I have admittedly cultivated a rather “aggressive” persona on Substack for years now and that has sharpened over the last six months following Miscarriage Seven on Thanksgiving.
I’ve made it a personal mission to call out bullshit when I see it, whether’s it’s far right, far left, religious fundamentalist, or just outright narcissists looking to fleece the ignorant to make a shameful dollar like the “think and grow rich” New Age nonsense charlatan I exposed last month:
However, what likely receives less notice is that I tend to be as “aggressive” with my praise as with my condemnation.
I restack writers on Substack Notes when they offer clever ideas or funny jokes and try to encourage them by building on the point they’re making or extending their humor to a new height. I am very clear in describing the writers who have most influenced me and often give away copies of their books:
I have lost track of how many extra copies of books by Robert Anton Wilson, Alan Moore, and Douglas Rushkoff which I’ve needed to replace because the people I loaned them to never returned them. My book lending philosophy is that if you care about the book and the person enough to lend it to them, you sould care enough to just give it to them.
However, with Substack now we don’t have that problem. I don’t have to lend you a copy of my favorite book, I can just send you links to all of my favorite substacks in a single article. So here you go. You’re welcome. This is a treasure trove of wisdom and entertainment here, selected from the more than 1000 substacks which I’ve gradually subscribed to since 2022.
I’ve hesitated to do an exact ranking of favorites here, since we’re talking about actual people. And with many of these writers, it’s not really fair to compare them at all. A guy who’s a stand-up comedian or a cartoonist shouldn’t be compared to the woman who’s a Russian espionage specialist or a leftist journalist focused on immigration.
So this is more of a loose grouping. The first 25 listed are probably the ones who are most strongly impressing and influencing me right now, however the next 30 in the middle are also serious favorites, they’ve just sort of gravitated there since their areas of focus are more niche. Now, the last 20 substackers on the list are more of a grab bag with many writers who don’t fall into easy categories and many who I’m still figuring out, but who I do appreciate enough to recommend. I tried to move as many people into the top group and give them a little descriptor, but found that I could not do that with everyone. Perhaps that will change six months from now when I’m assembling the end of year list.
So let’s go ahead and get started now. I’ve pulled up these first three on the list to emphasize just how much of an influence they have each become. They earn special honor:
1. My Primary Living Intellectual Influence, Particularly on Religion, Media, Economics, Counterculture, and Technology: Douglas Rushkoff
I first stated engaging with Doug’s work in 2004 and have followed all of his books he has published since, incorporating their ideas into my own career and worldview. I wrote about this last month:
This, Nothing Sacred: The Truth About Judaism, is Doug’s most important book and where people should start for understanding his whole body of work. He is primarily a Jewish thinker at his core and that animates all of his other analysis of history, economics, media, technology and culture:
2. My Primary Influence on Immigration: Alex Nowrasteh
For at least 15 years now, whenever I’ve stumbled into a situation where I’ve had to explain my views on immigration, Alex Nowrasteh’s name has climbed out of my mouth within the first or second sentence.
I first met Alex’s parents in 2009 and then him in 2010. He laid out the case for his libertarian approach advocating for broad freedoms for people to cross borders to work. “Open borders” is the scary term. It persuaded me then and it still holds today. I am the exact opposite of Stephen Miller when it comes to immigration. The more people who want to come here, work, and contribute to our country the better. Alex is an economist and he has the data to prove his case that immigrants are a net positive for America. He’s even so effective that our antisemitic vice president mentioned him by name in his recent phony campaign book promoting his phony conversion to Catholicism.
Just as Doug’s ideas have endured for a long time for me, so too Alex’s ideas about immigration have only grown stronger in mind as he’s continued to accumulate and analyze the evidence. Give him a read and he will give you endless ammunition to win every argument with your bigoted brother-in-law and obnoxious uncle.
