SUBSTACK FAVORITES

[all of these are mentioned in the restacked post below, but i thought it would probably be better as a note for reach—i love every single post from these newsletters, and you should absolutely subscribe to them if you haven’t yet!]

•

people's princess by sarah cucchiara

Sarah is a genius at turning moments of current culture into something so unique and interesting and heartfelt. Her writing is perfect, and her humor and talent is unmatched. Both of her personal pieces and cultural pieces are so good; her essays are uncannily reminiscent of an excellent think piece on the New Yorker, and I look forward to her posts every week.

favorite essays: oh, so you’re a thought daughter now?, we don’t have to work it out on the remix, this is me trying

•

faith's core by faith zapata

I always say that I am a Faith Zapata fan first, human second. Faith writes beautiful personal essays that have so much character, relatability, and empathy. She has an incredible ability to process complex human emotions and feelings into eloquent prose. Reading her essays always leaves me with such a warm and fuzzy feeling and a better ability to process my own emotions.

favorite essays: are you normal or are you the eldest daughter, your twenties are a second chance at teenagerhood, the romance of friendship

•

briffin glue huffer by briffin glue

I could recognize any of Griffin’s essays from a mile away. They feel cohesive and comprehensive, yet intelligent and philosophical in the best way. His writing is a masterclass in alchemizing heartfelt personal anecdotes with sharp analysis on culture and politics. He also pretty much singlehandedly influenced a lot of my reading taste and book choices last year.

favorite essays: boyhood, how a space becomes a home, it was hot, we stayed in the water

•

angelic dissent by eve morgan

Eve's writing is effortless in a way that makes you feel breathless. She is able to pick notes and chords of emotions out of an orchestra, and articulate it perfectly. she infuses musing on culture in tandem, and creates these masterpieces every time. I love that every single one of her essays feels like a mini book in how cohesive and thorough they are.

favorite essays: you’re not an introvert, actually, the vulnerability trap, but for you it’s free

•

sonnet eighteen by Emma

I love art maybe just as much as I love literature, but I never view both from a romantic or sentimental lens. I’m more analytical about it, but Emma approaches it from a standpoint imbued with so much emotion. Her essays are centered around art from a human standpoint—what makes art lovable and what makes art the source of human connection? Her newsletter is perfect for literature and art history lovers.

favorite essays: shall i compare thee to a summer’s day, mythologizing lady jane grey, maybe we’re all born to love and worry

•

Ad Hoc by Arden Yum

Arden's ADHOC weekly newsletter concept is so, so brilliant, and nobody is doing it like her. I love reading her posts, which is an amalgamation of culture, personal anecdotes, and musings on aesthetics. Her writing is so witty and smart, and she skillfully fuses together completely different topics into a post every single week. Her sense of style is also unmatched, and is my living Pinterest board.

favorite essays: korea is everywhere, what am i?, am i writing like a white woman?, 22 things i’ve learned at 22

•

notes under the fig tree by leah beth

Leah is one of the only people who I completely and wholly trust when it comes to literature. Her reviews are a masterclass in concise and analytical writing, and her insight into literature is something I aspire to have. She also has such thorough and comprehensive author guides that I always refer to whenever I am checking out a book.

favorite essays: you’re reading sally rooney wrong, 24 things i’ve learned at 24, a love letter to being a fangirl

•

our usual spot? by esje

Esje does something that is incredibly rare: he combines the most gorgeous, poetic writing with 100% of the heart he has. His essays are joyful, wistful, and leaves you with a dull ache in your chest in the best way all at once. If you ever want to chase nostalgia and melancholy in a beautiful way, subscribe to him.

favorite essays: how can a body hold so much grief, another year of living and learning, the answer must be in the attempt

•

club reticent by Valerie

I don’t even know where to start with how much I love and adore Valerie’s writing. All of her sentences line up and just create this insane mosaic that nobody else would have thought of. I am always in constant awe of her ability to lace together words to create this beautiful melody of an essay.

favorite essays: a guide to insomnia, where is my boyfriend, i remember everything

•

sublime miscellany by

Ellie’s writing is always so personal and so heartfelt, and reads like the lyrics of the most poetic song. Her essays always read like such good literary fiction, and I am always amazed at the way she is able to articulate her feelings and happenings in her life. She also incorporates a lot of literature and culture into her essays, and has the best tangents.

favorite essays: twilight years, everyone i love is capable of dying, against overthinking

•

all over the place by Luisa

Luisa is able to metamorphose simple feelings and concepts into these thoroughly articulate and unique pieces of writing. Her essays explore the intersections of emotion, personal history, pop culture, and literature. I love that her essays are relatable as much as they are deeply personal reflections, and she is able to do produce something so special.

favorite essays: i want to do everything so i do nothing, soulmates are not real, farewell setraline

•

Color Stories by Katy Kelleher

I love Katy’s essays so much that my feelings for them are sort of indescribable. I’ve been reading her writing since she wrote the Hue’s Hues column on The Paris Review, which everyone who subscribes to this newsletter has read by now because of how often I talk about them. She has actually changed the way I view the world and the way I treat aesthetics with her writing. Her ability to see color—actually see colors and the history behind them is a one in a million sort of talent.

favorite essays: cry your eyes out for atlantic blue, a color most atrocious, dove gray, part ii

•

twenty-first century demoniac by Helena Aeberli

I adore Helena’s posts. She is one of the most articulate and intelligent people I have ever read from, and every single one of her posts is so thoughtful and approaches the subject matter at such a unique angle. She is able to concoct together essays, pulling from culture, literature, philosophy, and art, and I’m always left amazed at her writing.

favorite essays: a radical aesthetics?, immaculate bodies, in search of cool

•

personal canon by Celine Nguyen

Celine may be the most intellectually curious and well read person I know. Her essays are so thoughtful and motivate me to keep reading and keep being academically self-driven as someone who is out of school. Her taste in books is fantastic, and I find so many underrated gems through her. Not only does she write about literature, she also writes about architecture, art, and design—all of which are so interesting as well.

favorite essays: research as a leisure activity, more than real life, don’t deceive yourself