Back to basics

Mid-September finally defined something that’s been bothering me. Not “bothering” in the sense that I’m upset or annoyed. Simply one of those itches I haven’t been able to scratch.

When I had my aha! moment, I felt like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders. The itch was scratched. I can’t explain how good it felt. I’ve slept better the last ten days…

What this post is NOT:

Anti-Substack. That would be counterproductive.
A rant or a list of grievances. Rants and grievances should be aired once a year on Festivus.

What this post IS:

Outline of my priorities through the end of 2027.
Notes regarding how this benefits you, my readers whom I cherish!
Information about Why This Matters and Now More Than Ever accessibility going forward.

PRIORITIES:

As mentioned in earlier posts, my central goals over the next eighteen months are (NOT in order of priority): Handing off Center for White Rose Studies to a related nonprofit or university; selling Exclamation! Publishers; and, finishing at least the first three volumes of [Substack title] Middle Earth: Houston.

Attempts to feed Substack's algorithm have frustrated all three of those goals. It’s no longer post long-form posts at least twice a week. Now it’s comment, comment, comment, and write multiple Notes every day. All with zero support from Substack management, who clearly have shifted their own priorities to supporting writing pods, Instagram and TikTok refugees, podcasters, influencers, and media personalities.

Again, not anti-Substack. That’s their business model. That’s the way they want to make money. It’s senseless to rage against the machine. They gotta make money the way they gotta make money.

But their priorities no longer align with mine. Which are, to be clear: Handing off Center for White Rose Studies to a related nonprofit or university; selling Exclamation! Publishers; and, finishing at least the first three volumes of [Substack title] Middle Earth: Houston. By the end of 2027. [NB: It doesn’t even align with my old priorities, which were getting the real White Rose story “out there” to combat the legend. Those legendary tales do indeed align with Substack’s current priorities.]

I’m therefore returning to an old, reliable way of doing things: Newsletters. Not with Beehiiv, as I wouldn’t want to plague people who read my posts with yet more ads and noise. Not with mailchimp. Old-fashioned newsletters. Once a month, no more. Unless it’s to announce the sale of Exclamation! Publishers or a new home for Center for White Rose Studies.

One-paragraph summaries, with that dependable and previously ubiquitous “read more” in case the topic interests you. Content will overwhelmingly center on White Rose and other German resistance, but the newsletters will also include palate cleansers: Travelogues, Texas history, genealogy and family histories, wow-moments from work on Middle Earth Houston.

I’ll also feature others who likewise work behind the scenes, underfunded, digging without much recognition. I did that for thirteen years with our old newsletter (1999-2013). It’s a great format for those personal touches.

What you won’t find in my revived newsletters: Opinion pieces and political commentary. You can get more than you need from that faucet right here on Substack. You don’t need another place for reading strident commentary.

These newsletters will be free. Yes, free. No paid subscriptions.

However, for those of you who support my work, who tell me you believe in what I’ve been doing since 1994 with tangible funds, your version of the newsletter will include material not in the free edition. Substantial discounts for our publications. Recipes. Travelogues related to White Rose.

I count purchase of our publications as “support of our work.” In other words, the supporters’ version of the newsletter will go out to paid subscribers plus anyone who’s purchased more than $100 of publications. Not per year, but in general.

I’ve been working on this transition since returning from a mini-vacation in Central Pennsylvania. Let me tell you, I don’t have all the kinks worked out yet. I’ve only got a workaround for comments. Shopify does a lot of things well. ‘Comments’ are not among its strengths. In fact, while editing the comments page, I accidentally deleted existing comments. Big oops moment that was more than a little embarrassing.

But I am persevering. I cannot allow my life to be governed by an ever-changing algorithm. It’s too crazy. I see you nodding! Why do we grant platforms this much control over our work? Having stepped back from it, the past few years—especially the last year since Substack has flooded us with one change after another in rapid succession—seem unreal.

The October newsletter (work in progress) will likely include an introduction to an organization in Germany that brings together grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and perpetrators. Its founder recognized that the psychological trauma of both sets of descendants can produce similar effects.

And supporting/donor subscribers and customers will receive sample pages from our ancient German cookbook. Since we’re in harvest season, the sample pages will make vegetarian readers happy.

It’s my sincerest hope that this new-old version of our newsletter will continue our work of setting the record straight about White Rose, German, and other resistance during the Shoah. I still firmly believe that what they did then matters now more than ever.

Why This Matters, Now More Than Ever.

Postscript: A really nice side effect of having deleted the Substack app from iPhone and iPad—I am not allowing crap to flood the zone. We grouse a lot about the flood-the-zone propaganda technique, but we willingly consume it. I never realized how much it was affecting me until it was gone.

Note: "Scholars" who purchased my histories and then used without attribution are blocked and will not be on our newsletter list. Even if they spent $360 to buy everything.

No part of this post, Web site, or translations contained herein may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the copyright holder, except for the “fair use” of quotations that are properly cited and credited, including identification of the translator if applicable.

No part of this post, Web site, or translations contained herein may be included in any Large Language Model without proper licensing from the copyright holder [generally, Exclamation! Publishers, Center for White Rose Studies, or Denise Elaine Heap].