Big news! Free stuff!

MADE WITH CARE is getting a glow-up

Dearest subscribers,

I’m writing to let you know about my new vision for MADE WITH CARE.

Full disclosure, I started this thing without much of a plan. After publishing a book about the long-ignored personal and collective value of parenting and caregiving, I wanted a place to share ideas on the subject and connect with others doing the same. It was the writing equivalent of showing up at a bar and seeing where the night might take me.

Now it’s been a year since I joined Substack, and I’ve had a really good time. So much so that I’m ready to move past this casual relationship and commit to a newsletter and virtual community-building project that has a more intentional mission—and editorial calendar.

Why the change?

On Substack, I’ve found good faith readers, thoughtfulness, nerdy rabbit-holing, wise uncertainty, and vulnerability, all executed with a tone that sets it far apart from the noise and extremes marking this political and cultural moment. I’m excited for MADE WITH CARE to contribute to this vibe, and be a place for the kind of writing, interviews and ideas that would probably never go viral on Instagram because they couldn’t be captured in a few words or appeal to an audience that has already made up its mind.

MADE WITH CARE will continue to be a newsletter and community for people who dream of a world in which parenting and caregiving isn’t only valued and supported, but treated with the curiosity and fascination it deserves. I’m obsessed with understanding how parenting and caregiving—dependency care—got left out of nearly all of our meaning-making systems, and the current collective effort to make care visible and something we appreciate in all its complexity and might.

I’m switching to a paid model because I believe there is so much potential in this conversation, and I need more time and bandwidth to bring it to life. While I plan to be wide-reaching in my exploration of all things care over the next year, I’m particularly interested in: exploring bipartisan overlap on care policies and culture change; finding ways to reconcile feminism and care responsibilities without degrading either one; thinking about parenting and caregiving as a spiritual and philosophical experience, both within the context of specific faith traditions and without; and looking into what good care actually looks like with my friends in the philosophy world.

Moving forward I will publish:

• A monthly, timely essay contemplating the culture surrounding parenting and caregiving. (For paid and unpaid subscribers.)

• A monthly, in-depth interview with experts on subjects connected to parenting and caregiving—and dependency and interdependence more broadly. These won’t necessarily be famous people, or people promoting something, but people who have interests and opinions about things that we will all benefit from learning about — the kind of interview you remember for a long time; the kind of interview that traditional media would likely never assign. (Paid subscribers only.)

• A monthly list of mini book, film and article reviews and recommendations. I want to spread the word about all the amazing motherhood, fatherhood and caregiving books and films that are popping up, and offer a personal endorsement for those which expanded me, intellectually, psychologically and emotionally. (For paid and unpaid subscribers.)

• A cross-post from one of my favorite Substackers. I’ll share a probably recent, but possibly quite old, post that really stuck with me by another writer, along with a note explaining why it touched me. (For paid and unpaid subscribers.)

Paid subscribers will also gain access to seminars and workshops including:

• Deep dives into the policy, history, culture and ethics of care alongside brilliant thinkers, writers and scholars. (Paid subscribers only.)

• Writing workshops about how to craft a care story, be it motherhood or eldercare — a relatively new narrative genre. (Paid subscribers only.)

Every annual paid subscriber and founding member will receive a free copy of my book, “When You Care: The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others.”

Paid subscriptions are $5 per month, $45 annually, and $90 for what Substack calls “founding members.”

A little more about me:

Before I wrote “When You Care,” I spent a decade as a very online writer, doing feminist blogging for places like Slate, Jezebel, and later writing a parenthood column for CNN.com. With time, I grew tired of the certainty this writing demanded, and longed to arrive at people and ideas with curiosity rather than showy combativeness.

These days, I try to save my fury for select issues while spending more time leaning into my new status as a parent and middle-ager who’s tired of knowing everything. As such, I’m here, most of all, to ask interesting questions—and find surprising connections while I am at it.

Care ethics privileges relationships above big moral ideals or principles. This ethical theory won’t just be an occasional subject matter on this newsletter, but infuses everything I do and the virtual community I hope we will create, together.

Take care/ give care,

Elissa