Substacks recommended by Sherman Alexie

Recommended by Sherman Alexie

“So howled out for the world to give him a name. The indark answered with wind.” ― Samuel R. Delany, Dhalgren :: Reflections on fiction and worldbuilding, on diasporas and elsewheres.

One of the very best writers in the world.

- Sherman Alexie

FrizzLit

By Christopher Frizzelle

Exploring literature and art together.

Thinking in Bets

By Annie Duke

Decision making in an uncertain world.

Old Man Still Howling at the Moon

By Peter Johnson

Essays including a mix of prose poetry and short fiction highlighting the seriocomic musings of a Fairly Intelligent Grumpy Old Everyman.

A great prose poem writer.

- Sherman Alexie

Poetry Today

By Maya C. Popa

deepening your practice of poetry, mindset, and wonder

Peter Himmelman’s Morning Musings

Creativity, Spirituality & the Quest for the Perfect Song

A brilliant songwriter and deeply empathetic soul.

- Sherman Alexie

5AM StoryTalk

By Cole Haddon

A place to talk about stories in all their forms, the craft that goes into them, and the role art plays in our lives.

THE KUREISHI CHRONICLES

By Hanif Kureishi

Dispatches from my hospital bed. Writing on writing; sex and drugs and music, TV shows and writers I admire, my memories, among other matters.

Chloé’s Newsletter

By Chloé Valdary

After spending a year as a Bartley fellow at the Wall Street Journal, Chloé Valdary developed The Theory of Enchantment, an innovative framework for compassionate antiracism that combines social emotional learning (SEL) and character development.

The Unspeakable with Meghan Daum

Home of The Unspeakable Podcast. Plus new writing and updates from Meghan Daum.

Castalia

By Sam Kahn

Intellectual Journal - essays, stories, reflections

Undaunted Joy

By Shemaiah Gonzalez

The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight

Notes from the Middleground

By Damon Linker

Analysis and criticism of the antiliberal right, social-justice progressivism, and cultural topics

Tangentially Speaking with Chris Ryan

Small-batch, hand-crafted, artisanal. From bestselling author and OG podcaster Chris Ryan.

Songletter

We're constantly on the lookout for great music. This is where we store our top discoveries.

Songletter has dropped so many new songs into my mental jukebox. The joy of discovery!

- Sherman Alexie

Trouble Man: Musings of David Yaffe

"Her life was saved by rock and roll"

Seeing Things

By Liza Donnelly

New and unpublished drawings and thoughts for people who want to see more of life, from a New Yorker cartoonist. Drawings, cartoons, words, live drawing, process, more...

Lean Out with Tara Henley

A current affairs newsletter, focusing on heterodox writers and thinkers from around the world.

JB Minton

Weekly critical writing on films, shows, books, music, and inciteful, insightful cultural analysis. I also publish art here for free and paid subscribers.

Story Club with George Saunders

A place to explore the way the short story works.

Sports, Business, Politics, Culture

Publishing Confidential

By Kathleen Schmidt

News and analysis about the book publishing industry that you won't read anywhere else.

The Best Song Ever (This Week)

By Scott Frampton

A short, deep dive into a song and what makes it special. Different genres, different eras -- old, new (but probably old).

The Stein Line

By Marc Stein

Insider coverage of the NBA since 1994

Katherine Brodsky's Random Minds

From one curious mind to another: Random musings from a writer w/ glossy bylines about the world and our role in it. An outsider, looking in. Covering: culture, social politics, critical thinking, media, freedom of speech & diverse thought + technology.

Kevin Morby's Fam Club

All things Kev Mo

Dispatches From the Basement

By Joseph Massey

I offer poetry that seeks out the sacred in the ordinary, accompanied by original photography. No politics, no hot takes, just poetry.

Over and over, I’m compelled to send my favorite lines of Joseph Massey’s poems to all the poets and poetry readers I know. I constantly marvel at his work. Massey’s poems are prayers.

- Sherman Alexie

The Poverty Trap

By Joan DeMartin

The Politics And Policy Choices that Create a Cycle of Economic, Racial and Environmental Inequality...and What We Can Do To Change It.

Art Does It

By Olga Alexandra "Regina"

Illustrated Stories covering 35 years living, working, and loving for Art. News from Center for Art and Trades (CAT) in New York and Alabama.

Austin Kleon

Weekly art, writing, and creative inspiration from the author of Steal Like an Artist and other bestsellers.

The Honest Broker

By Ted Gioia

A trustworthy guide to music, books, arts, media & culture by Ted Gioia

Freddie deBoer

cool but rude

Garrison Keillor and Friends

This newsletter will include observational humor, gratitude, small doses of advice, memories of heroic persons I knew up close, reminiscence about ordinary life back before Twitter and thoughts about American life and other pleasures.

Asking Amy

By Amy Dickinson

Advice, essays and snapshots on how it feels to be human

Liana’s Newsletter

By Liana Finck

A weekly selection of drawings by New Yorker cartoonist and matador Liana Finck, sent out on Wednesdays. Paid subscribers will also get a Sunday email of autobiographical comics, process drawings, and other behind-the-scenes things. www.lianafinck.com