Substacks recommended by Mike Pesca

Recommended by Mike Pesca

Hi, my name is Sam Greenwood. I’ve played millions of hands of poker and cashed for millions of dollars in tournaments, but I’ve also made millions of mistakes along the way. Everyday on this Substack I am going to revisit the mistakes I've made.

Everything That Makes Me Happy Makes Me Sad

By Dan McNamee

I wrote a series of letters to my sons and wife after I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Somehow, I'm still alive, don't have cancer & the letters became a book. I don't understand any of this either, but I am trying to figure it out.

FRESH HELL Tina Brown's Diary

By Tina Brown

Tina Brown's observations, rants, news obsessions, and human exchanges.

Subterranea

By Oren Kessler

Deep dives into the stories submerged beneath the daily churn of the news. History's irresistible undertow. Not current events — undercurrents.

Yascha Mounk

Essays and conversations about big ideas that don't need a news hook.

"It's Ottessa, bitch."

By Ottessa

Or, to quote Oliver Twist, "Please bitch, can I have some more?" Yes. There is always more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRNGDCJKceE

Reflector

Audio journalism from the guys who helped create and produce shows like The Daily, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, Crimetown, and Rabbit Hole. We tell stories about the strange experience of being human.

Audio geniuses at work. Possibly regular geniuses too.

- Mike Pesca

They Stand Corrected

By Josh Levs

The podcast and newsletter fact checking the media. Listeners say: "The standard of truth." "Never before has a podcast like this been so necessary." "Highlight of my week." "Single-handedly cutting through webs of sophistry that have trapped us."

robneyer

My personal Substack, writing about baseball and occasionally something else that won't get me in trouble.

NewsGuard's Reality Check

A report on how misinformation online is undermining trust—and who’s behind it. Produced by co-CEOs Steven Brill, Gordon Crovitz, and the NewsGuard Team.

There are many services that aim to define what are credible sources and what aren't. I trust NewsGuard the most. ( Not a paid advertisement, just a pleased consumer.)

- Mike Pesca

kenpom's thoughts

By Ken Pomeroy

This is where kenpom writes about stuff

The End of My Career

By Joel Stein

How to have a midlife crisis without leaving your house

Small Potatoes

By Paul Bloom

Psychology, philosophy, jokes, and more

The usual palm tree

By Kat Rosenfield

Something's coming, something good.

The Ask Podcast Substack

By Cliff & Waise

The Ask is a podcast hosted by Waise Azimi and Cliff W. Gilmore that humbly explores life, the universe and everything. A new episode is recorded every month.

Waise Azimi has on great guests like David French Elliot Ackerman and Sebastian Junger., AND - this is important - asks them good questions. Check it out!

- Mike Pesca

Hidden Japan

By Leon

Understand the Japanese Psyche with a local English speaker's perspective

Leon does a great job making Japan make sense. The Pocari Sweat Origin Story alone is worth the price of admission.

- Mike Pesca

Oppenheimer

Religion, politics, etc. Things can seem pretty broken—but there is a way back. It will definitely involve neighborhood, religion (in my case, Judaism), family, other old truths. And coffee ice cream. And the way-back seat in the station wagon.

An honest broker, and interesting writer.

- Mike Pesca

Pebble Hunting

By Sam Miller

I'm writing about baseball & the good life. Contact at pebblehunting@gmail.com.

Sanity Clause

By Joe Klein

As the Marx Brothers said, there ain't no sanity clause--but these are my latest thoughts about politics, policy, culture, books and other stuff.

Joe Klein is a legend of journalism, and deservedly so. His insights have heft, his clarity is a necessary balm to the excesses of group-think of the very outlets that had once published him, but don't any more. I strongly recommend.

- Mike Pesca

Neil’s Substack

By Neil Paine

Analytical but narrative -- blending the past and future of sportswriting

The Junction

By Daniel Lazar

The Junction of my passions: teaching and learning, history and politics, podcasting and parenting, creating and caring.

