Alex Dobrenko

Who you read—and pay to read—is a budding social signal, a way to broadcast sophistication and align you with a niche intellectual tribe.

Substack’s promise is that the best writing will rise to the top. But, in reality, the best writers—on Substack or anywhere else—aren’t just creators of content; they’re mirrors for aspiration, revealing something... See more

Someone living in fear does not stretch their wings. They hide behind them. They defend themselves from their source of distress. It’s a matter of survival: you can only safeguard yourself arduously. Then you become stuck in that garrison. You become some Greek myth of a story: forever hiding behind your wings. Dread and angst at your seemingly... See more

It’s like I’m carrying a large, very heavy box of tools that help me process and evolve my thoughts and feelings on the Middle East conflict. Some of the tools might be rusty or obsolete or are random pieces of hardware that should be thrown away but might be useful some day. Each could become a separate essay. For now I just want them out of my... See more

Remorse is not something “No Bullshit” guy feels, but seated at Brooklyn’s Purity Diner on a sunny afternoon during his weeklong run at the Bell House, Heidecker is rankled by guilt. In a plain black tee and sunglasses now, he’s replaying the moment he upset a fan when he was in character the previous night. He was doing a bit where “No Bullshit”... See more