Yay! Congratulations on the move to Substack. Looking forward to the community deepening and all the great conversations we're going to have. I've renewed my subs - can't wait to continue The Shift journey with you and everyone else x
Thanks Jenny, your support has meant such a lot to me since day one. I'll be doing an intro thread so we can all start getting to know each other in the coming days x
God are you always this nice? Just read your article on why some marriages last, which unraveled me a little. It was really insightful. I'd read your article on women who are walking away from their marriages and but didn't realise that was also written by you until I subscribed. I left an eighteen year marriage just after the pandemic, and last week saw the end of a five-year relationship. I loved both men and still do. The marriage was destined to end because we married in a fundamentalist culture and were pushed to get serious when we shouldn't have. I was twenty-seven when I held hands with a man (the man I married) for the first time. We'd never dated anyone else. So, yeah. When that relationship was over, fell immediately in love with a smart, beautiful Sicilian musician who has since then been very unlucky in work, finances, family health, friendships. I think I was the only good thing in his life. Last week he ended it, convinced I love my writing more than him. "I hope you win six pulitzers and enjoy being alone!" So I'm missing him, but also terribly relieved. I'm 52, menopausal, working on sobriety, reworking a manuscript for a potential agent, co-leading a tiny tech company with my ex-husband, single-parenting three teens, and think I've had enough drama. Just want to enjoy my cats, write stories, read stories, and enjoy Mary Oliver poetry. So I'm okay, yes. Probably more okay than I've been in a while. But processing a lot, looking for ways to frame it all, and the honesty in your articles is encouraging and beautiful to me. Wish I could afford to be a paid subscriber, but for now will be reading all the free ones you publish.
So many to pick from! Marina Benjamin was a recent favourite. Marian Keyes but sure everyone says that! I love listening to people I've never heard of before like CJ Hauser and Raynor Winn. The podcast is not helping my groaning bookshelves :-)
Marian is everyone’s favourite! I love it when listeners enjoy discovering new ppl. They’re often much more interesting to interview than more famous ppl. Glad I’m enabling your book shopping habit!
Welcome, Sam! I just restacked this newsletter, and am delighted that you've made the move to Substack. Signed up to paid immediately! Bon chance, and look forward to seeing you around. It's a great place to be!
Congratulations on the move to Substack, Sam! I've now renewed my subscription on this platform – hope the admin hasn't been too much hassle and looking forward to seeing everything you do on Substack, combining your fab podcast and writing in one place.
I’ve landed here somehow (actually not sure but anyways.....) what a refreshing article to read, one that has given me quite the lift. Thank you 💫
Thank you for landing here! I hope you’ll hang around and enjoy it
Yay! Congratulations on the move to Substack. Looking forward to the community deepening and all the great conversations we're going to have. I've renewed my subs - can't wait to continue The Shift journey with you and everyone else x
Thanks Jenny, your support has meant such a lot to me since day one. I'll be doing an intro thread so we can all start getting to know each other in the coming days x
Great idea! x
This made me cry.
Oh no! Hope you’re ok?
God are you always this nice? Just read your article on why some marriages last, which unraveled me a little. It was really insightful. I'd read your article on women who are walking away from their marriages and but didn't realise that was also written by you until I subscribed. I left an eighteen year marriage just after the pandemic, and last week saw the end of a five-year relationship. I loved both men and still do. The marriage was destined to end because we married in a fundamentalist culture and were pushed to get serious when we shouldn't have. I was twenty-seven when I held hands with a man (the man I married) for the first time. We'd never dated anyone else. So, yeah. When that relationship was over, fell immediately in love with a smart, beautiful Sicilian musician who has since then been very unlucky in work, finances, family health, friendships. I think I was the only good thing in his life. Last week he ended it, convinced I love my writing more than him. "I hope you win six pulitzers and enjoy being alone!" So I'm missing him, but also terribly relieved. I'm 52, menopausal, working on sobriety, reworking a manuscript for a potential agent, co-leading a tiny tech company with my ex-husband, single-parenting three teens, and think I've had enough drama. Just want to enjoy my cats, write stories, read stories, and enjoy Mary Oliver poetry. So I'm okay, yes. Probably more okay than I've been in a while. But processing a lot, looking for ways to frame it all, and the honesty in your articles is encouraging and beautiful to me. Wish I could afford to be a paid subscriber, but for now will be reading all the free ones you publish.
I’ve DMed you. X
I’m a bit late, holidays, Glastonbury etc but here I have done it at last. Renewed!
Thank you. So happy you're staying x
I've been listening to the podcast for a good while and so thought it was time to sign up especially as I'm getting my head round Substack at last.
Looking forward to reading your posts and being part of this community xx
Thank you for being here. I’m so glad you enjoy the pod - do you have any favourites?
So many to pick from! Marina Benjamin was a recent favourite. Marian Keyes but sure everyone says that! I love listening to people I've never heard of before like CJ Hauser and Raynor Winn. The podcast is not helping my groaning bookshelves :-)
Marian is everyone’s favourite! I love it when listeners enjoy discovering new ppl. They’re often much more interesting to interview than more famous ppl. Glad I’m enabling your book shopping habit!
Welcome, Sam! I just restacked this newsletter, and am delighted that you've made the move to Substack. Signed up to paid immediately! Bon chance, and look forward to seeing you around. It's a great place to be!
thank you! Very glad to be here
Congratulations on the move to Substack, Sam! I've now renewed my subscription on this platform – hope the admin hasn't been too much hassle and looking forward to seeing everything you do on Substack, combining your fab podcast and writing in one place.
Thanks Francesca! The admin has been way less pain than I expected TBH. Excited to be here.
Congratulations on the move Sam. And all the very best with this new stage of the adventure 😁
Thank you for being here to adventure with me!