The Ivy League whistleblower, why writers struggle, and are religious people more fearful?
Weekly Reads #7
Greetings, friends. What a wild week. As I’m sure folks have had their appetite for political content adequately quenched, this week’s reads are unrelated to the election. But in case you missed the two pieces Authentic Intelligence published over the past week (both election-related), here they are:
And now, your Weekly Reads.
Columbia Agonistes
| 6 min readA St. Louisan like myself1, the man behind the “Ivy Exile” pseudonym—a former PR exec turned truth-exposer (and now author)—details his journey in escaping the echoing halls of Columbia University to turn whistleblower early last year.
This story exposes the university’s latest meltdown: a chaotic year marked by intense protests, mismanagement, and a leadership crisis that makes past scandals look tame. Truly a fascinating read, as it hits on everything from the culture wars in higher ed to Columbia’s unchecked DEI dogma, which the author claims has fanned the flames of tribalism. It’s an eye-opening look at academia’s double-edged standards and hidden turmoil.
Read the full story, here.
Bad Writing, Good Writing And The Truth About Why Writers Struggle
| 6 min readGood writers can write poorly, bad writers can write well, and so on and so forth. The nuance, Linda argues, lies in a degree of subjectivity in writing—that is, “bad” versus “good” writing is in the eye of the beholder, or the reader. Is your writing compelling readers to read on? Or, more simply put, is your writing even interesting?
Linda, who is no stranger to success in writing online (Medium, and now Substack) makes the case that struggling writers are asking the wrong questions. An insightful read!
Read the full story, here.
Are Religious People More Fearful?
| 9 min readMany major religious traditions emphasize the message, “fear not.” At some point, everyone faces fears, doubts, and anxieties. Religion can be a source of comfort, aiming to ease these struggles, but it can also sometimes heighten them, leading to even greater unease.
In this piece, Ryan masterfully weaves in commentary to support the findings of his data. Well worth the read, whether you’re religious or not.
Read the full story, here.
As always, thank you for reading. I look forward to sharing more of my favorite Substack reads with you—same time next Sunday.
Although he covets Lion’s Choice whereas I, clearly the more tasteful between the two of us, much prefer a pork steak or even toasted ravioli!