about

what are you doing is a free weekly newsletter of philly art openings, book talks, parties, tours, lectures, performances, etc. etc. etc. it comes out every wednesday.

please double-check event details with the original listings or venues, i am liable to make mistakes and details often change after publication.

HOW TO SIGN UP

you can subscribe (or unsubscribe) at the button at the top right corner. your first newsletter will arrive on the following wednesday. if you subscribe but don't see it - check your spam folder! you might want to add shhhnewsletter@gmail.com and what-are-you-doing@ghost.io to your contacts.

if you want immediate access to this week's newsletter, you can sign up for a paid subscription, which gives you access to the web archive. the newsletter in your inbox is free; the web archive is the only perk to a paid subscription.

HOW TO SUBMIT AN EVENT

send event listings, thoughts, feelings, desires to shhhnewsletter@gmail.com. they don't even have to be your own events, you can send me anything you think i should know about. responding to the newsletter gets you right to my inbox.

submitting an event is no guarantee i will list it - some things just aren't quite the right fit, and i'll try to let you know why.

WHY PAY FOR A SUBSCRIPTION

this is a labor of love, so no pressure. but it does have some costs, including this website and mailing platform, the time this takes in my brief and fleeting existence etc... those costs grow as subscribers do. supporting this project helps ensure that it's sustainable in the long term. there's a one-time tip jar here. and a monthly or yearly subscription option. the subscription also allows you to view the archive of past newsletters online.

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THIS WHOLE THING

this list is curated by me, local media freelancer jen kinney. i was feeling frustrated with event listing options post-2020 and inspired by the fantastic lo-fi email newsletter nonsense nyc. i do this cause i love to be out and about in philly, so see you there.

WHY DO YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE PEN & PENCIL CLUB

because i'm on the board! the pen and pencil club is the oldest continuously running press club in the country AND the last remaining late night bar in center city that's open til 3am, 7 days a week. (and one of the last smoking bars, after 10pm.)

we host all kinds of events about journalism, civics, writing, and more. part of my role as board member is facilitating events, so if you want to host one, please reach out at events@penandpencil.org!

outside of public events, the p&p is members-only, so you need a current member to sponsor your application. email me about that. it's fun to be a part of private club! and you'll be helping to keep a vital third space alive.