Welcome to “Self-Taught”
As a double Capricorn—a workaholic whammy that makes true astrology people go “..oh”—I’ve created this blog as a personal assignment to find more chill and more joy.
“self-taught” is a place where I fall down the rabbit hole of the gaps in my own knowledge.
My primary interests have sought to pull back the cover on the mystery of beauty. How does someone dice an onion, make a Beef Wellington, or butterfly a fish? (One of these questions, I still don’t have the answer.) Where does someone even begin with poetry?
Paid subscribers receive
A exclusive writing prompts
And objective lessons to demystify the topic at hand (i.e. who was Leo Tolstoy?)
And monthly digests, typically sent on the 15th, with updates on my novel and recommendation break-downs
Considering all of that for $5 a month? A steal.
Who is Chloe?
Speaking from my professional background:
I am the author of the BookLife Prize finalist book of essays, Perf: The Unspoken Flaws of a Perfect Culture (New Degree Press)
I’ve worked in the entertainment industry, specifically in TV comedy, at CAA, UCB, Comedy Central, and Scarlett Johansson’s These Pictures
I received my master’s degree in creative nonfiction and fiction from Penn State in 2019…
and in the fall of 2025, I’ll return to school for my M.F.A. in fiction from Temple in Philadelphia
And here are the common threads of this newsletter:
I am the eldest daughter of six kids: three boys, three girls. We were born into a huge Irish Catholic brood in the D.C. burbs.
I have a reputation among my friends for always being at someone else’s wedding
I swing between low-brow reality TV and 19th century fiction, romantasy and literary fiction short stories.
You can follow me on Instagram and visit my website for short stories and other publications. I’m also available an email or comment away here on Substack.
