The Porch is born out of the idea that the best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better; that beauty is the antidote to fear and violence; and that a conversation is better than a lecture. It’s a community embodying creativity, hope, and peace of mind amid a noisy, depressing, dysfunctional media landscape. We invite you to join The Porch community, and share a better story, making a better world.

The Porch lives in five ways:

  • Our regular newsletter and periodic essays, committed to one thing – great writing telling a better story, making a better world.

  • Our festivals and retreats, where everyone is invited to come together for creative conversation, music, laughter, challenge and inspiration.

  • Our community, online and in-person, where we learn from and encourage each other to live hopefully, even when it seems really dark out there.

  • A path to shelter, grounded hope; something to help us live better, as often as we open our minds to speak.

  • Surprises – subscribe and you never know what gifts await!

Members receive our regular newsletter and access to all previously published essays at The Porch, including collated subscriber editions from our earliest days. There’s no outside advertising, and we are committed to paying our writers well – the more members, the more we can share with writers.

Memberships are the source of The Porch's financial sustainability, and we're grateful to you for your support. Membership is open to anyone, regardless of ability to support financially. Click below to learn more.

We'd love to have you with us.