substacks I always open
original writers, original tastes, a pleasurable inbox
Hello, everyone. My date cancelled on me tonight which means that for the first time in a while, I have an evening to myself that does not include meal prep or cleaning. It means ordering takeout and a long bath and pretending to read Doris Lessing while trying to recall all the emails and texts I’ve not responded to.
For some time I’ve been admiring the authenticity of the below writers for their inventive, focused newsletters, and the intention and certainty they have about their work. I was just writing about this in one of my last posts—
the center for short-lived phenomena
...some people have world visions so certain and ambitious, we’re drawn to their work for the sureness of it. Artists whose work we adore, whose flimsy prints we have hanging in Amazon frames, are those that pushed other worlds out to make their own. I don’t have that. Instead of having a clear world vision, I live in other worlds. It’s why I like walking and eavesdropping so much, sojourning other voices, other rooms. It’s why I also can’t design my bedroom even half to my liking, because the world of it doesn’t speak to me the way it does others, who can tell, for example, the exact right wood to chrome to travertine ratio, how to create fashionable storage, and keep shit off their dresser; people with enough courage to consider curtains, of which I consciously never have.
Along those lines, these newsletters feel original, on the pulse, totally individual—like people writing for themselves and their interest and without the overarching mission of becoming or maintaining celebrity, which feels further precious all the time.
sleeper hits
I learn more about design from
’s notes than I do during a whole day at AD. Sorry to my employers. Alana has a brilliant eye for the modern and historical, a truly inspiring wealth of knowledge about design, and a total understanding of how to access it. I never skip a note from her, and can’t wait to see more from her newsletter.I kiss
’s ass because she’s a genius. She writes weekly dispatches about her life much in the way that I think about mine, so I feel a sort of kindredness toward her that makes me open her newsletter every time it comes to my inbox. She also offers a fantastic write-up of what you should do each week in New York, now cleverly behind her paywall. It’s worth paying. She has fantastic taste, and her fingers are in every pudding in New York.NYC staples
is blowing up because it’s great. made a splash in January with her piece on third spaces, and was rightfully then noticed for her impeccable taste and awareness of New York’s dining scene. I don’t even consider myself well abreast of that stuff but, man, do I love reading it. Especially when it turns out Carbone or something isn’t that good and it saves me the hell of a reservation and a $300 dinner. And contrarily, she tells me when somewhere is worth my time that was halfway down my list. This is a particular favorite: is forever my favorite Substack. No one rivals it. Run by dynamic duo Cece and Hana (both talented musicians), this is an exhaustive list of every show happening in New York in newsletter and risograph form, if you know where to get it (they’ll also mail it to you). With each issue, they include a piece of non-fiction surrounding music in some way or another. I wrote a piece for them long ago about losing my flips flops in the mosh at a Bassvictim concert. For some reason, this newsletter is free, but you can donate to them (and should!), and otherwise join this mailing list at the very least for their events. Coolest group of people you’ll ever meet.
being smart
was a friend of mine before I even realized she was a talented writer and great thinker. Her newsletter does what I always hope a newsletter will, which is round up what I should be reading about a particular subject I’m interested in. In this case: sustainability. Carly has an incredible ability to distill even the most convoluted parts of environmental politics and policy into something palatable. I especially love when she writes about sustainable fashion (she has amazing style).’s piece on art direction (linked below) rocked my shit. Truly, I was captivated. I know very little about art direction but until I came across her newsletter I didn’t realize how little I knew. She has, it seems, a total understanding of the market. I’ve learned from her newsletter how art direction works from its genesis to execution, why Marc Jacobs is still relevant, with thoughtful essays like how to shape impactful changes through art direction, dealing with imposter syndrome, and how to pitch an art direction concept. I also go crazy for her Notes, which always stop me in my tracks:
obvis
I open every Media Diet from Why is this interesting? How people interact with media, where they get their news, their sense of trends—what to do, where to go, who to know, where to shop, eat, travel—is purely fascinating to me. I really love this one with the later mentioned
.
Hunter Harris is her own media company, and reading
is like sitting at the cool table. I am, admittedly, not a paid subscriber, though I have no idea why—the White Lotus and Severance and Bachelor group chats for paid subscribers look absurdly fun. I can only imagine what goes on in there. This newsletter is so deeply entrenched in pop culture I have pretty much no idea who most of the characters are, but it feels kind of like entering a season of Real Housewives in medias res, which has recently become an indulgent past time of mine. Anyway, it delights my sister every time I can reference anything with intelligence that’s happened in the last decade and the only reason I can do that is Hunter Harris. Tonight I am having a glass of very old Pinot Grigio and reading about Morgan Wallen (I thought it was Morgan Wallens), who I mistook for Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the article photo (do you see what I mean? Extremely hopeless). Join me: is Substack. Its author, , is totally aware of this (as is Substack), and wears it well. Her piece The machine in the garden rocked the Internet—but more specifically the hobby writers on Substack—to their core. I saw a few friendships rattled over this piece, which is what good, original writing can do: make people uncomfortable. Beyond that, is where I get my cultural gossip, New York or otherwise. This, along with , are the only reason I have any idea what people are talking about. makes me feel so smart, and I comment this once every fifth newsletter from . I love Ochuko’s story because she really just started typing out hot goss that interested her and the Internet opened its arms for her so willingly. An amazing example of someone who stepped onto the scene without any noise distracting her from what she “should” be doing or how to do it or how to make a market or personality from it—she just did it. And well. This is a person with a strong sense of self. We will see amazing things from Ochuko, and if she’s not hitting the 30 under 30 list in the next couple years, I’m rioting. Another thing Ochuko’s good at? Subject lines.
personal essays
’s is fucked-up good. She’s one of those writers so smart you just ride her wave, let her tell you about life in middle America, ego death, explain capitalism in real terms. She’s lived a thousand scorching lives, knows everything about music and the soft underbelly of humanity. She’s the coolest woman in every room—that’s how she writes—like if Eve Babitz more closely understood the macabre. not only writes truly gorgeous, effusive pieces, but she’s funny as hell, especially on Notes. She’s had several viral pieces on numbing out and how our phones make us feel un-sexy, some really beautiful writing on motherhood, but I especially loved this most recent one, which features a Julia all too similar to my being:
fashion
I consult the
group chat about pretty much all of my problems: where do I buy a suit for my 19-year-old brother? Why can’t I find any yellow leather boots that aren’t the Frye Campus boot? How much are we actually spending on “basics”? This newsletter has assembled an incredible community of tasteful givers, which, in my opinion, is the best thing the Internet can be.
If
is Substack, is my Substack. Her newsletter, about finding the best shit on eBay, is one of the first newsletters that really got me hooked on this platform. Nora does for me the sacred work of writing about fashion without making me feel poor or unworthy or jealous. I think she does the same for others, which is why her newsletter has garnered such attention. That, and impeccable taste.
taste
You might know Sydney Gore from being obsessed with her, or knowing at least four people that are obsessed with her. I worked briefly with Sydney at AD and there’s no mind I want to invade more than hers. She is so deeply aware, smart, measured, brilliant. She just launched her newsletter
No list about impeccable taste would be truly representative without a mention of Maggie Holliday founder of Claude Home and writer of
, which is a constant design inspiration and resource for me. It’s an absolute cheat that Maggie pulled together this list of go-to home decor stores for us. We shouldn’t be able to see that.
and lastly, pieces that rocked my shit:
Soo many amazing links in here, and the way you described them makes me want to call off work tomorrow and spend the whole day reading. Excited to check out more of your archives too!!
awwww we love orzo bimbo