Who I'm thinking with

A list of some of my favorite writers and artists who challenge power and offer thoughtful ways of living

In times like these, when the internet feels overrun with noise and cruelty, and the rise of AI makes me wonder whether we’re losing our capacity for real thought, I find relief returning to writers who remind me otherwise. The thinkers I turn to, push back against power, invite deeper connection, and model thoughtful ways of living.

Today, I want to share some of my favorites. These are the people I love thinking alongside — whether they’re unpacking how we make meaning or showing how something as unexpected as weightlifting can challenge the patriarchy. Their words and their lives are a gift that should be shared. Enjoy!

On life and meaning

Maria Popova at The Marginalian. I started following The Marginalian (then Brain Pickings) in the mid-2010s. Each week, in her newsletter, she explores what it means to lead a good life — intellectually, creatively, and spiritually. She puts to words, contextualizes, and historicizes so much of what is happening in the world. In 2024, in the ongoing pain of the war in Gaza, she brought her readers insights from George Saunders, which I wrote down and keep within reach at all times:

"It (war, in response to a Kurt Vonnegut quote) is the mammoth projection outward of the confused inner life of a handful of men." - George Saunders, quoted from The Braindead Megaphone

Her work has shaped how I think about meaning and relationships, offering me new ways of framing the stuff of life. I recommend starting with this interview with Popova in the OnBeing podcast to get the vibe and understand what a "cartographer of meaning" is.

Cooking, how to do it well, and make it joyous

Samin Nosrat is my cooking go-to. Her book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, taught me techniques that have helped me become a better cook. She has a podcast with Hrishikesh Hirway, a Netflix series, and now a Substack: A Grain of Salt. Her taste is impeccable, inclusive, and novel, and she's great at breaking down cooking rules to make them accessible, like this recent post on “What ‘use whatever herbs’ actually means.”

Managing climate grief

Lauren Markham is a remarkable writer and teacher. Her recent book Immemorial asks a powerful question: how do we memorialize the nature we’re losing? Through art, monuments, and language, she explores how we might honor our collective climate grief while tracing her own search for ways to live with the pain of vanishing landscapes — burning, washing away, melting. The result is a beautifully written salve for our time.

Politics and culture

The Diabolical Lies Pod is my all-time favorite discovery of 2025. As host, Katie Gatti Tassin states at the beginning of the episode on “Why America Can't See Gaza,” this podcast is about "deconstructing fundamental American mythologies." This is the only podcast where I listen to every single new episode. Katie and Caro Claire Burke offer the most well-researched discussions I've ever heard in a podcast form. They cover topics like the porn industry, capitalism, and SkinnyTok. Education is the key to empowering and mobilizing people, and this podcast does that in incredible ways. Their member chat is active with people liberated from the collective fictions that govern our lives. I suggest starting with “Hot Chicks, Wings, and the Liquidation Sale of America.”

Art as resistance

Wendy Macnaughton and her DrawTogether online studio make drawing accessible and fun. I have long been working to learn how to draw. I'm still not very good, but Wendy makes the process both educational and community-oriented. She incorporates different art forms to create a dynamic set of lessons that are always interesting, and the exercises she offers take 10 minutes. It takes about twenty minutes to read one of the posts, and you're drawing for ten minutes, which gives you a beautiful art lesson in only 30 minutes. She also ties her lessons to relevant issues, like her latest “Making Art During Fascism”.

Good fitness

Casey Johnston is the writer behind She’s A Beast and the Ask a Swole Woman column, and she recently released her second book, A Physical Education. The book is excellent, but you can also start with a free subscription to She’s A Beast for sharp satire, fitness guidance, and feminist takes on strength. Unlike the typical fitness influencer model, built on fat phobia, food obsession, and buying gadgets you don’t need, Casey offers an approachable path to getting strong and nourishing your body and mind.

Who are your favorite thinkers?

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