#56 Cover Your Bases: Seven Must-Read Newsletters, Claude AI Artifacts, and Random Life Bits
And that debate....
If you want to connect with me on social media right now, I’m having a lot of pleasure posting more frequently on Threads, where my list is set to show people I follow, the number of influencers is small (for me, at least), and ads haven’t yet kicked in.
No one needs another social media network(we need fewer!), but Threads has been a lovely back porch for sharing about politics, gym workouts, AI, and general foolery. It’s also where Sherrilyn Ifill, one of my go-to resources, posted a terrific article by Anand Giridharadas called Kamala Won By Being All The Things. Read it!
The Newsletters I Pay For
My newsletter reading has gone up in the Substack app and via the emails I signed up for from individual authors. I thought sharing what I like enough to pay for my weekly can’t-miss reads could be interesting. They break down into four buckets: Fitness (1), Personal reflection(2), Fashion and Style (1), and Political Analysis (2). Here’s the list:
Fitness
She’s a Beast, by Casey Johnson: Swole Woman’s weightlifting and strength training stories and advice were essential to get me started lifting. At a time when I didn’t know any women like me who lifted, and the social media influencers seemed fake as hell, She’s a Beast was essential. I still enjoy it 20 months into being obsessed with moving pieces of iron around. The no-BS tone is so great.
Personal Reflection/Writing/Books/Wellness
Extracurricular by Tembe Denton-Hurst: After I read and loved Homebodies, Tembe Denton-Hurst’s first novel, I went looking for more and found Extracurricular, a newsletter about books Denton-Hurst is reading and things they’re noticing. Essays like All American fiction is race fiction: Sitting with Toni Morrison's Playing in the Dark(Aug 28, 2024), and her interview with Bryan Washington about books, bars, and spas (June 13, 2024) had me immediately subscribing.
“Every critic should be sitting with and considering the role of race in the work, asking “raceless” novels about the burden of whiteness on the narrative, calling attention to it not to shame or reduce but to invite discussion and expand the meaning of the text.”
The Dinner Project, a Ritual by Jerrelle Guy: Jerrelle Guy is a beloved cookbook author and writer for me; I’ve made so many of her dishes with such enjoyment from friends and family. When it launched, I had to check out her Substack. I relate so strongly to her intention to write about more than food, centering on mental health, home, safety, and wellness.
Fashion and Style
Kim France, Girls of a Certain Age: A beloved style guide. Whether it’s stripes, totes, home goods, travel packing, or life reflections, I turn to and trust Kim France.
Politics
Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson: I am one of probably 200,000 people who have relied on Heather Cox Richardson's clarity for some years now, but her posts have become even more essential during the election.
Proof by Seth Abramson: Another author who doesn’t need introduction as a political pundit, but someone I have been turning to to read about Trump.
Claude AI Artifacts, Have You Used It Yet?
Since Anthropic released Sonnet, I’ve been using Claude more and more to create projects and edit my writing. When Artifacts was announced on August 27, 2024, I wanted to understand what this tool could do for me and my nonprofit colleagues. Unlocking Potential: How Nonprofits Can Use Claude Artifacts to Streamline Work gets into it.
Random Life Bits: What Else Is Going On?
Spending last weekend in Southern California during an intense heat wave led to three days in the water: a trip to the beach, a rental of a fantastic local saline pool via Swimply, and a visit to a rooftop pool at a hotel a family member was visiting. OMG, what fun! Now, I have to figure out how to make swimming a more consistent part of my life (besides renting pools when I visit Southern California, a definite possibility).
If you live in the Bay area and have places you swim, please share.
And if you have a passion or pleasure you’ve recently rediscovered or want to rebuild; I’d love to hear more about it and how it is going. I hope CYB #56 had some interesting bits for you. I'm so grateful for your readership and engagement.
Warmly, Susan