3. My Primary Influence on Hollywood History and Film Today: Chris Yogerst
Chris Yogerst is another writer friend I got to connect with and edit around the time when I met Alex. Since then, Chris has become a very serious and respected historian of classic Hollywood as well as a noted analyst of the film industry today. His most recent book, a biography of the Warner brothers and the creation of their studio, blew me away and persuaded me of his view that Warner Bros. was the best of the original studios and remains so today.
Chris is the person I know with film tastes most similar to mine and I know nobody I trust more in analyzing film today.
4. The Substack Writer With the Most Consistently Excellent Writing Both in Essays and on Substack Notes: Joel J. Miller
Joel J Miller is the strongest writer I’ve found on here since joining Substack in 2022.
His book reviews and broader writing on books and the publishing industry are thoughtful and engaging to read. On Notes, he consistently posts thoughtful and entertaining items. And he seems to be a pretty decent person too from what I can surmise.
You judge a writer not just be one aspect of their work or a few early hits. You look to see who can endure, who can consistently put out engaging writing across a variety of subjects. And Joel’s the one that does the most here on Substack. Give him a subscribe and you won’t be disapointed.
And the Kindle edition of his new book The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future is on sale right now, prompting me to snatch it up. Joel also has a book on the war on drugs and another on angels which grabbed my eye.
5. The Best Artist on Substack: L.E. Mullin
L. E. Mullin is the creator of The Flight of the Condor, a comic strip which is what the Batman movies would have looked like if David Lynch had directed them instead of Tim Burton.
Lynchian very much is the vibe of L.E.’s work. He uses a Batman archetype-style hero with the Condor, but that is only the trope he uses to explore his broader artistic and thematic interests, much how Lynch did with a murder mystery in “Twin Peaks.”
I just adore L.E.’s dreamy, noir aesthetic. It impressed me so much that he inspired me to go and buy some new pens and black drawing paper to explore that kind of approach too. Thanks L.E., for your inspiration. When I really have something worth sharing in this style then you get the credit.
6. The Best Comedian on Substack and Overall Funniest Person on the Platform: Matt Ruby
Matt Ruby is my favorite comedian today. The reason is in the first line of his bio there: George Carlin.
Matt is continuing the psychedelic comedy tradition that George Carlin started, Bill Hicks continued, and that nobody has managed to properly pick up ever since until now.
You’ll note too Matt’s mention of Alan Watts, who was a core influence for Robert Anton Wilson. Matt isn’t just a comedian up on stage talking about mushroom trips. He’s someone who has internalized the lessons from the experiences properly, and is now doing the same thing that Carlin and Hicks did: out giving the people the wisdom they need, wrapped in the healing power of humor. Matt and I seem to have come to similar conclusions about the lessons psychedelics can teach and how to use them responsibly. At one point on Notes earlier this year I declared him my “spirit animal.”
Keep doing what you’re doing, Matt. You’re kicking ass.
7. The Most Impressive Rising Talent and Innovative Humorist on Substack Today: Paul Staples
While Matt Ruby operates in the edgy Xer psychedelic comedy tradition, the extraordinary Paul Staples is breaking new comedy ground every day on Substack Notes with a distinctly millennial metamodernist style:
In the metamodernist tradition, the practitioner jumps back and forth between earnest sincerity (modernism) and cynical joking (postmodernism) to produce a unique humorous twist. It’s sort of like the salty-sweet sensation of a chocolate-covered pretzel.
Paul certainly doesn’t know that’s what he’s doing and that’s what millennials in general have drifted toward, but now he does and I hope it doesn’t mess with his efforts too much. Maybe it will help.
But Paul doesn’t seem to need any help with the clever and absurdist style of humor that he’s been developing. He’s on the right path. Keep going, Paul.
8. My Favorite Writer on Antisemitism: Elder of Ziyon
I first published blog posts by Elder of Ziyon 16 years ago. He has been one of the online giants in writing opposing antisemitism ever since. A juggernaut. He’s in a class of his own on the subject.
