A Brief History of What is Even Going On Here
First it was a show.
The HOW I LEARNED series was born in New York in 2009 and had a decade-long run. It wasn’t just an era, it was a whole vibe.
Created, produced, and hosted by me, Blaise Allysen Kearsley, HOW I LEARNED featured writers, comedians, storytellers, and other raconteurs holding forth on a different theme every month.
Esteemed guests included Alexander Chee, Ayo Edebiri, Mira Jacob, Anna Sale, Hugh Ryan, Starlee Kine, Mara Wilson, Choire Sicha, Rupinder Gil, Isaac Fitzgerald, Aparna Nancherla, Dodai Stewart, Baratunde Thurston, Jo Firestone, Emma Straub, Maggie Estep, Sadie Stein, Josh Gondelman, Ophira Eisenberg, Jiji Lee, Mike Albo, Adam Wade, Janelle James, John Fugelsang, Rakesh Satyal, Jami Attenberg, Taylor Negron, and many more.
Every third Wednesday of the month, home was Happy Ending1(RIP), a beloved, sticky-floored, fire hazard. Over the years, there were also shows at Bowery Electric, Caveat, Le Poisson Rouge, and Housing Works in lower Manhattan, and at Union Hall in Brooklyn.
In 2010, HOW I LEARNED went to New Orleans for an epic two-night, sold-out show at Le Chat Noir featuring local raconteurs.
Everything was going great. HOW I LEARNED was the best thing for everybody. One time, we were sponsored by Carvel Ice Cream; there was so much cake.
The series was hailed by New York Magazine, Electric Literature, CBS New York, The New York Times, Tin House, Brooklyn Magazine, The Village Voice, and also that one guy who recognized me on the street that one time.
Now it’s a magazine.
COVID hit, everything shut down, I went on hiatus, and then I kept forgetting to come back. I decided to resurrect the series in 2025 by reforming it into the little indie pub you’re looking at right now.
It’s a space for true personal stories from diverse vantage points and new and emerging voices. It’s about ways of seeing the horror and the hilarity of the world that might lead to a kind of unexpected wisdom or confirmation that nobody really knows anything at all. It’s about trying to be a person, or whatever.
New nonfiction runs once a week (mostly) in FEATURED ESSAYS. There’s also LAST THING I’LL SAY, MY NEXT GHOST, DREADLINE, and 28 x 20, all sections written by me.
I’m a writer, teacher, artist, and that lady from the HOW I LEARNED live series and magazine. I’m an awkward introvert with a self-image problem and confusing personal style, but sometimes — with one right cocktail and a great crowd on a good hair day — I’ll get up almost anywhere to read (or tell) a story about my bad decision making.
You can learn how to pronounce all my names at blaiseallysenkearsley.com. If you’d like, you can follow me or HOW I LEARNED on Instagram, and also on this weird notes thing that we’re doing now for some reason.
There will be [a] HOW I LEARNED show[s] in the future, but I’m excited to see how this venture evolves. This is an indie project, a big labor of love, 100% supported by The People. So, join the fold: read, comment, like, share, become a free or paid subscriber, or make a one-time donation. It’s really whatever you want. I’m just delighted and grateful you’re here.
I think that’s it. Let’s get off the internet for a bit. We can meet back here later.
xo Blaise
Got a solid HOW I LEARNED story for the magazine?
Check out the Submission Guidelines and hit me with your best shot.
