# Freddie deBoer

> Freddie deBoer is an American author, cultural critic, and PhD-wielding contrarian who has spent 17 years making everyone on the internet uncomfortable - including people who agree with him. A self-described Marxist who despises most of the left, his Substack newsletter 'cool but rude' has over 67,000 subscribers hungry for unvarnished takes on education, identity politics, media dysfunction, and mental illness. Author of three books - The Cult of Smart (2020), How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement (2023), and debut novel The Mind Reels (2025) - deBoer writes with the conviction of someone who has nothing left to prove and everything left to say.

- **Role:** Independent writer and Substacker
- **Organizations:** Substack, Coffee House Press, Simon & Schuster
- **From:** Middletown, Connecticut, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts, English, Central Connecticut State University, Master of Arts, Writing and Rhetoric, University of Rhode Island, Doctor of Philosophy, English, Purdue University
- **Known for:** Built Substack newsletter to over 67,000 subscribers, ranked #25 in Culture, Vulture Must-Read Book of October 2025 for The Mind Reels, Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2025 for The Mind Reels

## Career timeline

- **2008** — Launched 'L'Hote' blog on Blogspot from a public library, named after an Albert Camus short story
- **2015** — Completed PhD at Purdue University with dissertation on the CLA+ standardized test and writing assessment
- **2017** — Stepped back from Twitter and social media due to bipolar disorder; began continuous medication regimen in August 2017
- **2017** — Left role as communications editor at Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy
- **2020** — Published The Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice (All Points Books/St. Martin's Press)
- **2021** — Launched Freddie deBoer newsletter on Substack after taking a Substack deal out of financial necessity
- **2023** — Published How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement (Simon & Schuster)
- **2025** — Published debut novel The Mind Reels (Coffee House Press, October 7, 2025) - named Vulture Must-Read Book of October 2025
- **2025** — Returned to social media via Bluesky in anticipation of novel publication
- **2026** — All In Your Head: Illness as Identity, Trauma as Fashion, and the Desire to be Disordered forthcoming from Simon & Schuster (October 2026)

## Achievements

- Built Substack newsletter to over 67,000 subscribers, ranked #25 in Culture
- Vulture Must-Read Book of October 2025 for The Mind Reels
- Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2025 for The Mind Reels
- Published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Harper's, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Playboy, Vox, NPR, and New York Magazine
- Three books published across major houses: St. Martin's Press, Simon & Schuster, and Coffee House Press
- Pioneered long-form blogging about education policy, mental illness, and left heterodoxy that presaged the Substack era
- Maintained independent reader-supported writing career through Substack for over four years

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Forthcoming book All In Your Head (Simon & Schuster, October 2026) announced - exploring modern mental health culture, illness as identity
- **2025-10** — Debut novel The Mind Reels published by Coffee House Press (October 7, 2025), named Vulture Must-Read Book of October 2025
- **2025-01** — Returned to social media via Bluesky after 8-year absence from platforms

## Links

- Website: https://fredrikdeboer.com/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/freddiedeboer

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/freddie-deboer
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-23