Why are you here?
I need a little help. I’ve published 124 (now 125) pieces of writing to this substack. Some posts have been literary breakdowns, some have been history, some have been obliquely political. Some have been book recommendations.
I want to know which of these you like.
I’ve figured out what works on other platforms and the hierarchy of my content there. But I haven’t figured it out here. I like writing, and I’ve got a pretty varied set of interests, and I’m researching and writing a Civil War era narrative nonfiction book (think: Erik Larson, Tom Clavin, and Candace Millard have a book baby, but I wrote it). But I’ve got to figure out how this newsletter will look and feel moving forward.
So I want to know: What do you want? I’ve created a poll for you to leave a vote (pick more than one option if you like). Or, leave a comment. This will help me greatly in a couple of ways.
I want this newsletter to be helpful & entertaining in turns.
I need to nail down content pillars for this thing, so you know (mostly) what to expect.
Okay, that’s the post. Happy Wednesday. Leave a vote! or a comment.
Note: Here are some examples of the “content types” referenced in the poll.
Another note: the book club isn’t going anywhere. We’re reading "Horseman, Pass By" this month and having a blast.
I ... Have Thoughts. (Shocking, I know.) I’ve voted; but that’s inadequate. I’ll message you privately, as soon as I can shake free of a few annoyances. As a general comment, I can only say, I don’t know (or really much care) what others are here for, but I’m here for whatever you damned well choose to write about: that is, for the pleasure of engaging with a mature and original mind. Which is a rare treat nowadays.