queering the burbs is going paid — here’s why.
Four-plus years in, this newsletter is just getting started.
Queering the Burbs is a regularly-published distillation of pop culture, politics and queerness written by Joe Erbentraut. If you like what you see, please consider subscribing (many posts are free!), liking or sharing this piece. Order Joe’s new zine, Issue #01, here.
When I started this newsletter, in the depths of the summer of 2020, a time defined by so much uncertainty and instability, I truly didn’t have any expectation that it would prove successful. Frankly, I didn’t have any expectations of this project at all. At the time, I saw it as a purely creative pursuit, an experiment that I expected I would probably grow bored with or no longer see a need or demand for before too long.
More than four years later, this newsletter has continued to grow and resonate with readers in ways that I could have only dreamed of—and all of this occurred while it was being worked on as a side hustle from a series of incredibly demanding day jobs. I’ve published 94 editions of this newsletter including interviews with 16 community activists, elected officials, artists, and business owners. I’ve released a printed zine edition of the newsletter, which can now be found at more than a half-dozen local stockists. And last year I surpassed 300 subscribers to this newsletter, a far cry from the 22 readers I was reaching back in July 2020.
It’s been a slow burn along the way, with other commitments at times requiring me to place the newsletter on the back burner. But a series of circumstances today have aligned and won’t stop nudging me. I’m confident that now is the right time to recommit to this project, offer more to those of you reading this, and see what I can really make of this platform with a bit more energy put into it.
For one, as I’ve continued to mention, I am currently unemployed. I was laid off from my dream gig as an editorial director at Thrillist, a travel and lifestyle publication, in early December and am continuing to seek out a new full-time role. So, I’ve got the time. And secondly, the start of this new administration today is overlapping with so much bleakness—the fires in California, the U.S. government banning (then swiftly un-banning!) TikTok, the death of our beloved seer David Lynch, so many queer and marginalized folks feeling downright terrified of what might lie before us. I feel strongly that this world needs more light to shine through the dark.
I also believe that there is real value in the written word, and that value has been diminished in recent years. By offering a paid version of this newsletter, I feel that I am taking a stand. Like my friend and fellow Substacker Ariane Elizabeth Scholl has explored, what the world look like if we all truly recognized and compensated the contributions of writers and artists to our society? I think it’d look very, very different.
So what will Queering the Burbs 2.0 look like? First off, many of the editions of this newsletter will continue to be available to all readers free of charge, always. These free editions will include most of what you’re used to finding here—interviews with local queer and trans artists and activists, reports on goings-on in the local queer realm, and essays drawing parallels with what’s unfolding in the culture and how it’s playing out locally and personally. In addition to these, I will soon begin publishing a new monthly rundown of local queer events that will be available to all readers.
Paid subscriptions to Queering the Burbs will be available at three levels:
Monthly: $5/month
Annual: $50/year
Founding member: $150/year
The following perks will be available for paid subscriptions to Queering the Burbs:
Access to new subscriber-only posts including:
A once-monthly rundown on the shows, movies, and other bits of pop culture I’ve been consuming and my honest opinions on (most importantly) how gay they are and (also important, I suppose) whether they’re worth your time.
A once-monthly Spotify playlist featuring a curated selection of music created just for paid subscribers.
A once-monthly deep dive into my hyper-fixation of the moment.
Full access to the Queering the Burbs archives
Early access to Queering the Burbs printed zines
20% discount on your purchase of Queering the Burbs printed zines (annual subscribers/founding members only)
A free Queering the Burbs fridge magnet with a new TBD gift to be received with each renewal (annual subscribers/founding members only)
All told, paid subscribers going forward can expect to get at least one edition (but usually two) of Queering the Burbs sent to their inbox once a week, while free subscribers should continue to expect one edition per week, though honestly this might vary depending on what’s going on in the world and how the queer spirits are striking me that week.
I deeply appreciate everyone who has supported this project over the years, through reading this newsletter, buying a zine, commenting on a post, or sharing my writing with your networks. I hope that this space will continue to be one that fuels more creativity, resilience, and compassion in our community and world, no matter what happens over the course of these next four years and beyond.
SONG OF THE RIGHT-NOW
The death of David Lynch on the eve of the new administration’s inauguration has left me feeling pretty much hollowed. This weekend, my husband and I rewatched Blue Velvet. Incidentally, this was the first movie I ever forced him to watch (yes, on our second date… Is there any better litmus test than a David Lynch movie?)
As the movie ended and the credits rolled, I let Julee Cruise’s “Mysteries of Love” pour over me. Cruise died in 2022, but her otherworldly voice lives on through the iconic orchestrations of Angelo Badalamenti, which form the atmosphere of so many of Lynch’s best works.
In 2010, Cruise sang “The World Spins” at the Twin Peaks Festival in London. She barely holds back her tears in videos of the performance. In an interview, Cruise once said that she can’t sing this song without crying—it’s not acting.
Dust is dancing in the space
A dog and bird are far away
The sun comes up and down each day
The river flows out to the sea
Thanks for sharing
Yess! ❤️