Go to Words That Matter
About
Words That Matter
Some of the year’s most influential writers, thinkers, and experts reflect on the words that matter most in 2018.
Note from the editor

What was the single word that mattered most this year, and why?

Editors
Go to the profile of Ryan Hubbard
Ryan Hubbard
Design Director at Fuzzco. Prev. lead Brand Design at Medium.
Writers
Go to the profile of Ana Marie Cox
Ana Marie Cox
You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.
Go to the profile of Carmen Maria Machado
Carmen Maria Machado
✍🏽 HER BODY & OTHER PARTIES (@GraywolfPress), finalist for the National Book Award. Artist in Residence at @Penn. The New Yorker, Granta, Tin House, Guernica.
Go to the profile of Dave Pell
Dave Pell
I write NextDraft, a quick and entertaining look at the day’s most fascinating news.
Go to the profile of Deepak Chopra
Go to the profile of Dominique Matti
Dominique Matti
Writer/ Editor/ Cool Mom / PayPal.me/dominiquematti /dominiquemattiwrites@gmail.com
Go to the profile of Ellen K. Pao
Ellen K. Pao
Co-Founder and CEO of Project Include. Author of Reset. Angel investor.
Go to the profile of Erin Lee Carr
Erin Lee Carr
Director of scary documentaries for HBO and Netflix. Author of All That You Leave Behind for Random House. Optimist.
Go to the profile of Eve L. Ewing
Eve L. Ewing
Sociologist of race & education at the University of Chicago. Author of 1919, Ghosts in the Schoolyard, Electric Arches, and a bunch of Marvel comics.
Go to the profile of Hanif Abdurraqib
Hanif Abdurraqib
Poet. Writer. | Ohioan.
Go to the profile of Henry Louis Gates Jr
Henry Louis Gates Jr
Dir. of @HutchinsCenter, African & African American Research & Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, @Harvard. #FindingYourRoots returns to @PBS on Oct. 3rd.
Go to the profile of Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton
2016 Democratic Nominee, SecState, Senator, hair icon. Mom, Wife, Grandma x3, lawyer, advocate, fan of walks in the woods & standing up for our democracy.
Go to the profile of Jennifer Pahlka
Jennifer Pahlka
Author of Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better, Fellow at the Federation of American Scientists
Go to the profile of Jess Ruliffson
Jess Ruliffson
Cartoonist and Creator
Go to the profile of Joel Leon.
Joel Leon.
he/him. @tedtalks giver. @EBONYmag / @medium writer. @frankwhiteco . creative. @taylorstrategy senior copywriter. @thecc_nyc 21’ class. @twloha board. #BRONX
Go to the profile of John DeVore
John DeVore
I created Humungus, a blog about pop culture, politics, and feelings. Support the madness: https://johndevore.medium.com/subscribe
Go to the profile of John McCain
John McCain
U.S. Senator for Arizona, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee
Go to the profile of Joshua Baldwin
Joshua Baldwin
Las Vegas essays at The Paris Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, The New York Times http://joshuasbaldwin.com
Go to the profile of Justin Hall
Justin Hall
CTO of bud.com: a social benefit company delivering recreational cannabis in California. Justin’s Links from the Underground & PMOG / GameLayers.
Go to the profile of Kimbal Musk
Kimbal Musk
Entrepreneur, Chef, Philanthropist | board @tesla | Founder @TheKitchen @BigGreen @SquareRootsgrow 🌱 and now @NovaSkyStories
Go to the profile of Laura Weidman Powers
Laura Weidman Powers
I’ve been to 44 countries. I like food, startups, yoga, and doing good. Base10, Echoing Green, NMV, Obama WH, Code2040. Unstuck Together.
Go to the profile of Lauren Peterson
Lauren Peterson
Speechwriter, Badger, reformed figure skater, slow runner. Proud alumna of Clinton 2016, Planned Parenthood, Obama 2012, & UW-Madison.
Go to the profile of Lessig
Lessig
law professor, activist.
Go to the profile of Margaret E. Atwood
Go to the profile of Mari Andrew
Mari Andrew
Author of Am I There Yet? www.bymariandrew.com
Go to the profile of Maria Bustillos
Maria Bustillos
is a journalist and editor of Popula.com, an alt-global news and culture publication experimenting with blockchain-based publishing innovations.
Go to the profile of M.G. Siegler
M.G. Siegler
Writer turned investor turned investor who writes. Now writing at: https://spyglass.org
Go to the profile of michaelharriot
michaelharriot
Poet. Writer at TheRoot.com. Always has the Big Joker and the double-five. Is not your negro. Is a real negus. In that order.
Go to the profile of Mitch & Freada Kapor
Go to the profile of Nathan Hubbard
Nathan Hubbard
Stealth. Former head of some things @Twitter, CEO of Ticketmaster, songwriter @RockwellChurch. Most stuff here: https://www.theringer.com/authors/nathan-hubbard
Go to the profile of Naval Ravikant
Naval Ravikant
Founder & CEO, AngelList • Founder Epinions, Vast • Author Startupboy, Venture Hacks • Investor Twitter, others • All opinions are personal.
Go to the profile of Nir Eyal
Nir Eyal
Posts may contain affiliate links to my two books, “Hooked” and “Indistractable.” Get my free 80-page guide to being Indistractable at: NirAndFar.com
Go to the profile of porochista khakpour
porochista khakpour
2 novels & a memoir •PREORDER next book, essay collection BROWN ALBUM 👉🏽 https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780525564713
Go to the profile of Reid Hoffman
Reid Hoffman
Entrepreneur. Investor. Strategist.
Go to the profile of Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay
I write. I want a tiny baby elephant. If you clap, I clap back. Books.: Ayiti, Untamed State, Bad Feminist. Difficult Women, World of Wakanda 1–5, Hunger.
Go to the profile of Sam Altman
Sam Altman
y combinator
Go to the profile of Sasha Frere-Jones
Sasha Frere-Jones
musician and writer from New York
Go to the profile of Siddhartha Mukherjee
Go to the profile of Tim O'Reilly
Tim O'Reilly
Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media. Watching the alpha geeks, sharing their stories, helping the future unfold.
Go to the profile of Tom Scocca
Go to the profile of Valerie Jarrett
Valerie Jarrett
Proud mom of @LauraAJarrett, former Senior Advisor to POTUS 44, & Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls. An advocate for equality and justice.
Go to the profile of Yrsa Daley-Ward
Go to the profile of Nate Goldman
Nate Goldman
Audience development @ Medium