More than Words

How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI

By: John Warner

Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin

A veteran writing teacher makes a strong argument that writing is a form of thinking and feeling and shows why it can’t be replaced by AI

In the age of artificial intelligence, drafting an essay is as simple as typing a prompt and pressing enter. What does this mean for the art of writing? According to longtime writing teacher John Warner: not very much.

More Than Words argues that generative AI programs like ChatGPT not only can kill the student essay but should, since these assignments don’t challenge students to do the real work of writing. To Warner, writing is thinking—discovering your ideas while trying to capture them on a page—and feeling—grappling with what it fundamentally means to be human.

The fact that we ask students to complete so many assignments that a machine could do is a sign that something has gone very wrong with writing instruction. More Than Words calls for us to use AI as an opportunity to reckon with how we work with words—and how all of us should rethink our relationship with writing.

©2025 John Warner (P)2025 Blackstone Publishing

Performance Almost Ruins It

For a book titled “More Than Words,” I would have hoped author/publisher would have chosen a narrator that gave a performance that went beyond just reading words like an automaton. This is one of the worst narrators of any book of I have listened to in recent memory. It sounds like it was AI generated. I pre-purchased the title I was so excited about it, but had I heard a sample first, I likely would have passed on this one.

Narration is Terrible

Interesting book that discussed the emotionality present at the heart of writing in a really personal and beautiful way, but the narrator manages to remove any semblance of feeling from the writers words.

Balanced

Complete and balanced discussion on generative AI. Thorough review of history of automation. Explored questions: How did we get here? What do we consider for the future?

Reader channeling Rod Serling

I found it hard to focus on the content because the reader sounded like he was the narrator of a “Twilight Zone” episode. His hard z’s and aspirations at the end of words. I found it hard to listen to.

The content is all right. I got a couple of ideas for my classroom, and I agree with the author’s thesis that writing shouldn’t be outsourced because it takes away what writing is and doesn’t for writers and readers. It took a long time to get there. I wish it had been a bit more practical for teachers of writing. I’m not sure who the audience is.