Goodbye, Jasmin's Jargon; Hello, Exes & Oh!s

Yep, we're going there.

I love Substacking, and (spoiler alert) I’m not going anywhere.

But you’ve probably noticed that a few things have changed here.

Since I started Jasmin’s Jargon, so much has changed in my own life. As a result, my posts have changed in their scope. And you’ve remained consistently amazing, by the way; thank you for always showing up to see what I have to say, even though you never really knew what you were going to get. It’s been such a joy talking to you about everything from dogs to grief to time management.

We are all constantly evolving, and in my case, so is my Substack.

Those of you who have followed my work for a while know that Mariann Sullivan, my co-host on the Our Hen House podcast, is someone whose thoughts I take very seriously. The moment we met 17 years ago, I felt like our banter took on a life of its own; it was something to be nurtured. Mariann is a brilliant thinker, and from the very beginning, I have been obsessed with her brain. This is something the listeners of her other podcast, The Animal Law Podcast (produced under the OHH umbrella), certainly share.

For a decade, Mariann and I were not only partners in work but also partners in life; we helped normalize gay marriage and then, later, gay divorce. Annnnnd, I’ll skip that part because there are a few things that I won’t tell even you, dear Substack readers.

But even after we split up, after an initial difficult period where we each adjusted to new normals, we remained close and, crucially, committed to Our Hen House. Along with my wife Moore, with whom I eloped 5 years ago, Mariann and I coordinated our moves up to Rochester, NY, where we live a mile from one another.

Mariann and I both believe that we work well with one another, and inspire each other, which is the only way I can explain why Our Hen House remains strong, even 14 years later (14 years without ever missing a week, mind you). Recently, I was thrilled when she showed me a few essays she had written (primarily, but not exclusively, on animals, veganism, and animal law — but not necessarily for lawyers), with no home for them in mind.

Enter Substack. Why wouldn’t she just publish them on my Substack? Makes total sense, right?

But then … why not just join forces with Mariann in a new way and totally change the scope of my Substack? I’ve been looking to breathe new life into this, and even already, I’m feeling a renewed burst of creativity with Mariann in the mix.

And so, with that, Jasmin’s Jargon is now Exes and Oh!s. Here’s how we describe it:

Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer are the titular Exes, and they are constantly surprised (thus the “Oh!s”) by how hard it is sometimes to get anything done, how hardly anybody seems to mind things that seem really bad—like the earth getting hotter and all the animals in factory farms—and, in spite of it all, how beautiful the world can be.

Everything else will remain the same; the links are forwarded, the subscriptions are still intact, and I’ll still be writing here.

But so will Mariann, so you get even more bang for your buck.

I hope you love it as much as I think you will.

Thanks for sticking around.

xo,

jazz

Me and Mariann 10 years ago.