Archive • Jeremy N. Smith • Buttondown

knurl

January 15, 2026

Friends, Do you know what “knurl” is? Three months ago I’d never heard the word. That’s because I’d never touched a barbell—or done any other kind of...

retrospect

December 30, 2025

Dear friends— Lots of people make new year’s resolutions. I do something a little different. I write myself a letter, dated a year or more in the future....

floss

December 4, 2025

Friends— A few months ago, I went to the dentist. I didn’t have any cavities. It looked like my gums had receded, though. And there was plaque buildup...

flower pot

November 18, 2025

Friends— Almost twenty years ago, my wife Crissie and I were walking and talking in San Francisco. We’d just gotten married, and this was a weekend stop...

surprise

November 6, 2025

Dear friends, What makes a conversation successful? For me, one thing: The other person surprised me—and themselves. *** That surprise is why not to write...

steps

October 23, 2025

Dear friends— I live two blocks from a mountain. I can see the peak from my front steps. What if I stood there and tried to jump to the top? I wouldn’t make...

ask

October 9, 2025

Dear friends— Twenty-three years ago, I fell in love at first sight. Like: her laugh echoed in my ears. Like: I lay on my living room couch, moaning her name...