Why subscribe?

To a Green Thought is a once- or twice-monthly newsletter about music, art, film, and books.

After ten years living in a small midwestern college town, without an orchestra, an opera, or a functioning museum, I moved to New York and started gorging on culture. This newsletter is a place to gather my thoughts about what I’m seeing and hearing and reading.

Think of this as a kind of workshop for playing with ideas in a more freewheeling, less responsible way than in my more formal criticism. I’ll also write, from time to time, on the work of my friends, and I’ll share more general thoughts about writing and the writing world.

I have fun writing these posts, and I hope you’ll have fun reading them. And maybe you’ll discover some writers, musicians, and artists who are new to you. A note that if you purchase books through the Bookshop links I include, I will get a small commission. I donate that money to an LGBTQ+ cultural cause, currently the Leslie Lohman Museum.

The primary posts are free to read, but each month there will be one or two posts behind the paywall. These will likely be of two kinds: a series of conversations with friends and artists I admire, and short posts offering standalone close readings of texts, visual art, and music. If you’re able to afford a paid subscription without hardship, I’m very grateful for your support. If you’re not, I’m still very happy that you’re here.

A final note to encourage you to comment on the posts; I love hearing from you. I especially love hearing from you if you have recommendations to share, or if you love something I’ve been ungenerous to. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people defend their enthusiasms—and maybe you’ll teach me to look or listen better.

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