Substacks recommended by Claire Polders

Recommended by Claire Polders

A collection of the finest newsletters with fewer than 1,000 subscribers, with special love given to the under 500 subscriber stacks out there.

A great community of kind and creative people, sharing insights and inspiration.

- Claire Polders

Accordion FIction: A New Approach to Flash & Other Fictions

By Thaisa Frank

A newsletter for writers who want innovative ways to write & revise.

Attention Economy

By Leigh Stein

honest advice about making a career as an author today

Around the World in 80 Scrapes

By Kate Walker

Where travel, food, and politics intersect, with the occasional SNAFU of personal shame

For Dear Life with Maggie Smith

A newsletter about writing & other things that make this life dear—from the poet, not the dame

I love her memoir "You Could Make This Place Beautiful" (2023) and feel the same wise and warm voice speaking to me from these newsletters.

- Claire Polders

Caravanserai with Samantha Childress

Personal stories and incisive commentary on travel, culture, and expat life--because understanding breeds compassion.

Brent and Michael Are Going Places

By Brent and Michael are Going Places

The adventures, insights, and travel tips of a gay nomad couple exploring the world. A "Substack Featured" Newsletter! Also seen on CBS Sunday Morning and CNN.com.

Good writing, great advice, interesting points of view, and a funny, clever voice—Brent and Michael offer it all in their travel newsletter. They're nomads like me and know what they're talking about.

- Claire Polders

The Art of Flash Fiction

By Kathy Fish

Monthly Flash Fiction Craft Articles & Prompts by Writer & Teacher, Kathy Fish

Craft essays, prompts, and insights from a generous master of the genre. What's not to love?

- Claire Polders

Julie Zuckerman’s Monthly Author Newsletter

Book recommendations, literary news, a virtual series connecting readers and writers of Jewish books, a story/essay of the month, recipes and other thoughts on writing, delivered to your inbox once a month

The ups and downs of the writing process, an eye on literary Israel, and family recipes. An honest and intriguing look at one author's life.

- Claire Polders

Memoir Land

By Memoir Monday

Four verticals edited by Sari Botton: MEMOIR MONDAY, collab w/ Granta, Narratively, The Rumpus, Orion, The Walrus, Electric Lit, LitHub, Oldster; FIRST PERSON SINGULAR original essays; THE LIT LAB interviews + craft; GOODBYE TO ALL THAT, NYC stories.

Fantastic selection of essays. I discover new authors (and their books) every week.

- Claire Polders