Welcome to Beyond the Bookshelf!
Make the most of your experience!
Exploring Life and Literature
Dear friends,
Thank you for reading Beyond the Bookshelf. Whether you are already a subscriber or just looking around, this article will help you make the most of your time here. I am delighted to have you join the community and the conversation. More voices mean more ideas, and as we explore the connections between life and literature, we see that these different ideas are critical to the success of this endeavor.
With new subscribers constantly joining the community, I thought it would be a good idea to have a quick guide to the publication available. Thanks so much for being here as we explore beyond the bookshelf together.
Introductions
My name is Matthew. For 24 years, I traveled the high seas in the Navy. Now, I read, write, and walk my dog in rural Tennessee. I love literature, coffee, and classic jazz. I believe in lifelong learning and the power of the written word.
One of my earliest memories of reading is sitting on my dad's lap, feeling the warmth of his embrace. As my dad read from Charlotte's Web, his voice had a captivating resonance that soothed and fascinated me. These compelling words changed my life by opening a doorway in my mind to imagination and wonder.
“These autumn days will shorten and grow cold. The leaves will shake loose from the trees and fall. Christmas will come, then the snows of winter. You will live to enjoy the beauty of the frozen world, for you mean a great deal to Zuckerman and he will not harm you, ever. Winter will pass, the days will lengthen, the ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrow will return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will blow again. All these sights and sounds and smells will be yours to enjoy, Wilbur — this lovely world, these precious days…”
Books have played a significant role throughout my life, as I often sought guidance from the written word when needing it. My military career took me worldwide, providing exposure to many cultures and their influences on literature. No matter where I traveled, my love for the written word remained. Now, as a husband and father entering a new season of my life, I continue seeking lessons from influential books. I hope you will join me as we explore how literature can help us face the challenges of life’s transformative journey.
Publication Schedule
Beyond the Bookshelf - my regular weekly publication exploring the connections between life and literature - every Tuesday morning at 0500 Central Time.
Week 1—An informational essay on our monthly theme sometimes including an author’s profile or a book review.
Week 2—A more personal essay on our monthly theme and how it relates to my life. Occasionally interviews with other writers. It may also include random musings or walks with Lola (my dog).
Week 3—A guest post from someone in our community on the monthly theme and how it relates to their life. If you want to be a part of this, please reach out—you don’t need to be a professional writer.
Week 4—My monthly Commonplace collection, where I curate links, quotes, books, music, TV, movies, and random things that I think you might find interesting.
Week 5—If we are lucky enough to get five weeks in the month, you will get a bonus essay of some random sort on week four.
Deep Reads Book Club - a special weekly publication exploring specific works of literature more deeply - every Friday morning at 0500 Central Time.
Navigating the Publication
There are many ways to enjoy the essays published each week. The default method of publication is email, which many of you receive directly in your inbox. Beyond the Bookshelf is published via the Substack App, a personal website, and email. If you like the convenience of having an app on your phone or other mobile device, then that option is available to you. This might be convenient if you subscribe to many different publications.
Even if you read via your email or the App, there may be times when you want to visit the Beyond the Bookshelf website. The website contains my complete archives, a rotating list of other publications I recommend, and links to my recommended music playlists. I also provide links to my favorite podcast and the spreadsheet containing all the books I have read and my TBR.
Community
One of the many things I love is the great community of readers and writers who participate in the discussions. Please join in the comments section of the articles and get involved in the chat threads when we have discussions there. The chat threads are limited to the App and website at this time. Most chat threads will be for paid subscribers, but we will have a monthly chat for everyone. You can email me anytime by responding to any essay in your email. You can also send me a direct message if you have the App. I respond to as many comments and messages as I can. With a large community, responding to everyone is not always possible. Paid subscriptions offer a higher level of access with increased responsiveness.
Support
Beyond the Bookshelf is my full-time work. It is a work of passion and love, so I do not have paywalls on my content. However, if you have the means and desire and are looking for ways to support Beyond the Bookshelf, please visit my support page and see how you can help continue the mission of exploring the connection between life and literature. I offer several different options for supporting my work here. Every bit helps keep me writing about this wonderful exploration of life and literature.
Finally, my promise to you my readers is that you are getting 100% genuine Matthew in this publication. I don’t use AI to generate images or text. I am not judging anyone who uses AI. For Beyond the Bookshelf I simply want it to be an authentic and genuine discussion among people who are passionate about life and literature. I include a graphic at the end of each essay that says, “Created with human intelligence.” For better or worse, what you are getting is me.
Until next time,
What a wonderful orientation guide! Thank you for making it easy for us to understand what you're up to here, Matthew, and how to make the most of your Substack. I look forward to reading together in the coming year!
Matthew, this is such a generous and grounding introduction—not just to your Substack, but to your ethos as a writer. I loved the way you tied your early reading memory with your dad to a lifelong pursuit of meaning through books. That Charlotte’s Web passage still gets me.
Your structure here is clear, inviting, and deeply human. The “Created with human intelligence” promise hit especially hard—there’s something rare and sacred about slowing down to explore literature in this digital age without shortcuts.
Excited to walk alongside you and Lola on this journey. Looking forward to the Deep Reads and Tuesday morning reflections. Subscribed with joy.