More reading is always a net positive. But rereading a single sentence five times, staring into the distance as it rearranges your brain chemistry (see: Tembe Denton-Hurstdescribing the experience of reading Black Marxism ), versus inhaling a Taylor Jenkins Reid bestseller in one night—these are so fundamentally different they might as well... See more

Being a reader means cultivating a relationship with the world that, by most standards, can seem pointless and counterproductive.

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