In lieu of my usual monthly roundup of links, I’ve decided to highlight 10 of my favorite Substack posts from this year. These are the stories that I kept in my inbox long after I’d deleted other newsletters un- or half-read…the ones I found myself mentioning to friends or thinking about after reading.
Wow! Was happily reading these excellent recs when I came across your mention of my post on Celan's letters in On Being and Timelessness! Thank you -- am moved & honored to be included.
What an honor to be included in this list! Thank you Paul. My heart fills in a bittersweet way every time I write about my son Aiden. Like Stephen Colbert says, "I love the thing that I most wish had not happened."
This list felt like walking through a quiet, powerful gallery of emotional craft. Thank you for curating voices that aren’t just good but deeply felt. Loved the range—from grief and Holocaust legacy to bookstore hope and Celan’s haunted courage. It reminded me why memoir still matters: it keeps the private human heart visible in a noisy world. Subscribed, and re-reading several of these with fresh eyes.
Wow! Was happily reading these excellent recs when I came across your mention of my post on Celan's letters in On Being and Timelessness! Thank you -- am moved & honored to be included.
So honoured to be included!
Thank you!
Thank you so much, Paul!! I am in such great company here 💕
Thank you so much, Paul!!
Oh my gosh, thank you, Paul!! I am so honored to be included in this roundup!!! Thank you!
I love this one more every time I read it!
What an honor to be included in this list! Thank you Paul. My heart fills in a bittersweet way every time I write about my son Aiden. Like Stephen Colbert says, "I love the thing that I most wish had not happened."
Thank you, Emily, for writing such a powerful piece.
This list felt like walking through a quiet, powerful gallery of emotional craft. Thank you for curating voices that aren’t just good but deeply felt. Loved the range—from grief and Holocaust legacy to bookstore hope and Celan’s haunted courage. It reminded me why memoir still matters: it keeps the private human heart visible in a noisy world. Subscribed, and re-reading several of these with fresh eyes.
Thanks so much for reading this, Anton. I'm really glad this list resonated for you!