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Some Things To Read That Aren't This

A good old fashioned link round-up.

March 30, 2023

Good Ones was a bi-weekly or so personal essay newsletter that covers art, music, movies, food, drink, or whatever. Now, the frequency is much less predictable. Click subscribe below to get the newsletter directly to your inbox whenever they’re published.

It all goes somewhere.

Well, you’re here. That’s undeniable. And because you’re here, it would seem that you have an interest in things I have to say. I appreciate that. If I was a benevolent writer, I’d respect those inclinations and deliver you more words to devour. Alas.

I do have some things I would like to direct you towards. My lack of newsletter writing isn’t rooted in a malaise towards the craft; rather, it has to do with my new profession in the field. That is to say—I am a professional, this is now my full-time gig. Milk; cow; free; etc. In that vain, here are some recent examples of people who were foolish enough to pay me to write.

This is my second interview for Vulture as part of their Underrated series. Marcella Arguello is one of the funniest people in the world right now, and I got to ask her why she thinks the Hulu comedy This Fool is, well, underrated. It’s a great read, and an excellent show, and you all should go watch her HBO Max special and read my interview here.

A hardcover copy of the book Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor, featuring diagonal multicolored stripes across a black background and the title and author in italic capital letters, is shown in a photo with a snowy morning in Madison’s Orton Park in the background. Houses, bare trees, a blue sky, and a stretch of park path are visible in the photo's background.

Tone is a really special publication dedicated to covering local news and culture in Madison, and because it’s a scrappy independent operation, they let writers shoot their mouths off on vanity projects. My first piece for Tone analyzes Brandon Taylor’s short story collection Filthy Animals through the lens of a Madison resident. I love cultural analysis, and I love learning more about where I live through fiction that tells about the lives of people who live here. Check it out!

The Edible publications are excellent local quarterly food magazines, and for the winter issue they let me write about local flour mills and how freshly-milled flour can affect your baking. It was really fun to write, and I got to indulge my own curiosities at the same time. Give it a read.

I’ve written over 50 pieces for Serious Eats now, which seems pretty incredible. There are how-to guides, product testing round ups, individualized reviews, and even some news and deals posts. It’s been an incredible opportunity and I’m consistently shocked that I get to write for a living full time. You can browse my archive here if you’d like.

Well, what else do you want? My free time lately has been split between watching basketball, bowling, and working on fiction. Would you believe it if I told you I’ve got a second novel manuscript in the works? This one’s got some legs, but it also needs a lot of attention. And boy let me tell you I’m avoiding going back to it right now. Hence the bowling and basketball watching. With any luck, however, I’ll be writing one of these newsletter updates to point you towards a published short story. We’ll see.

Artwork by Ashley Elander Strandquist. You can view her illustration work here and check out her printing business here.