About Paper & Smoke

I am no Luddite. But I am a technologist who’s getting sick of technology.

That’s why I started this publication, Paper & Smoke.

I want to help people do more things with real people and real tools…without the complete and utter reliance on technology. Paper and Smoke is going to help me do that.

I’m going to cover how things are made. I’m going to cover how I am digital detoxing. I’m going to cover how I’m balancing my technology-heavy profession with real-world hobbies and real-world events.

And I’m going to do some deep research into how these things are affecting us. I’m going to rely on AI as little as possible^.

The name Paper & Smoke pays homage to my favorite non-tech, non-digital hobbies. I love fountain pens, I love notebooks, I love analog tools. And I love smoking cigars. I love drinking coffee.

The feel of the paper, the sound of writing on it, is a tactile, visceral feeling. And the smoke from a cigar or coffee shows that you’re doing something in the real world. That you’re taking some time for yourself.

But the name also pays homage to two of the most significant human inventions in history: paper, and fire.

This is Paper and Smoke. It’s a look at how real-world craft happens, through the lens of a technologist going through digital detox. In a society increasingly online (and outsourcing thinking to AI), Paper and Smoke celebrates the real, the tangible, and the analog.

Thanks for joining me on the journey,

Joe Casabona

PS —You can learn more about me on my personal website, Casabona.org

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.