Then I would say that this essay fails on its own standard, because what it argues for is clarity, not simplicity. I'm sure Paul Graham thinks himself a clear

Then I would say that this essay fails on its own standard, because what it argues for is clarity, not simplicity. I'm sure Paul Graham thinks himself a clear writer, which he tends to be. Now try running "On Lisp" through an app like Hemingway, that will "simplify" the language. I'm almost certain the result will be less clear than the original, even though it'll be arguably simpler. Is that really what writers should aim for?