Culture Study Classifieds, Heart of Winter Style
Dare you not to look
Before we get to the Classifieds, a few quick podcast-related asks. We’re looking for questions about Running Culture, broadly defined (what’s something weird or annoying or unexpectedly wonderful about it that you’d like me and Raziq to unpack??). We’re also having Margaret Willison back on the pod for a special episode about Old Movies — you tell us three contemporary movies you absolutely love, and we’ll recommend a few old movies to try.
Submit your questions for either episode using this very quick and straightforward form. (And make sure and checkout the Culture Study Podcast back catalog!)
Welcome to the Heart of Winter Culture Study Classifieds, which will beguile you and surprise you and hopefully compel you to post your own. Since the first classifieds in October 2023, I routinely hear from readers telling me about the connections they’ve made (and services they’ve found) via these classifieds. People really love them: reading them, offering services, putting together book clubs (I see you Chicago!!) and arranging friend blind dates. They’re amazing! Why should we ever stop?!?
Culture Study readers live all over the world, doing all manner of things. That distance means we can’t function like a hyper-local classifieds section (although you could try, maybe you have a Missed Encounter you want to try out!) but I’ve watched us create a useful, niche, and very Culture Study iteration of the form. (I also have to credit Claire Zulkey’s great Evil Witches newsletter for proof of concept).
If you’ve never participated before, here are some prompts to get you started:
On a very straightforward level: Do you provide a service or have an online (or offline!) store? Tell us about it. Make sure to include links / social if you have them. (Are you an accountant who works for creatives a specific area or are licensed to work across state lines? Oh my god please make yourself known. But also: graphic design, home design, etc etc)
Do you have a specific skill that you’d like to offer others for free or a low fee? Proofreading, grant writing tips, finding very specific clothing items that you’ve seen on a TV show, help with PSLF applications, gardening advice, how to figure out supplemental Medicare insurance, how to get power of attorney, each classifieds you offer new ones
Maybe you just want to show us some cool shit you’re doing. Post a link to your podcast, your fiber arts project, your attempt at Is This Cake, your Ikebana arrangement, WHATEVER, we’re here to pump you up with praise.
You want some readers for an early draft of a book, an essay, a short film, a composition (or just want to talk through an idea). We’ve got a lot of voracious readers here who would love to help.
You’re looking for specific recs for a service or item either locally (e.g., “in and around Toronto”) or on the internet (“I need someone to tutor me on Shopify)
You want a mail buddy, an email buddy, a reading club buddy. I’m trusting you all to not be skeezy here, but if you want someone to talk to — I bet someone here also wants to talk to you.
You have books or puzzles or clothes you’d like to go to a new home. Specify whether you’ll pay the postage or you’d like them to do so. (If you want to post an image of something you’re offering, remember you can always do so using Imgur)
ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF IN THE CLASSIFIED VEIN [And just a note that we have other threads for Advice, Broadly Conceived, so keep those advice questions for then]
As always, this is a private, subscriber-only space. **If you previously found someone using these Classifieds, tell us about it! If you’ve done work for other Culture Study readers, tell us about that, too!!**
This has gone very well the last four rounds, but I also reserve the right to delete anything that feels off and/or skeevy. Don’t be butts about other people’s offerings and inquiries and let’s keep this one of the good places on the internet.