Substacks recommended by Rebecca Gummere | Mystery, Memoir, and Meaning

Recommended by Rebecca Gummere

The Memoirist is a welcoming community for writers to share memoirs and personal essays. You can also find us at thememoiristquarterly.com and on Medium at thememoiristpub.com.

KiKi is building a lovely community of writers and readers of memoir.

- Rebecca Gummere

The Jim Acosta Show

By Jim Acosta

Don't give in to the lies. Hold on to the truth!

NMrocks🤘🏻

Unserious Photographer 📷📱

The Encouragist

By Sasha Ledawn

words that encourage, ideas that elevate, and essays that inspire your evolution.

Nic’s Substack

By Nic Sims

I write personal essays about family dynamics and reflections on being a flawed human.

Page&Stage

By Jason Cannon

Exploring the art and craft of writing and performance. Providing tips, tricks, encouragement, and inspiration for storytellers of all stripes.

Great tips for writers and other creatives and lively conversations worth your time.

- Rebecca Gummere

The Collector

By Mark Valley

I'm Mark Valley, an actor, writer, podcaster. I collect ideas, information, experiences, and present them here with political essays, posts, photographs and travelogues like the Codex of a Lapsed Catholic -- a work in progress.

I'm drawn to spiritual quests. These thoughtful essays from the road, "Codex of a Lapsed Catholic" written on Valley's Camino Norté journey, are searching and honest and also invite close reflection on our current political state. Resources for citizens to become more involved are included as are other historical reference materials.

- Rebecca Gummere

Your Integrative Physician | Tanmeet Sethi, MD

By Tanmeet Sethi

The doctor's visit you wished for: vital weekly doses of science-backed wisdom and practical strategies on optimal mental/physical health and cultivating Joy from an integrative physician, author, and TEDx speaker with 26 yrs in the trenches.

Don't Make Me Stop This Car!

By Chris J. Rice

I grew up in a car. On the road with Mama and her carload of kids. It took everything I had to leave. Leaving made me who I am.

Chris's incredible writing beautifully imparts her incredible and harrowing story. Definitely, read this newsletter.

- Rebecca Gummere

Cool It: Simple Steps to Save the Planet

By Sari Fordham

Monthly newsletters for busy people who care about climate change

The Keepthings

By Deborah Way

What memento would you keep after the death of someone you love? These are the stories of lost loved ones, inspired by the things they left behind. A new story of love + grief every week, plus occasional subscriber bonus content.

Embracing the Full Catastrophe

By Casey Mulligan Walsh

Casey Mulligan Walsh writes about life at the intersection of grief and joy and embracing the in-between. Her memoir, The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared, was published by Motina Books in February 2025.

Casey's recent memoir is so gorgeous. You'll want to see what she's up to next.

- Rebecca Gummere

ridges + roads

By Xenia Grace

a weekly newsletter on seeking the spiritual-creative life in the Jiu Valley, Romania

Jenna Griffin's gorgeous prose and beautiful insights are worth joining her on her journey of living and working in the mountains of Romania.

- Rebecca Gummere

The Extant Storytech R&D Report

By Mickey Fisher

The Extant Storytech R&D Report is a weekly newsletter about creativity, innovation, inspiration, and writing from Mickey Fisher, creator of the TV series EXTANT (CBS), REVERIE (NBC).

Mickey Fisher is so generous with what he's learned about writing and with sharing a creative spark or two - or three. I've gotten some great ideas from so much of what he shares. Whatever you are writing (CNF, novel, essays, short stories, TV, film), his insights will be helpful. Plus, he is a very nice human being.

- Rebecca Gummere

reluctant sleuth

By Darrow Woods

living in a not always so cozy mystery

Memoir Junkie Someday Author

By Claire

I'm writing my first book—it's a memoir. I'm using this Substack to share my experience and sometimes, life stuff. I write stories, tips, and review my favorite memoirs.

Keen insights as you get to look over a shoulder and watch a writer at work. I love how honest she is with the challenges all creators face as we grapple with how best to write the stories wanting to be told.

- Rebecca Gummere

Writing in the Dark with Jeannine Ouellette

By Jeannine

For people who do language. Writing saved my life—so I teach writing as if it can save yours.

Post-Mortem by Emi Nietfeld

Emi Nietfeld, former software engineer turned writer, dissects her successes, failures, and shenanigans for your learning and entertainment.

cedric’s Newsletter

By cedric johnson

How to be spiritual and not religious plus how to become an inspirational leader

Cedric's thoughtful reflections on things that matter.

- Rebecca Gummere

PINTAIL POETRY

By Kristen Lenea Ryberg

Come in for a crafted weekly poetry intermission, an offered sensory walk and possible recognition of something inside you... don't mind my screen door, sometimes it bangs!

Poetry! Brilliance! Fresh perspectives!

- Rebecca Gummere

Oh Zone!

By Anne I Page

LGBTQIA

Zoenelle, on the road to find herself. Moody and smart.

- Rebecca Gummere

Media War & Peace

By Evan Shapiro

Reports from the War for Our Attention from Media Cartographer Evan Shapiro.

Georgia Writers

Thoughts on writing & the writing life from Georgia Writers' writers-in-residence.

The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad

A newsletter for people seeking to transform life's interruptions into creative grist

Thinking about...

By Timothy Snyder

Opening the future by understanding the past.

The Elysian

By Elle Griffin

Our systems are collapsing, let's design what comes next. Join our salon of utopian thinkers to reinvent governance, reimagine capitalism, and architect a better future.

The Bulwark

The Bulwark is home to Sarah Longwell, Tim Miller, Bill Kristol, JVL, Sam Stein, and more. We are the largest pro-democracy bundle on Substack for news and analysis on politics and culture—supported by a community built on good-faith.

GODDAMN BUFFALO

By John Hamilton Farr

PERSONAL ESSAYS & VISIONS by writer, artist, photographer, musician in Taos, NM.

Letters from an American

By Heather Cox Richardson

A newsletter about the history behind today's politics.

Memoir Land

By Memoir Monday

Four verticals edited by Sari Botton: MEMOIR MONDAY, collab w/ Granta, Narratively, The Rumpus, Orion, The Walrus, Electric Lit, LitHub, Oldster; FIRST PERSON SINGULAR original essays; THE LIT LAB interviews + craft; GOODBYE TO ALL THAT, NYC stories.