Can we read? Year in review

What. a. year.

It has been a big year, in more ways than one. A lot happened. No, like, a lot. And even though, in some respects, this newsletter became less of a priority for me — I was certainly less obsessed with it than I have been at any point in the past — a lot happened here, too.

In February, Can we read? was chosen as a 2023 Substack Featured Publication. I’m not even going to pretend this isn’t a big deal. At the time I really had no idea what it meant — that is, I didn’t comprehend its impact — but it was significant, and I’m grateful for the honor.

And: I decided to run an experiment to see if I could fundamentally change the pricing structure — and thus the subscriber access — of this newsletter. It was a total hunch of mine and I almost talked myself out of trying it, but I’m immensely glad I did.

I’ll share the results — and my decision about pricing going forward — in a special message on Friday.

What you loved (the most)

Though I have always measured my success here by the metric, “Am I having fun?”, ultimately what has kept Can we read? going is your support — your eyeballs, the space in your inbox, your engagement both in public or behind the scenes, and (for some of you) your dollars.

I am frequently surprised by the posts you enjoy versus the ones I enjoy writing (rarely the same), and your enthusiasm regularly bowls me over. Some of you literally — really literally, not hyperbolic “literally” — read every single thing I send, and that thrills and humbles me in equal measure.

Of the 93 posts I wrote in 2023 (well, thus far) here’s what you loved the most:

Your favorite regular issue

• Babies can’t eat kimchee (or read books, yet)

Your favorite Notes From the Reading Nook post

• First chapter books

Your favorite Spotlight On issue

• Children’s books about bodies and bodily joy

Your favorite (How) Can we read? issue

• Strategies for raising readers

Your favorite interview

• The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo (with an interview with the author)

Your favorite guest post or collaboration

• Three Classics to Enjoy Right Now by Dana Gaskin Wenig

What inspired me

Like anyone doing creative work, if I didn’t have regular input and inspiration, I couldn’t go on. Nothing comes from nothing. These things sparked something in me this year — ideas, shifts in perspective, change in practice/beliefs, or just flat-out drive to do better.

All in no particular order…

Books:

• The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer (2014)

• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (2023)

• Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School by Georgia Heard (1999)

• Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book by Jennie Nash (2022)

• Write Useful Books by Rob Fitzpatrick (2021)

Newsletters:

• MOONBOW by Taylor Sterling

• Readable Moments Book Club by Sri Juneja

• Make Art + Be Hot by Gabriella Rosie

• Substack Writers at Work by Sarah Fay

Miscellaneous:

• Teaching as a Practice class with Marlee Grace

• High Vibe Honey with Gala Darling

• A Substack writers meetup in Chicago this summer ⬇️ (Special shoutout to Katie O’Connell, who is the best person at Substack; I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise)

  

  Me and my Substack first love, Jolene Handy of Time Travel Kitchen, in Chicago (Jolene is obv the pink, fabulous one)

Thank you

It’s true that I do this work alone, but also, I don’t do any of this work alone. I write acknowledgments every year on Can we read?’s birthday and at the end of the December, because I’m a grateful person who never stops yapping about my gratitude (which, I wholeheartedly believe, is a huge factor in my success in life, by any measure of that word).

Deep gratitude to:

• Dana Gaskin Wenig, for her work as Can we read?’s first guest writer

• Kyle Smith, for collaborating

• My Substack fam — Jessica Wilen, Glenn Cook, Caitlin Mallery, Hope Henchey, and Tania Rabesandratana — for being there in more ways than one. (I remember doing this without you, but “this” has improved exponentially with you, and I love you all.)

• Many other wonderful and amazing colleagues in my little Substack universe — especially Laura Sackton, Alex Steele, Cassie Gutman, Ashley Holstrom, and last but never, ever least, Jolene Handy 🌭 — for your camaraderie and cheerleading.

• Darcy Levy, for helping me with multiple issues in 2023 and being the person I write for when I am stuck

• Joshua Jones of KHYI 95.3 The Range and Texas Music Revolution — and the TMR movie, which is probably at a film festival near you and streaming somewhere soon; watch it — for the truly incredible amount of newsletter work (he probably has no idea) I got done this year because of him

• Mandy Handeland, for serving as my loyal focus group of one

• Maggie Ginsberg, for understanding me and all my weirdness for such a long time and this year, helping me figure out what I don’t want (even though I wrote more than half a book before realizing it)

• Matt Miller, who says of my reading life, including this newsletter, “It’s not a hobby, it’s an obsession,” and of my home office where it all happens, “This is not OSHA approved,” and, when he knocks over a teetering pile of books on any/every surface, “SURE, THIS IS NORMAL” — just relentlessly supporting whatever I do

• The 2,177 people who have subscribed since January 1, especially those of you who have made my experiment successful by becoming a paid subscriber since September 1. You make this work so worthwhile and so fun.

All of my work here this year is dedicated to the memory of my beloved grandmother, who read this newsletter every single week until almost the end and was, in every way, my #1 fan.

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Read good books and take good care 😘
Sarah