About She's A Beast

This is a publication about bodies and our relationship to ourselves, each other, and everything else.

Here are the newsletter types:

Monday newsletter, Link Letter (for free and paid subscribers)

These have essays and commentary on negotiating a (more) based and functional relationship with our selves while we are beset on all sides by people yelling at us to work harder, sleep less, lose weight, and stop sweating. Here are some examples on the challenges of aging, random walks, running without a bra, and the costs of too much intensity.

These letters also have links to other things I’ve been reading or viewing. The whole archive is here.

Biweekly Sunday column (for paid subscribers only)

I’ve written about the interplay between conservatism and wellness, the philosophical roots of embodiment, exploring the unknown, negotiating parental relationships, and breaking out of wanting a ‘ballerina body.’ The whole archive is here.

Battleaxe (unpredictable)

This an opt-in supplement with no guarantees as to topic, frequency, or length. Here's one about my DIY dumbphone. If you just want to read more of my (strong) opinions, that's what Battleaxe is for.

Who is Casey?

I’m the author of A Physical Education; writer of the column Ask A Swole Woman for The Hairpin, SELF, and VICE; and a longtime writer and journalist in culture, science, and tech for outlets that have included the New Yorker and the New York Times.

I used to have a terrible relationship with my body; I ran too much, ate too little, ruminated about food constantly, and thought that was all just part of the beautiful experience of “being a woman.” (This is where A Physical Education begins.)

But then the thick connective tissue in my brain between “being as attractive and tiny as possible” and “being a worthwhile person” started to dissolve. Now I bring the ol' reporter's eye and shoe leather to the task of figuring out how and why I believed what I did about myself, my body, food, movement, work, and happiness. And now here we are.

A Physical Education

Written by the creator of the She’s A Beast newsletter, this mash-up of memoir and science writing is the rare story of a woman finding joy in a body that, f…

Grand Central PublishingLearn more about this author

Why subscribe with your dollars?

In the wider media world, it's exceptionally difficult to report on essential topics like disordered eating/workout behavior, body image, "unsavory" health topics, and wellness scams. You don't see publications or social media covering them because advertisers don't want their ads near them. They are considered "not brand-safe," not valuable, and a liability for the business (and the ads that do get placed next to this coverage are for scammy "therapy" startups, "green" powders, and worse). You cannot post even a cartoon nipple on any Facebook-owned platform; that's where we are at, culturally.

If you believe that the world needs coverage like this, it can only happen with direct reader support. Our readers include students, teachers, nonprofit workers, and political volunteers, so your support benefits their readership, too.

If you enjoy these writings and research, know that I not only cherish being able to do this work, but I cherish being able to serve you, the reader, exactly in the way I do now. It is my greatest hope and joy not to run ads; I don't want to have sponsors. In fact, I live to afflict those powerful forces. It brings me joy. Let me cook.

Subscribers receive a paid-subscriber-exclusive biweekly Sunday edition of the newsletter,

Want a taste? Try these unlocked Sunday columns on for size:

• The stickiness of terrible science reporting
• Confessions of a former playground adrenaline junkie
• The pitfalls of intuitive eating

You can check out the rest of the archive, which includes previews of many columns.

You also get a litany of other benefits, including:

• Access to the Beasties Discord (a.k.a the Liftcord), a place for people who are ready for growth (physical, emotional), want to share the latest snacks, and more. This includes a form-check channel for workshopping your progress!
• A FREE copy of LIFTOFF: Couch to Barbell, the strength training program for total beginners
• 30% off She’s A Beast merch
• An additional column in your inbox every other Sunday, plus access to the entire archive of paid posts
• The satisfaction that comes with supporting the free coverage that arrives in inboxes weekly on Fridays. This publication is maybe the only health-related content operation on god's green earth that is completely free of sponsorships, partnerships, advertising, or product placement. And that is all thanks to reader support.

Also: even if you sign up for only the free newsletter, you get a free sample of LIFTOFF, as well as a copy of the Avocado Principle zine on why weight-loss dieting doesn't work. Can’t lose!

Stay up-to-date

As far as the newsletter, you won’t have to worry about missing anything if you sign up. Every new edition goes directly to your inbox.

For questions about subscriptions and tech logistics, please refer to the FAQ.