Melanie Walsh

Who are you, and what do you do? I’m Melanie Walsh. I’m a writer and professor at the University of Washington. My research explores the intersection of books, culture, and data, looking at trends like BookTok, library checkouts, and AI-generated fiction and poetry. My writing has appeared in the LA Review of Books, Public Books, Publisher’s Weekly, The Pudding, and many other academic venues. I wrote an open-source Python textbook, and I’m currently working on a book about American authors who went viral on the internet. What do you use to get the job done? A crazy proportion of my job happens via laptop. Right now I use a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro. When I’m on campus, I hook it up to a nice ultra-wide LG monitor. Also on my desk: this UW-themed lava lamp (with Bluetooth speaker) that I picked up at a thrift store, and LaCroix cans. Next to my desk: a little electric heater that I feel fondly toward. For coding, I use VS Code and increasingly Claude Code. Perhaps misguidedly, I’m…