Hello! Welcome to The Elephant Room!
I’m Becca, a writer at Bust Magazine, covering news, books, culture, movies etc. through a feminist lens.
Substack wants me to write about the “benefits” of reading my newsletter here, but fuck that! What I do not want this to be is some page where I “sell” you on what you’ll get from reading this newsletter.
I’m creating this newsletter because I’m sick of presenting my work and myself as some perfect commodity, both in my writing and in my life. It feels like we are all forced to fit ourselves into 2 by 4 inch screens these days. I’ve found maintaining a “brand” and “image” stifling at the least and dangerous at the worst.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the ways in which I constrict and conform myself to fit into a frame that makes other people feel comfortable. Everyone may feel fine and dandy in the moment, but molding myself to others expectations has left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
The best conversations I have are always those rare, but beautiful times when I can shed the bullshit and stop thinking about how people perceive me. Usually for me that is induced by alcohol and takes place in a dim-lit bar, but I want this page to be one of those places as well.
Once a week you’ll get this newsletter where I’m going to write about the elephants in the room - the awkward, messy, uncomfortable shit that people don’t like to address. I’ll give y’all some personal essays and some weekly musings on topics such as grief, antidepressants, sex, family etc. (as well as Trader Joe’s recs!) who knows where we will go, but I can promise that I will always keep it real.
Hope you stick around and subscribe. Thanks!
Becca
