In this new mini series, writers share their favorite publications to read on Substack. Anne Helen Petersen of Culture Study, takes a tour through her reading list.
That was great--I’ve really enjoyed your work (and that with Charlie). In fact, I’d credit you guys for some of the inspiration for the Amazon story I recently wrote on my substack. Thanks a bunch.
What an excellent collection of gems. Thank you so much for these recommendations. I just hopped on the Substack train, and I feel like I’ve finally found where I belong!
Thanks for sharing. I love books but am much older so my reading choices may reflect that. I read mainly fiction and for my writing I read nonfiction so in that sense our reading habits are similar. I review books on Goodreads so that I can look back and remember books that get hazy after a while. I just finished To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. It's a thinker. I have a book blog at https://nbrissonbookblog.com
I am a survivor of homelessness (among other things) and have been a homeless rights activist for over 20 years.
When I was a subscriber to Anne Helen Petersen's substack, I asked the following questions:
"What I am seeking is fairness when it comes to sex and class: if we can acknowledge that white women are privileged because of their race, can we also acknowledge that Black men are privileged because of their sex?
Can we acknowledge that upper middle class Black women are privileged because of their economic class?
Can we acknowledge that an upper middle class Black woman may be much more privileged than a poor white man - especially a homeless white man?
My complaint about Intersectionality is that human beings are not Legos: we are not a collection of hard blocks of oppression that click together to make a whole.
Privilege and oppression are much more fluid that the current Intelligentsia would have us believe (largely because the academic/professional class is cut off from poor and working class people, and tend to view life in abstractions).
Having been a homeless rights activist for over 20 years, I can promise you that having beige skin is not a ticket to a privileged life.
When we stamp all white people as having "white privilege" we exclude white people who are poor, disabled, incarcerated, battered, and trafficked from our concern.
We also create divisions between the poor, and weaken their political power (which may be precisely the point).
Our lives as human beings are far too complicated to be summed up with the simplistic terms imposed on us by Intersectionality."
The response I got from Anne Helen Petersen was to be unsubscribed from her substack (which pretty much proved the point I was making).
I find this treatment to be heartbreaking and extremely shaming.
It also terrifies me because this type of behavior is alienating lifelong Democrats like myself, and serves to empower the increasingly radical Far Right.
Exactly whose culture does Ms. Petersen want to study? And why?
Whose interests does she protect? Who does she serve?
Reading Room: Anne Helen Petersen’s top Substack reads
It's good to see somebody's ACTUAL, not ideal, workspace. Takes some courage to show the unvarnished reality of a busy desk.
This was brilliant! Just subscribed to lot’s of newsletters mentioned here :)
Loving this Reading Room mini series. What a great way to connect with fellow writers!
That was great--I’ve really enjoyed your work (and that with Charlie). In fact, I’d credit you guys for some of the inspiration for the Amazon story I recently wrote on my substack. Thanks a bunch.
I’m excited to read some of these! Thanks for the inspiration.
What an excellent collection of gems. Thank you so much for these recommendations. I just hopped on the Substack train, and I feel like I’ve finally found where I belong!
Thank you for the great recommendations.
Very good list and idea, thank you!
Thanks for sharing. I love books but am much older so my reading choices may reflect that. I read mainly fiction and for my writing I read nonfiction so in that sense our reading habits are similar. I review books on Goodreads so that I can look back and remember books that get hazy after a while. I just finished To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. It's a thinker. I have a book blog at https://nbrissonbookblog.com
This was awesome - I subscribed to so many new newsletters, and Anne is basically living the life I'm trying to build (sans kids) :D
Burnt Toast is a great platform - so is Culture Study
Thank you! Would love to see more of these!
Happy Purim Holiday thank you all the best.
Regards Micha Rave Owner & CEO of Rave Group LLC
I am a survivor of homelessness (among other things) and have been a homeless rights activist for over 20 years.
When I was a subscriber to Anne Helen Petersen's substack, I asked the following questions:
"What I am seeking is fairness when it comes to sex and class: if we can acknowledge that white women are privileged because of their race, can we also acknowledge that Black men are privileged because of their sex?
Can we acknowledge that upper middle class Black women are privileged because of their economic class?
Can we acknowledge that an upper middle class Black woman may be much more privileged than a poor white man - especially a homeless white man?
My complaint about Intersectionality is that human beings are not Legos: we are not a collection of hard blocks of oppression that click together to make a whole.
Privilege and oppression are much more fluid that the current Intelligentsia would have us believe (largely because the academic/professional class is cut off from poor and working class people, and tend to view life in abstractions).
Having been a homeless rights activist for over 20 years, I can promise you that having beige skin is not a ticket to a privileged life.
When we stamp all white people as having "white privilege" we exclude white people who are poor, disabled, incarcerated, battered, and trafficked from our concern.
We also create divisions between the poor, and weaken their political power (which may be precisely the point).
Our lives as human beings are far too complicated to be summed up with the simplistic terms imposed on us by Intersectionality."
The response I got from Anne Helen Petersen was to be unsubscribed from her substack (which pretty much proved the point I was making).
I find this treatment to be heartbreaking and extremely shaming.
It also terrifies me because this type of behavior is alienating lifelong Democrats like myself, and serves to empower the increasingly radical Far Right.
Exactly whose culture does Ms. Petersen want to study? And why?
Whose interests does she protect? Who does she serve?