There’s been a lot of grumblings these past weeks about how noisy Substack is becoming, or rather, about what happens when previously niche spaces—like a good dive bar, for example—become crowded with folks who aren’t always showing up for the right reasons.
But the thing is, we have a choice whether or not to listen participate in the noise,
and if there’s one thing I know about the spirit of a good dive, it’s that when things start to get popular noisy, and when influencers posers show up, it’s that much more important to spot up at our favorite stool at the end of the worn wooden bar and keep having conversations with the stalwarts.
Like every good bar owner knows, the only way to maintain the sanctity of a space is to actively cultivate community over celebrity and people over profit.
Up above are three original songs
from a set I performed last weekend in the cellar of my favorite dive bar in Paris, Au Chat Noir (shout out to
for sharing the stage; we met at yet another local Paris dive in Belleville). Substack is the only place in the world where you can currently hear my solo music, which is why most of the other original music on this space is paywalled (I believe independent art remains valuable in a consumerist society that defines value monetarily, which means occasionally paying artists for their work might just be revolutionary).Down below are links to two Substack conversations
I recently had about the proverbial corners of the Substack Dive with two artists whose wisdom, ambition motivation, and generosity continue remind me of the true value of this space.
Happy Holidays and a Merry Festivus for the Rest Of Us,
Samuél
8 Questions with
As Substack continues to grow, I’m reminded to focus on the community I want to exist in. I met Eleanor thanks to
, who were some of the first people to champion my work on this space. It’s only thanks to readers and writers like them and many others, including (but not limited to) , , , , that I continue to be able to share so much work on this space.Q: In it for the long haul?
A: I’m in it for the long haul as a novelist. Whether [Substack] remains a space to engage with over the next years will depend on how much Big Money, “content creators” and “influencers” relegate it to just another place to be sold something sell out. Still, I’ve got faith Substack is in it for the long haul the right reasons, too, because there used to be a time when only cult leaders were obsessed with “gaining followers,” and we don’t need any more cults of personality than already exist. authenticity > content AND community > capital. I can get behind this.
A Dialogue about Life, Literature, and All the Rest of It
with
, one of my dad’s former drama students at California Institute of the Arts and now a bonafide inspiration and friend.
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