In Praise of Thought, on Substack

I started a Substack* and the type of work you've read here, in the Journal section of this website, will now exist solely on that platform.

*Yes, we all need another Substack.

The name is obviously derived from the collection of poems I published a few years ago of the same title—not because I can’t think of new and interesting titles, but because this one encapsulates what I write about on Substack aptly.

You can expect essays on writing and reading—the series “In Praise of a Line,” for example, will continue—and also cultural criticism on the intersection of literature, philosophy, technology, politics, and culture, as I’ve long been concerned with.

I think a body of work (or even a piece of it) is most interesting when placed in greater context, and vice versa. Thus, I wrote about dogs via the writing of Joy williams, Palestine via Isabella Hammad, the bombing of Beirut via Ghada Samman, and even the assassination attempt on Trump in the context of Wislawa Szymborska's poetry.

The Substack will be monetized for certain subscriptions only. Namely, paid subscriptions will provide privilege to comment, for the reader to engage further. Still, I’ve decided that all of my writing will be available to non-paying subscribers for now. I'm excited to find a platform that allows my writing to reach new readers. I hope you continue to follow my work there, and that you subscribe.

Warmly,

Elizabeth