I’ll save the full story of my appreciation for him for another time, but suffice to say that he’s this high on the list for a reason.
My Four Favorite Writers Revealing the Truth About Artificial Intelligence Today:
9. Maria Sukhareva
10. Farida Khalaf
11. David Z. Morris
12. Gary Marcus
In trying to make sense of AI over the last year and a half, Maria Sukhareva, Farida Khalaf, David Z. Morris, and Gary Marcus have each come to impress me on a regular basis with their articles. While they each have their own areas of focus and different backgrounds that inform them, they are each very solid and serious when considering the technological and scientific aspects of the story. They’re similar to the nonfiction writers previously named on this list in how serious they handle their facts.
Marcus is the leading critic of large language models today and has been for years. He has worked as a scientist and was one of the first to explain the technology’s limitations which cannot be overcome through simply throwing more money and compute at the problems.
Morris comes at his AI analysis from a serious journalist reporting background on cryptocurrency, having written Stealing The Future: Sam Bankman-Fried, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopia. His reporting about Sam Bankman-Fried and crypto uniquely positioned him to become an important analyst of the AI space as the two topics developed such a strange relationship. Give him a subscribe, he’s a wonderful writer.
Khalaf writes from the perspective of a data engineer, and it’s a wonderfully informative perspective for better understanding what’s happening in the AI space today. She brings an upbeat, lively perspective to the material too. She regularly has a lot of fun Substack Notes content.
Sukhareva works as a computational linguist and like Khalaf also provides a really rich data and technical-informed perspective. She gets into a lot of pretty high-level stuff and makes it accessible and engaging.
13. My Favorite UK-Based Journalist: James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth offered some early encouragement years ago when I first joined Substack and I’ve followed his work in the years since and been tremendously impressed by the depth of his thinking, the grace of his prose, the seriousness of journalism, and his sense of moral clarity.
His new book is Lost Boys: Undercover Adventures in the Manosphere and now regarded as the leading work on the topic. As I continue my “Right-Wing Book Club” feature this year, I’ll be including it and exploring the insights James provides.
I usually don’t like to compare writers to Christopher Hitchens because it feels like more of an insult usually than a compliment. It usually means that the writer is trying to imitate Hitchens as too many writers of younger generations attempted to do or they are too arrogant. James does not have the annoying aspects of Hitchens, he has the combination of English journalism at its finest that people understand by the reference: that vivid, flowing English prose combined with on-the-ground, journalistic seriousness and a moral purpose. I suppose George Orwell is the archetype, here? He was one of Hitchens’ inspirations, even writing a whole book on him.
But I do not know Orwell well enough to say for sure. While I certainly recognize his greatness, he was never one of my north stars in novels or journalism. I still need to read so much of his work to really grasp him in full. But I do see in James that same level of potential. Yes, James, there’s your affirmation: go and be your generation’s Orwell. You can do it.
14. The UK-Based Journalist I Find Most Entertaining: Andrew Lownie
I fucking hate the British monarchy. I hate all monarchy, but I especially hate the British monarchy.
And thus, I regard Andrew Lownie as essentially doing God’s work. He is the Moses of the British people. That’s hyperbole, of course. What I mean is that it is endlessly entertaining watching across the Atlantic as he hammers away at the monarchy for covering up and enabling the crimes of the man formerly known as Prince Andrew, now known as mountbatten-whatever-he-wants-to-call-himself. Perhaps soon it’ll be Inmate 270556969 or something. Lownie is the author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, which the Daily Mail called “the most devastating royal biography ever written.”
If you want to see the destruction of the British monarchy, then Lownie is the man finding the investigative dynamite that is going to bring it all down. The world has been waiting for this for a long time.
