Why subscribe to My Substack?
I have been writing about Sonoma County farms and food, wines and wineries, breweries, cideries, California home cooking, and specific ingredients (oils, vinegars, mustard, salt and pepper, tomatoes, polenta, meatballs, and vinaigrettes) since 1986. My Substack newsletter focuses on these topics, along with explorations of music, memory and memoir, and more. Short cooking videos and podcasts from my nearly 30 years of archived interviews will be posted soon. Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website, never miss an update, and join in on my weekly “Ask Michele” feature, which will launch soon. And you’ll find more content, organized differently, on my personal website. If you are still reading, here is one more thing: The entire structure of publishing shifted in a major way right about the time of the Bush recession in 2008, which coincided with the growing sophistication and opportunities on line. Rumors of crashing book sales, etc., proliferated; newspapers and magazines were folding, including one that had been provided a major source of income for me. Once the the recession ended, publishers and those businesses that hire musicians, artists, and writers discovered that we will pursue our art even though the financial arrangements changed drastically. Most photographers, musicians, and writers now work for 80 to 90 percent less than pre-2008. Almost all of us are now trying out new ways to create income streams that will support our talents.
Celebrate the Seasons!
When it comes to my writing about food, I follow the seasons and focus on all our holidays with a connection to food. Don’t know what to make for a Halloween party? I have suggestions (including recipes) for kid parties, adult parties, and mixed parties. From Valentine’s Day to New Year’s Eve, I offer traditional and personal recipes. Essays on other topics are sometimes inspired by a season, holiday, or public event but those essays are not “about” that; instead, I use such markers to slither down my rabbit hole of memory. Every new newsletter goes directly to your inbox and if your email is automatically downloaded into a file, as mine is, you don’t need internet access to read it. I use Apple’s Mail app and have made folders for everything that comes in regularly, with everything from Substack going into a Substack folder, etc.
Join the Community
The community of writers on this platform is phenomenal, no matter your specific interests. From Heather Cox Richardson to Ruth Ben-Ghiat on recent history’s impact on today’s election season and from Gina Arnold to Greil Marcus on music and culture, this platform is an abundance of riches. Feeling down about politics? Subscribe to Simon Rosenberg’s Hopium Chronicles. Annabel Asher has three publications on Substack. See? An abundance of riches!
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