Hello everyone! HAPPY FANSPLAINING RELAUNCH WEEK. While we are generally going to be quite firm about not letting Fansplaining take over this newsletter, Gav has graciously allowed me to take over this particular newsletter. We’ve got info about the relaunch, our first articles, and a Pitt fic rec list from one of my co-editors, Lin Codega. For people who are uninterested in Fansplaining and/or The Pitt, we’ve also got our usual collection of articles and some lovely Devil Wears Prada fanart. — Elizabeth

new stuff: fansplaining edition

This week, my long-running fandom podcast, Fansplaining, relaunched as an even larger project: an independent, subscriber-funded journalistic publication featuring reporting, criticism, and analysis about fan culture. Phew! I have said some combination of those words many times this week. Basically, Fansplaining is an online magazine now, putting out one longread a week on fan culture or cultural criticism from a fannish lens. I’m running the publication with editor/writers whose names might be familiar: Aja Romano and Lin Codega.

We unveiled the new site on Wednesday, and the response has been incredible: hundreds of folks have already signed up to support the project, either as free members or as paying subscribers. If you haven’t checked it out yet, please do! Become a member (we won’t do anything with your email—this is just what all the indie pubs are doing to keep the AI scrapers from stealing our stuff) and if you have the means, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. We need your help to fund all the great writing we want to commission! (That includes Gav as our staff writer, who will be kicking things off with a bang very soon….you can probably guess what she’ll be writing about……..)

Subscriptions are $7 a month/$70 a year for our lower tier (access to all articles) and $12 a month/$120 a year for our higher tier (all special podcast episodes—at least one a month going forward, maybe more!). We also have a discount for anyone who has a lower income, is a student, is unemployed, etc. Get in touch with us and I’ll be happy to share it with you.

One note: if you’re supporting Fansplaining on Patreon, please head over there or check your email, because I can’t transfer that support automatically. You’ll see discount codes to start new subscriptions on Ghost, where we now host the site; please accept my deep gratitude for helping me power through the transition from podcast to publication. (Also if/when you transfer over to Ghost, please delete your Patreon support haha, makes it easier on my end!!)

OK, end spiel. Thank you for indulging me. :-D I just know The Rec Center is THE target audience for smart writing about fandom, so I wanted to make sure it was all spelled out. But if you want even more spelling out….

“(Re)Introducing Fansplaining” by Elizabeth at Fansplaining
Everything I wrote above, but with more manifesto vibes. This piece is totally in front of the membership wall, so please feel free to share with fandom friends who might be interested in our project!

“The Pitt Fandom Phenomenon” by Lin Codega at Fansplaining
The first big feature of the relaunched Fansplaining! Lin goes deep on The Pitt’s fandom and fic culture—written from the inside, with love. This one is also about how fanfiction works in general, so it should appeal even if you don’t watch the show or care about the fandom. If you are in the fandom or curious about the fic, though, Lin’s got a whole list of recs below!

new stuff: not fansplaining edition

“Tal Anderson On The Pitt's Earnest Portrayal Of Autistic Life” by Isaiah Colbert at Aftermath
“For decades, autistic characters have been slotted into the same limited archetypes: the prodigy, the robot, the quirky sidekick, or the infantilized innocent—sometimes all at once, reinforcing the myth that all autistic people fit a single mold.” An interview with Tal Anderson, who plays Becca on The Pitt.

“Move over, Elsa. The hottest entertainers at L.A. kid parties are ‘KPop Demon Hunters’” by Carlos Aguilar at L.A. Times
Inside the flourishing market for KPop Demon Hunters tribute acts.

“‘They’re supposed to be handmade’: zine creators fight to resist AI influence” by Claudia Efemini at The Guardian
This isn’t specifically about fandom zines, but is surely relevant to everyone in the fanworks space, where AI use is creeping in from all corners.

moby-dick, his eyes enormous: from hell's heart you STAB at moby? for hate's sake you spit your last BREATH at moby? oh! oh! the great shroud of the sea for ahab! the great shroud of the sea rolling on as it rolled five thousand years ago!!!!

— Scott Lynch (@scottlynch78.bsky.social) April 1, 2026 at 5:38 PM

older stuff

“The Feminist Art Roots of Fan-Made Videos” by Ashawnta Jackson at JSTOR Daily
“For women, it’s been an important tool for altering media in a way that ‘heals the wounds created by the displacement and fragmentation of women on television.’”

tumblr & beyond

The Devil Wears Prada fanart by moldyanchovy

“this happened to my good friend louis”

a compelling manifesto.

