I Like Mail
I like getting mail.
The kind that lands in my actual mailbox—mostly thanks to Longlost and Original Z—and the kind that comes to my electronic one. That is, I like email that I’ve asked for.
Especially newsletters.
Not the kind that are part of selling a program or product (though I sometimes appreciate that too, if I’m interested in what’s on offer or the team behind it), but the kind that are expressions of one mind or a like-minded team.
I appreciate this small-scale media.
Because the writers direct their efforts toward those who really care about what they have to say. And as a reader, I know that I’m helping to sustain their efforts through my attention. That I’m part of what ideas-man Seth Godin calls the “smallest viable audience.”
I know newsletters aren’t for everyone. Last winter, I tried to spark a resident-family debate about whether those oft-maligned Christmas letters might be looked at more compassionately when considered in the light of our current cultural interest in electronic newsletters. The verdict: What current interest in newsletters? Sigh. (Though I did get some pickup from sometimes-resident daughter Caroline. Thank you, Care.)
Often, I feel bombarded by the small-byte barrage of social media, and its endlessly refreshing feed. Newsletters offer an opportunity to go deeper into the workings of a mind that interests me. In this time of no real-life visits, subscribing to an intriguing newsletter feels like inviting someone over for a really good talk.
Here then, a celebratory list of the newsletters I’m glad to sit down with:
At the End of the Day—A weekly “people-first perspective on the news” from Toronto-based journalist Hannah Sung. I’ve been buoyed by Sung’s take on this time we’re living in—the facts and the feelings. (Sung has just launched a Patreon, with an aim to make an At the End of the Day podcast, too.) Fridays.
Austin Kleon—I took a while to get on the Austin Kleon bandwagon—because he’s a sensation and I am petulant—but (as is often the case) the joke’s on me, because I was missing out. No longer. Each week, Kleon sends his list of “ten things worth sharing.” The simplicity! The curation! So satisfying. Fridays.
Ann Friedman—This newsletter’s been going for years, and Friedman—journalist and podcaster—has been both the creator and a commentator on the medium itself. I appreciate Friedman’s take on the week in her life and the world, and love the roundup of what she’s been reading. She’s recently created a fellowship for a couple of writers whose work she highlights here. Come for the cultural commentary, stay for the pie charts. Fridays.
Musings—Because this newsletter comes from a store, it’s an exception on this list—but c’mon. It’s a bookstore. Specifically, Parnassus Books, the Nashville, Tennessee bookstore co-owned by writer Ann Patchett. Sometimes a Musing missive contains a short essay from Ann herself. Several times a month.
Pickle Me This/Gleanings—A newsletter in which the prolific and exemplary Kerry Clare—author, blogger, community builder—offers a digest of her own recent posts (from her blog Pickle Me This) and a list of recent posts by other bloggers (Gleanings). It’s always a compendium of interesting reads. Several times a month.
Letters of Note—A newsletter of actual letters—from the famous and not-so—that stand the test of time. Sometimes I read one aloud to my captive (I mean, where else can they go?) audience, because it just begs to be performed. Indeed, in non-Covid times, Letters of Note is also a performance series. Daily.
Transactions with Beauty—This new favourite is gorgeous to read and to look at. Edmonton-based Shawna Lemay is not only a poet, novelist and essayist—she’s also a photographer. I appreciate her missives on living open to beauty, and the versatility of where she finds it (evidence: this still life of pantry items that accompanies a contemplation on managing your fridge.) In my dream of the post-pandemic future, I engage her to take my author photo, amidst the flowers and the cake. Several times a month.
Transient Random Noisebursts—Confession: I couldn’t possibly get to all the TV that this newsletter considers, but I always love reading Lane’s takes on what’s worth it, including the Watch-with-Tina classification system, which is tuned to his wife’s very different viewing tastes. Occasional.
There it is. A very personal, completely subjective list of my favourite newsletters. Which is kind of the point, right?
Expand My Mind—and Mailbox
Tell me your favourites. Two of my personal culture-shapers are here to get us started:
Caroline Hill—sometimes-resident daughter, whose mind is a gallery of art and ideas, says:
Link in Bio; Something I Saw; Paul Taylor; Friday Things; Are You Still Watching?; Roxane Gay’s The Audacity; and A List of People I Am Mad At (Mh: Wait! Scaachi Koul has a newsletter? Caroline! How long have you known about this and why am I only hearing this now?)
Original Z—who began refining my reading list 38 years ago, says:
Ancestor Hunger, Craft Talk and Brain Pickings (Mh: Ah yes, a classic!)
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