Substacks recommended by Jena Ball

Recommended by Jena Ball

Assembly Notes is where I share ideas, stories, and strategies—from politics to writing to the work of building a better world.

Beto’s Substack

By Beto O'Rourke

writing from the desert southwest

Elle Cordova

Writer of words and songs 🏳️‍🌈

Amy Ferris

Writer, warrior, worrier, Goddess, author, playwright, screenwriter, wife, friend, fur mom, passionate about humanity, ruckus maker. Fierce as fuck.

David Densmore

David Artist, painter, writer, musician.

Lou’s Substack

By Lou Rinaldi

My personal Substack

Becoming Phoenix

By Phoenix Birch (they/them)

Musings and pictures, and sometimes poetry, that offer an intimate glimpse into the ongoing process of becoming.

Petty AF (Auntie's Files)

By Michallie Harrison

Serving Up Your Daily Dose of News, Politics, and Pop Culture with a Side of Sass

Susan Speaks

By A New Susan Speaks is Here!

A photographer. A writer. A gym rat. A headbanger. Drawn to old cemeteries and kind people. Farm girl at heart. (Get a colonoscopy)

SHE WHO STIRS THE STORM

By Gloria Horton-Young

Poet, painter, storyteller, rabble-rouser – a tempest in red lipstick. Expect provocative opinions, spirited rants, and lots of laughter. This is my playground, the rules are rewritten daily.

Beyond the Whiteboard

By Katie Porter

Welcome! I've started this Substack account to share my more in depth thoughts about Congress, campaigns, and the issues that families across the country are facing. I hope you'll learn a thing or two.

Riding the Big Wave Home

By Susan Osborn

A 45 year career in music, first as lead singer in the Paul Winter Consort and then 26 years of translating the traditional songs of Japan for a global audience has provided rich and fertile ground for a life. Please join me for the harvest.

The Place of Peace

By Tania Kindersley

Finding peace, one day at a time.

It'll Be Fun, They Said

By Jess Pan

Writer in London working at a tiny indie London bookshop + latest news from my book - Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: One Introvert's Year of Saying Yes

The Lolo Report

My personal Substack. This intro written by A.I.

Whales in My Backyard

By Jena

"Whales in My Backyard" chronicles my adventures with animals and the natural world. My goal is to entertain, delight, and open doors to wonder - to remind us that we all have a vested interest in preserving and protecting life on this planet.

The Mortality Muse

By Carole Silvoy

Thinking about Death, Life and all the messy and beautiful stuff in between, here's where I share what I come across and think and learn as I help folks face the finale to their finite lives.

Fascinating reading by someone who not only knows her stuff but is deeply compassionate as well.

- Jena Ball

Wonkette

By Rebecca Schoenkopf

Wonkette is filthy, hilarious, liberal news. YOU CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH!

All I Am Is Cats

By Carol Tavares LidoAlbiza

My personal Substack

Diane's Blue Forum

By Diane’s Blue Forum

Passionate democracy defender. Vote 💙🇺🇸Blue and resist extremists and traitors to our Constitutional democracy.

Smart, insightful posts that keep you informed without depressing the hell of out of you in the process.

- Jena Ball

Death & Birds

By Chloe Hope

They're both coming for you! (Just kidding, birds aren't coming for you)

Auraist: picking the best-written books

By Sean

Trusted by 40K+ readers, we pick the best-written books from US and UK recent releases and prize shortlists, and publish in-depth articles by their authors on prose style. Plus the satirical series The Demon Inside David Lynch.

Love good writing? Want to not only read the work of great authors but learn from them as well? Follow and subscribe to The Auraist. You can even submit your own work for consideration.

- Jena Ball

American Lit

By Andrew Beaton

American Lit departs from MIC Cold War HR R&D, and meanders in and out of coastal defense systems, more past than present.

Earth Activation: humanity at the crossroads 🌟

By Ghostwriter in the Sky ✨💘

Explorations, inspirations, adventures. ☀ 🌎 💫 sparks in the dark 💜 🌟 Sounds of liberation.

From My Orange Desk

By Patti Digh

writing at the intersection of moral imagination and moral courage

Around the Campfire

By John Roedel

Welcome all seekers and travelers! Welcome to my little campfire. Grab a chair and make a S'more. I know it can be so cold out there in the wild. You are safe here. Can I share a story with you? It's all about how fear is no match for love.

The Big Picture

The Big Picture provides a deep dive into the cultural, political, and societal issues shaping our world today, from a variety of unique perspectives.

JL's Stories and Musings

By J. L. Sullens

Stories and thoughts that occasionally flow.

Chasing Nature

By Bryan Pfeiffer

Essays on wildlife, wild places and the human condition.

Washed Memoir in Real Time

By Miter

Writing music and writing about writing music.

everyone is entitled to my own opinion

By Jeff Tiedrich

I read the news today, oh boy

Flying Bra

By Laura ‘La’ Sottile ✧ Flying Bra

Feminist Humor, Satire, Fiction, Social Commentary to revolutionize outdated concepts so Women can demand full claim upon their astonishing wild souls, and thus will Heal us All.

Things That Don't Suck

By Andrea Gibson

One poet's quest to uncover what shifts when we shift our attention

Midlife Mess with Annie Scott

Notes on the glorious possibilities of midlife chaos; why 30s and 40s are the best time to re-think our choices. By a burned out former FTSE 100 Communications Director and award-winning writer.

Sustain What

By Andy @Revkin

A regular dose of sanity and substance amid the spin around climate and sustainability challenges.

Ageless Mind Project Newsletter

Wellbeing

Everything is Personal

By Laurie Stone

The story is not about what happened, it's about what the narrator makes of what happened.

A.M. Sketching

By Sue Clancy

A bit of creativity, often whimsical, from Clancy's sketchbook to go with your morning coffee.

Mind the Gap

By Deborah

Mark Diacono's Abundance

Food and everything connected, by James Beard shortlisted and multi award-winning author and photographer Mark Diacono, of Otter Farm, once of River Cottage.

The Reason We Learn

American education is broken. We know we can do better—and here’s where we talk about how.

There Might Be Cupcakes Podcast

By Carla Pettigrew

Dissident Teacher

American K-12 Public education, from the inside.

The Lady Party with Margot Potter

A veritable pu pu platter of art, absurdity, and awesome sauce.

Heirlooms & Keepsakes

By A. S. Tarmu

A cottagecore adventure

Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance

By Joyce Vance

Worried about the state of the republic? Get the legal knowledge & analysis you need to be an advocate for democracy, along with a dose of savvy optimism.

Matters of Kinship

By Katharine Winship

A newsletter about kinship in and between ecosystems on this beautiful habitable planet.

La Briffe

By Ruth Reichl

A newsletter about cooking, eating and making life more delicious.

The Good in Us by Mary L. Trump

By Mary L Trump

In which we come together to save American democracy, or at least have fun while trying.

Pass Along Songs

Recommended by Jena Ball