15. My favorite Nigerian Journalist: Yakubu Daklésheleng Musa
To continue with some of my favorite journalists overseas, be sure and subscribe to Yakubu Dakléshelleng Musa, who I have published here at GOTD and who has now become a supportive friend. He’s a wonderful writer and filmmaker who’s going to do do great things. I’m excited to work with him on more projects in the future and encourage others to do so also. He is tremendously talented and thoughtful.
16. One of our Xennial Micro-Generation’s Most Gifted Journalists: James Kirchick
The generation of those of us born in the first half of the the 1980s has yet to produce many genuinely great journalists. James Kirchick is one of the few. He was the one who uncovered the newsletters published in the 1980s by Ron Paul, demonstrating in black and white how the far right congressman not only promoted racism and antisemitism, but did so as part of his fucking business model. Since then, James has only continued to distinguish himself with incredible writing and serious reporting.
Thank you for leading the pack, James. Your work continues to shine.
Three Substack Writers I am Proud to Have Published and Am Eager to Publish More of Their Articles, Fiction, and Hopefully Books Some Day:
17. Elizabeth Sowden
18. Ehud Neor
19. Marc Friedman
One of the things that has disappointed me most about Substack is that as I have searched for writers for years to potentially publish, and ultimately found so few writers as strong, thoughtful, and interesting as Elizabeth Sowden, Ehud Neor, and Marc Friedman. They each do very different writing, with Beth focusing on historical fiction often set in her Minnesota region of the country, Ehud focuses on his home in Israel, and Marc has transformed himself into a machine producing one thoughtful review and essay after another. (And his fiction explorations recently have been wonderful too.) I’ve published each of them before and look forward to developing further projects. Like Yakubu Dakléshelleng Musa, they’re each writers who I just want to pour some editorial editorial sunshine on and see grow. Give them subscribes.
20. One of the Most Important and Original Writers on Economics, Technology, and Media Today: Nate Silver
Last year, my opinion of Nate Silver skyrocketed. I finished his book On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything and felt as though I had encountered a unique and valuable journalistic exploration of the connections between AI, gambling, venture capital, and their collision with established power. He presents a pardigm of “the River” and “the Village” in cultural and ideological conflicts. It’s unique and draws on his own original reporting as well as his experience as a professional poker player.
People who live in the gambling world can develop unique perspectives and Silver certainly has one. Give him a chance and you’ll learn something. I certainly did and plan to again when I read the book a second time. It’s that good — one of those library books I finished and realized I needed to have in order to dig in more deeply to its nearly 600 pages.
Read On the Edge and you’ll see why now it’s time to take Silver very seriously as not only an important political analyst, but, like James Kirchick, one of the few genuinely gifted journalists of the Xennial micro-generation.
21. An Incredible Author Whose Book Range affirmed my whole life: David Epstein
Perhaps you might note that the subjects on this list cover a ridiculously broad range? Apparently there are many people who live this way, who naturally drift toward trying to cultivate a broad range of expertise across many subjects. David Epstein has written the definitive book on this subject, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, revealing that living the generalist lifestyle, of resisting the insistence on specialization, can actually produce better results than specializing. Those of us who gain expertise in many fields can then make connections with others cannot and develop new ideas more easily.
22. The Most Creative, Exciting, and Funny Use of AI Art I’ve Seen on Substack: Drew Ponder
Drew Ponder is doing some wild, satirical stuff with AI videos. He took the Iranian propaganda Lego style and has started making it his own. He explores other satirical and absurd topics and is very entertaining. I’m eager to watch what he comes up with next.
23. The Best Philosophy Writer on Substack: Doug Campbell
Online philosophy discourse tends to get pretty stale and predictable, especially here on Substack. I’m happy to report that I’ve now found my favorite philosophy writer. Doug Campbell is a philosophy professor so he brings serious depth. He also focuses on Plato, which I appreciate quite a bit. Give him a subscribe. He’s recently started posting some wonderful hiking photos too on Notes.
