Commonplace #23
Some things that recently caught my interest
Reader. Writer. Thinker.
Former sailor seeking bold coffee, sublime jazz, and deep connection.
Dear friends,
Longtime readers will know that I tend towards the introspective. I am in a constant state of self-analysis, seeking personal growth, not of the “self-help guru” variety, but real metanoia. This is as true for my writing and relationship with this publication as it is in my everyday life. Over the nearly three years I have been present on the Substack platform, it and I have changed. And so has this publication. One thing I have come to realize is that my writing and learning, while hosted by Substack, doesn’t have to be to involved with the Substack ecosystem. That is harder in practice than theory. When I started out I really wanted to become a bestseller, and while I never expected to earn a living as a writer, I hoped to make a little money on the side. Well, I grew fast and got what I wanted. That little orange checkmark next to my name that validated everything I thought was important in the beginning. In the 2.5 years that I pursued paid subscriptions, I made just a little over $10k. It wasn’t get rich money but it wasn’t pennies either. But as I grew and made more money I felt something shifting internally to where the whole thing started to make me feel performative. I don’t know if that ever came across in my writing but the pressure was there to keep producing even though I never had paywalls and was always clear that paid subscriptions were more along the lines of an NPR donation. After some deep introspection I made the decision to stop pursuing paid subscriptions and other forms of compensation. It was incredibly freeing and has afforded me the opportunity to write what I want, when I want, and how I want without feeling pressured. My friend Zina Gomez-Liss recently shared her own excellent take on how her relationship with Substack has grown over the past three years. Every person on this platform has to make the decision for themselves how they want to approach sharing their work. For some this is a full-time job and a primary source of income. That is great and I am glad there is a place for them here. But for me, I am trying to simply share one man’s experience of loving life and literature. The door is open. All are welcome here. Check out Zina’s article:
Voices I trust:
If I link to someone’s work, that is typically an indication they are someone I trust. Often I have built a friendship or relationship with them and know they write from the heart. This list is not in any way exhaustive but I believe it is important to share those voices we know and value. I will try to share a few each time I send this out.
Kert Lenseigne 🌱 - Alchemy of a Journey
Rona Maynard - Amazement Seeker
Cams Campbell - Cams Campbell Reads
David Roberts - Sparks from Culture
Feasts and Fables (Barrie and Jojo) - Encourage Meant
Quote:
Links of interest:
I have been preaching the gospel of Kent Peterson for the past three years. He is an intriguing individual with eclectic interests who shares his simple life in words and photos. He recently shared some Things My Camera Notices.
As my dear friend, Tiffany Chu recently reminded me, I am a strong Enneagram 5. If you aren’t familiar with Enneagram, Abbey Howe has some excellent articles on the topic. Here she shares Enneagram 5: Everything You Need to Know About the Seeker Type.
The debate about the use of AI in the creative arts continues unabated. Now that Substack has implement AI detection software into the platform, there have been many voices speaking up for and against. Hadden Turner shares why he is Against AI Detection Tools.
Megan J. Conner hosts The Power of Story series on her beautiful publication, Just One More Story. I was honored to have the opportunity to share a little bit of mine.
I have been reading Jeffrey Streeter for nearly three years. He has a keen ability to transport you to a place with his writing. Recently he wrote about a sound that was very familiar to me in my rural childhood. The invisible swords of summer took me back in a nostalgic way while also uniting with Jeffrey’s experience.
John Halbrooks is a man I admire and whose writing always inspires. In his recent essay, The Mona Lisa’s Sister Doesn’t Smile, he reflects on the power of music to transport us through time.
Music:
Jazz on the Beach - my go to jazz radio show each week.
Vacation:
We took a week of vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama. I read three books on the trip, spent a lot of time at the beach, ate some amazing food, and enjoyed hanging out with my wife, daughter, and daughter’s friend. Here are a few pictures.
Birding:
I have enjoyed bird watching for the last few years but even more so since I started reading Bill Davison’s exceptional publication on the topic. Birders maintain a Life List which in its simplest form is simply a list of the first time you identify a new bird. I use the Merlin app because it is a great tool for an amateur like me. In the past three years I have identified 82 species of birds. On our recent trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama I added four new species.
Personal Reading:
I’ve highlighted one fiction and one nonfiction title as my top recommendations from this list.
Recommendations:
Fiction - Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
Nonfiction - The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The rest of the fiction:
Winter Study by Nevada Barr
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
The rest of the nonfiction:
*only read one this month
In 2025 I spent a year with Homer and wrote about the experience each week. I have taken down those original posts but have consolidated everything into PDFs, one for each book. You can find them at Reading Guides.
Matthew Long is a retired sailor, reading, writing, and living in rural western Tennessee.
Honored to be on your roster of trusted Substack writers.
I’m so proud to be in this list! And even more proud to have reintroduced you to our mutual enneagram five-ness. It’s been great. ^-^