Welcome to the 90s (Yes, I Have a Podcast Now)
I’ve started a podcast.
Well… let me back that up.
A month or so ago, I started recording audio versions of my Substack articles — Jeff Elder Isn’t Real. It was simple: I wrote a thing, posted the thing, then I read the thing into a microphone. Easy.
But now?
Now I’ve expanded distribution so it hits most of the major podcast platforms.
(Except Apple Music. More on that later. Let’s just say: headache – not worth the effort.)
So yes. I guess I have a podcast. Welcome to the 90s. Or the 2000s. Or whenever podcasts became a thing. Time isn’t real.
Why I’m Doing This (Even Though I Write Books)
The reason is embarrassingly simple:
I prefer listening over reading.
What?
Yeah, I know — I write books. I write essays. I write all the time.
But I also stare at text on a screen for most of my waking hours. So, when I want to actually enjoy a story, I prefer listening to it. Because while my eyes are tired, my brain may not be. Follow me?
So if you’re like me — someone who loves stories but occasionally wants to give your eyeballs a break — this podcast is for you.
What the Podcast Actually Is
The podcast is called Jeff Elder Isn’t Real, and it mirrors the Substack of the same name. Most weeks, I post a new essay on Substack, and now you can listen to me read it wherever you prefer to listen to things.
It’s still free.
It’s still me.
It’s just… portable.
You can now listen on Spotify, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, and all the smaller apps those platforms feed into. And of course, you can still listen on Substack or through the Substack app if you like to keep everything in one place.
Apple Music will happen eventually. Probably. Maybe. We’ll see.
Where We Are Now
I started recording audio at Episode 9. We’re on Episode 13 now. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be backfilling Episodes 1–8 so the whole archive is available in audio form.
Each episode is around 10 minutes or less.
Short enough to listen while making coffee, walking to your car, hiding from your responsibilities, or pretending to fold laundry.
Or, if you’re a binger, you can listen once a month and play them back‑to‑back. That’s the beauty of podcasts — you can digest them however you want.
What This Thing Is
Jeff Elder Isn’t Real is a Substack podcast written and read by me — a writer of sorts, musician, and general DIY creative hermit. It’s a place where the curtain is half open. Part memoir, part creative process, part cultural observation.
Warm, honest, and a little strange.
Just like life.
Where to Follow
Follow wherever you listen, or subscribe on Substack to get everything in one place.
As the ambulance chaser on TV says, call me right now! Well, here are the podcast links – Don’t get caught in an accident – CLICK ME RIGHT NOW!!! – You, too, could be missing out on thousands owed to you – FOLLOW ME RIGHT NOW!!!!
Substack (podcast)
Substack (main article page)
New episode arrives tomorrow.
Thanks for being here!
Jeff
