Besides being a nod to my totally normal almost decades long obsession with dark academia (yes, it existed well before TikTok and hashtags, I promise), the idiom “in a brown study” is defined as:

a state of deep contemplation or rumination, as of a reverie, daydream, or meditation. It originally meant a melancholic or depressed mood or state (dating from at least the 1500s), but has since largely lost that association.

As someone who has always been a bit more melancholy than those around me, prone to depression, and constantly daydreaming, I thought this idiom was rather perfect to title my newsletter after.

Additionally, many of my writing projects are inspired by stories by an era in which this idiom was still frequently used — the 18th and 19th century era. Mostly the Gothic novels, from which dark academia takes many of its themes from — Frankenstein, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, just to name a few. So again, rather fitting.

About Me

I loathe writing “about me” sections because I change so much & things that seem important to share with others one day seem cliché & not representative of me the next day. But here we go.

I am a neurodivergent, disabled, queer writer. While I would love to write an essay here about what that means, I generally don’t like to go into detail on any of those labels in “about me” spaces because every aforementioned label is fluid, on a spectrum, & the “definitions” vary day to day.

My list of what I like to write/read about is long & varied, so to name a few: elemental magic, lighthouses, siblings, swans, creepy houses with creepier people, gender fuckery, mental illness representation, shapeshifting, found family, coffee shops/bakeries, the reluctant father figure who adopts feral kids, when everyone is queer.

Lastly, for folks who like to know these things: my big three in astrology are Scorpio Sun, Libra Moon, & Aries Rising. I’m also an INFP & Enneagram 4 (sometimes 9).

Why Subscribe?

As much as I love social media for letting me connect to so many people worldwide, it gets increasingly more difficult to see the people over the ads, over the marketing. Substack delivers my letters to your inbox or app, the comments are not character restricted, there is no algorithm involved.

Also, I want this space to remain accessible, so I will never put this newsletter behind a paywall. I am privileged enough to not need additional income at the moment. If/when I do, it won’t be this space that I monetize. I want one space of mine that is always available. So this is it.

What you’ll find here:

  • regular letters — sometimes in list form, sometimes in long stream of consciousness, sometimes in proper newsletter format, whatever my brain wants to do

  • monthly wrap-ups — links & bullet points galore! featuring other writings or digital art collage work I’ve done, what inspired me recently, what media I’ve consumed, etc.

  • updates on my writing projects and writing submissions — along with the various changes & chaos what encompasses being a writer

  • so much more, really — anything that relates to my creative process, seasonal shifts and observations, mental health updates, moon cycles, etc. are up for discussion

Lastly

If you want more spaces to follow me, here a few more virtual places I am on as well.

By Ashley Story — my creative fiction blog where I post vignettes, flash fiction, & (one day) short stories; I will always link to them here if you aren’t a blog person

Main Instagram — pictures of books, coffee, notebooks, etc. ; also I love using IG stories over posting to the main feed

Digital Art Collage Instagram — exactly what it sounds like, I’m still working on if I like IG for sharing my art, but don’t know of another place at the moment

If you have made it this far, thank you for reading and I hope you subscribe to this space.

To find out more about the company that provides the tech for In A Brown Study visit Substack.com.

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In A Brown Study is a free newsletter fueled by much coffee, queer chaos, and indecipherable sticky notes.

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