Substacks recommended by Mariya Strauss | The Creative Aid Society

Recommended by Mariya Strauss

Writing Family Histories

By Sarah Einstein

my writing to recover lost family history, with prompts so you can, too.

The Direction of Motion

By Kathy Valentine

What moves me? Also, the wonderfully ongoing coming of aging story.

Laura Erickson's For the Birds

Laura's birding blog—usually a fleshed-out transcript of my radio program/podcast, with photos.

The Profe's Pen

By Alfonso

Commentary, everyday observations, and travel musings of an itinerant scholar

Escaping Flatland

By Henrik Karlsson

I help people think more clearly about relationships, agency, and creativity. I hang with our kids. We live on a windswept island in the Baltic Sea.

Oldster Magazine

By Sari Botton

Exploring what it means to travel through time in a human body, at every phase of life.

Who are Nature?

FEMINIST GIANT: become a giant in your fight for feminism

Decolonized Journalism

By Arturo Dominguez

An investigative newsletter providing important context to political, human rights, and racial justice stories.

Arturo is a fair, accurate, and truthful observer of the fascist regime. From his base of operations in a regime state (AZ), he is documenting in real time how the fascists are destroying our civil liberties right in front of our noses.

- Mariya Strauss

Evil Witches Newsletter

By Claire Zulkey

We are people who happen to be mothers.

Droll mothering hilarity. With tips.

- Mariya Strauss

Ijeoma Oluo: Behind the Book

Writing, life, and writing life

enjoyable life transition journal with occasional deeper dives

- Mariya Strauss

taxonomies of home.

By Stacia L. Brown

brief examinations of dwelling and indwelling

Deeply felt essays of longing, mothering, and so much more.

- Mariya Strauss

Troublemaking

By Sarah Jaffe

Occasional updates from my work and travels.

The Small Bow

A newsletter, podcast, and growing community making sense of what it means to recover. Grief, loneliness, addiction, mental illness -- whatever you're here for, we got you.

Susie Bright’s Journal

The woman Rolling Stone called “never boring,” Susie comforts the afflicted with legends, politics, intimate bead-reading, and must-read reviews.

The Vajenda

By Dr. Jen Gunter

Imagine a Venn diagram with overlapping circles labeled: Medical Facts, Feminism, and Fire. You've arrived at their intersection.

Real medical analysis and recommendations from the author of The Menopause Manifesto. This is news you can use.

- Mariya Strauss

Ask E. Jean

By E. Jean Carroll

Never let them steal your joy!

Aren't you going to subscribe to the woman who'll take down Donald Jessica Trump once and for all? She's already enjoying it.

- Mariya Strauss

My personal Substack

essays about literature, culture, and so many feelings.

choitotheworld

By choichoichoi

Now with more choi from the New York Times bestselling author Mary H.K. Choi.

Shaved Meats, Piled High

By Laura Lippman

Blatant self-promotion for my novels because I never want to have a real job again. But, hey, it's only monthly and it's free.

Cheryl Strayed's Dear Sugar

Welcome to Cheryl Strayed's newsletter. Everything is free right now. The paid "Dear Sugar" newsletter is currently on hiatus.

Fun love advice. Spoiler: It's about loving yourself, first.

- Mariya Strauss

Ayesha A. Siddiqi

By Ayesha's substack

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

interruptions

By cameron

a practice "to nurture new flows and at the same time guard against them" at the intersection of literature, illness, and the esoteric.

Badreads

By Lauren Hough

Essays, bad jokes, rants, and unsolicited advice from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Hough, and a dog named Woody Guthrie.

Startling, clear, provocative work.

- Mariya Strauss

The Journeyman.

By Marlon Weems

A newsletter focused on the intersection of American culture, politics, and growing up Black in the South.

The Audacity.

By Roxane Gay

Writing that boldly disregards normal restraints.

A new part of the Gay empire. Inject it into my veins.

- Mariya Strauss

Offerings

By Jessica Dore

A processual study of grief, loss, and mourning by licensed social worker and author Jessica Dore.

My favorite substack. Tarot as the portal to the soul's journey.

- Mariya Strauss

The Department of Salad: Official Bulletin

By Emily Nunn

Not really "about” salad. But salad is the force that through the green fuse drives the flower. Recipes, yes—but mostly a way of paying attention.

Patti Smith

The reader is my notebook

Patti is one of our living angels. I adore her.

- Mariya Strauss

The Humble Hobbyist

By Tashay Green-Meeks

Just sharing my piano, running, baking, and fiber (i.e., sewing, knitting) hobby happenings with family and friends!

Estranged

By Maggie Frank-Hsu

Essays, interviews, news, and reviews all about parent, child, and sibling estrangement with a focus on understanding, not blame.

Toxic Femininity by Amber J. Phillips

By Amber J. Phillips for Toxic Femininity

Think of this body of work as Black Femme Lesbian Folklore through the gaze of a Midwestern raised churchy lover girl with an attitude problem.

Witness

By Robert Jones

Pro-Black, Pro-LGBTQIA2S+, sometimes polemical political and pop culture testimony from author Robert Jones, Jr., formerly known as "Son of Baldwin."

The Truth Does Not Change According to Our Ability to Stomach It

By Leah Sottile

Journalism + Essays + Thoughts on Writing from Leah Sottile

Fred Klonsky in Retirement

Pensions, unions, politics, retirement. I also post my art.

bitches gotta eat!

By samantha irby

judge mathis recaps + milf-on-milf romance

DANYEL'S SHINE BRIGHT HQ

By SHINE BRI🔆HT HQ

music. culture. author Danyel Smith writes, recalls, recommends, and overshares.

The Elif Life

By Elif Batuman

Dispatches from the author of The Idiot

Mini 1000

By Jami Attenberg

The miniature version of #1000wordsofsummer, tenth edition: August 15-17, 2025.

Poor Man's Feast

By Elissa Altman

The James Beard Award-winning narrative journal about the intersection of sustenance, storytelling, and the creative spirit (and sometimes, a recipe).

The Culture We Deserve

By Jessa Crispin

The Culture We Deserve

Jessa applies her katana to the patriarchy, and she doesn't miss.

- Mariya Strauss

Terra Nullius

By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian

betwixt & between

Shalom Auslander's Fetal Position

"Just to spite the world, don’t cry! Just to spite the world, only laugh, only laugh!" - Sholom Aleichem. Amen, Brother.

CRAFT TALK

By Craft Talk

CRAFT TALK is a weekly newsletter about writing, creativity and productivity from author Jami Attenberg. This is also the home of #1000wordsofsummer, where, once a year, we write 1000 words a day together for two weeks straight.

The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad

A newsletter for people seeking to transform life's interruptions into creative grist

Poetic Outlaws

A place for the outlaws of poetry and the written word.

consistently relevant art for the emotional moment

- Mariya Strauss

The Querent

By Alexander Chee

The person asking a question at the beginning of a Tarot card reading. Or, a newsletter project by Alexander Chee.

Sherrilyn’s Newsletter

By Sherrilyn Ifill

Civil Rights & American Democracy

Sherrilyn is the public intellectual and Constitutional expert who will lead us through the current crisis. She is the moral and ethical center of the nation, right now. And an excellent writer.

- Mariya Strauss

Court Watch

By Seamus Hughes

The Definitive Source On Legal News