The Journal

A small publication for slow ideas.

Started in 2017 by three friends, edited from a quiet desk in upstate New York, read by about thirty thousand people who like long essays in the morning.

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From the editors

A short letter about what we publish.

We publish two things — long essays on craft, attention, and the practice of making, and shorter notes from the notebook. We are slow. We are particular. We don't run advertising. The whole thing is paid for by reader subscriptions and a small grant from the Mellon Foundation.

The editors ·Updated April 2026 ·3 min read

Who writes here

Portrait of Eleanor Hayes

Editor

Eleanor Hayes

Senior editor. Writes essays on attention, reading, and the practice of writing every morning. Previously a books critic at the Guardian and the New York Review of Books.

Editor since 2017
Portrait of Marcus Levin

Editor

Marcus Levin

Founding editor. Writes long-arc essays on building things slowly, and a recurring "Three things I changed my mind about" column. Previously a software writer at Stripe Press.

Editor since 2017
Portrait of Sara Kwon

Contributor

Sara Kwon

Interviews editor. Conducts the long-form conversation series. Previously an editor at Aperture, currently writing a book on apprenticeship.

Contributor since 2019
Portrait of Daniel Roth

Contributor

Daniel Roth

Essays on working life and the structure of a week. Software engineer by training; runs a small studio in Brooklyn the rest of the time.

Contributor since 2020