the internet is an endless library, but without curation, it can also be a wasteland of recycled opinions, shallow think pieces, and clickbait masquerading as intellectual engagement
Absolutely love this! I would also petition to add "Electric Literature" to your list of great literary publications... it is one of my all-time favorite lit mags! I also have found that Smokelong and Brevity have been great inspiration for my writing on substack because they have high-quality literary fiction and nonfiction all under 1000 words :) Love your list!
Many thanks for compiling this. 2025 has been a year of more mindful media consumption for me so this list is a wonderful addition on my journey towards a more curated feed.
This is so beautiful but how do you even have the mental capacity for all this? And to write all this! I mean it as a compliment but I also wonder what you’d answer to that. I get extremely overwhelmed and overloaded with learning not knowing how to connect the dots when I get lost because what’s inside me needs to connect with resources that I found things from. I wonder if anyone else feels like me, I would love to read your response! It’s like having these really swollen big hands trying to hold the tiniest things but since my hands are overwhelmingly huge, it’s like it can’t hold all of it. Or it feels fleeting because the value and the weight of the things I am leaning become too small and hidden and invisible to hold and take notice of.
First of all their content deeply resonates with me. Very often I read your essays only to realise I have experienced similar emotions, have been struck by ideas alike to yours, have read and enjoyed the same books, loved the same movies.
A special thank you for writing about the importance of scents in perfumes and those we experience throughout the day in food, drink, common objects. I love perfume and understand very well the need to hunt down a particular scent you've talked about. I know what you mean when you call a perfume second skin. And Diptyque Orpheon (together with Eau de Papier and Fleur de Peau) is my all time favourite, my second skin.
Thank you for introducing me to some books and movies I haven't heard of or making me consider those I have, but didn't think I should experience, for now I plan on getting to know them.
Thank you also for widening my horizon in terms of places on the Internet where one might find important insights and discussions on culture, for making me look beyond The Paris Review, The New Yorker, Lit Hub and Aeon.
Your writing deserves a separate recognition. It is beautiful and moving while also being light and originally metaphoric. It's not just visual but tangible and slipping at the same time, olfactory, audible gently persistant. I thoroughly enjoyed every single sentence. I am amazed at how you involve rich imagery when writing about scents.
I realise that this commentary embraces my reactions to more than a dozen of your essays, I hope you don't mind this generalisation.
I wanted to let you know again (for I realise I'm not the first and certainly not the last person to be touched by your writing) how important and beautiful your work is.
I’d also like to add that if you are a university student you can easily read an article from a paywall by using your student login in details. Also, look up courses universities offer that you are interested in, if you search up the course outline a lot of the time professors add required or recommended readings !
This is even better than another roundup newsletter. Your recs are empowering us as readers to be our own curators. I love that! I'm familiar with the majority of these publications but for some reason did not think to individually subscribe to newsletters from them. It's a great way to spark curiosity and positive trips down the rabbit hole, as you mentioned.
I focus on studying and analyzing how curation can be put to good use and your advice is absolutely right. Thanks for sharing your approach, sources and basic strategies. They can be extremely helpful to the many writers who often find themselves lost in figuring out from where to start.
*If I may contribute a free resource that complements your excellent suggestions, I'd point your readers to this categorized collection of content sources I have put together to help myself and other indie authors.
**I'd love to add a sub-category with your suggested mainstream sources. If you think it would be a good idea as well, give me a thumbs up and let's find the best section to add it in (with credit to you).
This was such an enriching repository of articles. Totally motivated to pick up all the articles I have bookmarked for later. I lowkey read this whole piece in Rory Gilmore voice.
Thank you! many things to look into. have you heard of 'The Browser'? they are a few people who curate articles/essays and send you 4-5 a day as a newsletter. it would be interesting to know what you read on substack (or is it mainly the 11 that you already recommend on your substack page?).
Absolutely love this! I would also petition to add "Electric Literature" to your list of great literary publications... it is one of my all-time favorite lit mags! I also have found that Smokelong and Brevity have been great inspiration for my writing on substack because they have high-quality literary fiction and nonfiction all under 1000 words :) Love your list!
