this substack is not dead

just chillin' while I do other stuff

It appears that I have left a trail of broken promises but with good intentions. This Substack has been dormant for quite some time – I had to scroll through my posts to see what I was talking about last. It was of course a failed attempt at writing a series celebrating my favorite things from the year prior, and it was a project I looked forward to writing about. But as is the case these days, life got in the way. The world got in the way, more accurately. I found myself stepping back from “screen time” and from doomscrolling, deleting/silencing social media apps left and right, reading more and conjuring plans to use my time more wisely. Those plans included flipping my phone on its face and attempting to live life like we aren’t in the most oppressively digital age ever.

Of course those efforts were fruitless. As much as I long to be analog, I am forced to be digital. And since I’m forced to be digital, I may as well fill you in on my analog plans.

I have been dreaming of a few projects for more than a year and am starting to see them through. Readers of this page know I’ve dabbled in short stories, but very recently I decided to combine a few of my shorts into a cohesive, longer story with layers. This excites me to no end. There’s been a catch, though…I want to publish them and not just on a Substack (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).

On that note, I crave a chance to express my love for physical media. I subscribe to magazines still. I buy or borrow books, seek out compendiums of online writings, DIY comics, you name it. I prefer holding something in my hand instead of staring at a screen. And I am obviously not the only one! So I decided earlier this year to develop a collaborative newsletter. I am still ironing out all the details, but it’s coming along nicely (if slowly). My first issue will hopefully release this summer, and I have been busy building a library of content in order to make that happen. Ultimately, after I release the first issue (that will be fully Adam, for better or worse), I aim to bring in collaborators who will hopefully keep the newsletter fresh and provide unique flavor in addition to my vibe. Am I too old to say “vibe”?

I have acquired two typewriters to help make my dream an actual thing, and relearning to type has been a great lesson in patience. I want this newsletter to be as undigital and un-AI as it can possibly be. Totally original content with very little help from computers. I’m talking hand typed and hand drawn portions photocopied at the library and cobbled together on white paper. It will include serialized versions of the big story I’m writing as well as a central theme each issue. Anyway, I will certainly share additional information on that newsletter as it becomes more of a reality, and I don’t foresee it taking the place of this Substack. I have a lot to say these days but have felt woefully shy of a platform. Maybe this page can serve as that space. We’ll see.

Regardless, it’s nice to dust off the ol’ blog and press forward. I hope everyone is doing well despite, well, you know. Everything. Please feel free to email me if you’re interested in the newsletter. I’ve set up a newsletter address you can find here. Much love from Nashville! Talk soon.