27 Comments

dear josh,

great piece as always!

i like this a lot: "I don’t know if people who work in other disciplines feel this way, but I love the generative period when new ideas start to click with audiences, but the wording and structure isn’t quite settled yet. I imagine it’s what it feels like to get a shade of paint mixed just right or to have a specific section of a lesson plan you want to communicate to students. What I love the most is the comfort of a strong set of foundational elements, and the freedom to reconfigure or expand on them in new ways while everything feels fresh and full of potential."

thanks for sharing!

love

myq

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You're the best!

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Hi Josh - on the question of what I would like to follow you somewhere else and subscribe, I love pep talks, but I already like everything you share about shows and your general viewpoint. I guess if you wanted to share more about NYC I would like that, but not necessary. Your positivity is so helpful, I really appreciate it!

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Thanks so much, Rebecca! That's really helpful to hear!

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would pay for this already but would also love to see inside your sneaker collection and hear about how you prepare for shows and podcast tapings etc!

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Ooo okay! Thank you, Sarah!

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I’d certainly pay for the newsletter! And wherever you want to host it works for me. I know it isn’t feasible for every creator to leave problematic platforms but my bottom line is, do what you need to do to live well with yourself and I’ll follow along.

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Right on! Thanks so much!

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I love your newsletter and would be happy to be a paid subscriber! I'm also happy to follow you, Pied Piper-like, to another platform. In other news, I was unaware of the problematic nature of Substack and so that just goes to show that 1) there's always a fresh level of hell to discover (hooray?) and (more importantly) 2) we clearly need your newsletter now more than ever. Keep writing and we'll keep reading!

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That's so kind! Thanks, Tracy! I think the moving over is actually pretty easy (since I can move an email list over) too!

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I’d pay for what you have now.

If you need a rec on substack migration, baseball writer Craig Calcaterra (Cup of Coffee) moved from sub-stack at the first “nazi affirmation” and moved again a year later, so he has experience and recommendations. Plus he’s a super-nice guy from what I can tell.

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Thank you! I'll poke around and try to see where he ended up!

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Honestly feel guilty every time I click on your link now, which kind of works against your whole raison d’etre here, so yes, please follow your wonderful wife’s example and take this marvelous newsletter to a more marvelous (non-Nazi-supportive) platform.

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I hear you! I've felt a little less urgency to migrate since my newsletter doesn't bring them (or me) any money, but I'm feeling more and more like it's time to move on!

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I literally stopped reading to come here and tell you that you DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING for me to become a paid subscriber on another platform--your newsletter is PERFECT!!!!! You have no idea how much better my life now is because I can read That's Marvelous on Mondays! I will sign up immediately, I promise! I did when Maris Kreizman moved to Ghost, the minute I got the first newsletter! <3

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Thank you, Roxy!

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my father has made “taking terrible pictures of family and friends without them realizing” into high art as far as I’m concerned. and you’re right, it’s quite endearing. damn technique! he just wants to capture the people he loves

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It's so beautiful/hideous! I love it!

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Omg Despair Parts is toooooo perfect. Great pep talk!

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Thanks!

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Great pep talk! I like the reminder I got ages ago to remember to put on my own oxygen mask first

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That's such a great way to put it!

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Also! Wow you were good on this week’s Bugle. Finding comedy in all this is such a skill, thanks for bringing a bit of joy and hope

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I will happily become a paid subscriber for what you have now, and fully support moving away from this platform.

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Right on! Thanks!

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Would love so much to see the move away from Substack! It has been weirdly jarring to want to keep supporting people and really wanting to leave this cursed place. But I'm grateful for your newsletter every start of my work week and I would try and contribute in some way! I think there was a lot in Bluesky about doing this for free.99? Maybe some WordPress feature? I wish I could be more helpful!

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My (boomer) mom recently took a picture at my son’s birthday party — it was me and a friend, from the back. 🤦🏼‍♀️

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