Let me wish you a belated happy new year. As I contemplate Autonomia, which begins a third year of publication tomorrow, I want to know: why do you subscribe? Please reply in the comments (or if, you prefer, reply to this or send a message to scottholleran@substack.com). In two years, I’ve introduced various series and revolving features, adding value with new technology, such as an app, discussion, podcasting and frank, personal coaching, guidance and instruction for annual and founding paid subscribers.
Starting with this post, you’ll find new stories, models and features in 2023. I plan to visit and work in Omaha and America’s plains. Upcoming trips include Dallas-Fort Worth, San Diego, Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, Las Vegas, and, of course, Pittsburgh, where I’m researching articles on assignment. Travelogues about Austin, Detroit and Florida are in progress. New movie stars (not celebrities) including Liza Minnelli, Clint Eastwood and Sidney Poitier, will be featured, as will the original five. Each monthly, annual and founding subscriber will get more, not less and certainly not the same, value for the dollar, including work by guest writers. Circulation’s growing, though Autonomia’s readership is small. I value engagement, referrals and new subscribers.
President Trump repeatedly watches this 1950 film, according to a report.
As another band of storms drifts over Los Angeles from the Pacific Ocean, it occurs to me that most of January’s most interesting news—that Trump reportedly, interestingly, enjoys replaying Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, that the talented Pat Benatar turned 70, that the Golden Globes awarded Elvis, a movie I raved about last summer, on TV despite the LA Times’ smear campaign, that savagely wounded Salman Rushdie’s announced his new novel’s publication, that fellow Substack writer Ted Gioia’s written an outstanding article about the de-centralized success of Barnes and Noble —was, as usual, lost in the mainstream. This is why I enjoy creating Autonomia.
Thank you for reading Autonomia. This post is public so feel free to share it.
Personally, last year’s losses kept coming. I wrote about losing one of my heroes and favorite singer, Olivia Newton-John. I also wrote about losing one of my mentors, John Porter. Other loss is private. Before leaving for my first Christmas in Las Vegas, I attended some work-related, holiday-themed parties at Moonshadows in Malibu and in Los Angeles. It was in LA that I was serendipitously reunited with one of my first editors, a newspaperwoman who until recently taught English at a LA university. This journalist had assigned The Fountainhead’s 50th anniversary for the front page as my editor in 1993—it was my first paid article—and we’re planning to meet again. We haven’t collaborated in decades. Thirty years after I started reporting in the press, I have new media in mind.
As Autonomia marks a new year, I want you to read, think about and buy into a new free press, too. My publication’s a work in progress. I’m confident it’s getting better. You can be the judge; tell me why you read and subscribe to Autonomia. As always, I’m curious. I want to know why.
Scott, I subscribe because the breadth of topics you cover are usually of interest to me, and because I appreciate that your reports are unique in perspective, honest, well researched, and fun to read.
Scott, I subscribe because the breadth of topics you cover are usually of interest to me, and because I appreciate that your reports are unique in perspective, honest, well researched, and fun to read.
Thank you, Marc. That’s an outstanding answer and great compliment. Cheers.