Mike Sub-Sacks

By Mike Sacks

A bi-monthly paid-subscription-only column about the nuances behind writing comedy, interviews with those in comedy (performers and writers), lists, , trivia, the greats, the assholes, how to get published, what not to do.

Silver Bulletin

By Nate Silver

Essays and analysis about elections, media, sports, poker, and all the other things I care about.

Dog Shirt Daily

By Benjamin Wittes

The #BeastOfTheDay Had to Go Somewhere

Ukrainian special ops + All the no bullshit Trump / Jan. 6 legal analysis you can handle

- Mike Pesca

Political Calculus

By Ben Ansell

A Substack on the connections between politics and the economy from the author of Why Politics Fails.

The World According to Brian

By Brian Rosenwald

What you need to know about politics and the media each week, with an occasional dash of sports, music and more. For more about me: visit my website: brianrosenwald.com

Range Widely

By David Epstein

The newsletter for generalists.

Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps

The safe space for dangerous ideas.

Reasonably Happy

By Paul Ollinger

The Skeptic's Guide to Achievable Contentment

Good for the Jews

By Ask a Jew

Increasing Jewish representation in media

I like the Jews.

- Mike Pesca

Notes from the Middleground

By Damon Linker

Analysis and criticism of the antiliberal right, social-justice progressivism, and cultural topics

Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian

By Matt Ruby

Comic Matt Ruby offers standup comedy philosophy, advice, and inspirational quotes from great comedians. Some praise for posts here...Judd Apatow: "Great." Gary Gulman: “Love this!”

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em Podcast

A podcast from the outskirts of the zeitgeist

The Culture Shock

By Kathleen Sykes

Obsessively interested in everything.

The Fifth Column (A Podcast)

Your weekly rhetorical assault on the news cycle, the people who make it, and occasionally ourselves.

I love these guys. As funny as they are pointed. The Trio with Brio. Give a listen.

- Mike Pesca

Beyond Intractability

By Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess

Free updates about BI’s exploration of strategies for more constructively handling all types of intractable conflict, including the hyper-polarized, political conflicts that are tearing society apart. Click "No Thanks" to read without subscribing.

Bully Pulpit

By Bob Garfield

A wry and pointed take on politics, media and society from Bob Garfield.

The Scroll

We read the Internet all day so you don't have to.

Blocked and Reported

By Jesse Singal

A Podcast About Internet Controversies

Eric Zorn: The Picayune Sentinel

Chicago, Illinois and national politics with a dash of humor, music and sports

House of Strauss

By Ethan Strauss

Sports, Business, Politics, Culture

Rarely Certain

By The Rarely Certain newsletter

Welcome to the post-tribal struggle. Being 'right' is overrated anyway. It's not what you think, it's why you think it. Some posts about personal subjective wellbeing (not self-help shit).

Interesting, unexpected, well-informed.

- Mike Pesca

I Might Be Wrong

By Jeff Maurer

Comedy, politics, and swearing in pretty much equal amounts.

Arty Har-Hars

By Myq Kaplan

favorite writings, jokes, words, thoughts, poetry, ideas, and fun units of the day, week, and/or all time

It's got more words n' play than Miss Muffet had curds n' way. Also why does the n' get an apostrophe as a stand-in for the disapreared D but nothing for the absent A?

- Mike Pesca

Your Local Epidemiologist

By Katelyn Jetelina

Providing a direct line of "translated" public health science to you

Unraveled

By Amanda Ripley

A newsletter about human behavior, conflict, journalism and change.

The Free Press

By Bari Weiss

A new media company built on the ideals that were once the bedrock of American journalism.

The Audio Insurgent

By Eric Nuzum

The Audio Insurgent is a periodic newsletter that covers the evolution and revolution of the spoken word audio industry today. We talk about podcasting, audiobooks, radio (both broadcast and streaming), and other related technologies.

The Liberal Patriot

By John Halpin

Political and policy analysis from the vital center.

Make More Pie

By Nancy Rommelmann

Media, culture, journalism, plus talking about food with the people who love to make it for you