Sign in Subscribe

Please unsubscribe (and stay tuned for 3 novels)

Last updated on 

Hey everyone,

Good local time. Hope that wherever you are in the world, this letter finds you well.

I've recently emerged from writing and revision on three separate client nonfiction titles, to be released in the summer.

As such, I've had time to reflect, write thoughts on paper, take walks, workout (and have fun doing it—cross country skiing tonight!), and otherwise reorient myself toward a near future I'd like to see for myself, family, neighbors, and... but I cannot get ahead of myself and pretend I have ideas about greater society.

And, of course, there's been a pull from the depths to revisit my fiction—it feels like I will be rewriting my fiction trilogy. More on that later. I've also enjoyed writing short poems just for myself (although I may share some on https://esoterik.locals.com).

But let's get to why I'm sending this today.

You're on this email list for one of several reasons:

  • we connected on LinkedIn, or
  • you previously followed my fiction writing, or
  • I added you directly with permission

Going forward, there's a few places to keep up what with what I'm doing.

But first I’d like to share an anecdote:

Recently, I noticed I was following way too many things to have a chance to make sense of the world. This wasn't a case to go cold turkey, but rather to evaluate why, how, where, when, and what I engage with, whether journalism, reporting, commentary, primary source material, music, literature, and so on. (Liz bought me a record player and I am rather enjoying it—I got to browse the records section at the local Half Price books last week.) Much is not what it seems, I'm afraid. But overall, there are many very good people who want the best for themselves and their neighbors. The private section of my Locals community could be a place to engage me on how I’ve arrived at a place to say such vague, ominous things.

As a result of removing email and newsletter subscriptions and moving over to Hey, which is an email provider allowing me to screen out emails from senders I don't want, my information diet feels healthier. As with junk food, less is more.

In this spirit, I'd like to give you the opportunity to unsubscribe from this particular newsletter.

Here's what to expect from it going forward:

  1. Esoterik (this list on Substack): occasional book reviews, nonfiction & fiction
  2. Locals: this is a new social internet site—by joining here, you see random things I post, like this analysis of a recent executive order (since I don't have profiles on legacy anti?-social media like tw, fb, ig, nor newfangled tiktok) ... Locals is a fun place to engage with me directly and the first 100 people will be free (96 spots left). -> https://esoterik.locals.com/
  3. Thinkspot: Here I post a bit on more high brow? topics, but hopefully not too boring.
  4. AlltheBooks: This is a paid subscription... to get more detailed book reviews of only the most interesting books I come across. If you join now it will be free (till I expect June, and free members will be grandfathered).

If you'd like to instead hear from me only 2x per YEAR, I recommend joining my general email list. Please tap REPLY and ask to join this list, and do say hello!

If you don't want to give your email address for any of the above, bravo!, and feel free to check-in at these two places at your leisure to see what I'm up to:

erikvanmechelen.net - general hub for my public work

erikvanmechelen.com - my fiction (trilogy currently being rewritten)

All the best,

Erik van Mechelen

p.s. I can be found a few more places online, but those will likely be leaked out through the above venues, with time.