ABOUT / FAQ

Not a normal substack

Jul 6, 2021

Q. WHO ARE YOU?

You might as well call me Alice. Two and a half years ago, I launched a lark Twitter account, @AliceFromQueens, that’s gained 30,000 followers. On its way up, the account grabbed a bit of cult fame, some media coverage, and regular entrée into the Discourse. Calling this unexpected would be putting it feebly.

Q. WHAT IF I DON’T CARE ABOUT TWITTER?

This substack will not rehash my Twitter. A visit to my Contents and Coming Attractions page will give you a taste of the variety you can expect here.

Q. WHY DON’T YOU USE YOUR REAL NAME?

The first two chapters of The Alice Origin Story cover this in detail. The short answer is that pseudonymity gave me superpowers.

Q. WHY SHOULD I TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY, ANONYMOUS TWITTER LADY?

Maybe you shouldn’t. But before you decide, check out these prominent writers saying kind things about me. Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie had been bugging me to launch one of these for a year. I never thought seriously about it until writers I admire urged me to try.

Q. WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM HER OWN DEVICES?

Not a normal substack.

Most ’stacks, including some very good ones, take the familiar forms of blogposts or news articles. Writers typically have a “beat,” with stand-alone posts wedded to the news-cycle. You can enjoy any post without reading others.

I’ll be doing something different. A wide variety of work in various categories. Many of the posts will belong to a series, like chapters in a book.

Q. OK BUT SERIOUSLY WHO ARE YOU?

I’m not saying. If you feel you need my birth-name to hold me “accountable,” you’re approaching this in the wrong spirit, and should look elsewhere. Substack provides plenty of Certified Public Accountables eager to show their faces and bite their tongues

Q. WHAT ELSE?

You have my pledge that the moment I get bored of a piece, I won’t soldier on, but will quit where dullness strikes, even in the midd

Alice