Substacks recommended by Will Dowd

Recommended by Will Dowd

A newsletter and community for wild minds, winterers and enchantment-seekers with internationally bestselling author Katherine May.

Letters on Being

By Yardena Schwersky

poetry and essays for people searching for hope in the darkness

Poetic and hopeful--what else can you ask for?

- Will Dowd

The Austen Connection

By Plain Jane

How Jane Austen's stories connect to us today, and connect us to each other.

A necessity for any Austen fan.

- Will Dowd

Hapitalist - formerly The Author Stack

By Russell Nohelty

Grow with joy, build the way you’re built, and make the money you want while staying true to your values. (formerly The Author Stack)

The Sometimes Newsletter

By Ella Frances Sanders

A dispatch from the desk of New York Times and internationally-bestselling author and illustrator Ella Frances Sanders, concerned primarily with paying close attention, the relationship between beauty and the mundane, and the things we fall in love with.

Such a great artist and writer!

- Will Dowd

The Hush and the Howl, with Beth Kephart

An endless entanglement of art and language, prose and paint, seam and stitch. All art and words are copyright@2025 by National Book Award finalist Beth Kephart.

Steinbergdrawscartoons

By Avi Steinberg

Cartoons, thoughts, more cartoons, worries, and more!

On Things

By Madeleine Dore

Essays and observations on the days of our lives — and how to pay better attention to the many lives within them ✨

Everything Is Amazing

By Mike

A newsletter about asking better questions & a romp through science in search of a good "wow!" you can feel down to your boots.

Mike Sowden's newsletter is awesome indeed. Each post is sparklingly written, spectacularly encyclopedic, and just plain funny. Highly recommended!

- Will Dowd

AI Supremacy

By Michael Spencer

News at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, technology and business including Op-Eds, research summaries, guest contributions and valuable info about A.I. startups.

Life Litter

By Jill

No brand, no message. What’s left

I love this newsletter's dry, insightful, and incisive voice. And I'm very invested in the saga of saving a local pub.

- Will Dowd

The Substack Post

By Substack

A guide to the creators and stories shaping culture

The Galactic Times Inbox Magazine

By The Galactic Times Newsletter-Inbox Magazine

Astronomy News, The Sky and The Universe in Everyday Life. Commentary and Astronomy Education. Paid Subscribers as well can take part in the Exploring the Universe with Big Data posts and services, coming in January 2026.

Brimming with information, this newsletter provides expert analysis from a professional night sky watcher.

- Will Dowd

Cancer Culture

By Dr. Stacy Wentworth

Digging into what we know and how we feel about cancer. Sharing hidden medical history and insights from my patients. No conspiracy theories. Occasional cute farm animals.

Art Dogs

By Bailey Richardson

Meet the beloved pets that lived with beloved artists. Posts delivered monthly.

The Intrinsic Perspective

By Erik Hoel

Natural philosophy, belles-lettres, polemics.

Subtle Maneuvers

By Mason Currey

On wriggling through a creative life—with lessons and insights from novelists, painters, poets, filmmakers, and musicians delivered to your inbox every other Tuesday. From the author of Daily Rituals: How Artists Work.

Always illuminating!

- Will Dowd

Beyond Bloomsbury

By Victoria K. Walker

An ongoing anthology of historical artist and writer biographies and curated gallery and library collections.

Carlson Letter

By Benjamin Carlson

Sharing ideas on media, great thinkers, and how to gain attention for your ideas.

Survival by Book

By Courtney Cook

work, love, art & other life-stuff, seen through a bookish lens

A literary feast.

- Will Dowd

Seasonal Living with Victoria Harrison

By Victoria

A regular slice of seasonal magic to help you live a life more wild. Sign up for recipes, folklore and ideas for celebrating the ancient seasonal festivals.

A uniquely joyous and creative newsletter that will tune you into the seasons.

- Will Dowd

Sophia

Head of Writer Relations @Substack

THE LUNAR DISPATCH

Recommended by Will Dowd