# Max Read

> Max Read is a Brooklyn-based journalist, media critic, and newsletter writer who runs Read Max, a Substack publication covering tech culture, internet phenomena, AI, and digital media with acerbic wit and analytical depth. Former Editor-in-Chief of Gawker and founder of New York Magazine's Select All vertical, Read is one of the sharpest observers of how platforms reshape human behavior - a thinker who treats the internet with the seriousness of a literary critic and the irreverence of someone who has watched it eat itself alive.

- **Role:** Writer and Editor, Read Max (Substack)
- **Organizations:** Read Max, New York Magazine, Gawker Media
- **Nationality:** American
- **Known for:** Village Voice 'Best Personal Tumblr' Award (2011), National Magazine Award nomination for 'The Year in Memes' (2017), Essay 'Going Postal' selected for The Best American Essays 2021

## Career timeline

- **2011** — Won Village Voice 'Best Personal Tumblr' Award
- **2014** — Became Editor-in-Chief of Gawker.com
- **2015-07** — Resigned from Gawker alongside executive editor Tommy Craggs in protest over editorial independence violation
- **2016** — Joined New York Magazine as senior editor; founded Select All technology vertical
- **2016-08** — Published 'Did I Kill Gawker?' retrospective in New York Magazine
- **2017** — 'The Year in Memes' co-authored feature nominated for National Magazine Award
- **2021** — 'Going Postal' selected for The Best American Essays 2021 (ed. Kathryn Schulz)
- **2021-10** — Launched Read Max newsletter on Substack (October 18, 2021)
- **2022** — Read Max reached ~13,000 free / 925 paid subscribers at one-year mark
- **2023** — Read Max reached ~26,000 free / 1,875 paid subscribers; launched podcast
- **2024** — Read Max reached ~60,000+ total subscribers; ranked #24 in Technology on Substack

## Achievements

- Village Voice 'Best Personal Tumblr' Award (2011)
- National Magazine Award nomination for 'The Year in Memes' (2017)
- Essay 'Going Postal' selected for The Best American Essays 2021
- Built Read Max to 60,000+ subscribers, ranked #24 in Technology on Substack
- Led Gawker as Editor-in-Chief at its cultural peak
- Founded Select All, New York Magazine's dedicated tech/internet culture vertical
- WGA member screenwriter with professional TV/film credits

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Published Read Max year-in-review for 2025; newsletter continues at 60,000+ subscribers
- **2024-01** — Newsletter ranked #24 in Technology category on Substack
- **2023-10** — Reached two-year anniversary of Read Max with ~26,000 free and 1,875 paid subscribers; launched podcast

## Links

- Website: https://maxread.info/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/readmaxread

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/max-read
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-24