The Two Political Journals on Substack Closest to My Current Ideological Position:
24. UnPopulist
25. The Bulwark
One of the things I appreciate about The Bulwark is that it gives me a quick shorthand to defuse liberals’ worries when I have to reveal to them that I’m a conservative. “Oh, no, I’m more like one of those Bulwark-style conservatives you see on MSNBC because we left the GOP after we got a case of Trump Derangement Syndrome too like you guys on the left did!”
The “more like” is obscuring the differences that don’t matter much to them but mean a lot to me. They are much more moderate than me but it still demonstrates the point.
The The UnPopulist is in some ways a kind of ideological sister publication of The Bulwark. I especially resonate with it because of its title’s promised focus on opposing populism, a deeply evil political ideology, which it does very well.
26. My Favorite Cannabis Substack: Catherine Goldberg
I am so consistently impressed with the cannabis analysis of Catherine Goldberg and incorporate her insights into my own practice.
27. My Favorite Cryptocurrency Analyst and Critic: Michel De Cryptadamus
⚯ Michel de Cryptadamus ⚯ is the man when it comes to understanding the corruption of the cryptocurrency world. The depth of his knowledg is incredible and he stands as one of the few with moral clarity properly critiquing the space.
28. My Favorite Anti-Fascist Analyst and Polemicist: Jim Stewartson
Jim Stewartson comes at his political analysis from much further left than I do, but I still look forward to his pieces and value his analysis. They’re well-written, thoroughly-sourced, original in argument, and often very funny too.
My 6 Favorite Espionage Substack Writers:
29. Olga Lautman
30. Malcolm Nance
31. Asha Rangappa
32. Craig Unger
33. Kimberly Keyes
34. John Schindler
My years editing Lt. Gen. Ion Mihai Pacepa and working under ex-Marxists turned me into a permanent obsessive regarding all things espionage-related. People really need to understand that the country’s espionage agencies are akin to the fourth branch of government. Understanding the role spies play in the world is as important as grasping what presidents, congressmen, and judges do.
Each of these six writers brings a different emphasis and background. Olga Lautman works at the Center for European Policy Analysis and focuses on tracking Russian intelligence operations. Black Man Spy - Malcolm Nance was a senior navy intelligence offer for 20 years with combat experience. Asha Rangappa was a FBI agent focused on counterintelligence and she now lectures at Yale. Craig Unger is an investigative journalist who has dug deep in multiple books to uncover the connetions between Trump and Putin. Kimberly Keyes also brings a journalist approach to her focus on Russian propaganda. Finally, John Schindler provides the former NSA counterintelliegence office perspective. He offers a morning update of links to relevant stories which is especially helpful. He’s also probably the most provocative of the group, which I usually appreciate, but not always.
35. My Favorite Australian Substacker: Nicholas Kircher
Nicholas Kircher’s mind is just full of energy and innovations and very much the spirit of his homeland Australia.
And how would I, an American who has not yet visited there characterize that “spirit”?
I feel like Aussies often have a refreshing combination of being relaxed, friendly, warm, upbeat, and also very creative. The Aussie sense of humor is also distinct in its playfulness, as Hugh Jackman’s career has long demonstrated and he is hardly alone:
Australia is a country worth keeping a regular eye on, I’ve had to in my antisemitism reporting as the Islamic regime in Iran recently secretly sponsored an ongoing series of antisemitic hate crimes there. Australia is really working hard now to crack down on the hate there and has some of the world’s harshest punishments for promoting Nazism. Australia is also one of the world’s leaders in attempting to counter the harm social media has inflicted on children.
I also must admit that I’ve become a bit of a geography geek in my middle age and so the extremes of the continent present perpetual fascinations.
My Favorite Canadian Substackers:
36. Philosopher of the Oil Sands
37. Damien Penny
38. Katherine Brodsky
39. Sadie-Rae Werner
40. Dean Blundell
41. Nathalie Martinek
I’ve come across a number of Canadian writers who explore a variety of different topics with distinction.
