Elusive stop-motion animators, rejecting gray hairs, and the ubiquity of rectanglesColeen Baik recommends a few of her favorite Substack postsThis week’s edition of Substack Reads was curated by Coleen Baik, who writes about life through the lens of making things on The Line Between on Substack. Coleen is a multidisciplinary artist and writer based in NYC. Her short films have screened at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Everyman Theatre in London, and in domestic and international festivals. Her latest, 엄마 나라 | Mother Land, premiered at the Brooklyn Film Festival this past June. She’s currently working on her next animated short and a collection of essays. “Other Mother,” the first in the collection, was published this past April in Roxane Gay’s The Audacity. Some of her most popular recent posts on The Line Between are “Magic,” “Bridge,” and “Fallow.” If you enjoy Coleen’s edit today, be sure to subscribe to her Substack. I’ve been sharing what goes on in my art studio on The Line Between since April 2021. When I began, I never imagined that I’d have thousands of readers supporting my creative practice just a few years later. I treasure the community I’ve found on the platform; there’s so much wisdom, heart, and camaraderie among Substack writers. Many have become friends. I love so much of what I read here! But to whittle a long list down to this short one, I used the following criteria (with minor exceptions): the publication must be more than six months old, have published at least 10 issues, regularly provide free content, publish at least every other week, and have subscribers in the single-digit thousands or fewer. I’m excited to share a few excellent and lesser-known publications. There’s an earnestness in the voice of each of these that warms me. With all the gaming and transactionality that we feel driven to engage in today, I jumped at the chance to give some love to those that seem to prioritize connection and giving. Each of the following issues resonated with me on a personal level, and I learned something new from all of them. Oh, and since we’re shifting into fall, I thought it’d be fun to share a cozy sip-and-bite pairing for each selection. So settle in and get comfortable! Most of all, enjoy. INTERVIEW“Images heard and a music seen”: A conversation with the Brothers Quay— Alex Dudok de Wit in Move Madly I first discovered the Brothers Quay over a decade ago when SF MoMA featured a retrospective on their work. I was mesmerized, and a superfan was born. So when this issue dropped into my inbox, I ate it up. Not enough people talk about these elusive stop-motion animators, identical twins from outside of Philadelphia who’ve long lived in Europe and are notoriously secretive. Alex writes clearly, simply, and beautifully about animated short films, and his newsletters are a delight to read. Move Madly is a relatively new publication, but it already seems to be garnering a well-deserved audience. Enjoy with bourbon + Askinosie 88% Super Dark Blend dark chocolate.
BEAUTYI’m not ready to embrace my grays— Jenna Park in Everything is Liminal I’ve been reading Everything is Liminal for a while. Jenna is no stranger to publishing online—she used to blog about food for many years—but I think her writing resonated with me because we’re both Korean American women living in NYC, and we’ve other overlaps that we both write about (losing a parent, for instance). I appreciate how candidly and straightforwardly she writes about topics like menopause, financial strain, loss—and, yes, graying hair. I’m grateful for voices like hers and aspire to be as vulnerable. Enjoy with a decaf flat white + a slice of birthday cake garnished with real flowers.
FILMLet’s chirp— Zach Bautista in Tenderhearted Zach Bautista had me at “a series of French films I recently watched.” I’m a French lit major, and Jules et Jim is one of my favorite films (a framed one-sheet of Jeanne Moreau lives in my bedroom). I randomly discovered this issue as a restack in my Notes feed, and I immediately subscribed. There’s a lot here: introspection; recommendations for music, film, literature, and fashion; the highbrow and the -low—and it all pulls together into one beautiful feeling. Tenderhearted is a portal into the musings and eclectic knowledge base of this “aspiring writer, full-time healthcare professional, amateur home cook, and unabashed believer in love” (I mean!), and I feel more human just reading it. Who doesn’t want more of that in their lives? Enjoy with lapsang souchong + brie and fig jam on buttery Bath crackers.
