Introducing Buttered Popcorn
Or, questions I asked myself before starting this newsletter
I’ve been thinking about starting a newsletter for the past few months. As I got more serious about actually doing it, I had an internal dialogue to figure out why I wanted to do this, and what I could write about. Thank you for reading, and I hope you’ll subscribe if you haven’t already!
Aren’t there too many newsletters as it is?
Yes. The world does not need another.
So why start one?
Because I can.
But I think (hope?) that others could find it helpful and insightful.
What will this newsletter be about?
Buttered Popcorn is a newsletter about what I’m eating, watching, and cooking — and anything else I do that inspires me to write. There will be quick reactions and longer reflections. There will be recommendations for things to do around New York or around the world, links worth clicking on, and KitKat updates.
(KitKat is my cat.)
What won’t this newsletter be about?
I will avoid anything super personal or anything regarding current events, though either could seep into some of the things I write.
And I will try to not be too bloggy and/or pretentious.
Publishing a Q&A with yourself is both bloggy and pretentious.
🤷♂️
What’s the story behind the name Buttered Popcorn?
I think it captures this newsletter’s two primary subjects: film and food. The name gestures at the communal nature of how both are often experienced. You may slip into a cinema alone, or see a movie with your friends; book a table for two, or have a solo dinner at the bar. In any case, there’s other people around you experiencing the same thing at the same time. There’s something important about that.
Also, “Cultured Butter” was already taken.
Don’t you already have a Letterboxd account for posting movie takes?
Yes, and people should follow me!
I won’t write about every movie I see in this newsletter — that’s what Letterboxd is for — but here, I can write about film in a less structured format.
Don’t you already post about food on Instagram?
Yes, and people should follow me!
But the Instagram story is not the best way to share text. With this newsletter, I can be more thoughtful and candid when writing about the restaurants I’ve been to, or go in depth on my latest cooking project.
How often will you post?
Every week or so, I’ll publish a round-up of brief thoughts about movies, restaurants, and recipes. (Should I call them kernels?) Longer pieces will be sent whenever I’m inspired, which will be roughly once or twice a month.
During this newsletter’s infancy, I’ll post a bit more frequently just to build some momentum, but after that it’ll average out to one-and-a-half posts a week. I respect your inbox, and I want people to actually read what I send!
What are some of those longer pieces going to be about?
Here’s some medium-length pieces I plan on writing:
Jacob Elordi, served three ways
Eating at Noma, or, what we remember when we remember a good meal
The Sondheim-sized hole in the middle of his final musical
A food lover’s itinerary for San Sebastián/Donostia
The Shortcomings of adapting decade-old works of American Fiction
What qualifies you to write about all this stuff?
Honestly, nothing! I did not study writing, or film, or food. The extent of my professional experience with any of this was a summer job at Wendy’s over ten years ago.
Also, I’m writing this alone without an editor or a proofreader, so there will certainly be underdeveloped ideas and typos.
So why should people read this newsletter?
You might get some inspiration for the next thing to watch or eat. More importantly, you’ll know what to avoid.
On a headier level — one can say that art is the means by which a person makes sense of the world around them, abstracted through symbolism and craft. Most art is experienced by people who will never know its creator. Criticism can offer an interpretation of art and contextualize it within its cultural landscape. At its best, criticism is a starting point for a reader to consider their own experiences with the world at large.
I cannot claim to reach that ideal, but maybe I’ll get there with some practice.
Are there any other newsletters or writers that inspired you?
This is basically my personal riff on writer Elissa Suh’s newsletter moviepudding, which also covers movies and restaurants. Restaurant critic Ryan Sutton has a great newsletter, the LO Times, that informs how I want to write about dining out. On the cooking side of things, David Lebovitz’s newsletter is great (though unlike him, I don’t develop recipes, nor do I live in France).
Do you have any ambitions for this newsletter?
Not really, I just thought it’d be fun! It would be very cool to get press credentials for the New York Film Festival or something, but I don’t think this newsletter will ever get that big.
Hopefully this little back and forth with myself tells the story of what I want to do with Buttered Popcorn, and depict the ✨ vibe ✨ of this newsletter. Thank you for indulging me, now and in the future.
It would awesome if you shared this newsletter, or any particular posts you like, with your friends/co-workers/Hinge matches. I hope you’re as excited as I am about this!