Philosopher of the Oil Sands works in Alberta’s oil fields by day and writes philosophy in a literary style by night. I have a fondness for working class writers like him and he is becoming an exemplar of the archetype. Damian Penny has properly renamed his substack recently to focus on one of our shared beats: Horseshoe Theory, the understanding that the far-left and the far-right converge together with antisemitsm. He’s fantastic.
Yes Katherine Brodsky, you still very much make the cut even if I’ve been giving you a hard time on notes lately to liven it up a bit more. Glad to see you’ve been upping your game there of late. I know it’s difficult for you Canadians to be spikier, it’s just not in your cultural temperament, I get it. But you do such good work when you’re in that mode! Go for it more!
Sadie-Rae Werner has not been active on Substack this year, but perhaps by listing her here she will know that she is certainly not forgotten and I hope she returns. I have been so impressed by the quality of her writing and the strength of her Jewish advocacy.
Dean Blundell comes at things from a more more progressive direction than I do, but his reporting and analysis remain very compelling. He regularly covers important topics and does so with depth.
Nathalie Martinek PhD, my understanding is that you’re Canadian, or would it be more approprirate to correct this piece and slide you into the Australian category now? Do let me know and I’ll revise. Regardless, everyone should subscribe to you, your insights on narcissm are gems.
42. My Favorite Japanese Substacker: Yuri Minamide
Yuri Minamide is a Japanese woman living in London who provides a thoughtful and fascinating perspective on both her own culture and the West. She is a fantastic Substack ambassador for her culture.
As she has explained her perceptions of the West, I have sometimes responded explaining how many Americans seem to perceive Japan and its culture which I wasn’t sure Yuri understood.
There are 50 Asian countries. Not all countries are unique. On all continents around the world, the lines on the map and cultural identities often blur and blend such that cultural identities may become less distinct.
Not so with Japan. Because of various factors of geography and culture, Japan developed differently in distinct ways and Westerners can generally see that.
One of the ways I learned to perceive it is through discovering the greatness of the cinema of Akira Kurosawa. He was not just one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century, but one of the greatest artists period. And his films provide a gateway to discovering the richness of Japanese history and culture. Ikiru remains my recommendation for where people should start if they’re not up for samurai yet:
43. My Favorite Jewish Publication on Substack: Future of Jewish
Joshua Hoffman is doing a very important thing with how he has chosen to edit Future of Jewish. He has created a FIGHTING publication. He has taken an aggressive rhetorical approach in defending the Jewish people. It’s what is needed and what so much Jewish advocacy has lacked for too long.
44. My Favorite French Substacker: R.J.B.
I have had many delightful exchanges on philosophy, religion, and culture with R.J.B. - Echoes of Curiosity who is based in France. He’s very thoughtful. He seemed unfamiliar with the various French filmmakers I was telling him had helped me come to appreciate his culture. I tried to explain to him how much American filmmakers for generations loved and obsessed over the French New Wave. I told him how serious Amerian film lovers know that France has one of the most vibrant film cultures in the world and has cultivated a reputation for being on the most cutting edge of film innovations.
It’s just wonderful being able to cultivate international friendships. I regularly let R.J.B. know how jealous I am of his bread.
45. My Biggest Influence in Understanding Gen-Z: Jonathan Haidt
History will look back at Jon Haidt’s The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness as one of the most important nonfiction books of this decade. It provides the data which reveals how and why technology has transformed the younger generations. His analysis is so important for understanding and combating the problem of technology addiction which has devastated so many young lives, in some ways hobbling an entire generation too addicted to screens.
46. My Favorite Video Game Industry Analyst Substacker: Yorch Torch Games
I am largely retired from video gaming these days so it has been nice to check in on what has been going on with the industry today through the lens of Yorch Torch Games who provides an engaging critique.
47. My Favorite Sex Writer: Susannah Breslin
Susannah Breslin is one of Generation X’s best journalists. Her writing is incredible. She is the most talented writer I know of to ever work the porn beat in journalism.
