Sundays are for Piano

Two years of Paris Meetups + "Alfie" (piano/vocals cover)

photo by Augusta Sagnelli

I’m back in Paris, the autumn is here,

and tonight, at the end of a chilly Fashion Week (the colorful beach shirts have been packed away), I’ll be linking up with my fellow Parisian Substackers for yet another Substack meetup to imbibe in wine, laughter, and conversation.

For tonight’s meetup, I think I’ll wear a thrifted brown corduroy suit (my favorite thing about Paris Fashion Week is that it’s an excuse to dress up; as an American, I used to think we could only do that for Halloween).

The First Substack Meet-Up (December 2022)

Almost two years ago,

Augusta Sagnelli

and I reached out to

Katie @ Substack

and asked if Substack would support us in organizing a gathering of writers in Paris—our first attempt to foster a physical community via a digital platform.

Here’s photographic proof of those humble beginnings, with the original attendees

John Sannaee

+

John Baxter

+

Kristin D. Sanders

and

Augusta Sagnelli

at a restaurant that no longer exists:

A few months later, in June, 2023,

Augusta and I organized a more substantial gathering in the Marais, where I had the pleasure of meeting Substack legends

Sophia Efthimiatou

&

Farrah @Substack

both of whom are badass humans and have been nothing but supportive since the beginning of this venture.

Another Substack Meetup (September, 2024)

As Substack continues to grow and meetups continue to flourish, a lot more attention money will be coming in, which has been a life-changing affirmation for thousands of writers artists across the world who’ve realized the value of an engaged readership and a supportive community.

Whenever money power masquerades as the worthwhile goal in an artistic life, however,

passion runs the risk of succumbing to profit, authenticity buckles and bows to the super-ego, and real-life human connections risk being replaced by transactional relationships that ultimately pit influencers human advertisements against each other.

And so as Substack continues to grow,

I remind myself of the principles that first attracted me to this space:

community > capital

friendship > followers

purpose > popularity

i.e. that ever-growing community of writers, musicians, illustrators, photographers, poets, philosophers, essayists, and deep thinkers who embody the sanctity of this space.

With that, here’s a home-recording of “Alfie,”

written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David for a beautiful film of the same name.

It’s one of my favorite tunes of all time, not the least because of its opening lines, which remind me of what Substack art is authenticity is all about:

What's it all about, Alfie?
Is it just for the moment we live?
What's it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?
Are we meant to take more than we give
Or are we meant to be kind?

Happy Sunday,

Samuél