A personal narrative newsletter by Elissa Altman mixing memoir about her difficult relationship with her mother, reflections on AI and authenticity, and recipes tied to emotional moments. Readers get literary, candid essays on grief, family and the creative life, with occasional food writing.
Website: https://poormansfeast.substack.com
Hanif Kureishi writes from his hospital bed and recovery, mixing memoir of 1970s suburban youth with reflections on writing, music, and the people caring for him. The issues offer personal essays with vivid anecdotes and a reflective, literary voice.
A personal essay newsletter by a trans sex worker in Amsterdam, recounting experiences of imprisonment, bodily harm, and mental health with raw, literary candour. Readers get intimate memoir and reflective writing on cruelty, survival, and identity rather than news or advice.
Mikal Gilmore's reader-supported Substack series revisits his long-form interviews and essays about musicians and writers, currently covering Anne Rice and Leonard Cohen. Readers get literary-musical portraits built on Gilmore's reporting, personal reflection and close reading of the work.
A serialized, first-person nonfiction story about the author's time accompanying a friend, Brooke, through the end of her life in hospice in 2021, built from recordings and reflection. Issues blend transcribed conversations with personal digressions on death, care and Zen perspective.
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