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8 Awesome Substack Newsletters That Will Help You Get Through 2020

Written by Tyler Wilcox | September 29, 2020

The Substack revolution is in full swing. The e-newsletter platform offers a way for writers to create content that they care about – and offers a way for readers to pay them directly for it. The result is kind of an alternate universe in your inbox, where experts can let loose and be themselves outside of the context of a major media organization.

The number of Substacks is growing at a dizzying pace, so it can be hard to know where to begin. Here are just a few of the best Substack newsletters to subscribe to, covering a wide variety of topics.

Media :: Deez Links

By day, Delia Cai covers trends for Buzzfeed. By night, she publishes Deez Links, a Substack newsletter that highlights the latest, greatest and gossipiest new from in and around the media industry. Published “daily-ish,” Deez Links is a great way to keep tabs on what writers and editors are keeping tabs on, kind of like eavesdropping on a newsroom watercooler conversation. Remember those? Don’t miss the Friday Q&As with journalists!

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Food :: From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy

Long Island-raised / Puerto Rico-based writer Alicia Kennedy’s Substack newsletter is about food. But it’s not just about food. Rather, Kennedy uses the culinary world as a jumping off point to discuss all kinds of topics: politics, diversity, labor, culture and beyond. Paying subscribers get fascinating chats with the most interesting minds in the food world very Friday.

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Travel :: Nomadic Notes

Travel blogger James Clark does the work for you. Every week, he separates the wheat from the chaff and shares the best travel reads and news articles related to travel. You also get the latest posts from Clark’s Nomadic Notes blog, where he offers travel tips and reports from his wanderings around the world.

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Gen Z :: Gen Yeet

Generation Z is taking over! If you want to stay up to date on the memes, trends and TikToks that the kids are into these days, sign up for Terry Nguyen’s always entertaining Gen Yeet Substack. Here, you’ll feel in on everything that’s fueling the next generation’s identities and habits, dislikes and likes.

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Politics :: Tangle

Keeping up with the political scene is a full-time job. It may also be hazardous to your health. But Tangle untangles it all, bringing order to the chaos of this year’s ever-shifting weirdness. It’s ad-free and non-partisan — though the newsletter’s author Isaac Saul takes pains to highlight his own particular biases.

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Quarantine Life :: Sleep At Home Camp

The pandemic of 2020 has changed pretty much everyone’s lives. But don’t despair. Sleep At Home Camp is a daily Substack newsletter that offers tips, tricks and hacks to make your stay-at-home routine (much) more bearable. From what to do with leftovers to creativity stimulating games and puzzles, this one is a consistent breath of fresh air.

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Wellness :: Awakened Wellness

Wellness in 2020 isn’t just about running more miles, meditating longer or finding the perfect diet. It’s a more wholistic, all-encompassing pursuit, where fitness, self-care and spirituality intersect. To that end, Paul Keefe’s Awakened Wellness Substack newsletter takes a birds-eye view of the wellness world, connecting subscribers to a community of like-minded seekers.

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Music :: Flow State

Music is a must in these trying times. And sometimes the Spotify algorithm just doesn’t deliver. Say hello to Flow State. Every weekday, this Substack sends you a mix of two hours of fresh sounds designed to accompany your day job. You’re guaranteed to find at least a few new favorite artists.

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