Substacks recommended by Sara Petersen | In Pursuit of Clean Countertops

Recommended by Sara Petersen

Fortesa Latifi

journalist writing about family vloggers and mom influencers while also trying to figure out new motherhood

To the Bed

By Loretta

Musings on post-divorce life, sex and culture by a mid-40s mom whose libido has gone through the roof.

Diabolical Lies

By Caro Claire Burke & Katie Gatti Tassin

A long-form culture and politics podcast that will make you smarter, saner, and exponentially more unbearable at family get-togethers with each new episode.

Big Undies

By Corinne Fay

A newsletter about clothes.

Out of Your League

By Frankie de la Cretaz

Dispatches from the intersection of queer sports and pop culture.

The Culture Study Podcast

By Anne Helen Petersen

A podcast about the culture that surrounds you — with Anne Helen Petersen and a bunch of very smart co-hosts

Big Salad

By Joanna Goddard

Life advice, fun finds, and dating gossip — from Joanna Goddard and the Cup of Jo team.

Tea Notes

By erin boyle

Dispatches on consumerism, creativity, and sustainability. Also other things. Very rarely about tea.

Over the Influence

By Jo Piazza

A hilarious and often factual romp through motherhood, the world of social media, old-school media, publishing and whatever else catches our fancy.

Real Self-Care

By Pooja Lakshmin MD

A newsletter from psychiatrist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin MD

Books + Bits

By Pandora Sykes

A Pandora's Box of books and culture recs

Between Us

By Chelsea Conaboy

Many of the stories we're told about the nature of parenthood are wrong. Let's write a new one.

More to Hate

By Kate Manne

Misogyny and more

Excerpts from Pocket Observatory

By Meg Conley

Hi! I’m Meg Conley. I write about the intersection of capitalism, culture and care work at Pocket Observatory. Select essays are republished to Substack. If you'd like to receive my official (FREE) newsletter, subscribe here + I'll take care of the rest!

Hmm That's Interesting

By Clara

Culture thoughts of/for/by the Chronically Online, from that girl you may have seen on Instagram or TikTok (alas). Essays, pop culture, interviews, and literature.

Now We're Talking with Doree Shafrir

A newsletter about navigating life as a human and a mom.

Emily in Your Phone

By Emily Amick

Former Senate Counsel bringing you fact-based, action-oriented analysis and insight into politics and the culture that shapes it.

Bringing Down The Flowers

By Hannah Matthews

A gathering of love letters to her/his/their/your/my/our constellations of abortion care. A ribbon that runs through all of our lives. An overshare. An essay collection. An invitation. An irregular newsletter.

Mothers Under the Influence

By Kathryn Jezer-Morton

gently, persistently scratching the enamel of the momfluencer industry

Mad Woman

By Amanda Montei

Feminist takes on literature and culture.

There are very few writers who can marry brilliant academic writing with delicious pop culture writing and Amanda is one of them. Whether you have feelings about maternal burnout, The Bachelor, or the politics of gender, Amanda will help you understand those feelings!

- Sara Petersen

Gee Thanks, Just Bought It!

By Caroline Moss

Products we love and where you can buy them. Plus exclusive discounts, really good sales, and some of the best gift guides around.

Embedded

By Nick Catucci

Your essential guide to what’s good on the internet. Written by Kate Lindsay and edited by Nick Catucci.

Butt News

By Lindy West

we're here to watch movies and talk about butts, and we have a lot of both, don't even worry about running out AT ALL

Matriarchy Report

By Lane Anderson

A feminist newsletter about care work, family, and capitalism and how to make things better for everyone. Gender, motherhood, occasional rants. By two journalists + uni profs.

The Audacity.

By Roxane Gay

Writing that boldly disregards normal restraints.

Now What

By Melinda Wenner Moyer

A newsletter that brings science and nuance to parenting advice and challenges fear-mongering, shame-inducing content.

Hung Up

By hunter harris

Movies, tv, the celebrity industrial complex, and personal pop culture obsessions. Delivered twice a week to your inbox, written by Hunter Harris.

The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino

A critical review of the beauty industry prioritizing people, not products.

Absolutely obsessed with Jessica DeFino's smart, irreverent, funny as hell commentary on the cult of the beauty industry.

- Sara Petersen

The White Pages

By Garrett

What if we could build something better?

hitha

By Hitha Palepu

smart reads + musings from a multi-hyphenate

Donita Reason

By Angela Garbes

explicitly laid out like a fruitcake

Abortion, Every Day

By Jessica Valenti

All things abortion. Feminist commentary & community.

dinner inspo

By Nisha Chittal

A newsletter about cooking, recipes, and trying to get dinner on the table everyday.

From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy

Essays, criticism, and commentary on food, culture, and media sent out on Monday morning. Subscribers receive every post in full, are invited to join the weekly Salon and Desk Book Club, and much more.

Burnt Toast by Virginia Sole-Smith

An anti-diet, fat positive community about body liberation. And good snacks.

Along with the must-listen podcast, Maintenance Phase, Virginia Sole-Smith's newsletter is responsible for completely exploding my knowledge of diet-culture. In the best way!

- Sara Petersen

Evil Witches Newsletter

By Claire Zulkey

We are people who happen to be mothers.

Well To Do

By Rina Raphael

The latest, greatest, and strangest of the wellness industry.

bitches gotta eat!

By samantha irby

judge mathis recaps + milf-on-milf romance

Men Yell at Me

By lyz

Written from a journalist in a red state, this newsletter is personal, political, sometimes funny and always raises hell.

There is no writer I trust more with my rage than Lyz Lenz. Whether she's incinerating sexist politicians, Good Mom™ ideals, or the Justin Timberlakes of the world, she's doing it brilliantly and hilariously.

- Sara Petersen

HONEY STAY SUPER

By Kimberly Harrington

A newsletter that's pro-Big-Life-Changes. Creating a new life after 50, after marriage, after kids, after publishing, and after moving 11,000 times. So sick of learning and growing I could barf. Making you think, laugh, and feel. Sorry.

Culture Study

By Anne Helen Petersen

Think more about the culture that surrounds you

Anne Helen Petersen is the type of writer who could write not one but SEVERAL books about the Chip and Joanna Gaines extended universe and guarantee that each one of those books would illuminate something beautiful, something broken, and something weird about American culture.

- Sara Petersen

Everything Happened

By Evie Ebert

Strong opinions, loosely held.