The idea for this newsletter came over a glass of wine in a mouse-infested cabin somewhere in Vermont.
My wife and I had escaped New York City for a week at the end of 2020 to briefly alleviate the suffocation that came with COVID-19 and, just, everything of that year. An ill-conceived plan to create a podcast — there are enough of them already, I know — contributed to the realization that an email newsletter:
1) was the kind of ephemeral thing that would provide an excuse to talk to smart people about an array of interesting ideas.
2) might inspire some creativity about writing structure and help me reconsider approaches to story angles after years of grinding in the trenches of daily journalism.
3) wouldn’t attract any readers anyway, so there was nothing to lose.
The first two proved true, at least. I’ve been surprised over the past year at the support from friends and strangers who seem to dig this project.
That anyone is willing to click on an article about niche topics — nevermind subscribe to more and then publicly say nice things — has been a consistent source of good vibes over the past year, when reasons for optimism have been harder than usual to find.
So, thank you.
Most popular posts
Whales are replacing garbage in NYC waterways
The Appalachian Trail exists to help escape your boss — and it’s busier than ever
Screaming Females consider what's next
Shadowing a street artist through Queens
Crime writer Joe Ide on quitting Hollywood, and what comes next
Best conversation that went way off-script
When I reached out to Andrew Nelson, an anthropologist at the University of Western Ontario, the idea was to gain a better understanding about the market for stolen antiquities in the wake of a major police bust involving illicit Greek artifacts. Instead we spent some 45 minutes discussing his experience with shrunken heads, and the booming market for counterfeit tribal goods in Peru.
Best rejection to an interview request from a PR person for a known musician
“This is very unlikely for us and I wouldn’t expect that to change.”
Best idea I haven’t done (yet)
An interview with an urban beekeeper who sells honey. There are a lot of people who do this. I’ve emailed at least five different specialists, hoping to learn more about this community. They are not into talking.
Most embarrassing idea that I’m glad I didn’t do
A desperate plea to become the host of Jeopardy!
No questions, please.
Favorite reader responses
"Just signing on to say that you should subscribe to @jeffstone500’s newsletter/zine, No More Normal. Always interesting."
“No, no. You’ve mentioned your newsletter before. I’m just not interested.”
Best posts to read if you’re playing catch-up
Street art recorded protest and pandemic in real time. Researchers are trying to save it.
Exploring the 'inherent beauty' of abandoned places
Digging underwater, scientists are uncovering a lost world
How not to sell a stolen Rembrandt
A very small way you can help this project
Shoot me an email by replying to this message, or a future newsletter.
I would love to know if there are any topics that you think are worth exploring, or interesting people who you think more folks would be interested in. Also, let me know how to consume this, or any other email newsletter. Do you read these messages when they arrive in your inbox? Or, do you save it for another time? Ignore it entirely? Any feedback is helpful.
Lastly, if you think any of these newsletters are worth forwarding to a friend, please do.
Thanks again.
(P.S. If you’ve read this far down, please click “like” below.)
No More Normal is an every-so-often newsletter by me, Jeff Stone. You can support by subscribing, sharing or suggesting ways to improve.