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and her 4,000 pages of journal entries questioning the existence of a self. I love her more than anybody…
Apr 16, 2024
Related Recs
probably my favourite profile of anyone ever, I reread it at least once every few months. It’s understandable why people have soured on her in the last few years, but she does heroic editorial work at T (which is the only reason I still have a NYT subscription) and this profile is a fun look into her own aesthetic tastes and process (second, related rec: I started follwing her 9pm-12am writing schedule after I got a day job and it works great for me but I’m a night owl)
Mar 12, 2024
I absolutely loved Ottessa Moshfegh’s book My Year of Rest and Relaxation about an unhinged, unnamed individual who starts drugging herself to sleep for a year in the hopes of waking up with a whole new perspective on life. So I was very excited to discover Ottessa’s substack. The name alone is giving; "It's Ottessa, bitch.". Here you’ll get access to an uninterrupted stream of consciousness full of pithy takes, sardonic girl talk and interviews with Anna Delvey.
Mar 4, 2025
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Please please read the Book Forum review of Oyler‘s essay collection by Ann Manov. I have never screeched in delight as much as I have in the past six months than when I read that review.
May 27, 2024
Top Recs from @taterhole
My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebody—be it a relative or one of my best friends—was to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too 💌
Feb 23, 2025
May 28, 2025
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I’ve been thinking about how much of social media is centered around curating our self-image. When selfies first became popular, they were dismissed as vain and vapid—a critique often rooted in misogyny—but now, the way we craft our online selves feels more like creating monuments.
We try to signal our individuality, hoping to be seen and understood, but ironically, I think this widens the gap between how others perceive us and who we really are. Instead of fostering connection, it can invite projection and misinterpretation—preconceived notions, prefab labels, and stereotypes. Worse, individuality has become branded and commodified, reducing our identities to products for others to consume.
On most platforms, validation often comes from how well you can curate and present your image—selfies, aesthetic branding, and lifestyle content tend to dominate. High engagement is tied to visibility, not necessarily depth or substance. But I think spaces like PI.FYI show that there’s another way: where connection is built on shared ideas, tastes, and interests rather than surface-level content. It’s refreshing to be part of a community that values thoughts over optics.
By sharing so few images of myself, I’ve found that it gives others room to focus on my ideas and voice. When I do share an image, it feels intentional—something that contributes to the story I want to tell rather than defining it. Sharing less allows me to express who I am beyond appearance.
For women, especially, sharing less can be a radical act in a world where the default is to objectify ourselves. It resists the pressure to center appearance, focusing instead on what truly matters: our thoughts, voices, and authenticity. I’ve posted a handful of pictures of myself in 2,500 posts because I care more about showing who I am than how I look.
In trying to be seen, are we making it harder for others to truly know us? It’s a question worth considering.
Dec 27, 2024