Recommended by Amy Brown
If you're looking for a good read and writing advice, I highly recommend subscribing to the Auraist for their picks of the best-written books from US & UK prize shortlists & major reviews, along with masterclasses by their (sometimes world-famous) authors on prose style.
I learn so much from every conversation Michelle Hoover has with the writers she invites to share their craft with us. Both Michelle and the authors are so generous, and open and encouraging about the process of writing a novel. She has helped make first pages less daunting for me, among other tricky parts of writing a novel. Highly recommend!
Jane is such a source of inspiration to me, giving a platform to writers with deep and fresh insights on their craft (and life) and a wonderful Q&A in the Beyond Questionnaire.
This is one of my all-time favorite newsletters, young father Marc Typo's letters to his newborn and now toddler son. Marc writes with grace, wisdom, humor and while he writes from his perspective as a young Black father, he speaks universal truths about love, life and parenting that speak to me deeply as well. If you want to be moved each week by a father's love and his honest searching for answers to guide his son in this complicated world, you'll want to read Marc's work.
For generous, incisive creative writing teaching and inspiration from a NY Times best-selling author and memoirist, check out Jennifer's Flight School, which has a lively, interactive writing community. Plus, she is serializing her latest memoir, Summer of '72!
David Whyte's poetry is profound, beautiful and universal in its simplicity. In every poem, I recognize myself, our shared humanity, our connection to the earth, to the past, present and future, and to possibility. When I want to connect to destiny--to my dharma--I always turn to David's poetry.
My teacher, my guide, my inspiration for how to love ourselves and this life better, Love Story captures everything about what makes Laura McKowen a beacon of continuous growth for me. And her Dig List is not be missed!
Julia Hubbell week after week reminds me how to age with a sense of humor, adventure (physical, emotional and spiritual) and a firm grip on who we are and what we won't put up with anymore at a certain age. Always bracing, always funny and always thought provoking.
Alecia writes beautifully about the courage to begin again. At any age. Especially when the roles of our earlier lives begin to drop away. Alecia has made many life-upending changes during the years, and has now landed in a full time life in Italy with her partner Lee. Glimpses of her beautiful Renaissance Life (Alecia is an interior designer) feed my soul, as do her deep reflections on how we are constantly growing and change. We are kindred souls and I think you will become one, too!
Written by Victoria Chin, who has been on a rollercoaster journey caring for both her parents, this newsletter offers a wealth of insights, tools and learnings to help carers on their journey, with great empathy in her writing.
Laura is a writer and passionate storyteller who wholeheartedly believes that sharing stories is the biggest gift we can give each other to remove stigma, shame and judgement.
Louisa Wah is one of the most honest, authentic, real voices here on Substack, writing candidly on a deep soul level from her unique Asian immigrant experience living in the US. I learn something new each week about how to get in touch with a deeper part of myself.
Rebecca Makkai is funny, honest and so sharp about the writing process. She brings compassion and so much knowledge and her incredible talent to help us hone the art of writing novels. One of my favorite writing teachers here on Substack.
I love Kristi's honest and compassionate space for growth-minded women who are done with diets and defining their success by their appearance.
A newsletter from Deb Blum, one of the wisest teachers I know, a soul doula, if you will, founder of The Whole Soul Way program, sharing what it means to be free to bring our whole and true selves into everything we do. Here she writes about ELATE as "a place where you meet a challenge, an opportunity to explore your limits, an invitation to step away from what feels familiar and comfortable and expand beyond your current thinking, experience, or way of being in the world."
Matt Lilywhite offers not only gives smart advice on being a successful newsletter writer and make it profitable, but he also inspires us to take a step back often and remember the reason we are doing this: for the stories we have to share, and the connections we seek to make.
This invitation to love ourselves better couldn't come at a better time for our society and it doesn't surprise me one bit that it came from the magnificent Liz Gilbert, as generous with her heart as any human I know. I would love to see all of us adopt her practice of writing love letters to ourselves.
Need more fun in your life? Subscribe to Just For Fun! Part poet, part mischief-maker, fully fluent in whimsy, Francesca Bossert moves between Switzerland and Spain. Her poetry book, Illicit Croissants At Dawn, has been described as playful and emotional, and her romcom, Just Like A Movie, as quirky and fantastic!
I am so glad to be exploring a new chapter in my life in my 60s alongside Anne Boyd, whose beautiful and wise writing details a journey I am keen to follow: how she left academia and life as an empty-nester to pursue her dream of travel and being an actual, real, full-time writer and writing coach—finally, at the age of 52! She writes with honesty and empathy about our lifelong journey to know ourselves ever more deeply.
I love following Kirsten's new life in Italy, her insights about why she chose to leave the United States and her wisdom about coming home to ourselves, where ever in the world we happen to live. As a best selling New York Times bestselling author and former journalist covering politics as an on-air analyst including for CNN, I always learn from her fresh thinking about how we can make big changes in our lives, communities and country.
As a voracious reader without enough time to read everything of interest, Tom's Readvault provides a great service!
Jennifer Bridgeman is one of the most talented writers I know and I am so excited to see her join Substack with her essays on the magic and messiness of being human.
Cynthia Morris is a generous, fun, insightful writing coach and published author. This program is a great opportunity to awaken your inner artist. Your Artist Knows the Way is a fun, interactive program designed to help you be more creative. She has taken all the practices she's offered to her coaching clients over 25 years. In weekly invitations of activities taking just 15 minutes, you get to know your artist in new ways you haven’t before. I am following along and it's FUN!
Tracy is a lovely, heart-led, faith-based writer who ponders life, faith, happiness, and all the hard things that make us human. She is just starting out on her Substack journey so let's give her a boost with a subscription.
Amanda Hinton is that rare bird: a heart-led, compassionate and whip-smart editor with in-depth understanding of the Substack platform, devoted to helping us find and trust our authentic voice as writers. She offers encouragement and practical steps to grow as writers while protecting our soft, supple, creative center. If you're a writer, you want her in your inbox.
I know that when I read Madeline's newsletter I will come away with at least one, usually more, nuggets of wisdom about the things in life worth cultivating.
Everything you need to know about publishing in Courtney's wise and compassionate voice.
Fran Gardner's writing is a delight, as she observes the world around her with deep attention, capturing the everyday and the more profound in the small moments of her day, in which we come to find so much common ground in the constant act of becoming who we are.
Are you a good girl who wants to change that mindset? I know I've carried that lifelong societal and familial message. Michelle McQuaid has the insights, the tools and the support to change that narrative. Highly recommend checking it out!
Jenn Baljko, based in Barcelona, is a creativity kindler, author and mindful writing coach who is magic both in person and online, through her writing and workshops. If you want more joy in your life, especially as a pre- peri- or post-menopausal woman, she's the one to turn to. Plus, she has done some incredible things, like a 3.5 year, 16,000 trek from Bangkok to Barcelona and made a documentary about it!
