Meet the New 'It's Not Just You'

Revamped for Substack.

Dec 9, 2021

Well hello!

If you’re a new subscriber, welcome to the clan. I’m so glad to have you. (More about It’s Not Just You here.) And welcome back 🧡 to the thousands of kind and brilliant readers who’ve come with me from my old home at TIME magazine. I’ve missed you!

Launching It’s Not Just You on an independent platform is a bit like jumping into an Airstream with two granola bars and heading to the coast. Everything’s possible, and there’s more sky than earth ahead.

The last time I was this delighted and terrified, I was 26, and TIME sent me to their Paris bureau. I showed up with two suitcases of very bad clothing and zero French. For three months, I cried and watched ancient reruns of Bewitched dubbed in French. But I learned how to say "I'm only mortal" (so helpful for an American in Europe). And I went on to report out of brothels in Belgium, ice rinks in Ukraine, homeless shelters in Paris, and TV studios in London. It was pretty good.

Our basement flooded last month and I found a box of old press passes.

Galloping up to strangers in unexpected places to ask about their lives is still my favorite part of being a journalist and a human. So I plan to bring more of those voices to this space. And I’ll share vignettes about wild characters that didn’t make it into magazine stories. (Wait till you hear about Yuri, the Romanian marriage broker, with his red velvet business cards and binders of women.)

One of the reasons I’m so happy to be on Substack is that we can build a real community here. It’s Not Just You has always been about connection and what inspires it, and now, you’ll have a direct line to me and each other via the comments section and live discussion threads.

It’s Not Just You is essays, advice, delightful recommendations, and a community of thousands of readers around the world. Both free and paid subscriptions are available. If you want to support my work, the best way is by taking out a paid subscription.

I’ve gotten hundreds of poignant and enlightening emails from readers about essay topics like losing a sibling or the absurdities of the beauty industry or the art of being unfinished, or the intense reaction to Adele’s new body. And I can’t wait for you all to meet. This clan is global—you live on nearly every continent from Tasmania to India, Canada, and the U.S., but I hope this will feel like a haven from the snark.

What else is new? I’m introducing an opportunity for you to be a paid subscriber. So if you like my work, I hope you’ll consider supporting me as an independent writer. Your $5 per month (or $50 per year) will help me with expenses for the newsletter and life––internet, bagels, a copyeditor (ahem).

Here’s how it works: The Sunday essay email will always be free for everyone, and it includes a list of weekly delightful recommendations. Paid subscribers will have access to everything, including the monthly Slightly Wicked Advice column and live reader discussion threads. (Everyone will have access to everything for the next month so you can test the waters.)

So if you like my work, I hope you’ll consider supporting me as an independent writer. Your $5 per month (or $50 per year) will help me with expenses for the newsletter and life––internet, bagels, a copyeditor (ahem).

Have questions? See what readers say about the newsletter and find my favorite bits of writing from TIME, Sports Illustrated, and The Washington Post here.