Dying Breed: Year One in Review
Whenever you launch a new project, you can’t help but feel nervous, worried that it’s going to flop.
We certainly had those kinds of nerves almost a year ago when we launched Dying Breed, wondering, Is anyone going to be into this?
Happily, thousands of people have been into this. Dying Breed’s been a big success both in terms of garnering subscribers (we’re in the top 50 for Substack’s Culture category, alright!) and in terms of simply being enjoyable as heck to work on.
Brett really enjoyed finally diving into some meaty articles he’d been researching and thinking about for years — pieces that weren’t quite right for the Art of Manliness and hadn’t previously had an outlet. He’s also enjoyed talking to really interesting people for the Dying Breed Dialogues.
Kate really enjoyed resurrecting the Sunday Firesides series, now in a very suitable home — and contributing some longer articles as well.
Here’s a look back at everything we published this year on Dying Breed. Maybe you’ll spot something you missed, or find an essay worth revisiting.
Articles
What Nietzsche’s Typewriter Brain Can Tell Us About Twitter Brain
Biorhythms: What A Forgotten 1970s Wellness Fad Can Tell Us About 2025
A New Kind of Monasticism: The Power of Community to Shape the Soul
A New Kind of Monasticism: Friendship as a Spiritual Discipline
The Truth About Therapy, Part I: A Good Therapist Is Damn Hard to Find
The Truth About Therapy, Part II: Therapy Is Less Effective Than You Think
The Four Ages of Communication: How Changing Media Transforms the Human Experience
5 Things Farmers Have Taught Me About Work, Life, and Legacy
The Passionless Game: Kierkegaard on Why Sports (and Life) Feel Flat
The Wearing-Pajamas-to-the-Airport Theory of Societal Decline
Sunday Firesides
Check out the complete Sunday Fireside archives. You’ll find 300+ Sunday Firesides that Kate published on AoM before we moved them to Dying Breed.
Dying Breed Dialogues
Patrick Hutchison on What Restoring a Cabin in the Woods Taught Him About Confidence and Contentment
We’ll be taking the remainder of the year off to celebrate the holidays, recharge, and let some ideas we’d like to cover in 2026 start percolating. We’ll be back in January, continuing to serve up a semi-eclectic mix of inspiration, culture, history, and philosophy, all with this aim: surfacing timeless ideas and virtues that often get overlooked, are worth reflecting on, and can lead to a better life. We’re here to help you make sense of the wrinkles and weirdnesses of modern existence, as we attempt to navigate them ourselves.
But before we call it a year, we want to say a hearty thank you to those who have supported this project in 2025.
A big thanks to everyone who subscribed. There are a bajillion newsletters you could subscribe to, and there are other things you could spend $5 a month on. We appreciate that you’ve found Dying Breed worth your time and money. Your financial support at Dying Breed directly funds the writing Kate and I do online. Many of you have come to Dying Breed via the Art of Manliness, and your paid subscription here helps us keep AoM free for millions of readers and listeners.
It’s been genuinely enjoyable getting to know many of you in the comments. The quality of conversation here has been thoughtful, civil, and curious. We especially appreciate you diehards who comment on nigh near everything we put out. It’s always a boost to hear from you, and we sincerely appreciate the encouragement.
Overall, we’ve enjoyed the Substack ecosystem more than expected. Writing on Substack feels a lot like blogging did back in 2008: friendly, interesting, and fun. It’s refreshing.
Once again, thank you for making this first year of Dying Breed a success. We’re grateful for you.
We wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!




Great wrap-up post highlight your outstanding content throughout the year. As a newer paid subscriber, this is great to have one spot to be able to go back and read the gems I haven’t seen yet. Easily one of my favorite accounts on the platform.
Merry Christmas to both of you.
Merry Christmas! I appreciate this round up and look forward to digging in to these posts I missed.