LITERATUREThe no-bullshit guide to annotating your books— Petya K. Grady in A reading life This one is for book nerds. It’s another post I found via a restack in my Notes feed, and it immediately resonated—despite the fact that I don’t particularly subscribe to her annotation process. I go to great lengths to not write in my books, for example. I even avoid buying used, because on-page annotations can be so distracting. But I maintain reading journals, use page tabs, and collect quotations, and I felt seen when Petya Grady talked about using the back side of notebook pages for random jots. The thing that I’m also struck by in A reading life is her intentionality around consumption, particularly when it comes to longform fiction. Reading literature requires muscle that I feel has been sadly atrophying among most of us, so it’s refreshing to come across someone bent on going the other way. Enjoy with rooibos tea + Costco extra fancy unsalted mixed nuts.
DESIGNFive rectangles— Daniel Benneworth-Gray in Meanwhile I’ve been following Daniel for a long time, after coming across—and falling in love with—his film posters. Meanwhile is a feast for the eyes, and graphic design nerds will go nuts if they’re not already addicted (he’s a known quantity in design circles). This is an older issue but it’s an evergreen post, really: featuring an iconic work by Dennis Hopper, intriguing film posters, and an icy windshield. Enjoy with a dirty vodka martini + 3 pepper-stuffed green olives.
ANIMATIONThe simplest form of entertainment— Animation Obsessive Staff in Animation Obsessive Animation Obsessive is a bit of an outlier on this list because its audience is an order of magnitude larger than those of its peers. But this publication is so special—the labor infused with so much love and dedication, the staff genuinely kind and constantly giving back to the community—that I think it deserves continued amplification. The content may seem niche at a glance, but really, it’s not just for animation folks. It’s incredibly well-researched and full of fascinating history, thoughtful criticism, and little-known tidbits. It comes into the inbox like clockwork. It’s also quite accessible! I’ve discovered many gems through this publication (hello, animation in vintage ads), and it’s been lauded by folks both within and outside of animation. Peter Ramsey, the director of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a fan, as is NYT bestselling novelist Robin Sloan. A recent issue features Norman McLaren’s breathtaking Begone Dull Care, a synesthetic experience scratched onto the film medium and enlivened by jazz. Dive in—it’s wonderful. Enjoy with a glass of Oregon pinot noir + a wedge of Gruyère.
TRAVELConfessions of a stackholic— Alisa Petrosova in Flattening Even though Flattening is only three issues deep, I’m including it because it has impressed me with the unfussy eloquence with which she speaks about this warming world. Alisa has long been bringing climate stories to a global audience, and for the next few months, she’s sharing snapshots from her “slower, more intentional, more creative life” from Italy. I’ve been loving these delicious peeks into her days, and at what’s been on her table. I can’t wait to see how she continues the adventure in New York, one of the fastest-paced and highest-stacked places in the world, when she returns. Enjoy with fresh fish grilled over an open fire + a glass of natty vino.
AFFIRMATIONSStuck?— Kara Cutruzzula in Brass Ring Daily Kara Cutruzzula is the back-pocket cheerleader, angel on the shoulder, and sorely needed Monday-morning pep talk that everybody needs. Sometimes she gives you six sentences, sometimes she gives you more than that. Sometimes it’s just her talking to herself in an endearingly neurotic—and recognizable—monologue. She often makes you laugh, and will always make you feel less alone. I heard about this little gem of a Substack at an artists salon, and I love seeing it in my inbox first thing, because I know it’s going to see me right back. Enjoy with a glass of champagne + a beautiful tin of spiced calamari, because you know what? You deserve it.
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Inspired by the writers featured in Substack Reads? Creating your own Substack is just a few clicks away: Substack Reads is a weekly roundup of writing, ideas, art, and audio from the world of Substack. Posts are recommended by staff and readers, and curated and edited by Substack’s editors. Got a Substack post to recommend? Tell us about it in the comments. |