Expanding New Material Girl

Gratitude, reflections, and exciting new content for paid subscribers.

Introducing new possibilities for New Material Girl.

Dear Reader,

I first shared my writing here two years ago, but I didn’t start posting consistently until this past August. My first two Substack essays were born in a class I took with Laura Goode at Stanford on the evolution of first-person feminist essays. At the time, I felt confident, supported by a kick-ass teacher, a great syllabus, and a classroom full of engaged peers. I decided to publish my class papers as public essays. But when the course ended, so did my confidence—I quickly lost my nerve. Even so, that fall, studying storied essayists like

lyz

, Jia Tolentino, and

Cheryl Strayed

had planted something secret and restless in me: the desire to write—prolifically and meaningfully—online.

What drew me to Substack was the opportunity not just to self-publish, but to grow and expand through my writing. I think all writers put pen to paper for the possibility of igniting something in others, for that off-shoot chance that someone might be interested in what we have to say and start a conversation or new idea.

When I chose the asterisk as the logomark for NMG, I saw it as more than a symbol for annotation or clarification. It is a spark—the moment of reaction, where separate elements collide to create something new. On a larger scale, that reaction becomes a bright, burning explosion. I updated my tagline yesterday to reflect this idea.

New Material Girl is where language, culture, and the internet collide:

Boom!

From the start, I envisioned NMG as a space to observe and experiment with these interactions, unraveling them with curiosity and care. I want my writing to be a kind of lab—where language and lived experience meet and evolve—guided not just by me, but by thoughtful readers like you. Thanks to your support, that vision is coming to life.

As of today, we’re a community of over a hundred readers strong, including a few subscribers who believe enough in this work to support it financially. Thank you. Your engagement, comments, and shares mean more than I can say.

Within this group of readers is Susan Plunket, a talented writer, wonderful friend, and the first person ever to pay me for my writing. We met at a summer writing program in July. Over dining hall meals, we discussed Carl Jung’s work and encountering our alternate selves in our dreams. I wondered then if I would ever meet the version of myself that wrote.

When I received my first paid subscription, I was elated, surprised, and a little overwhelmed. I hadn’t thought much about how to expand NMG or what the next steps might be. At the time, I was still figuring out if writing this blog made me a writer (I’m being serious). But over the past few weeks, I’ve reflected on how I can offer more here. Inspired by the interest and support from readers like Susan, I’m excited to announce a new addition: exclusive content for paid subscribers every other Thursday, alongside my regular Tuesday essays. As I wrote on my updated About page:

“I believe in the public humanities—the idea that academic work should live in the world, not within the confines of ivy-covered walls. I post an essay every Tuesday and a paid-only exclusive every other Thursday. On principle, my essays themselves will always remain free and accessible to all—because ideas should be shared widely. However, by becoming a paid subscriber, you can help sustain my independent writing and keep my research public.

Here’s what paid subscribers will now receive:

• Exclusive Content:

  • Curated reading lists featuring the books, articles, and papers that inspire my essays.

  • Monthly AMAs to discuss linguistics, literary theory, or whatever else is on your mind.

  • Behind-the-scenes insights into my research and writing process.

• Subscriber-Only Chat: Connect with a community of curious, thoughtful readers.

My Substack currently offers monthly ($8/month), yearly ($80/year), and founding member ($100/year) subscription plans. In addition to all the benefits of being a paid subscriber, founding members will also receive an NMG care package—including witty stickers about materialism and a copy of a book I’ve explored on my blog, like Stoner by John Williams from this popular post.

I’ll begin rolling out these new expansions this week, but please don’t feel any pressure to become a paid subscriber if it’s not for you. I’ll continue publishing my (always free!) weekly reflections on literature and language because I love sharing these ideas with you. These additional content offerings will simply open up more possibilities for my overall research and writing.

I often return to this quote by Mary MacLane in her book, I Await The Devil’s Coming:

“But none of them, nor any one, can know the feeling made of relief and pain and despair that comes over me at the thought of sending all this to the wise wide world. It is bits of my wooden heart broken off and given away. It is strings of amber beads taken from the fair neck of my soul. It is shining little gold coins from out of my mind’s red leather purse. It is my little old life-tragedy. It means everything to me. Do you see?—it means everything to me.”

MacLane’s words remind me that every essay I write, and every idea I share, is a piece of myself offered to the world. That’s what New Material Girl means to me. And I’m so grateful you’re here to witness it, engage with it, and share in it.

Sincerely,
Ellen