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Maggie Mertens

Maggie Mertens

Seattle, WA
Maggie Mertens is the author of Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women. She's been writing about gender, sports, culture, and many other things as an independent magazine journalist for more than a decade.
Aug 19
Photo of an author signing with Robert and Ina Caro on one side of the table and fans photographing Robert signing a book on the other. In the foreground, two women lean in close to talk.

I Want a Literary Wife

But the economy won't support it.
8 min read
Jul 15
Two small children lay next to a woman on a beach towel.

How Much Work Will I Do On My Summer Vacation?

And is it wrong if I kind of enjoy it?
6 min read
Jun 17
A collage of images, featuring a headshot of a smiling white woman with brown hair in the center, surrounded by screenshots of headlines from articles she's written.

The Scratch Interview #6: Lydia Kiesling on Fiction and Finances

"I've found I'm not making big progress on fiction unless I go away from my house and say, ‘I am now going into isolation.'"
19 min read
May 27
F stand in front of a mural of a fox and bird in purples, pinks and blues.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 Triggered Our Media Trauma

Spoiler: Mackenzie Scott is not saving our magazine careers
19 min read
May 13
green and white and black tiles on a subway station wall, in the middle a yellow arch pattern with a white background and WAY OUT with a black arrow.

The Scratch Interview #3: Why Can’t Writers Seem to Quit Substack? (Roundtable)

And why haven’t I done it yet?
22 min read
Apr 21
Photo of a bunch of old flip phones spilling out of a yellow NiKON bag. Beside it is a well-loved black rotary telephone.

Smartphones, Dumbphones, and Delusions of Platform-Building

“I don’t actually need my smartphone to write, but do I need it in order to be seen as a writer?”
13 min read
Mar 17
A bumper sticker that reads "EAT THE RICH! (EXCEPT ME IF I GET RICH)"

The Scratch Interview #1: An Anonymous Author and Tax Preparer Answers Our Questions

On self-employment, taxes, and shame.
20 min read