Who Really Decides What You Read?
Laura McGrath’s ‘Middlemen’ offers an illuminating, unsettling look behind the scenes of American publishing — and a strange comfort to writers in the query trenches.
Doug's Substack
Musings at the intersection of faith and life
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Latest posts
Odysseus and Me
Homer knew where Ithaca was. I'm still not entirely sure where mine is.
What My Cataracts Taught Me About the Price of Seeing Clearly
I just wanted to know what cataract surgery costs. It turned out to be the wrong question.
The Night on the Mountain
My favorite story from "The Traveler's Path" — and why nobody laughed when I read it aloud
I Just Ended a Long Relationship With Football
A breakup letter, three years late to the internet
My Brief Career as a Sports Writer
In my early 60s I returned to an early career option.
The Luxury of Sameness
Why American churches prefer comfort over the beautiful, exhausting work of diversity
A Pastoral Ruling on the Reclining of Airline Seats
Why the Apostle Paul would probably have stayed in an upright position (even in economy)
Reading Godric, Finally
In which I complete a friend's challenge, admire a masterpiece, and confess which Buechner I love best
The Camino and the Ungenerous Heart
Or what 500 miles taught me about grace — and what it didn't
Water
Europe is sweltering