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Newsletters

Each month, I send a personal newsletter to subscribers. It is a mix of personal blog, essays, reflections, and usually at least one photo of a rabbit. You can subscribe below or via Substack

Michael’s Substack •

June (and Pride Month!) Newsletter from Michael Z

Happy Pride Month! I’m thinking so much about being queer, which I may put in a fully separate essay, but a lot of those thoughts are in the Reading section, because one of the books I read was about depictions of queer people on TV! I like reading about our history in some way in June, but also it’s kind of a hard time to read about it.It’s the last day of June, and it’s felt like a very long month. I’m still enjoying the weather, though a bit less now. I’m grateful to have air conditioning. It...
Michael’s Substack •

May Newsletter from Michael Z

May has been pleasant, though I can’t remember why. Something about the word, and the weather. It’s been a very social and busy month, which is fantastic, because after my last newsletter I promptly got sick and was isolating for two weeks. I absolutely hate being alone. Not that I fully was—my partner was around of course; but I did not have the brain capacity to even socialize with them very much. It is very weird to miss someone who is there but behind a fog. Regardless, I hate being stuck at...
Michael’s Substack •

April Newsletter from Michael Z

My second ever newsletter was about Springtime and how excited I was about it. Living in the Pacific Northwest has been a perfect climate for me. I know it is changing, but if it’s all changing I’ll take this one for sure. I am from Virginia, and the longest seasons are summer and winter there. At least when I was a kid, I remember the fall and spring being about four to six weeks long, with long stretches of moderately cold and moderately too-hot. I wished for long autumns and springs, more rai...
Michael’s Substack •

March Newsletter from Michael Z

It’s March! I have committed to it being spring. It hasn’t actually been warm most days, but it has still felt springy. Some flowers are blooming, and a lot of birds are back. They are demanding bird seed, which is fair since we have a bird feeder.I started feeding crows this week too, and it’s amazing. When I am outside one will now make a sound at me and I’ll go get the peanuts. My partner is a crow-feeding pro and advised me to crush the shells a little to make it easier for them, and throw t...
Michael’s Substack •

Michael Z's February Newsletter

I hope you’re having a good mid-late winter! I am almost keeping up with my goal to have small social gatherings each month. My partner and I tried in February, but attendance kind of comically fell apart. Oh well, at least we cleaned.Happy belated Valentine’s, if you enjoy it!I love Valentine’s day. It’s either a day to appreciate my friends, or it’s that plus a nice opportunity for a special date. I know a lot of people hate it; it can be a reminder of sadness about being single, or it can fee...
Michael’s Substack •

Michael Z's January Newsletter

Hello lovely readers! I’d love to hear how you rang in 2025. This year I was able to go to a NYE party and co-host a few friends/family for New Year’s Day Japanese lunch on January 1st with my partner. This is the second New Year’s day since we’ve lived together, and I felt more involved this year in preparing, which was very lovely. I hope in a few years I’ll reach my full holiday prep potential.In general, I really love hosting small parties, and that’s only grown now that I live with my also-...
Michael’s Substack •

Michael Z's October Newsletter

October has been an eventful month! I turned 33. I quit my job. AND October brought the first full week of being engaged!!! I made us rings and we kissed our first engaged kiss on the beach!It’s been a huge moment of change, a big wave of rediscovering myself, trusting loved ones, and looking at a beautiful future (with my betrothed).This month, I have been trying to approach life with a willingness to use up my energy. For years I have tried so hard to protect my energy because it felt so limit...
Michael’s Substack •

Michael Z's September Newsletter

I’m home alone for a few weeks (cry) and so it’s been boys’ night for a while. The boys being me and the rabbits. I started calling Tilly my son a few years ago as a joke, because he is a little marshmallow, and I’m not particularly masculine, and he is in fact a rabbit, so I enjoy the idea of presenting our relationship as a masculine, familial, and human bond. This became my partner’s “stepson” and our “second son” Tiramisu. I am not sure if it’s a joke anymore, in my heart. Careful what you s...
Michael’s Substack •

Michael Z's August Newsletter

Hello lovely subscribers! It’s time for my August newsletter. I’m mid-writing an essay, so that will be coming soon. Here is my August list of thoughts, opinions, reflections, and of course a bunny update. I hope you enjoy reading! The sections are “Thinking about,” “Reading,” “Opinions,” “Little updates,” and “Rabbit update.”I’m thinking about writing itself. I have been in a bit of a tailspin trying to understand my relationship to it. I have been a writer longer than I’ve been almost anything...
Michael’s Substack •

Michael Z's July Newsletter

Hello lovely readers! It is July, and time for a new newsletter. It is very hot in Seattle, which is not normal, and so we are melting and thinking about climate change.I ambitiously called my last newsletter “Early June” and promised some think pieces in between. The trouble is, I got lost in those think pieces. I have been thinking a lot; even more than usual. I have even been in a better place for reading the news. For many months I’ve been reading only local news, because I wanted to know wh...
Michael’s Substack •

Michael Z's June Newsletter

Oh hello, almost summer

I cannot believe it’s June. This year is flying by like none past. I think that might be a good thing, right? Nothing particularly significant is happening month over month, or something (in my personal life; many things are happening externally).

I think part of why time “goes faster as you age” is maybe routine? We’re used to life more and more every year, not much data to save. Maybe that’s it, maybe not. I’d love to hear your opinions or knowledge (comment! email me
Michael’s Substack •

Springtime Springtime

It’s felt like such a long winter! This winter I learned why people try not to move in the winter. I moved in November, barely even winter! But it was dark before 5pm every single day of my move (including packing) and I do not recommend it! Aside from just fewer daylight hours to move, there are fewer daylight hours to pack, and it is surprisingly demotivating to try and pack after work when it’s dark before you even end the workday. This taught me...
Michael’s Substack •

New Year, Newsletter

It’s the first day of 2024, as I’m writing.

This is the first New Year’s Day, preceded by the first New Year’s Eve, in many years where I didn’t spend any time reflecting, tying up, or planning ahead. I just moved (homes) this season (I heavily do not recommend moving when it gets dark at 4:30pm) and spent the last week trying to finish unpacking enough to have company this weekend. Everything has been really busy, and really good, and stressful, and new, and just a lot.
Michael’s Substack •

A little newsletter

For most of my blogging life, I’ve written persuasive think-pieces or just shared how I’m thinking about a topic with a pretty clear persuasive goal. In my last piece, I really enjoyed just writing about my experience. It was nice to have a point but not one that I felt any desire to pull anyone towards. That is more who I want to be in this moment — reflecting, sharing, offering.

So here is some more of that; let me know if you like it! I will probably send longer versions of some of these tho