Welcome!
Survival by Book is essays on work, love, art & other life-stuff, seen through a bookish lens.
Books teach us about what we do: the technology we use, the homes we make, the work we do, the money we earn, the relationships we choose—or that choose us, and the steps we need to take to grow into the best versions of our selves. They help us construct lives that are worth living.
Books also teach us about why we do what we do. They show us the things that motivate and inspire us, as well as what frighten and debilitate us. They shed light on the stories we tell ourselves and sometimes help us tell better ones.
Best of all, books teach us about what everyone else does, too. In doing so, they make our lives more endurable and beautiful—whether we’re suffering or winning, they remind us that our experiences are universal. They help us know we’re not alone.
Books are a means of survival—always have been, always will be.
Issues come out semi-monthly and are paywalled after one week. Some of the most popular posts in the archive are free, but the best way to enjoy all of the essays is to become a paying subscriber. You can do that for less than $5/month if you use this discount.
What readers are saying:
If you don't already subscribe, you really ought to. Courtney is a whip-smart writer, a lover of books and words, and a . . . force to be reckoned with.
Courtney is at her best—that’s saying something—when telling her own story. She writes things that remind me of parts of my life; so different but somehow exactly the same. A gift.
–Judith Solberg, creator of Doodle Dispatches
Find me on Instagram Find me on what used to be Twitter Email me
