This used to be a newsletter about horror movies.
It still is, at least half the time. When I started this newsletter, in the late 2010s, I was researching a book about gender and horror, and I wanted a place to share all the movies I wouldn't have space to cover.
In the nearly ten (!) years since I started researching that book, though, I've become ten different kinds of writer. I've written critically acclaimed horror comics including Maw, The Neighbors, Be Not Afraid and Dead Teenagers for BOOM! Studios and Oni Press. I've come out as queer and transmasculine, and written another book about how my transition has influenced my feminism. I've leaned into reporting, and have done regular reporting on trans and gender issues for Xtra Magazine, as well as sometimes popping up in places like The Cut and The Verge.
Then, there's this: Over the past ten years "culture critic" and "feminist critic" have ceased to be viable jobs. The Internet where independent queer and feminist publications like Bitch and Autostraddle and Rookie Mag could thrive is no more; all those supposed "women's verticals" like Broadly and Broadsheet and other things that start with "Broad" have disappeared; culture-writing hubs like the AV Club have become shells of their former selves.
If I ever want to do the sort of writing I made my name on, I have to do it myself. So this has become less of a horror newsletter, and more of a general repository for all the kinds of writing that I do, including the writing I can't do anywhere else.
Behold the Hidden Benefits of the Inner Circle
Most of the content on this newsletter exists behind a paywall. Once a month, I will make a public post – typically a long essay or piece of criticism – and I do a month of free content in October, because I really dork out about Halloween.
For the most part, though, I enjoy having a space where I am only talking to friends and dedicated readers. Most hate-readers, no matter how much they hate you, won’t pay $5 to find out what you have to say. That gives me peace of mind, and when I’m relaxed, I write better. We know each other, you and I, so I can trust you to care about what I'm saying.
FAQ
How many of these will I get?
You'll hear from me once a week. Usually, that means two movie reviews, one longer essay on politics or cultural criticism, and Something Else, with the Something Else being pretty flexible. I used to go on hiatus when I had a lot of urgent deadlines, but now, I have enough content that I can arrange for re-runs in an emergency.
How do I reach you?
If you have something private to say, hit “reply” to a newsletter when it lands in your mailbox. If you'd like your comment to be public, leave a comment. It's what blogs are for.
What does it cost?
This newsletter has become the bedrock of my income, over the years. Even if I don't make any other money in a month, this covers my half of the rent. I offer two tiers: A regular subscription ($5/month or $50/year) and a Friend of the Blog subscription ($99/year), for if you find my sort of writing valuable and want it to continue. I also just like talking to people, though, so if you can't spring for either of those subscriptions, a sale will probably come around during Halloween season.
Why do you have so many middle names?
When I transitioned, I knew my name was "Jude," but I also knew I'd need to keep my old pen name ("Sady Doyle") on previously published articles so that people could search for them. Trans people who change their bylines often shorten their previous names to an initial, but for me, that process led to "Jude S. Doyle," which sounds like "Judas Doyle." So I put a boy-coded version of my old middle name in front of the "Sady," leading to "Jude Ellison S. Doyle," and – since I love a triple-barreled "David Foster Wallace" name situation – I figured that's what people would call me.
What do people call you?
"Jude Doyle," almost exclusively.
So... why do you have so many middle names?
Quiet, or I'll add more.