love is the opposite of hygiene. weekly-ish essays on crying in public and other stuff like that.
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hi everyone - this isn’t the usual essay-letter, just a quick update. I’ve also just sent a new essay to subscribers only (check your email for it if you subscribe, although if you’re seeing this you probably saw it anyway), but I wanted to send an email to everyone on the list to let you know that
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I’ve been told this newsletter has been making people cry at their desks at work since 2015, so maybe you want to cry in front of your coworkers. Maybe you want to read someone talking about death and failure and weird sex and small joys and the history of New York City infrastructure on your phone late at night when everyone else in your apartment is asleep. I think the personal essay is at its best a means by which we enlarge our humanity but you don’t have to think so to subscribe. Maybe you miss Livejournal (me too).
When Griefbacon was a Tinyletter, some of the letters were once assigned on a college course syllabus and students were required to write response questions. One student wrote “isn’t it also great to eat pizza when you’re stoned?” and it wasn’t off-topic. Also occasionally I’ll send a letter that isn’t serious or about feelings at all and just explains the best places to buy food in every airport in Western Europe or whatever.
I don’t know, I think that this kind of email-based personal writing is like whispering when you’re the last two people left awake at a sleepover and you get to say the things you’d never say in a daylight conversation, one that actually counts. Anyway, if you subscribe, you can email me about any of the letters and we can chat like we’re the last two people awake and telling secrets.
“Every letter is beautifully composed, and her elegant writing will stay with you long after you’ve closed that tab. Fitzgerald’s knack for writing about the things you’ve been thinking about, only putting your thoughts into far more lovely sentiments than you might be capable of, is a thing of wonder.” - Nylon
“Glorious candid weekly… offers slick short-form personal essays on football, heatwaves, crying in public” - The Guardian
$5 a month, or $50/year (obviously that comes out to less, but I also know $50 all at once isn’t doable for everybody - including me, a lot of the time). What this buys me, essentially, is the time to write this newsletter. I know $5 may not be doable for some of you, though (this was also me not all that long ago) and if you want to subscribe but the cost makes it impossible, email me directly and I’ll make it happen.
There will probably be one free letter a month (I’m still figuring this out), and all the old Griefbacon archives from tinyletter are free on the site. Subscribers get another 5 letters a month, one every Tuesday and one random, off-topic, usually silly one.
When it comes to the free posts, spread them as far and as wide as you like, on whatever platform you currently prefer. Occasionally forwarding subscribers-only emails is just fine too.
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