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"Writers have been using me long before AI. I am the punctuation equivalent of a cardigan—beloved by MFA grads, used by editors when it’s actually cold, and worn year-round by screenwriters. I am not new here. I am not novel. I’m the cigarette you keep saying you’ll quit."

buff.lyThe Em Dash Responds to the AI Allegations“Writers have been using me long before the advent of AI. I am the punctuation equivalent of a cardigan—beloved by MFA grads, used by editors when it’s actua...

27/7/26, 1:32 am126 reposts383 likes

ShinigamiDad "Certified Bluesky Elder Reply Guy"

@marktspence.bsky.social

I am the ouroboros when I forgot writing was the thing worthy of writing.

Christina

@christinae1.bsky.social

30 July

“I am not some sleek, futuristic glyph. I am the battered, coffee-stained backbone of writerly panic—the gasping pause where a thought should have ended but simply could not.” I feel seen.

Alex Rhind 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@mrsrhino.bsky.social

27 July

I've always set with en dashes rather than em, which are a bit too long IMO.

John Stracke

@thibault.org

27 July

The other day I saw a presentation where the speaker said their Claude config was set up not to use em dashes so their work wouldn't look AI-generated...and used at least three of them in their own slides.