Early & Alone #78: Might As Well Face It...

I'm addicted to email newsletters.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

I have a problem, and that problem is content. There’s too much content. I want to read all the books, but also all the articles and newsletters and tweets and Instagrams. I want to see all the movies. I want to watch all the TV shows. I want to hear all the podcasts.

I’m drowning.

I’m not sure how to choose, how to prioritize, how to accept that I will never be able to consume it all. I’m like Sisyphus, clearing out my inbox only to have a new onslaught of emails arrive. And yes, I realize that metaphor is ridiculous but that’s HOW IT FEELS. That’s when you know you have a problem.

That said, I thought I may as well share the wealth, so to speak, and give you my top recommendations of Substacks I love that I think you may also enjoy, if you like to read mine. (And I hope you do!)

• Culture Study--Anne Helen Petersen is a genius, full stop.

• hung up--Hunter Harris makes me laugh on the regular, even when I don't really know what she's talking about.

• My Sweet Dumb Brain--Katie Hawkins-Gaar writes so thoughtfully about navigating grief.

• The Art of Noticing--like a candy store for your brain.

• Craft Talk--Jami Attenberg's writing thoughts are like a balm.

• Cruel Summer Book Club--I am always inspired by Jillian's thoughts.

• The Isolation Journals--so beautiful and inspiring--tons of great writing prompts and thoughts.

• Keep Calm & Cook On--Julia Turshen's thoughts on cooking are practical and thoughtful.

• Lonely Victories--I always find something I love in here.

• I recommend Recomendo.

• So Relatable--Not a lie. Very relatable.

• Subtle Maneuvers--Mason Currey gives advice and also shares thoughts on the creative process from luminaries.

These are just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. I have many more recommendations, so if you’re looking for something particular, let me know, and I’m sure I can recommend something!

And speaking of newsletters…thank you for being here and for reading mine. It means a lot, and I am delighted by every single like, comment, email reply, and text I get from you all. I also love new subscribers! So if you enjoy this newsletter, please do me a favor and share it.

Also, you may notice a new thing Substack is doing called “pledges.” It’s where readers of free publications (like this one!) can pledge their support should the writer decide to offer paid subscriptions. This popped up in my last newsletter and I didn’t know how to feel about it (it was automatically inserted) but I got a pledge from someone I deeply respect and admire, which really made my week! I’ve been considering turning on a paid option for a while now—I’ve been writing this newsletter and before that blogging (RIP Looks & Books) for more than a decade, and while I love doing it, I also acknowledge that it’s work and I hope it offers some value to my readers. I will continue to write here regardless—these posts will always be free—but I may offer a paid option (with some potential extras for paying subscribers) if people seem interested. So it would mean a great deal to me if you pledged, and if you aren’t in a position to do so right now (believe me, I feel you), then just letting me know you’re here and reading would also be amazing. I’ll be honest—I need that boost of confidence right now, even though that feels icky to say. Feelings. Gross. I appreciate you all no matter what!!

Bright Spots

• Made this lemony white bean and kale soup last night and it was real good. (I subbed ground chicken for the turkey bc it’s what I had and I also added spinach for extra greens, but you could absolutely make this without the meat.)

• I’ve been watching a lot of Oscar movies and I have feelings and opinions. Tár was really engaging and strange and disturbing. The Banshees of Inshirin was lovely but also terribly violent and gutting. Women Talking was quietly devastating and beautiful. Aftersun was very intimate and quiet and…yes, devastating. (Picking up on a theme here.) I would absolutely recommend all of these movies. What I would not recommend…The Fabelmans. SNOOZE city. I mean, Michelle Williams is amazing, as is Paul Dano, but I spotted “the twist” like 34 seconds into the movie and despite people saying it’s about “more than making movies,” it’s really just about the movies part…with a random monkey and some anti-Semitic bullying and that “twist.” I saw Everything Everywhere All at Once almost a year ago, and in my opinion, I think it deserves all the awards because it really is everything everywhere all at once, and that’s tough to pull off. What do you all think of the Oscar movies this year?

• Have you seen these “rules” for modern society? They’re fun to argue about (I agree on the tipping stuff but the random “always wink” advice is haunting my dreams, to be honest.) I also really enjoyed agent Kate McKean’s version—for publishing.