Substacks recommended by Josh Gondelman

Recommended by Josh Gondelman

Magazine-styled scene reports from Birthday parties across the city by Maddie Connors. Email or DM me, and I'll cover for you or your friends!

Dave Hill: From the Diamond-Paved Streets of Cleveland

Hi, I'm Dave Hill. Here are some hastily written posts with not nearly enough profanity. I apologize. Life is beautiful. Just ask my dog.

Nightcap

By Laura Bassett

An irreverent newsletter about politics.

The Present Age

By Parker Molloy

Parker Molloy’s award-winning media criticism, culture, and politics newsletter.

REID

By Reid Pope

Trans Jewish Comedian/Cinnabon Rewards Member

At the Mountains of Sadness

By Mike Drucker

A newsletter by a comedian and comedy writer about video games, movies, politics, and usually the world's deepest well of sadness. Dive into the well. By clicking subscribe, not actually diving.

LA Weather

By Tess Lynch

A newsletter about the weather in Los Angeles, but only sort of.

The Melt by Jason Diamond

By Jason Diamond

The Melt is Jason Diamond's look at old, new, and evolving classics.

Jason has wonderful and specific taste and articulates it so beautifully here!

- Josh Gondelman

Law Dork

By Chris Geidner

The Supreme Court, law, politics, and more.

DIRTY NAILS

By bex finch

Dispatches from the garden and the edge of reason

Beautiful writing (and photos) and fascinating gardening insights!

- Josh Gondelman

Ayesha A. Siddiqi

By Ayesha's substack

Reviews, interviews, advice, and essays. No rants. I take my time until I have something worth yours.

User Mag

By Taylor Lorenz

A tech and online culture publication by Taylor Lorenz, featuring original reporting on how the internet is reshaping politics, business, media, and culture.

New Music for Olds

By Christian Finnegan

How long has it been since you had a new favorite song? I can help with that!

Critical Thinking

By Lindsey Adler

Welcome to Critical Thinking. I am an avid explorer of the ways in which people interact with one another and with music, film, and visual art.

Dad Lessons

By Kristen Arnett

let's learn something new! mini lessons are free for everyone; paid subscribers get access to weekly dad lessons from a broad spectrum of cool individuals, plus access to chats with Dad

Kristen is a great writer, and these are legit useful lessons! Thanks, Dad!

- Josh Gondelman

Grace Spelman Music Project

A twice-weekly newsletter dedicated to providing readers with good, interesting music recommendations and playlists free from algorithmic AI slop.

How Things Work

By Hamilton Nolan

Labor, politics, and power.

I learn so much from reading Hamilton's writing about labor! He's such a funny/forceful writer! His book is great too!

- Josh Gondelman

Weekend Water with Paul F. Tompkins & Janie Haddad Tompkins

Official substack spawned from the conversation podcast STAY F. HOMEKINS with comedian Paul F. Tompkins & actress Janie Haddad Tompkins. More random thoughts, tidbits, musings and movie watchalongs from podcast cohosts & married couple JHT & PFT.

Discourse Blog

A daily politics, media criticism, and culture newsletter from the left. Worker-owned, subscriber-supported, and free from corporate influence. Est. 2020.

Great political blogging!!!

- Josh Gondelman

Night Out

By Jenny

Be comedian Jenny Gorelick’s plus +1

BASKETBALL FEELINGS

By Katie Heindl

A digital magazine by Katie Heindl reconciling life with basketball. Featuring weekly guest writers, plus her unique mix of reporting, criticism, and personal narrative.

Basketball Feelings brings so much depth and joy and thoughtfulness to the game of basketball. Katie writes about the game and the people around it with incredible insight and enthusiasm. There is nobody who does it like her! My newsletter feeling about Baskeball Feelings is: I love it!!!

- Josh Gondelman

Light Disorder

By Devin Leary

Light takes, heavily disordered.

Devin is writing some of my favorite personal essays these days! Sincere and insightful and fascinating stuff! I love it!

- Josh Gondelman

Hung Up

By hunter harris

Movies, tv, the celebrity industrial complex, and personal pop culture obsessions. Delivered twice a week to your inbox, written by Hunter Harris.

Hunter is so so so funny and informed about culture!

- Josh Gondelman

Thirtynothings

By Beth McColl

A newsletter about expectation, life as it is and being in your thirties in the twenty twenties.

Abortion, Every Day

By Jessica Valenti

All things abortion. Feminist commentary & community.

It is literally a public good that Jessica writes this!!!

- Josh Gondelman

The Wilder Things

By Charlotte Wilder

Taking the silly seriously since 1989

burger diva

By Christina Casillo

finding fulfillment between two buns

The Long Game

By Molly Knight

Join our community of smart sports fans who also care about things other than sports. Debate is encouraged, trolling is not allowed.

FLESH WORLD by Jessica DeFino

Reporting on the absurd world of beauty culture. / “The newsletter the beauty industry fears.” - the Herald.

Read Max

By Max Read

Explaining the weird new future and recommending weird old books

Culture Study

By Anne Helen Petersen

Think more about the culture that surrounds you

What's Left?

By Amy Hoggart

A nosy comedian interviews interesting people about their left-wing politics.

Fascinating conversations about left-looking politics!

- Josh Gondelman

Impersonal Foul

By Madeline Hill

If Bravo and ESPN had a baby.

Extremely fun sports world gossip. I especially love the interview installments! Madeline is so great at finding fascinating people and asking them incisive questions!

- Josh Gondelman

That's What She Said

By Anne T. Donahue

Thoughts, feelings, Mertyle power.

The Kicks You Wear

By Mike Sykes

The intersection of sneakers, business and culture injected directly into your inbox.

Really thoughtful sneaker news and fun/interesting angles on the industry! Also Mike has great taste and isn't just about what's being hyped!

- Josh Gondelman

Comfort Read

By Alison Leiby

A blog (yes, blog) from Alison Leiby.

Alison is so funny and smart! Her newsletter rules!

- Josh Gondelman

The Bandwagon

By Hannah Keyser

Rooting around | Baseball, culture + fandom

Griefbacon

By Helena Fitzgerald

sitting on the floor at 3am at the party after everybody else has gone home.

The Second Arrangement

By Kelly Dwyer

Kelly Dwyer on hoops.

Great stuff! Lyrical and insightful with a great sense of history!

- Josh Gondelman

Secret Society

By John Hodgman

You are invited to join a SECRET SOCIETY.

The Spite Stack

By Akilah Hughes

This is a place for twice weekly musings about my life, pop culture, politics, and whatever people are talking about. What are people talking about???

Men Yell at Me

By lyz

Written from a journalist in a red state, this newsletter is personal, political, sometimes funny and always raises hell.

That's Marvelous!

Recommended by Josh Gondelman