Small Changes . . .

that feel momentous.

It’s New Year’s Day.

I published my first post on Writer, interrupted on November 3, 2023. My husband died of lung cancer the previous April. We were married forty-three years. I tell my stories now because writing, like grieving, is an act of love.

Starting today, I’m offering you the choice to receive Writer, interrupted on either a free or paid subscription plan. There’s no difference between the two, except:

• Free subscribers will continue to receive my posts at least once a week, delivered to your inbox. You will be able to comment and have full access to my website and archives. You will have my love and appreciation. No paywalls. In other words, nothing will change.

• Paid subscribers will have all of the above, plus bonus missives, updates, personal notes, photos and more. I’ve got lots of ideas for the coming year, and I hope you will share your suggestions with me. You will have my abiding gratitude for valuing my work enough to pay for it.

And because it’s the beginning of the year, I’m offering a 30% discount to anyone who wishes to support my work as a paid subscriber. As my annual rate is $50, you will pay only $35 per year. (Or choose a monthly rate, as calculated by Substack). This offer is good through the month of January, and you will continue to receive 30% off until the end of time.

What prompted me to make this change? A couple of things. First, although I’ve written and published my work for years, I have never been paid for my writing. Second, I received pledges of support from two brilliant women:

Mary McCormick is a writer and dear friend. A retired lawyer, she now teaches and writes about Irish literature, sits on the board of several legal and nonprofit organizations, mentors young women, and quietly moves the world. Mary’s memoir, Parkie Land, tells the story of her journey through the devastation of her husband’s Parkinson’s disease. I will publish my interview with her in the coming weeks.

Ann Kennedy Smith

writes

Lost in the Archives with Ann Kennedy Smith

on Substack. A gifted scholar, she brings us authoritative and enthralling stories about the lives of women writers, as well as essays, Times Literary Supplement book reviews and much more. Subscribe!

Mary and Ann’s support means that I am, for the first time in my life, a paid writer. It feels wonderful. If you choose to join them, I will be thrilled.