First, a personal classified: I'm officially running the New York Marathon! And I'm incredibly proud to be raising funds for GIRLS ON THE RUN — an organization that has touched so many of your lives in some way.

If you've been reading CS for some time, you know that I didn't learn to love to run until I was well into adulthood — in part because running as a kid was a mandatory slog that made me feel bad about myself and resentful towards others.

But Girls on the Run makes running fun, powerful, gratifying, and normal for 200,000 girls every year. It's about seeing adults who aren't your parents have fun in their bodies. It's about de-centering winning and optimization as the primary purpose of exercise. And because of fundraising efforts like this one, it's available to anyone who wants to participate in the hundreds of programs run by schools, YMCAs, and community organizations across the country. 

I've already paid for my registration fee, so all of the money you donate here goes directly to Girls on the Run. You're funding the stuff that makes these programs possible — including shoes, sports bras, and deodorant for girls and non-binary kids whose families can't afford them but want to run. Girls on the Run also believes all girls and non-binary kids, regardless of ability, should be able to run, whatever that looks like. Your donations make training to make that inclusiveness possible.

Do you ever think back on your tween years and wish something, anything, could've made you feel more at home, more powerful, and more proud of what your body does? That's the work of Girls on the Run — and I hope you'll use my own dream of running the NYC marathon as an impetus to allow so many other girls and non-binary kids to experience the joy of running.

I've already raised $1820. Can we hit $5500? Can we go beyond it? I really think we can. Just click here. It's tax-deductible! Let's raise some money!!!!

From the Albuquerque Journal c. 1920. Love the dog name PET

Now, let's get to the rest of the Culture Study Classifieds, one of my favorite recurring features in the newsletter! Here in the PNW (at least west of the mountains) we're embracing our usual Junetober fate: temps in the high 50s, rain (good!!!), and general gloom (bad). The only remedy is Classifieds distraction. So let's hang out.

Here's the pitch: People love reading the classifieds. And Culture Study readers live all over the world, doing all manner of things. That distance means we can’t function like your local NextDoor (ew) but over the last two years I’ve watched us create a useful, niche, and very Culture Study iteration of the form. (I also always have to credit Claire Zulkey’s great Evil Witches newsletter for proof of concept).

If you’ve never participated before, here are some prompts to get you started:

  • On a very straightforward level: Do you provide a service or have an online (or offline!) store? Tell us about it.

  • Do you have a specific skill that you’d like to offer others for free or a low fee? Proofreading, grant writing tips, finding very specific clothing items that you’ve seen on a TV show, help with PSLF applications, gardening advice, how to figure out supplemental Medicare insurance, how to get power of attorney, each classifieds you offer new ones

  • Show us some cool shit you’re doing. Post a link to your latest knitting project, your vegetable starts, your collages, a report you’ve published (this was a big hit last round!), WHATEVER, we’re here to pump you up with praise.

  • You want some readers for an early draft of a book, an essay, a short film, a composition (or just want to talk through an idea). We’ve got a lot of voracious readers here who would love to help.

  • You’re looking for specific recs for a service or item either locally (e.g., “in and around Ann Arbor”) or on the internet (“I need someone to help with selling my grandmother’s silver”)

  • You want a mail buddy, an email buddy, a reading club buddy. I’m trusting you all to not be weird here, but if you want someone to talk to, I bet someone here also wants to talk to you.

  • You have books or puzzles or clothes you’d like to go to a new home. Specify whether you’ll pay the postage or you’d like them to do so. (If you want to post an image of something you’re offering, remember you can always do so using Imgur)

  • ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN THINK OF IN THE CLASSIFIED VEIN [And just a note that we have other threads for Advice, Broadly Conceived, so keep those advice questions for then]

As always, this is a private, subscriber-only space. *If you previously found someone using these Classifieds, tell us about it! If you’ve done work for other Culture Study readers, tell us about that, too!!*

AND BECAUSE THIS IS PRIVATE — if you want people to get in touch with you, leave your email (I recommend formatting without the @ symbol, e.g. annehelenpetersen at gmail). You can also email me and I will work my hardest to put you in touch — but it's definitely easier to leave your contact information. (You can also leave your website or Instagram if that's somehow less personal). ...