So I’ve started a Substack to post all my other random essays and short stories that I spare you from here. Most of the essays languishing on my file server focus on Christianity and Zen and where they intersect. Other unrelated essays and short stories will also meander to this Substack, depending on whatever strikes me. So far, I don’t plan to push essays on a weekly schedule. I can’t sustain two weekly sites while working full-time and still writing various books. The Substack is called Nobody’s Know-Nothings because, well, I’m a nobody who writes know-nothings. Right now, I plan to post essays two times a month until my backlog of some 30 essays is exhausted. Substack has a free tier and a paid tier. I don’t have plans to paywall anything; I might in the future–such is the way of today’s writing world. I may turn on the support option for those who want to buy me a coffee or tea once a month or so.
Why Substack?
For something different. I like to play with different platforms and technologies. I also considered Medium and getting another domain name for a self-hosted site. For the self-hosted idea, I considered going old-school and flat-file HTML from the days the internet was better than it is now–uglier in design and a bit harder to find things within, but freer from all the spam, ads, and bots. Publishing on Substack doesn’t mean I may not still do that later. Substack gives me the option to allow people to read for free and monetizing at the same time if I choose. Medium, if I understand it correctly, doesn’t allow a “both” option. And, truthfully, I feel wrong putting essays about Zen Christianity behind paywalls. Kind of works against the virtues of both systems doesn’t it?
Well, anyway, I can’t promise I will keep this secondary blog–do people even use that word these days?–on a regular cadence like JP. I have a little over 15 months of essays waiting if I keep to a twice-a-month cadence. Many of these essays are 3K+ words, while several are closer to my 1.5k words or so articles I post here. Mostly, I wanted a place where I am a bit freer in subject matter–hence the open name–than JP. That doesn’t mean I still won’t post the odd off-topic (writing topics, usually) article on JP. Of course, you’ll find Japanese philosophy mixed into some essays over on Substack. At this point in my life, I find myself quoting–honestly, butcher-quoting–Bushido and Zen writers as much as Roman Stoic and Epicurean writers. I can’t separate that smoothie.
I will still be keeping my weekly cadence here, and have zero plans to change JP any time soon.
So here’s the link again: Nobody’s Know-Nothings.
I’m so glad to hear it. And may your substack break 1k in no time!
As I think about the kind of people that I want to see your blog here–yes it’s still a blog to me– I think of all the different subreddits that I wish would think critically about their given favorite anime like you do here.
(E.g., why do people love an emotionally stunted overpowered elf named Frieren and equally emotionally stunted and Mary Sue-d Apothecary named Maomao, and why is there a strong current of headcanon saying that she’s on the spectrum, to the point that I’ve gotten some heated flack from people who assert it like it’s actual canon *despite* the author never indicating anything of the sort)
And that brings me to the question: are you active on Reddit and are there subreddits that you are particularly fond of? I wonder if that would be an essay you’d be interested in: a quick highlight reel of where meaningful conversations about anime are taking place currently?
I also prefer the word blog, outdated word or not!
Ah, Reddit. Maomao is a great character, by the way. I still need to cover The Apothecary Diaries. I stay away from Reddit. Sometimes I will see an amusing meme (Dad joke Star Trek TNG memes usually) or an interesting thread when its shared to me, but otherwise, I don’t use my limited free time there. I prefer to use the time digging through academic databases and old books.
Huzzah! I love that you’re finally doing the thing!
(I’m sure I wasn’t the only reader who’s said they’d love to hear your thoughts on those subjects, but I like imagining that I had something to do with it 😄)
Thanks for the encouragement! Your suggestion and those of others tipped me into starting the Substack. It’s already seen 196 views a month, which isn’t a bad start. I remember way back when JP began. In those days, 100 views a month was doing well. JP isn’t a large site (or blog if you prefer the outdated word), but it’s humbling how many people now read my digital scribbles.