After we posted an item last week saying that NYU was basically showing contrarian extraordinaire Steven Johnson the door, we heard from Johnson himself. But first, a reader email:

Steven Johnson is not that hot in person. In real life he looks more like Steve Buscemi.

hey Gawker, enjoying all the attention in my "amiable and down-to-earth" way, but just to clarify: I'm not teaching next semester at NYU because I'm taking the semester off to write and work on outside.in, my new web project. That's pretty normal in academic life, as I'm sure you're aware.

Now, the deans and other faculty may well be conspiring to drive me out of the department — I haven't heard anything other than nice things from them to date — but if so, the fact that I'm not teaching next semester has nothing to do with it.

Earlier: In Steven Johnson Profile, 'Times' Maps Realm Where Editorial Meets Advertising
Earlier: Steven Johnson Too Good for NYU?

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