Empire of Ink book cover

Empire of Ink

The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper

A sweeping history of America's first media revolution—from colonial print shops to Gilded Age media empires—and the transformation of a fledgling republic into the world's first information superpower.

Coming 2026 from Basic Books

The Lost Signal

Join me for essays and articles on media history, information systems, and the lesser-known stories that underpin our digital world.

Recent Writing

Palaces in the Cloud

Palaces in the Cloud

November 4, 2025

In 1532, a charismatic inventor named Giulio Camillo promised a technological breakthrough: a device that would unlock the wisdom of the ages. Sound familiar?

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Welcome to the Lost Signal

Welcome to the Lost Signal

October 30, 2025

I'm launching a new Substack newsletter, exploring the deep history of the digital age: the forgotten people, inventions, and ideas that continue to shape how we think and communicate.

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The Secret History of Data

The Secret History of Data

October 27, 2024

This week I shared a few remarks at Belgium's KIKK Festival on new directions in AI-enabled historical research, alongside CUNY's Peter Aigner. Here's a rough sketch of my talk.

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