Substack Reads: Weekend rhubarbmisu, family estrangements, and how to stink of Zen
read.substack.com
At Substack Reads, we delight in the joy of finding new writers to fall in love with each week: some you may know already, others will be delicious discoveries. This week’s edition is no different.
A good thing for you, I am finding too much good content on Substack. Too much in the sense that the total monthly price would spiral a bit out of control. Each writer worth the 5 to 10 bucks, for sure. But I'd be at hundreds per month easily, today, if I subscribed to every good thing I've seen in the past month. I have no solution for this problem. Though I despised cable TV pricing and really am a curmudgeon about the proliferation of streaming services. For me, no doubt Substack is by far the best source of content. And I feel good that the fees go to writers directly. So, I guess don't change anything? And do whatever you can to insulate Substack from corporate takeover or takedown. And thank you.
I remember seeing Titanic in theatre when it first came out. I was 14. I had to pretend it was ‘gay’ because I was (still am!) a dude and it was the 90s still. Truth is I loved it!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
I'm really enjoying my Substack discoveries. Chris Arnade on LA was a great read before my own trip there (see my recommendations). I've just published my own impressions of LA and would love to know yours
Thank you for doing this! It's a valuable service. But please be aware that there is SO much that deserves to get spotlighted that there are no mechanisms for at present.
Can't help but notice how much substack reads is just about culture? Would appreciate if you mentioned technology and business publications more often. I guess I'm wondering out loud. Is this more of a reflection of substack employees or the actual writers on the platform?
If you mentioned technology and business writers more, you might have better luck attracting them. I personally love it if Substack's reputation was less about culture wars and political sentiment and more about uplifting education and persuasive op-eds. Gender balance in the editorial team is probably needed. It would actually serve your revenue generation better.
I'm not sure if these biases are intentional. But it's leading to people writing in investing and technology and business leaving for a competitor. Which is starting to concern me.
This week’s top read has come from Caroline Criado Perez at Visible Women❤️ She does amazing work on raising issues around making women “visible” in the health data and beyond!
Gosh, there is so much good stuff to read here -- and my to-be-read list is already starting to topple! Thanks for your great work
Lovely to see Substack celebrating its writers constantly. Found some great things here again!
I’ve really been enjoying Katherine Ormerod’s Substack - Every Shade of Grey recently :)
I have added Seymour Hersh to my must-read on Substak and am grateful that he is hosted on your platform!
And this one from Laura Pashby changed something in me - https://open.substack.com/pub/laurapashby/p/mother-writer?r=506nf&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
A good thing for you, I am finding too much good content on Substack. Too much in the sense that the total monthly price would spiral a bit out of control. Each writer worth the 5 to 10 bucks, for sure. But I'd be at hundreds per month easily, today, if I subscribed to every good thing I've seen in the past month. I have no solution for this problem. Though I despised cable TV pricing and really am a curmudgeon about the proliferation of streaming services. For me, no doubt Substack is by far the best source of content. And I feel good that the fees go to writers directly. So, I guess don't change anything? And do whatever you can to insulate Substack from corporate takeover or takedown. And thank you.
Just celebrated 6 months on Substack:
https://open.substack.com/pub/brunettegardens/p/a-half-year-milestone?r=1n113r&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I remember seeing Titanic in theatre when it first came out. I was 14. I had to pretend it was ‘gay’ because I was (still am!) a dude and it was the 90s still. Truth is I loved it!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Loved this one - like a magazine of experiments and creativity - https://open.substack.com/pub/sarahshotts/p/in-the-studio?r=506nf&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
One more recommendation to add to your subscription list: https://soaringtwenties.substack.com/
It's a collective of creatives collaborating to make the internet human again.
I'm really enjoying my Substack discoveries. Chris Arnade on LA was a great read before my own trip there (see my recommendations). I've just published my own impressions of LA and would love to know yours
I feel like there' s a whole corner that you've been missing - the sort of intellectual Substack community.
I'm really surprised that you haven't discovered Castalia yet. Here's a thoughtful discussion of what literature can be in the age of the internet (and of Substack): https://castaliajournal.substack.com/p/what-im-looking-for-in-literature
But really almost anything there is thoughtful and compelling.
Terry Freeman, on this thread, is a really smart, charming writer. This post for instance - https://terryfreedman.substack.com/p/start-the-week-15
John Pistelli is a really special literary critic. A good post here - https://grandhotelabyss.substack.com/p/weekly-readings-56-022723-030523
Thank you for doing this! It's a valuable service. But please be aware that there is SO much that deserves to get spotlighted that there are no mechanisms for at present.
Best,
Troy
Can't help but notice how much substack reads is just about culture? Would appreciate if you mentioned technology and business publications more often. I guess I'm wondering out loud. Is this more of a reflection of substack employees or the actual writers on the platform?
If you mentioned technology and business writers more, you might have better luck attracting them. I personally love it if Substack's reputation was less about culture wars and political sentiment and more about uplifting education and persuasive op-eds. Gender balance in the editorial team is probably needed. It would actually serve your revenue generation better.
I'm not sure if these biases are intentional. But it's leading to people writing in investing and technology and business leaving for a competitor. Which is starting to concern me.
This week’s top read has come from Caroline Criado Perez at Visible Women❤️ She does amazing work on raising issues around making women “visible” in the health data and beyond!
Really happy Substack has taken up my suggestion to include a "FILM" section. Hoping one of my articles is chosen for curation at some point.
When we stink of Zen, we can light a little incense.
And remember there’s always something new to learn. And that “learning means becoming worse“. Which, sometimes, means we might stink ;)
https://open.substack.com/pub/livmkk/p/learning-means-becoming-worse
A short story about a Rothko and an album cover. https://open.substack.com/pub/ofsoundandfury/p/mark-rothko-and-the-album-iii?r=hcm2e&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post