Newsletters are very trendy right now. I first got hooked on them through one of my favorite writers/tweeters/persons Ann Friedman and now I can’t get enough. Since then, I have found a whole slew of newsletters ranging from daily to biweekly that clog delight my inbox. They keep my Pocket perpetually full and provide me with a diverse media diet.
The one that started it all. Every Friday afternoon, the newsletter shows what she wrote that week and what she’s been reading, with wit and humor (seeing a pattern?). She also includes something she’s been watching, things she endorses, and other miscellania. Every week her newsletter fills my Pocket with enough fascinating pieces to keep me satiated until next week. Recent picks have included a critique of poverty tourism/narcissistic do-gooders, an interview with Jill Abramson, and why Neil DeGrasse Tyson sounds better when you’re high.
The Skimm lives up to its name. It was started by two women who worked in news organizations, and wished they had someone to skim news stories for them every day and keep them informed. So they made their dream come true for the rest of us. It goes out between five and seven (eastern time) every morning and it’s usually the first thing I read every day. It gives an aggregate view of the previous day‘s news in a casual tone. If it weren’t for The Skimm, I would not have been able to keep on top of all the breaking news in Ukraine, Syria, or with this summer’s SCOTUS decisions.
Links I would Gchat you if we were friends
This is another daily newsletter. Every day, the Washington Post’s Caitlin Dewey includes three main stories, a couple longer piece she called “Pocketables,” and a collection of pieces ranging from humorous to news to round out the email. Her tone is casual and funny and her gif game is on point. I especially like that she includes how long it should take you to read the Pocketable piece of the day.
As a liberal arts evangelist, this weekly newsletter is one of my favorite things. Unlike my other favorites, this newsletter is serious and contemplative with little news. Maria Popova is, among many things, an MIT fellow and contributing writer at publications like The New York Times and The Atlantic. Her newsletter is much longer than the others I read, and instead of being a collection of many things to read, this one focuses in closely on a few articles or books. She pulls quotes and discusses the work. A recent newsletter profiled Leonard Cohen, talks about “finding yourself,” and the real-life whale that inspired Moby Dick. The topics are ones I would never pick, and yet I always find myself engrossed.
ErinKwed 
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