What does it take to make it as a writer today? This week, Ira is joined by writers Tembe Denton-Hurst and Brendon Holder to talk about the rise of Substack, finding your creative voice, and navigating the changing world of publishing. Plus, they get into the books that shaped them, the brilliance of Toni Morrison, and the complexities of criticizing Black art.
00:00 — Intro: Is Substack the Future of Publishing?
04:07 — Meet Tembe Denton-Hurst & Brendon Holder
06:23 — How Brendon Holder Built a Community With The Loosey Newsletter
08:00 — Can You Actually Make Money on Substack?
10:46 — What It's Like Working at New York Magazine's The Strategist
11:22 — Is Substack Changing the Publishing Industry?
13:53 — Should Writers Skip Traditional Publishing and Go Straight to Substack?
18:37 — Do You Really Need a Book Deal to Be a Successful Writer?
20:26 — The Books That Changed Tembe & Brendon’s Lives
22:30 — Why Toni Morrison's Sula Is So Special
27:16 — Toni Morrison, Black Literature & the Books That Stay With Us
30:24 — Marlon James and the Magic of Jamaican Storytelling
39:40 — What Makes a Great Book Critic?
45:47 — How Writers Know What's About to Become the Next Big Thing
56:00 — The Best Independent Bookstores to Get Lost In
1:03:38 — Where Tembe & Brendon Love to Eat in NYC
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