The Brackish Spotlight is our weekly interview with the people shaping the 757 — founders, chefs, musicians, organizers. Our inaugural edition turns the questions on the person who started this thing. Answers in his own words, lightly edited.
Why does the 757 need another newsletter?
"It doesn't need another newsletter. It needs a better one. The region has seven cities, a massive military community, a port, a music scene that punches way above its weight — and the coverage is either press-release aggregation or algorithm sludge. Nobody was writing about this place like it deserves: sharp, funny, actually useful. So here we are."
What won't Brackish do?
"Fake it. No invented writers with headshots, no pretending a robot ate at your restaurant. Everything here is labeled — AI-assisted, human-edited, opinions marked as opinions. Trust is the whole product. The second a local newsletter starts feeling synthetic, it's dead."
What's the edge? Everyone says they're edgy.
"Punching up, never down. We'll go after bad ideas, lazy institutions, and the eighth smash burger concept — but never at the people grinding to make this region better. Sharp teeth, soft spot for the underdog. That's the line."
Why start with music?
"Because the NorVa exists. A 1,500-cap room in downtown Norfolk pulling national tours most cities this size would kill for — that's an unfair advantage, and nobody's covering it with any personality. Friday's music edition writes itself."
Where does this go?
"Brackish is the master brand — Hampton Roads is edition one. The format travels: same sharp local briefing, new city. But first: earn the 757's trust, three times a week, every week. No shortcuts."
Want the Spotlight? We're booking founders, chefs, musicians and organizers now. Nominate yourself or someone you know — five questions, zero fluff.