Why become an Amateur?

Conjure that feeling of seeing the world being strange and wonderful around you. Why are ants are so strong? How do tardigrades survive the vacuum of space? When did ancient humans start having fun? There are so many oddities to examine and little joys to be found in the basic questions.

It’s fun to learn something new from someone who cares about that thing, and I care lot about weird things, for some reason. And that’s why we’re here together. I’m a writer, not much of a historian any more, and definitely not a scientist, but being on the outside of a discipline shouldn’t mean we can’t engage with it for fun!

The Amateurist spans all genres, disciplines, and eras with an enthusiastic curiosity for why things are the way they are.

Subscribe to get free access to The Amateurist’s regular newsletter and archive website. You can also choose to support my work with a paid subscription and you’ll get some special extras from me as thanks!

Stay up to date

Make sure your inbox knows The Amateurist isn’t spam and every update will appear *ping* just like that.

Join the crew

Be part of a community of people who also care about small, medium, and large things.

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.