Welcome to the Charlie Becker Letter—
I am a writer, builder, and bookseller. This is a newsletter for people like me: those trying to build a meaningful life that combines intention and serendipity. My rules here are to follow my curiosity, write as well as I can, and try not to spend too much time overthinking what I'm doing.
I'm a second-generation secondhand bookseller and 2025 O'Shaughnessy Fellow, building an AI tool to help used bookstores like the one my family still runs. My writing mirrors the life I'm building: part intention (covering my work in bookstores, AI, consulting, and teaching), part serendipity (reflecting on whatever books, art, or daily moments make me think).
My short bio is a little long and disjointed because it’s accurate. In a nutshell, I tried to be a lot of other people and sucked at being them all before I realized I’m exceptionally good at being myself.
My target audience is people who are thoughtful but not joyless, ambitious but not careerist, highbrow and lowbrow in equal measure. They probably:
Love the idea of reading good books (whether or not they actually get to)
Go “ooh I should see that” when a movie trailer says A24 but haven’t seen most of them and can only name a few
Love to journal in their designer notebook but sometimes only writes in one once a month or so
Will get the omakase with their bonus AND have strong opinions about which Costco wine is the best
Say they prefer “Art” over “Content” but has hundreds of saved TikToks & Reels
Dream of being a creative dilettantes doing it for the love but would for sure monetize their own Substack with enough pledges
The Substack, newsletter, and podcast are all named after me because it's a name I don't have to think about (see my note earlier about overthinking).
People who like what they read here say that I'm authentic and vulnerable, plus I give them new ways of seeing things.
To see some of the essays where I (and my readers) think I nailed this best, check the "Best Of" section of the blog. (To see some of my more idiosyncratic favorites that I think really capture the “vibe” of what I’m trying to do here, check out the “Deep Cuts” section.)
Everything here is free, but I will someday put out some books and do other stuff like launch courses and businesses.
If you're looking for that used bookstore feeling—where serious ideas meet happy accidents, where you come for one thing and leave with something better—consider an $8 per month paid subscription. It helps me keep wandering and writing about what I find.