And that makes her one of the most interesting people writing about sex today. She’s not doing personal essays or polemics or culture war propaganda. She’s doing journalism focused on facts. And she’s damn good at it.
48. My Favorite Music Subsatck: The News Today, Oh Boy
I have been returning to the Beatles more in middle age and this delightful Beatles fan Substack regularly presents compelling insights. I really owe them for helping me appreciate Paul so much more deeply.
49. My Favorite Literary Historian on Substack: David S. Wills
I have developed immense levels of respect for David S. Wills. He is keeping the Beat flame alive and the Gonzo spirit alive and doing an incredible job of it. He deeply understands Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, and especially his speciality, Hunter S. Thompson.
David knows the material with incredible depth and I value his analysis and advocacy so much. And his writing is wonderful. He’s read the Beats and Thompson so much that I can feel it just flow through his veins as he’s typing. It’s in the energy and speed of the prose.
Keep going, David, you are flying and it’s wonderful to see you go.
50. My Favorite Living Political Philosopher and the Economist Who Has Most Influenced Me: Thomas Sowell
I remain the sort of political science geek who aspires to one day have all of Thomas Sowell’s books in order on the shelf and be able to say, “Why yes, I’ve read every single one of these.” There is still a long way to go.
51. My Favorite Leftist Journalist Today: Tana Ganeva
Tana Ganeva is too smart and big-hearted to be as far left as she has chosen!
Eventually I will persuade her to embrace reason!
Just kidding, Tana. You keep doing you. I’m really excited to read your book when it’s finished. You’re so on the right track with that project.
52. My Favorite Catholic Journalist on Substack: Christopher Hale
Christopher Hale’s coverage of Pope Leo is essential reading. His insights and reporting are so compelling.
53. My Favorite Atheist Journalist on Substack: Hemant Mehta
Hemant Mehta remains my favorite go-to source for keeping an eye on the extremes of the fundamentalist Christian far right. Following him, you know you’re not going to miss the worst-of-the-worst among the horrors of what Christian nationalists across America are saying and doing.
54. My Favorite Book Design Substacker: Nathaniel Roy
In recent years, I have been learning how to design book covers and Nathaniel Roy has been a perpetual inspiration. He really knows what he’s doing and explains his approach well.
55. And Finally, Always Much Respect and Friendship to My Doppelgänger: Daniel Greenfield
Daniel Greenfield is the CEO of the David Horowitz Freedom Center and David Horowitz’s official “intellectual heir.” His recommendation to our Substack also sends more new subscribers than anyone else.
I call Daniel my “doppelgänger” with much affection because he has now completed the path which I was once on but chose to pass on to him. David had initially wanted me to be his heir and was grooming me in that direction. It was why he moved me and my now ex-wife from Indiana out to California. But David and I had our disagreements working together. And I ultimately chose a different direction which has now led me here to this God of the Desert Digital Media Studios adventure. And on my way out the door in my final months at the Freedom Center, David’s writing partner Peter Collier asked for recommendations for the first round of Shillman Journalism Fellows. The list began with Ben Shapiro and ended with Daniel Greenfield.
Last month Daniel posted this video offering his commentary on the LA election:
Watching it, I could hear a familiar voice.
Daniel, you’ve got it. David’s spirit lives in you. I know he’s proud. I appreciate that we can remain friends in spite of my ideological heresies. Warmest wishes as you keep the old man’s flame burning bright.
Here are 20 More Fantastic Substacks I Urge Everyone To Subscribe To Right Now Also:
And so now the obligatory conclusion: who are some of your favorites who I did not include on the list? Who should I check out and consider for my next list coming in January?
I'm quite speechless, David. Thank you for including me in your list alongside all of these amazing people. I'm forever grateful. 🙏🏾❤️❤️
It's always wonderful when someone you've never met and never will meet thinks of you and engages in conversation. Thank you.