This is a promotional email to take advantage of the extra Friday in October. We’re getting right to the point on every forthcoming offering—workshops, salons, consulting—so that you have a clear sense of what’s going on without me mucking it up with my essays, recommendations, and notes (the things I far prefer to promotion). Members can find all discount codes here.

For each of these workshops, all signups will receive the recording and materials the following day. The Food Essay can be taken live, asynchronously, or as a combination.

When: Tuesday, October 28, 11 a.m. EST
Cost: $150 for non-members; $125 for members.

This is a workshop on building an editorial calendar; how to edit your own work on the structural, line, and copy levels; and why it’s so important to be able to look at your own writing with neutrality for self-publishing (and for regular publishing).

When: Tuesday, December 2, 10 a.m. EST
Cost: On sale for $100 non-members; $75 members through October 31
$150; $125 starting November 1

In this update of my very popular 2024 workshop, I will discuss leaving Substack; how I have maintained an independent writer newsletter over more than five years; the shifting newsletter landscape; and how a newsletter can be foundational to culture work and a revenue stream while being extremely true to your voice and fit seamlessly into your life. I’ll discuss why I’m launching a new publication and how I’ve established my editorial voice, for this newsletter and beyond. This and the Self-Edit are a great combination for anyone launching a newsletter in the New Year. (And if you know anyone doing so, there is a gift certificate option for early holiday presents…)

When: Tuesdays, from January 13 through February 10, 11 a.m. EST (2026)
Cost: $500 for non-members; $475 for members through November 5
$750; $725 starting November 6

This is an abbreviated version of a class I taught earlier this year in the Boston University gastronomy graduate program. We will discuss the history of the food essay and four specific types of essays: reported, personal, cultural criticism and/or opinion, and recipe. There will be readings for each week, discussion, and optional assignments. There is an add-on that will get you my edits and feedback on your essays. It’s a workshop for anyone who wants to learn how to turn their food research and obsessions into essays that are accessible to the public, as well as anyone who wants to confidently tell stories through food.

Select a time and date for a dedicated hour of conversation on any questions you have about editorial or newsletter strategy; book proposals; or creating a platform for your work as a writer that will be tantalizing to publishers (without losing your soul in the process). I’m also happy to look at and edit writing for these sessions. There is an option for ongoing conversation for anyone wanting to work on their writing or newsletters together over a longer period of time.

Cost: $250 for the initial hour for non-members; $175 for members
Ongoing sessions are $150; $105 for members

Catch up on past Salons through the YouTube channel—each description contains a link back to the full transcript, and all members have access to these and the full recordings. There were nine of these events so far this year, with one more coming on Tuesday, November 4, at 11 a.m. EST. I hope to see you there!