Hi,

I’m Franklin Leonard — founder of the Black List, an occasional cultural critic, sometimes podcast host, sometimes podcast guest, semi-frequent TV talking head, and compulsive football/soccer fan.

And it appears that I have made a personal Substack.

I did this for many reasons, chief among them that I wanted to bully myself into doing more long-form writing about culture, power, storytelling, merit, and value.

You'll find that writing here, along with a few other things:

• Links and commentary on things I think are worth your time

• The occasional but inevitable football/soccer post because I can't help myself

• The Undiscovered, a series of conversations with people I think are worth listening to, about what remains undiscovered and why.

Some of this will connect to the work I've done and continue to do with the Black List. Much of it won't. The throughline — as much as there is one — is my own curiosity about culture and power, how we find value in people and ideas, and how that value gets expressed in the stories we tell, wherever we tell them.

If that sounds at all interesting to you, you've found yourself in the right place. I hope you'll subscribe, read, participate, and tell a friend … or many friends.

If you’re inclined, paid subscriptions help support this work — and give you access to the full Undiscovered conversations and some other things when they drop.

Great to have you here,

Franklin