own projects with the network’s support. We recently picked up their newest digital release, “What is Anticareerism?,” which we enjoyed and now proudly sits in our DFOS digital library.
Sometimes it’s good to go fast. But sometimes it’s even better to go slow. Explore it for yourself: slowcore.dfos.com.
What’s an A-Corp video
More than 100 artists and creators from across the globe joined us last week for an hour-long conversation about Artist Corporations. Covering everything from where the A-Corp came from to where it is to where it’s going, it included a 20-minute presentation by A-Corp founder Yancey Strickler, and more than 40 minutes of questions and answers.
Watch the talk here:
For Q&A and more, What's an A-Corp video + Q&A.
— DFOS
