Uses This

1276 interviews since 2009

A picture of Joe Veix

Joe Veix

Writer, Culture Editor (Newsweek)

in editor, mac, writer

Who are you, and what do you do?

I'm a writer/editor based in Oakland, CA. I'm currently the Culture Editor at Newsweek, and previously I've freelanced for The New Yorker and Playboy and Vice and a few other places. I also post a lot of crap online.

What hardware do you use?

I spend most of my days looking at a 2013 MacBook Air and an iPhone 5S. For jotting down quick ideas and notes, I use a small Muji A6 notebook and a Pilot G2 .07mm pen. I've been using the same pen for ~6 years, replacing the ink cartridge whenever it runs out. I don't know how I haven't lost or broken it after all this time. It's not special or anything. But I'm cursed to carry this pen with me to my grave.

And what software?

I write most of my early drafts and outlines in Apple Notes, synced across my various devices, with all the auto-formatting tools turned off. When I'm ready to work on a more serious draft I'll copy/paste the text to Pages or Google Docs. For other projects I use janky outdated bootleg copies of Photoshop and Final Draft. For help procrastinating on answering emails, I use Google Inbox.

What would be your dream setup?

I suppose I mainly want hardware/software I don't have to think about, that doesn't get in my way with intrusive UIs and unnecessary tools. The closest I've come to that ideal is Apple Notes. Except now they keep adding new features and it's getting too bloated and complicated, so I guess I'll quit writing.