When I Have Something True to Say

Dear readers,

It’s been a while.

What started as a short break for the holidays unexpectedly became a five-month sabbatical. Between working full-time, parenting three busy kids, participating in two theatrical productions, and navigating a job change, the time and energy I had for writing became incredibly limited.

That being said, I started this Substack nearly a year ago with very little expectation beyond using it as a healthy outlet for my frustrations, with the support of a small number of family and friends.

But it became so much more.

After publishing my second piece, I experienced an unexpected surge in subscriptions, temporarily placing my Substack at #68 on Substack’s leadership board for U.S. Politics. I was shocked, and deeply grateful.

Subscriptions continued steadily until the summer of 2025, when I noticed a sharp shift: less engagement, fewer subscriptions, minimal restacks. While it’s entirely possible that some readers simply moved on, I also began seeing other writers report the same thing. Substack had changed its algorithm, prioritizing Notes frequency and video content over long-form essays.

And honestly - that just not a structure I can sustain with my current responsibilities.

In full transparency, I would rather write when I feel a fire in my belly - when I have something true to say - than force myself to meet a deadline for the sake of visibility.

Whether you are a paid or free subscriber, I hope you stay. I’ve lowered the paid subscription prices to the minimum Substack allows because, more than anything, what matters most to me is the engagement - your thoughts, your stories, and the conversations that happen because of these pieces.

That is what keeps me writing.

Whatever you decide, thank you for being here.

The last year has taught me that speaking honestly - even when it’s uncomfortable - has a way of finding the right people.

It has reminded me that I’m not alone, that my voice matters, and that there is still value in saying the hard thing out loud.

For that, I’m deeply grateful.

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