Introducing The New England Newsletter

Sharing essays, stories, and news from around the region.

Welcome to The New England Newsletter, a new twice-weekly publication that will share essays, stories, and news from around the region I call home.

If you’re receiving this via email, it means we’ve crossed paths somewhere along the way. Thank you for reading. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’ve inspired my writing over the years, and I can’t express how grateful I am for your support.

And if you’re reading this in a different form later on, well, thanks for stopping by. Perhaps you’re wondering who’s behind this project.

I’m a journalist and fiction writer who recently returned to New England after spending a few years on the West Coast. I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, where I read The Boston Globe sports section every morning and, more discreetly, reveled in the transcendentalist works and other literary classics that sprung from our backyard.

My time at the University of Michigan offered the first inkling that even when I left New England, New England wouldn’t ever leave me. While in Ann Arbor, my mind was still turning over our region’s intellectual roots, as I chose to write my thesis on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s idea of self-reliance. Of course, I’d have to learn this lesson about New England’s pull on the heartstrings twice more—first after uprooting to New York City for journalism school at Columbia, and later after venturing to Seattle to work as an editor at Seattle Met—before it resonated that I belong here for good.

In between those stints in New York and Seattle, I lived in the beautiful Berkshires, churning out a handful of feature stories every week about arts and culture for The Berkshire Eagle and, very fortunately, meeting many of you.

My time in Western Massachusetts sowed the seeds for this newsletter, as it reinforced what I love most about New Englanders—our common sense, wit, and resilience—and why so many of us are quick to identify as one. At the same time, it reminded me of a hard truth about those of us from this corner of the country: that, for all our similarities and geographic proximity, we can be deeply provincial and distant. Just ask anyone from New Hampshire (or anywhere else, I’ve learned) about those Massholes.

Upon returning to New England, I’ve come to believe that this parochialism is exacerbated by our fragmented and inaccessible news media environment. While the Globe has belatedly started to focus more on communities beyond Massachusetts (or anywhere west of 95, for that matter), there remains a glaring lack of outlets addressing the region as a whole. There is still great journalism and writing to be found across our six states. But it is increasingly hidden behind paywalls that, while necessary in trying times for publishers, restrict our ability to remain informed beyond our geographic bubbles, even though we share so many of the same interests and challenges.

Broadly speaking, The New England Newsletter’s goal is to transcend these information silos by publishing essays, stories, and news roundups that capture what it means to be a New Englander today. What does that mean in practical terms?

For starters, every Tuesday morning, I’ll publish an original essay or story—some nonfiction, some fiction—that, I hope, speaks to the soul of this region. As a reporter, I’ve traveled too many back roads in these states not to share some of the tales I’ve picked up and conjured along the way, as well as some deeper reflections on life here. The first essay, on ice, is typical of the kind of writing you can expect to find in these posts, drawing inspiration from classic writers like Emerson who were enthralled by our natural surrounds.

On Fridays, I’ll publish something a little more straightforward: a roundup of the best writing and reportage in New England from the past week. I know your time and clicks are limited, so I’ll point you to the stories worthy of both, reported from Burlington to Block Island. Think of it as a guide to your weekend reading.

And in the future? I’m not ruling anything out. Perhaps this newsletter will eventually grow to encompass more voices and types of stories. Maybe it’s best in its current form.

Either way, I’m betting that many of you identify as New Englanders as much as you do Bostonians, Mainers, and Rhode Islanders. Most of us can’t afford not to; housing and climate crises mean our region, out of necessity, will be more interconnected than ever in the years to come.

Speaking of affordability, this newsletter isn’t, I’m afraid, just a labor of love. In time, I hope it will supplement my income from magazines, newspapers, and other clients. Tuesday posts will be free to start out, but only paid subscribers will have access to Friday’s newsletter and the entire archive. Please consider subscribing below. (And if you want to throw a few more coins in the jar, there’s a “founding member” subscriber option that allows you to contribute a bit more.)

I also know that there are many outlets and needs competing for your dollars these days. If you don’t want to miss a newsletter but simply can’t afford a subscription at this time, just send me a note at thenewenglandnewsletter@gmail.com. I promise the door will always be open.

And one other promise: Historical accuracy be damned, you won’t ever find this Sox fan referring to a New Englander as a Yankee.

Thanks again for being here.