8/7/2020 Recommended Issues: Sports, Saudi Arabia, Spirituality
Issues Worth Reading
If you read last week’s newsletter, you can skip this intro and just dive into the meat below...
Many newsletters are written on a platform by a company called Substack -- and Substack just vetted 940 newsletter writers who applied to their Fellowship for Independent Writers. This week, Substack announced their 10 winners (yes, the odds of winning were lower than the odds of getting into Harvard), which write about a variety of subjects (finance, sourdough, literature, healthcare, faith, college athletics and more...) and hail from around the globe.
Given that Substack clearly believes these writers are incredible and that they are adding valuable perspectives to the world, I thought it would be worthwhile to share some of their writing with you-- and you can decide if any of them align with your interests. I read through a lot of newsletter issues by these new Fellows and picked ones that seem to epitomize the writer’s style and theme.
Last week I shared the first half of the Substack Fellows, now here is the second half:
Extra Points with Matt Brown
Issue: 'Force majeure': Why college AD's need to learn those two French words, tout de suite, July 27, 2020.
Matt provides amazing and in depth coverage of college sports in the US. He delves into everything from media rights negotiations to state/federal legislation, population demographic shifts, higher ed trends and more. He interviews experts and shares stories that are well articulated, clear, and very thorough. We’ve always thought highly of Extra Points; one of its issues was even highlighted in our own newsletter the week of June 12th! Another issue that’s emblematic of his investigative journalism is this one, which goes deep into the legal side of college sports contracts (coaches, game hosting, etc) that were signed pre- and post- pandemic. It’s pretty fascinating to see how, even after the pandemic was in full swing, legal agreements were adjusted-- or more often, not adjusted. If you’re at all into the industry around collegiate sports, Matt Brown’s writing can’t be missed. Read it. or subscribe.
The Reading, by Yanyi
Issue: Here comes a creative advice column, June 25, 2020
Yanyi is a writer, critic and poet, who has quite recently taken a leap to publish The Reading, where he offers weekly advice with creative and thoughtful writing. This is unique in the newsletter world for two reasons: 1. you just don’t see many Dear Abby-like advice newsletters at all and 2. The questions are quite long and deep-- and they’re met with an open, self-reflective, compassionate analysis and advice-offering (and much more authentic and personal than a Dear Abby). His structure is the same in each newsletter so far: a photo, a lengthy question, and a lengthier answer. His first newsletter exemplifies this and also gives a lot more context to Yanyi, helping you to gauge if his newsletter is for you. Read it or subscribe.
The Cottage, by Diana Butler Bass
Issue: It Is What It Is. August 5, 2020.
The Cottage inspires and challenges readers to practice faith differently-- both in their own lives and in the world around them. Diana looks at faith and traditions in new ways and also explores how religion shapes culture and politics. The issue “It Is What It Is” is specifically interesting in that it offers a unique perspective on the phrase “it is what it is”, forcing you to re-evaluate what it actually means, regardless of whether you are religious or not. It shows her ability to cut through to the basics of human nature and leave you with deeper meaning, positivity, and action. Read it or subscribe.
Riyadh Bureau, by Ahmed Al Omran
Issue: A hard sell June 30, 2020.
Ahmed, an honorary Substack Fellow, helps people understand what’s happening in Saudi Arabia by providing clear, concise context, commentary, and analysis on the kingdom. The issue “A hard sell” is a solid example of how he covers the things you should know from the last month, all in just one email. For instance, in this one you’ll learn about religious tourism, the economy, the pandemic, how Saudi Arabia is planning to handle the hajj pilgrimage, and how that’s all tied together. He sticks to the facts, shares hard data, and you’ll be wiser for the read. There aren’t many (any?) other independent newsletter writers offering such narrow and deep thoughts on Saudi Arabia, so if you’re interested at all, Riyadh Bureau is worth it. Read it or subscribe.
I hope you’ve found some of these newsletters or issues intriguing! Next week we’ll return to the normal “Issues that may have flown under your radar”!
If you have any newsletters you enjoy, it would be awesome if you’d write a quick review on narrowSCALE; the newsletter writers LOVE the feedback and it’ll help other readers to discover great newsletters more easily. Thanks!!!
And of course, if you’re interested in receiving more from any of the newsletters above, you’re always welcome to subscribe to Extra Points, The Reading, The Cottage, or Riyadh Bureau.
Feedback is always helpful..how did you find this issue?
~Jessica
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