Many thanks for compiling this. 2025 has been a year of more mindful media consumption for me so this list is a wonderful addition on my journey towards a more curated feed.
This is so beautiful but how do you even have the mental capacity for all this? And to write all this! I mean it as a compliment but I also wonder what you’d answer to that. I get extremely overwhelmed and overloaded with learning not knowing how to connect the dots when I get lost because what’s inside me needs to connect with resources that I found things from. I wonder if anyone else feels like me, I would love to read your response! It’s like having these really swollen big hands trying to hold the tiniest things but since my hands are overwhelmingly huge, it’s like it can’t hold all of it. Or it feels fleeting because the value and the weight of the things I am leaning become too small and hidden and invisible to hold and take notice of.
Thank you for the many recommendation
This is exactly what I need at this point of my journey to cultivate self-learning and stepping away from “fast” social media. Thank you!
I enjoy all your pieces so much for many reasons.
First of all their content deeply resonates with me. Very often I read your essays only to realise I have experienced similar emotions, have been struck by ideas alike to yours, have read and enjoyed the same books, loved the same movies.
A special thank you for writing about the importance of scents in perfumes and those we experience throughout the day in food, drink, common objects. I love perfume and understand very well the need to hunt down a particular scent you've talked about. I know what you mean when you call a perfume second skin. And Diptyque Orpheon (together with Eau de Papier and Fleur de Peau) is my all time favourite, my second skin.
Thank you for introducing me to some books and movies I haven't heard of or making me consider those I have, but didn't think I should experience, for now I plan on getting to know them.
Thank you also for widening my horizon in terms of places on the Internet where one might find important insights and discussions on culture, for making me look beyond The Paris Review, The New Yorker, Lit Hub and Aeon.
Your writing deserves a separate recognition. It is beautiful and moving while also being light and originally metaphoric. It's not just visual but tangible and slipping at the same time, olfactory, audible gently persistant. I thoroughly enjoyed every single sentence. I am amazed at how you involve rich imagery when writing about scents.
I realise that this commentary embraces my reactions to more than a dozen of your essays, I hope you don't mind this generalisation.
I wanted to let you know again (for I realise I'm not the first and certainly not the last person to be touched by your writing) how important and beautiful your work is.
I’d also like to add that if you are a university student you can easily read an article from a paywall by using your student login in details. Also, look up courses universities offer that you are interested in, if you search up the course outline a lot of the time professors add required or recommended readings !
Yes! You just sold us all on becoming researchers ✨
This is even better than another roundup newsletter. Your recs are empowering us as readers to be our own curators. I love that! I'm familiar with the majority of these publications but for some reason did not think to individually subscribe to newsletters from them. It's a great way to spark curiosity and positive trips down the rabbit hole, as you mentioned.
Wonderful advice Caitlyn.
I focus on studying and analyzing how curation can be put to good use and your advice is absolutely right. Thanks for sharing your approach, sources and basic strategies. They can be extremely helpful to the many writers who often find themselves lost in figuring out from where to start.
*If I may contribute a free resource that complements your excellent suggestions, I'd point your readers to this categorized collection of content sources I have put together to help myself and other indie authors.
https://xtiles.app/6595a70d8014a254f2653a9b
**I'd love to add a sub-category with your suggested mainstream sources. If you think it would be a good idea as well, give me a thumbs up and let's find the best section to add it in (with credit to you).
Worth noting that the local library will often have free access to these places!
This was so helpful, thank you so much for sharing!
Fantastic compilation. I love how you are thinking about this + your practical suggestions for where to look and how to curate.
I really loved this - it is just what I was looking for only I didn't know it. Super useful. Thank you.
This was such an enriching repository of articles. Totally motivated to pick up all the articles I have bookmarked for later. I lowkey read this whole piece in Rory Gilmore voice.
Thank you! many things to look into. have you heard of 'The Browser'? they are a few people who curate articles/essays and send you 4-5 a day as a newsletter. it would be interesting to know what you read on substack (or is it mainly the 11 that you already recommend on your substack page?).