As an avid reader (and connoisseur of the best the internet has to offer), I manage my reading in a variety of ways, from Feedly (for daily blog reads) to Pocket (for saving interesting longform reads for downtime and weekends) to email newsletters.
I’m a big fan of email newsletters: They come directly to me, they feel more personal than blog posts (because it’s addressed TO ME), and they dive more deeply than social media posts (because there’s no character limit or “read more” in an email). I even started my own monthly version, because I think the medium is so compelling.
Today, I’m sharing my favorites. They’re the ones that have made it to my primary inbox after weeks and months of reading, because they’re compelling, unique, and offer perspectives I can’t find anywhere else.
Why I love it: A daily (weekdays only) email with links to some of the day’s biggest stories, with a heavy emphasis on politics, technology, and culture. I particularly like the “bottom of the news” section, which features quirky stories. (Sidenote: I tried The Skimm, a similar daily round-up of news stories, but I never adjusted to the tone of it. Some people LOVE IT, so I’m mentioning it in case you want to try a couple of these.)
Why I love it: Every Friday, freelance writer Ann Friedman shares links to her own work, as well as a CRAZY amount of other links. These stories cover pop culture, feminism, world events, and essays. (She also does a hand-drawn pie chart if you are a paying subscriber. I am!) I have no idea how she reads all these stories in any given week, and many of her readers spend their weekends working through her recommendations.
Why I love it: Interviews with smart women, personal essays from celebrities and everyday women, and occasional writing from actress/writer/director Lena Dunham. Comes twice a week, but I never feel like it’s too often.
Why I love it: A round-up of 10 interesting, artsy links from artist-writer Austin Kleon. Good for doses of visual art, creativity, writing, and occasionally music and pop culture.
Shout-outs to real-life people I know and like:
Why I love it: Writer Meryl Williams gives brief biweekly updates about her life (learning roller derby and exploring her current city of Portland, Oregon), while linking to her latest freelance and sharing her favorite reads.
Why I love it: Short essays from Christina Brandon. Compared to the other newsletters above, Brandon’s stands alone for its unique collection of themed observations and personal stories.
Why I write it: Once a month, I pen a short advice piece (in response to anonymous questions) and share links to stories, podcasts, and recipes I’ve been thinking about. I’m interested in words, writing, compelling people-stories, living my best life, easy recipes, and bizarre animated gifs, so the newsletter is a round-up of those things. Essentially, it’s the stuff I want to share and discuss with my friends, but I don’t want to bombard them with single-link emails all month.
Is there anything else I should subscribe to? Are you on the email newsletter bandwagon?
Leave a Reply