One Year of Crossroads

The Anniversary Sale, plus some thoughts on the Gazette's first year.

Exactly one year ago, I published my very first essay for The Crossroads Gazette.

I was a writer in between agents. To bolster my prospects, I started building an audience on Instagram by sharing fun-facts about books, folklore, and art. But short form content is only so satisfying, and I was eager to get my writing out into the world. Like many Substack writers, this platform provided a solution.

My goal was to create a space to explore the topics I loved in an accessible manner. I wanted others to feel the joy of discovering a new artist, or learning about a historical movement in greater depth. The Crossroads motto is “all roads are open”—a reminder to all of us (especially myself) to stay positive and stay in motion. The artists, movers, and builders of the past provide a constant stream of inspiration in my life, and my instinct was that others would feel similarly.

One year later, Crossroads is getting very close to hitting 2,000 email subscribers. Last month, the publication re…