State bene is Paolo Nori's personal newsletter, mixing previews, excerpts, translation work, podcast notes and course announcements around his writing life. Recent issues cover his translation of Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita, a reflection on Dostoevsky in Florence, and a trove of unpublished early writing.
Website: https://statebene.substack.com
Elfriede Jelinek's newsletter publishes personal essays in German that connect current politics, such as the Hamas attack and rising far-right movements, with historical memory and Walter Benjamin. Issues also reflect on theatre, comedy and language, with some pieces offering English translations.
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.
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.
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