My stack of subs
Recommending place-based, sensory-rich, nature-art-history-etc newsletters
As you have most likely noticed, I use the Substack platform to get my writing to you. The biggest benefit of using Substack is splashing into a huge, eclectic pool of cool writers and artists also sharing their stuff there (and getting to interact with them). This can also be overwhelming. I’m reasonably selective about subscribing1 and have still managed to accumulate over 100 subscriptions (I know, I know!). Not all of these post regularly, but I certainly have had to adopt a browsing attitude to marginally keep up.
Sometimes, though, I get into obsessive catch-up mode and immerse myself in all the accumulated voices in my inbox. That happened this week—and it reminded me why I chose them, and made me want to share with you a cross-section of who’s inspiring me on Substack.2 Even though, if you’re like me, that risks adding to your own over-subscription. Browse at will; be as selective as necessary!
Note 1: Earlier this year, I got fed up with the in-app Substack inbox, which has no capability for sorting or categorization beyond one long stream of chronological jumble or algorithmically determined “priority,” so I switched to email so I could create my own filters. Even those categories—things like “art” and “nature” with subcategories like “design” and “plants”—don’t always satisfactorily capture the nuances of what draws me to these newsletters. Here, I’ve tried to identify some common threads among my favorites and give them more informative taglines, but there’s still a lot of oversimplification and false dichotomy going on.
Note 2: This will likely be too long for your email (eek); try clicking on the title to go to the web version if so.
Note 3: I’m currently on a train to Bretagne and finishing this up on my phone (let me tell you, editing Substack via phone is not for the weak), forgive any typos!
Nature and Place
Nature is such a huge (and semantically fraught) category, and likely to entangle with other things (see: my newsletter), but it still works as an initial signpost.3 Place is equally huge but still has a certain *something* that makes it make sense as a category (and is obviously of interest to me).
Lyrical essays about nature and our entanglement with it
I’m far from alone in this, but Chloe Hope and David Knowles are on my tip top list of Substack writers whose newsletters I will never miss. They’re magicians with words and such wise souls. Sophie Strand also writes beautifully about the depths of ecological existence.
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Beautiful nature images and local observation
There’s no shortage of nature photography online, but I especially appreciate the close attention of these writers/photographers to their local ecosystems.
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Plants
We can always do with more writing about plants! Plant Vision’s goal is to combat plant blindness; Kollibri terre Sonnenblume opens our eyes to the nuances of plant life and our cultural assumptions about them in the Anthropocene; Paul Wood showcases excellent and interesting trees around England.
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Environment
To be honest, I often struggle to want to read articles focused on environmental crises and travesties because I hear so much about it at work already and it’s heavy. Jason Anthony doesn’t shy away from the dark stuff, but his reporting is informative and he weaves it in with explorations of human experience like awe and finding home. Kollibri of the plants (above) also does a good job with this.
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Place
Many nature newsletters also have a strong element of place, but these are especially focused on evoking landscapes and what it means to encounter and be part of a place. Josh Jackson profiles the often imperiled and overlooked public lands of California; Ronald Turnbull explores mountains and hillwalking and the literature and history surrounding them; Charlie Hunt reports on the fascinating intersection of politics and place with a healthy dose of the personal and the poetic.
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France
As I currently live in France (and thus write about it), I’ve also found other (often British) expats writing about living here. Debora Robertson writes deftly and deliciously about food on the southwest coast; Betty Carlson explores mid-size French towns for a more nuanced and quiet take on France; Susie Mawhinney is beautifully in tune with the flora and fauna and weather of her small farm (also in the southwest).
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byA hill and I by
Visual Art
Until young adulthood I considered myself as much a visual artist as a writer. As adult priorities shuffled into place, my drawing habits lost out to writing, science, music, reading...there’s only so many hours in a day. BUT my appetite for art remains, and some of my favorite Substackers are visual artists.
Color and sensory experience
As a connoisseur of sensory details, especially color, pattern, and texture, I’ve started curating Substacks focused on savoring the senses. Toronto Ink Company showcases natural pigments and lyrical explorations of color; Katy Kelleher writes smart essays about colors and their associations; Lorene Edwards Forkner creates gorgeous tableaus of color samples inspired by the plants in her garden. Rob Walker leads an inquisitive community with prompts for engaging more closely with the details of our environment—what my Detail Diary is all about!—including ideas like “color walks.” Amanda Leigh savors food and the lovely details of everyday life in her home and garden.
I’m taking recommendations in this category!
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A screenshot from Lorene Edwards Forkner’s latest post ☝️
Observers of everyday nature who are also artists
These could have gone in multiple categories, but I do love the work of both of these artists which they showcase at the end of their newsletters. Deb Champion writes with humor and loving attention about her local landscape and makes woodcuts and drawings. Deborah Vass delves into the archives of 20th century women artists and illustrators and paints and draws her own garden and landscapes.
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Cool art and process in varied formats
There’s so much scope for sharing art on Substack, including videos and photos of art that’s not on a typical canvas. Animation Obsessive provides detailed and passionate profiles of the animation world; Sarah C Swett works with textiles and dye and interleaves photos with comics; Giulia Blocal reports on street art around Europe with insider knowledge and nuance; Nathaniel Roy gives an inside look on book cover design; Erik Winkowski makes vibrant, out of this world collage animations.
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Drawing/comics artists
I always love a drawing of everyday life done in quirky style. Kat Schneider makes atmospheric slice-of-life riso prints; Andrew James draws buildings and other overlooked stuff with pizazz and talks about process; Rubyetc is my favorite snarky comics artist who’s not on Substack but has a Patreon newsletter and Instagram.
by by Andrew JamesRubyetc (not on Substack)
Thoughtful place-based photography
There are so many talented photographers to learn from and enjoy here. These photographers especially make me pause with their subtle compositions and everyday subjects and landscapes.
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Other stuff
The rest of these are just great writing and great fun.
Irreverent history
I’m a sucker for a historical narrative delivered like standup comedy or woven with the weird. Allison Epstein profiles the ridiculous lives of historical figures and is hilarious (though NB you have to be comfortable with coarse language); Rebekah King is a consummate storyteller with an eye for horror and absurdity.
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Engaging personal essays
These writers keep bringing me back to their reflections and personal stories with their distinctive voices, humor, honesty, and narrative skill.
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Reading and literature
Last but not least, here are some excellent readers and reading community-builders. Simon Haisell does meticulously and lovingly researched Slow readalongs, Pádraig Ó Tuama leads thoughtful discussions about poetry, and Katie Clapham talks books and tunes us in humorously to bookshop life.
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As opposed to following on Substack Notes, which lets me keep tabs on interesting people, newsfeed style, without immediately committing to emails
Substack has a recommendation feature, and some of these are included in my official recommendations, but others aren’t—and tbh I don’t put a ton of stock in that system because of the way it’s shoved down people’s throats with no context when they first subscribe, and then rarely seen again.
Hence why everyone is annoyed that Substack still hasn’t created a “Nature” category for newsletters.
Death and Birds and Receipt from the Bookshop are two of my absolute favourites, so it’s fun to see someone else who reads both. I’ll definitely check out some of your other recommendations, since you obviously have good taste.
Oh wow! so many amazing recommendations… I barely have the time to read the ones I am subscribed to already, but I will bookmark your post for later!
Thank you for the shoutout, Anne! This is such an honour! ☺️