“walk with me”

listen up, rian johnson.

genuinely one of the best elements of the tumblr ecosystem!!

fanfiction

Lin Codega is an author and journalist who is currently on the masthead for Rascal News (which they co-founded) and Fansplaining (whose coat-tails they are riding). They spent about 8 months haunting the writer's room for Interview With The Vampire/The Vampire Lestat. There's not enough money in the world to pay them to reveal their AO3 pseud, but you can buy their books. PASHA THE STORM comes out June 30.

“A comprehensive study on unprofessional use of digital correspondence by J Abbot & M Robinavitch” by StarlingBite. 11K words, Explicit.
Ship: Jack Abbot/Michael “Robby” Robinavitch
Backstory: Robby and Jack are on opposite sides of the country and begin to communicate very professionally, and then more unprofessionally via email.
Rec: A really charming epistolary fic that mixes emails and small scenes between Jack and Robby that goes through their budding relationship. Content warnings: Pittfest

“Samira is Totally Fine” by elizasnoth. 29K words, rated Explicit.
Ship: Jack Abbot/Samira Mohan
Backstory: Jack and Samira become friends and their relationship deepens both inside the Pitt and in small moments outside of it.
Rec: I love fics that go into Mohan in the Pitt and this one does a great job of dealing with Robby while also showing what Mohan would do with a supportive attending. Also an absolutely pitch-perfect friends-to-lovers arc.
Content warnings: N/A

“hard odds to beat when you're on all fours” by loveism. 36K words, rated Explicit.
Ship: Melissa “Mel” King/Trinity Santos
Backstory: A classic fic premise where Mel’s never gotten eaten out and Trinity thinks that’s a tragedy she needs to personally solve.
Rec: Honestly just a really hot, excellently written, deeply smutty fic about the breakout lesbian ship of season 2, written before season 2 ever aired. Hard to argue with strap ons and thigh riding, honestly!!
Content warnings: Light dom/sub

“you wish you never ever met her at all” by capythusiast. 13K words, rated Explicit.
Ship: Parker Ellis/Samira Mohan
Backstory: Parker and Samira are rival operatives tracking the same infobrokers in Italy. They team up, tropily, and shenanigans ensue.
Rec: A criminally underrated AU with Mohan finding herself falling for the suave and also slightly criminally underrated Parker Ellis. Emphasis on the criminal. Well written and fun.
Content warnings: N/A

“Does That Ring a Bell?” by Pommesfreundin. 10K words, rated Mature.
Ship: Michael “Robby” Robinavitch/Dennis Whitaker
Backstory: Robby ends up checking in on Whitaker via his Ring camera while he’s on sabbatical.
Rec: A very well-written, introspective look at how it’s the small things (like accidental and then on purpose voyeurism) can make life worth living when you’re thinking of ending it.
Content warnings: Voyeurism, suicidal ideation

“Safe Haven” by Alethia. 40K words, rated Explicit. Ship: Jack Abbot/Michael “Robby” Robinavitch
Backstory: Jack Abbot goes to a conference and everyone on earth hits on him. Robby handles this normally.
Rec: It wouldn’t be a Pitt rec list without a fic from Alethia, who has clocked in over 40 fics for the fandom so far! This one is great, really funny, and shows off flirty Abbot.
Content warnings: Miscommunication

“Missing in Action” by slapfool. 11K words, rated Explicit.
Ship: Jack Abbot/Samira Mohan, Jack Abbot/Michael “Robby” Robinavitch
Backstory: Jack Abbot is caught in between two people he loves and he never quite figures out what to do about it. But that doesn’t stop him trying to launch a charm offensive to get out of it.
Rec: A truly incredible fic that goes into the real fallout of what happens when Jack Abbot pushes boundaries with both his peers and his subordinates. Extremely hot and very dramatic!
Content warnings: Miscommunication, suicidal ideation

“prototypes of what we were” by lunastxlla. 30K words, rated Explicit.
Ship: Michael “Robby” Robinavitch/Dennis Whitaker
Backstory: Robby spirals out because Dennis starts pushing him around a little bit at work.
Rec: Kind of a classic Hucklerobby fic, just so good and so fun. Does a great job with Abbot and Robby’s friendship as well!
Content warnings: Miscommunication

yaoi has become very popular lately. check it out if you have the time

— boyzantium (samoyedcore) ("deathcore doggy (@deathco.re) April 27, 2026 at 8:08 AM

FINAL THOUGHT

For those who had more mixed feelings about The Pitt season 2: You may appreciate the latest Patreon episode of Overinvested! I still love many elements of this show, but Morgan and I had a lot of criticisms this season, particularly regarding inconsistent writing and characterization.

And to everyone: Have a relaxing weekend! — Gav