Some animal-rights Substacks worth reading
Frequently, I get bummed out by what little reach my blog has. I’ve been writing on Substack for four years or so and still only have about 150 regular subscribers. I suppose this is to be expected. Even within the small world of animal rights, cultivated meat is controversial.
I probably narrow my audience further with takes on a range of subjects, like religion and sports, that not all cellular-agriculture proponents care about. It’s true my pieces are often published in other places, but, as the famous Mad Men Men quote goes, “Not great, Bob!”
When I’m feeling this way, and wishing more people would share a particular article I’m proud of, it’s good to remind myself I actually do a very poor job of promoting the work of others. So, with that in mind, I’d like to share some animal-rights blogs I follow on this platform.
I don’t always agree with opinions expressed by writers in these publications. However, I generally find their arguments interesting and worthwhile. Disagreement often helps clarify my own views. Anyway, in no particular order, here are some Substacks I try to keep up with.
Open Philanthropy Farm Animal Welfare Newsletter — Lewis Bollard, formerly of the Humane Society of the United States, now leads Open Philanthropy’s efforts to reduce nonhuman suffering. He offers his takes in this publication approximately once a month.
Wizard of Claws — In addition to interviewing a variety of authors, Elise Myslinski writes with great perception about fictional representations of animals. Her recent mention of Bunnicula has made me want to revisit the children’s series, which was a favorite of my youth.
Cultivated Bites — I feel this is something like the blog I’d write if I was a lot more disciplined and stayed focused solely on cellular agriculture. It’s not immediately clear to me who is behind the effort, but they do a great job recapping cultivated-meat developments.
Exes & Oh!s — The titular exes are Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer of the long-running Our Hen House podcast, which is a veritable institution. Sadly, since President Donald Trump returned to office, their blog has gone quiet, but maybe the pair will come back to it.
The Simple Heart — I think you can make a pretty compelling case that Wayne Hsiung was the most influential American animal activist of the 2010s. Longtime readers of Slaughter-Free America know I’ve had my strategic differences with him, but I’m always curious about his view.
Natalie’s Substack — In addition to running her popular YouTube channel and serving as Pro-Animal Future’s social media lead, Natalie Fulton also maintains this thoughtful blog. I wish I was half as productive! She seems pretty supportive of cellular-agriculture development.
Kim Stallwood’s Substack — The blogger is a former leader of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, currently working on a biography of Topsy the Circus Elephant, who was infamously electrocuted in 1903. Stallwood frequently interviews authors of animal-related books.
Everybody is an Animal — It’s a relatively new publication, with only a handful of posts, but these carry a good deal of promise. Again, I’m not sure who the writer is here. They identify as a socialist feminist. Regardless, I look forward to reading more of their work.
Animal Think Tank Newsletter — This is the blog of an organization based in the United Kingdom dedicated to building a nonviolent mass movement for nonhuman freedom. I gather they helped launch Animal Rising. They share their research here in easily digestible articles.
Vegan World Now — Dani Linavi provides a valuable roundup of good news for animal advocates, which includes the latest happenings in the cultivated-meat space, among other things. Lord knows, in this dark moment in history, we all need some good news.