JD Shadel
@jdshadel.com
💌 Join the only lifestyle newsletter on the internet ;-) www.esckey.co
Chief Editorial Officer at new media outlet ESC KEY .CO — also the only employee
Work in Condé Nast Traveler (ex-Future of Travel columnist), WaPo, Them, BBC, Vice, more
They/etc
Chief Editorial Officer at new media outlet ESC KEY .CO — also the only employee
Work in Condé Nast Traveler (ex-Future of Travel columnist), WaPo, Them, BBC, Vice, more
They/etc
I do sometimes wonder how effective The Guardian’s membership messaging is …
Because, my dude, have a little more self confidence?!
Excite me!
Give me a reason to rally around you!
Like, I’m sorry, am I supposed to feel sorry for your copywriter?
Because, my dude, have a little more self confidence?!
Excite me!
Give me a reason to rally around you!
Like, I’m sorry, am I supposed to feel sorry for your copywriter?
November 11, 2025 at 10:41 PM
I do sometimes wonder how effective The Guardian’s membership messaging is …
Because, my dude, have a little more self confidence?!
Excite me!
Give me a reason to rally around you!
Like, I’m sorry, am I supposed to feel sorry for your copywriter?
Because, my dude, have a little more self confidence?!
Excite me!
Give me a reason to rally around you!
Like, I’m sorry, am I supposed to feel sorry for your copywriter?
the English need to stop being so rude to Welsh hookers
November 9, 2025 at 6:49 PM
the English need to stop being so rude to Welsh hookers
I’m pleased to announce the award for Bop of 2025.
*opens envelope ceremoniously*
🦜🐦⬛
*opens envelope ceremoniously*
🦜🐦⬛
November 6, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I’m pleased to announce the award for Bop of 2025.
*opens envelope ceremoniously*
🦜🐦⬛
*opens envelope ceremoniously*
🦜🐦⬛
I am the most insufferable person in my friend group and I put in incredible effort to ensure I live up to my reputation
November 2, 2025 at 8:24 PM
I am the most insufferable person in my friend group and I put in incredible effort to ensure I live up to my reputation
*the stench of pumpkin rot*
October 30, 2025 at 6:21 PM
*the stench of pumpkin rot*
The creators of this ad attended Robert McKee’s “Story Seminar”
October 17, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The creators of this ad attended Robert McKee’s “Story Seminar”
live from Portland, Oregon it’s coffee time!
October 2, 2025 at 6:16 PM
live from Portland, Oregon it’s coffee time!
"why did photo research take so long?!"
idk i was being very productive
idk i was being very productive
September 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM
"why did photo research take so long?!"
idk i was being very productive
idk i was being very productive
The CEO of a Big Tech company admitting to using a chatbot to decide what to wear to a state banquet is literally the best metaphor for the cultural and intellectual decay of this hideous “AI” hype era lmfao
September 18, 2025 at 3:13 PM
The CEO of a Big Tech company admitting to using a chatbot to decide what to wear to a state banquet is literally the best metaphor for the cultural and intellectual decay of this hideous “AI” hype era lmfao
y'all complaining about an independent journalist's $6/month paywall
meanwhile, imagine if we all had the confidence of a "premium cultural insights platform"
meanwhile, imagine if we all had the confidence of a "premium cultural insights platform"
September 13, 2025 at 12:51 PM
y'all complaining about an independent journalist's $6/month paywall
meanwhile, imagine if we all had the confidence of a "premium cultural insights platform"
meanwhile, imagine if we all had the confidence of a "premium cultural insights platform"
my linkedin strategy is mostly just trolling the videos of "AI" CEOs who dare pay to be promoted in my feed
September 11, 2025 at 9:05 PM
my linkedin strategy is mostly just trolling the videos of "AI" CEOs who dare pay to be promoted in my feed
Hey {first_name, "there"}!
The future of handwriting is, well, illegible?!
What do our brains lose when we stop using pens?!!
I wrote an entire long-form essay for ESC KEY .CO by hand to understand what happens to our brains when we stop *thinking* with our hands.
www.esckey.co/the-future-o...
The future of handwriting is, well, illegible?!
What do our brains lose when we stop using pens?!!
I wrote an entire long-form essay for ESC KEY .CO by hand to understand what happens to our brains when we stop *thinking* with our hands.
www.esckey.co/the-future-o...
September 11, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Hey {first_name, "there"}!
The future of handwriting is, well, illegible?!
What do our brains lose when we stop using pens?!!
I wrote an entire long-form essay for ESC KEY .CO by hand to understand what happens to our brains when we stop *thinking* with our hands.
www.esckey.co/the-future-o...
The future of handwriting is, well, illegible?!
What do our brains lose when we stop using pens?!!
I wrote an entire long-form essay for ESC KEY .CO by hand to understand what happens to our brains when we stop *thinking* with our hands.
www.esckey.co/the-future-o...
Steve Jobs (1980): "The computer is a bicycle for the mind!"
JD Shadel (2025): "ESC KEY .CO is a unicycle for the mind!"
Progress.
JD Shadel (2025): "ESC KEY .CO is a unicycle for the mind!"
Progress.
![Screenshot of the homepage of ESC KEY .CO, which reads:
"Too online? JD Shadel's weekly newsletter, ESC KEY .CO, is a unicycle for the mind!"
[Subscribe]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xxtlvsipp3brza2jmbubnust/bafkreies2iz4g37umxctp3zy4kybqdg4adhczeycoqtymec3pkeorfkbiq@jpeg)
September 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Steve Jobs (1980): "The computer is a bicycle for the mind!"
