The Dreaded Word Substack by Jesse Relkin | Insights from Sidestack

The Dreaded Word

About the Substack

Book reviews and thoughts on art and — the dreaded word — content

Free Subscription Benefits

Occasional public posts

Paid Subcription Benefits

Subscriber-only posts and full archive
Post comments and join the community

About Jesse Relkin

Reader, writer

The Dreaded Word's recommended Substacks

George Saunders

Story Club with George Saunders

A place to explore the way the short story works.

10K+
paid subscribers

330K+
free subscribers

The Metropolitan Review

The Metropolitan Review is a books and culture review magazine founded in 2025.

100+
paid subscribers

25K+
free subscribers

Ted Gioia

The Honest Broker

A trustworthy guide to music, books, arts, media & culture by Ted Gioia

294K+
free subscribers

Picking the best-written books

Auraist. The best writers on Substack.

Trusted by 70K+ readers, we pick the best-written books from US and UK new releases and prize shortlists, and publish articles by world-class authors on prose style and AI writing. Plus the satire The Demon Inside David Lynch.

100+
paid subscribers

22K+
free subscribers

Naomi Kanakia

Woman of Letters

I write about the Great Books, classic literature, and the contemporary publishing world.

100+
paid subscribers

13K+
free subscribers