Recommended by JEANETTE LEBLANC
Andrea Gibson's poetry has been with me for over a decade and a half. They are, without a doubt, one of the most beautifully expansive, entirely generous and wildly talented beings I have had the gift of knowing in this lifetime. To experience the world as Andrea sees it - as a space of beauty, of grace, of gratitude - is the sort of magic that keeps my heart beating, my soul reaching, and the artist in me striving for more.
Carmen Maria Machado is one of those writers who manages to do things with words you didn't know could be done until you see them in front of you. And then, forever after, what is possible with language is changed, expanded, more whole. I stumbled onto her story "Inventory" several years ago, and have since made it my mission to read all that I can find.
Thank the writing gods i just discovered that Paul Crenshaw is on Substack (if you have not read this man’s essays, please for the love of words go look up every last one) because then i read his words I feel the relief that only comes from reading something so true in hurts in the right away, the way that happens when you feel seen and known and witnessed in exactly the way you've been needing without ever knowing how to name it.
One of the reasons I most love Substack is their absolute dedication to helping writers grow, and to continually improving the platform. If you're a Substack writer (or want to be), On Subtack is the place to get all of your questions answered, and connect to a vibrant community of other writers.