JD Shadel (2025): "ESC KEY .CO is a unicycle for the mind!"
Progress.
JD Shadel (2025): "ESC KEY .CO is a unicycle for the mind!"
Progress.
I work out of the coworking space within Somerset House, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and let me say — I am not a morning person! But a group photo to mark a grand occasion? Darling, I'll be there — sure, undercaffeninated, overstimulated, neurospicy and all. But in style, OK
September 9, 2025 at 3:52 PM
I work out of the coworking space within Somerset House, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and let me say — I am not a morning person! But a group photo to mark a grand occasion? Darling, I'll be there — sure, undercaffeninated, overstimulated, neurospicy and all. But in style, OK
Left is the lady you confide in when your boss is being a jerk.
Right is your boss, the jerk.
Right is your boss, the jerk.
September 6, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Left is the lady you confide in when your boss is being a jerk.
Right is your boss, the jerk.
Right is your boss, the jerk.
hard to understate how little interest I have in an autobiographical novel that explores the unanswerable question, what if I were (are?) a nepo baby?
September 4, 2025 at 8:57 PM
hard to understate how little interest I have in an autobiographical novel that explores the unanswerable question, what if I were (are?) a nepo baby?
I honestly have not followed the career of Vogue's new head of editorial content, but I have observed that she has 62 LinkedIn connections, to which I reply yas kweennn
September 3, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I honestly have not followed the career of Vogue's new head of editorial content, but I have observed that she has 62 LinkedIn connections, to which I reply yas kweennn
“why are you still single?!”
August 25, 2025 at 11:23 PM
“why are you still single?!”
“I never really go south of the river.”
South of the river: *fiiiine!!!*
South of the river: *fiiiine!!!*
August 16, 2025 at 10:41 PM
“I never really go south of the river.”
South of the river: *fiiiine!!!*
South of the river: *fiiiine!!!*
Substack has just sent me a very creepy email suggesting I "follow" someone I had an awkward one night stand with almost two years ago
Yeah, Substack wants me to follow a hookup dude, which is creepy ... and even here, friends, they're not even promoting a newsletter subscription but a "follow!"
Yeah, Substack wants me to follow a hookup dude, which is creepy ... and even here, friends, they're not even promoting a newsletter subscription but a "follow!"
July 28, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Substack has just sent me a very creepy email suggesting I "follow" someone I had an awkward one night stand with almost two years ago
Yeah, Substack wants me to follow a hookup dude, which is creepy ... and even here, friends, they're not even promoting a newsletter subscription but a "follow!"
Yeah, Substack wants me to follow a hookup dude, which is creepy ... and even here, friends, they're not even promoting a newsletter subscription but a "follow!"
Dear MAGICAL pals: Can I ask you a super quick favor?!
It's so quick it will take approximately 222* seconds!!
The favor is, if you've enjoyed something I've written, I'd really appreciate a lil' testimonial for ESC KEY .CO — you can drop a few sassy words in this form: forms.gle/i2kgfuqxknQL...
It's so quick it will take approximately 222* seconds!!
The favor is, if you've enjoyed something I've written, I'd really appreciate a lil' testimonial for ESC KEY .CO — you can drop a few sassy words in this form: forms.gle/i2kgfuqxknQL...
July 21, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Dear MAGICAL pals: Can I ask you a super quick favor?!
It's so quick it will take approximately 222* seconds!!
The favor is, if you've enjoyed something I've written, I'd really appreciate a lil' testimonial for ESC KEY .CO — you can drop a few sassy words in this form: forms.gle/i2kgfuqxknQL...
It's so quick it will take approximately 222* seconds!!
The favor is, if you've enjoyed something I've written, I'd really appreciate a lil' testimonial for ESC KEY .CO — you can drop a few sassy words in this form: forms.gle/i2kgfuqxknQL...
"A point that’s really important for me to stress is that white LGBTQ+ people often go on about their safety concerns without acknowledging the lived reality of LGBTQ+ people who call these places home."
Mr & Mrs Smith asked several LGBTQ+ journos/industry people to talk about the state of travel.
Mr & Mrs Smith asked several LGBTQ+ journos/industry people to talk about the state of travel.
June 30, 2025 at 11:40 AM
"A point that’s really important for me to stress is that white LGBTQ+ people often go on about their safety concerns without acknowledging the lived reality of LGBTQ+ people who call these places home."
Mr & Mrs Smith asked several LGBTQ+ journos/industry people to talk about the state of travel.
Mr & Mrs Smith asked several LGBTQ+ journos/industry people to talk about the state of travel.
Two things can be true at the same time
the canal along Victoria Park is indeed charming on a lovely day — AND I once stopped seeing someone because I found their house boat creepy, sry not sry
the canal along Victoria Park is indeed charming on a lovely day — AND I once stopped seeing someone because I found their house boat creepy, sry not sry
June 28, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Two things can be true at the same time
the canal along Victoria Park is indeed charming on a lovely day — AND I once stopped seeing someone because I found their house boat creepy, sry not sry
the canal along Victoria Park is indeed charming on a lovely day — AND I once stopped seeing someone because I found their house boat creepy, sry not sry
OK so a stranger sent me this on Grindr and it’s the strongest sign yet i need a dumb phone
June 20, 2025 at 3:53 PM
OK so a stranger sent me this on Grindr and it’s the strongest sign yet i need a dumb phone