Newsletters are everywhere these days, and a lot of them require subscribers to pay for their content beyond a few free articles a month. Heck, even *I* technically have one (shameless pitch!), though I’m still developing how I want it to work and what my readers would find most interesting.
But-! Despite the ubiquity of newsletters flooding the internet, there are a few I subscribe to that literally make my heart do a little joyous flip-flop when I see them in my inbox. They run the gamut of subjects, from writing to minimalism to task management to entrepreneurship to fashion and beauty, but these three are newsletters I almost always read cover-to-cover: a rare thing in these short-attention-span days!
1) JESSICA DEFINO: THE REVIEW OF BEAUTY
I absolutely adore Jessica DeFino’s “The Review of Beauty,” which is all about pushing back on the cosmetic/beauty industry’s aggressive marketing and its affect on people financially, psychologically, and emotionally. I’m a closet fashion obsessive, in part because I am so not fashionable and never have been. I don’t wear any makeup, in part because my skin’s sensitive and I react strongly (and itch-ily) to sparkly substances in makeups (think shimmery eyeshadow—oh so pretty! Oh, so painful!), but also in part because a long time ago, I decided that I hated feeling “ugly” when I wasn’t wearing makeup. I never wanted to look at my plain face, my real, human face, and think: ugh, I look like shit.
So while now and then I’ll rock a lipstick or tinted lipgloss, and when I’m being *really* fancy, I wear eyeliner and mascara and maybe a bit of brow tint, I otherwise avoid it 95% of the time. But THE REVIEW OF BEAUTY is not just brilliant journalism and food for thought, it’s also goshed-darned funny and often makes me laugh out loud.
2) LINCOLN MICHEL: COUNTER CRAFT
I’m also OBSESSED with Lincoln Michel’s Counter Craft newsletter. This one should be on EVERY writer’s list of newsletters to read, in my opinion, in part because they feel more like in-depth lectures (and good ones) on subjects ranging from non-linear storytelling structures to surrealism to the culture of publishing. He’s thoughtful and insightful, and every book I’ve bought at his recommendation has been an absolute delight to read. I also blame him for finally watching David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD, which now lives rent-free in my head.
Every time this newsletter rolls into my inbox (which is probably twice a month), I set aside time to just read it in-full, because it’s always engaging and I always learn something, and my to-read list gets longer (though his recs usually jump the list). If you like weird fiction, experimental fiction, strange fiction, literary oddball fiction—literally anything that pushes the boundaries of what you can and can’t do in writing and in reality, I highly recommend checking this one out. I read it for some months for free, but it was so good and I looked forward to reading it so much, it was one of the first newsletters I signed on for a paid subscription for.
3) @REBECCAWRITES: YOUR HOUSE MACHINE
And on a completely different subject, my third favorite is Your House Machine by @rebeccawrites. It’s all about home optimization, organization, and creating functional systems. I love her systems-oriented perspective on house function, seeing your home as a piece of machinery that should support your life, not hinder it. It’s lacking some of the more eye-rolling organization “hacks” that end up just making life more complicated for the sake of aesthetics (not that I don’t love a pretty looking space!), and really zeroes in on creating functional systems to manage life, the universe, and everything. I’m always picking up thoughtful tips for making my non-writing life just a little bit easier (because I seriously don’t want to think about housework more than I absolutely have to). Tired of cluttered spaces, piles of laundry, and never finding your keys? This is the newsletter for you!
RUNNERS UP————————————————-
Here’s a couple other newsletters that rock my socks, even if I don’t *always* read them from beginning to end:
THE CREATIVE INDEPENDENT
I love this newsletter, even though it’s a daily, and let’s be honest, there are just times I don’t have time to intake a long, in-depth interview. That said, this newsletter has introduced me to NUMEROUS artists, musicians, and writers I now obsessively adore that I never would have encountered without it. The interviews are great, focusing on the creative process and living in a capitalist-driven society while trying to make art. If you don’t have time for a deep-dive on each artist, check out their Instagram page, from which I regularly screenshot bits of advice and process thinking to put in my notebooks. One of my favorite things about the interviews is their “list of five” at the end of each, in which the interviewee lists five things they can’t live without/want to share with the world. Another goldmine for great things to try and check out!
OFFICE HOURS – GEORGE SAUNDERS
While I don’t participate in George Saunders’ STORY CLUB, I do enjoy his regular Office Hours newsletter, which is something of a Q & A with write-in questions from readers, and some are just thoughts on how writing works and what a writer is trying to do. While, again, I don’t always read every line of these depending on my interest in the question posed, more often than not, I’ve found some shred of insight or creative process thought to chew on that lingers days afterwards.