Recommended by Lovesplaining
Natalie has been writing about love, self-esteem and healthy boundaries as long as I have. With vulnerability and authenticity, she guides women into better relationships - with themselves and men.
Meghan is a fellow GenX writer - and friend - who grapples with the most interesting issues of our day: feminism, sex and gender roles, and dating. She's a smart, successful woman who speaks the language of nuance, which is why I never miss her work on Substack.
Kat Rosenfield is my East Coast intellectual soulmate. She's prolific and she's a helluva writer as well. Nobody covers the culture wars with more insight and humor. Highly recommend anything she does - especially this podcast with Phoebe Maltz Bovy.
Mikala does something I don't think I've ever seen before; she writes about body issues from a universal perspective. She's bright, cogent, and prolific and my readers might get tired of me restacking her posts all the time!
Ethan Strauss is what I'd like to be if I wrote about sports - nuanced, challenging, and honest. Not only does he offer an insider's take on the sports industry - with top notch podcast guests - but he always digs deeper than the material you can get for free on ESPN. A must-follow.
I had the pleasure of working briefly with E. Jean and her sister, Cande, on a website called GreatBoyfriends.com. Her warmth and wit has never abated - despite all she's been through - and I still love to hear the one-of-a-kind way she dispenses advice. Dear Abby was never this funny.
Danielle is not afraid to criticize her own tribe - in this case, feminists. She's bright, curious, and has been kind enough to have me on her podcast a few times. Most importantly, she asks about whether the younger generations are missing out on the beauty of marriage and family. As a fellow happily married Gen-Xer, I always enjoy her takes on dating and relationships.
Bari Weiss and the staff she's assembled are brave. Straddling the center - and thereby getting criticism from both sides - isn't always an easy place to live but the Free Press thrives there. As a liberal, I can read things that challenge me to get outside my own bubble. Plus, it offers top notch journalism - touching third rails that many mainstream publications are afraid to touch.
As a parent of tweens, it's refreshing to read a no-bullshit take on parenting. Lots of family advice is overly earnest but not Melinda Wenner Moyer, thank god. My wife and I think she'd be our BFF in real life.
Yglesias is a fountain of information. He answers questions about public policy that I didn't even know to ask. I read plenty of Substack newsletters to get validation of my own opinions. There's no other Substack that teaches me as much as SlowBoring - which is pretty amazing when you think about it.
I've been reading Andrew online for 20 years. No one cares more about transparency, open-mindedness and the spirit of debate, which is why I continue to support him even when we're not aligned on all issues. We should all have friends with as much integrity as Sullivan, regardless of our politics.
Heather is the OG advice columnist and someone I respect immensely. A fellow Duke grad, she pours her heart and soul into her responses. Never writes a half-assed column and often leaves me astonished at the passion and compassion she has for helping her readers.
Jill is a powerful and important voice for women. I've followed her work since before she came to Substack and she writes from a place of knowledge and passion - without losing a sense of balance. If I want to read a thoughtful piece on issues facing women in the 21st century, I'm devouring whatever Jill is serving.
Jesse is a mensch who happens to be a top-notch journalist with a tough beat. He's passionate, he's fair, and he's a true old-school science reporter who wants science to reflect reality, not fantasy. The world needs 1000 more Jesse Singals but alas, we only have this one.