Alan Jacobs wrote an excellent blog post a couple of weeks ago, titled “bring back the blog“, which I recommend you read. Blogging is an art form that has largely gone away, replaced mostly by social media and podcasting and Youtube, but also in some ways by the newsletter boom of the last couple of years, best represented by Substack. The old school blog (like the one you are reading right now) is kind of a relic. Which is sad in a way, but that’s just how the internet works.

I’ve tried for a couple of years to branch out to Substack and the newsletter model, because I really do admire that platform and the people publishing over there. But, I have found, it is just not the right platform for me. Like Alan Jacobs, I came of age during the time of the blog (albeit right at the end of that epoch) and I always think in terms of blogging. To that end, I’m going to end the Substack and just focus my work here. I’m also going to take the reminder from Alan to heart and try to use this blog as a wider catch for things I’m thinking about, more akin to social media than it has been. But we’ll see how that goes. Above all, I’m just going to stop chasing clicks and fighting against my inclinations; blogging is what I know how to do, and that’s perfectly acceptable and good.

So, you’ll see soon here a series of posts of things I originally published over on Substack, including the Politics of Charity series that I wrote last year, and that I’m mostly pretty proud of. Thank you, as always, for your continued reading, those few of you who do.

I am lucky enough that I am able to both work full time, and still find the time to write regularly. Many who aspire to write don’t have this luxury, so I count myself quite blessed in this respect. I don’t have search for advertising, do paid promotions, or do any fundraising. And you, my readers, can support me simply by reading, subscribing, and sharing the work I do.

However, I know some people do like to show their support financially, and so to that end, I have set up a Buy Me a Coffee account! You can support my writing for $5, or any amount that you choose, at any time. There is no obligation, and any support you give, in any form, is always greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your continued support!

Thanks again to you all for your patience over the last few days. As I wrote at the end of last week, we’ve been displaced from home for a week after some powerful storms blew through Tulsa. As of Saturday night, we are back home, and have cleaned up and returned mostly to normal. Tulsa is still covered in downed trees and limbs, but almost everyone has power again, thanks to all the amazing line workers from all over the country who have come to Tulsa in the last week to help! I think I read that workers from something like 30 states are in our state helping restore power. That’s amazing!

Being home again, I am working to get back into the rhythms of my daily routine, so expect some fresh writing to go up soon. There will definitely be something at the regular 9am time slot tomorrow, and the rest of the week. Also, I am working on new essays for my newsletter, The Radical Ordinary. Check that out and subscribe if it speaks to you.

Thank you again, for the patience and the kind words and the prayers!