Recommended by Annette Laing
Yes, she is beautiful, and stands in front of castles for the BBC, but I can't be churlish, because Lucy Worsley really is a historian, just better dressed than most of us. And she'll bring you up to speed on all sorts of subjects!
Family history is such a great way to connect with the past, and to get curious about the times in which your ancestors lived (i.e. it can lure people into big-H history!) This site offers loads of advice and support for budding family historians.
This had me at E.M.Forster. Whether your eyes just lit up, whether you are going "Eh?" or whether you're afraid of Virginia Woolf, this is a great chance to learn more about an extraordinary bunch of writers and artists.
Tim Burke, Swarthmore College professor, is one of those rare historians who writes well for the public. I won't lie: This isn't easy stuff. But his is a wise and brilliant commentary on life. A mentor I wish I'd had. You may not agree with Burke's takes, or always understand them (I don't), but he will make you think.
I'm a secret baker, and a pretty good home baker if I say so, but Kate McDermott is THE pie expert, and a major expert on baking in general. She's also a lovely person, and that counts for a lot in my book. Plus it comes through in her Newsletter.
Want to learn about writing from a real author? Or from an experienced teacher? You don't have to choose, and Alison Acheson is why. A brilliant and personalized approach to your writing, by a writer, for writers.
Journalist Don Akchin has an honest, wise, and practical approach to the challenges of aging. We all face it in the end, and I'm getting started early. This helps a lot.
I am the product of a crappy, mass=produced modern diet, and that's partly why, better ate than never, I'm a locavore now. Bob's Substack newsletter is mainly geared to Chicago and Illinois, but it shows all of us what food should be.
Whether or not you know Yorkshire, if you're a theatre (or theater) fan, subscribe. This is a wonderful and honest look at a vibrant theatre scene, and such fun to read.
