A more nuanced piece to the John Locke article: www.theassemblync.com/politics/dem...

It'ssssss #CoosDay!!

When women vanish from history, it’s rarely because they weren’t there. More often, their work was ignored or erased. Recovering women’s history means reading sideways, piecing fragments, and asking: whose voices were recorded—and whose were silenced? 🗃️ Do you have someone we all need to know about?

There we go. That there’s a headline.

Pandemonium — Gustave Doré

I also cancelled my subscription to the WaPo this week. That tripe doesn't need my money.

Someone recommended the novel MATRIX (by Lauren Groff) to me and I'm reading it now, wondering who to thank.

I changed my affiliation to Independent so I can vote in primaries strangled by GOP gerrymandering. There are no Ds running for office in my county. If I want a say in local primaries, I MUST register Independent, vote GOP in primaries, and Democrat in the general election.

Seems like low-hanging fruit that there isn’t a candle company called “John Wick.”

Reposting so I can see how many of these I've missed and watch them:

A commenter alerted us that a cover we featured in our latest Get Rec'd post was AI Generated. This is our response: I removed the buy links and the cover copy from the listing, and replaced it with an alert that the cover was AI-generated (confirmed by two different scans).

A useful thing to know about me is whether you're paying big money for a uni course I'm teaching or $55 dollars on a year long exploration of 18th century literature with me, I put in the same amount of effort and research because my off-switch is missing. So, a bit of a steal really!

Everyone else is playing chess and he is playing tag.

Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts. Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.

I posted my first book review almost 20 years ago. That's... wild. I'll have to think of something to mark the occasion. (For example, maybe I'll re-read the book and write a new review of it...)

One novella edited and two to go. A new story will accompany the reprint. For those of you who asked for Miquel and Diago meeting for the first time in their current incarnation, I'm going to go for it.

#poetry. First writing of the new year completed. I revised 4 lines of a poem that I wrote in November. I shall rest on my laurels and consider that enough for New Year's Day. ✏️🐉

Can't write much right now. Miss Fuffy-butt Fancy-britches is getting her morning pets.

A very brief post to thank everyone who has stuck by my long silences and a little bit about why I burned out on grimdark fantasy. Also, Los Nefilim:

Hello New Year, my people: www.tfrohock.com/blog/2025/12...

The energy I'm taking into 2026

This is another great one:

And forever Annie Lennox: youtu.be/qeMFqkcPYcg?...

Because even now, she makes me feel happy: youtu.be/PIb6AZdTr-A?...

Lord God, they tore down the Winn Dixie! I can't ever think of the old Winn Dixie without recalling bumper stickers seen on two cars parked side-by-side: one said JESUS SAVES and the other said NO ONE SAVES YOU MORE THAN WINN DIXIE. Requiescat in Pace, grocery store of my youth.

I'm working on the Los Nefilim novellas for a reissue. This isn't a major edit like I did for Miserere. It's more of a tightening of prose and bringing the novellas in line with the novels. It's been quite enjoyable and I remember now why I love these characters so much.

Understand that Underwood uses AI to write everything she posts. There isn't an original thought in her open letter, her blog, or even her head. After seeing Brazee's comment [below], I'm glad I stepped away from the SFWA.

There's more to say about this open letter, unfortunately, but bear with me, because I think it's important. For example, this response in the File 770 comments by SFWA board member Jonathan Brazee. In essence, Underwood gives cover to SFWA and vice versa. But both their positions are crap. 1/?

Closing out 2025 with a dr. appointment tomorrow to see if back spasms are coming from spine or hips. whoo-hoo

Upcoming readings by HWA NC members: 7:00 PM on January 15 at @flyleafbooks.bsky.social in Chapel Hill, NC! "Murder in the Mountains" at 6:00 PM on January 24 at Zadie's Market in Marshall, NC! More info at www.hwanc.org/events 🩸📚💙

This. I’ve devoted countless hours to law and trial advocacy and playing and coaching soccer. Writing fiction wonderfully is at least as hard, usually harder, for me as those.

one more: if you ask grand theft auto correct to write your first draft and then rewrite the draft from there? you are not writing. you are EDITING.

An Open Letter About the Craft of Writing and AI from @tfrohock.com www.tfrohock.com/blog/2025/12...

A note: we have received 700+ submissions in 29 days. I can buy 4-6. CONSIDER THE ODDS. Imagine if all 700 submitters were also supporters of the magazine. Imagine how many I could buy then. Join our Patreon before 12/31 to get in before rates go up Jan 1.

If my back continues to hurt, I'm going to have to go to the doctor and tell them that I hurt my back sitting down.

Read @tfrohock.com's piece instead of *that* aye-eye "I'm just asking questions!" post from yesterday. Teresa's advice is a necessary reminder to anyone who doesn't understand the harms of using the slop machine to cut corners, or to 'get ahead' or insists it's still their work and the 🗑️ 'helped'

Great. I took a muscle relaxant. Now I'm still in pain but stoned. Not sure this is an improvement. 0 stars do not recommend

Back spasms are no fun and meds and heat aren't helping, so I'll be making little animal noises all day.

An open letter about the craft of writing and A.I. and yes, I talk a little about the other open letter, but mostly I talk about creativity and how machines can't do it: www.tfrohock.com/blog/2025/12...

Things I've learned during my great kitchen remodel: -My house has brass doorknobs, brass handles in the kitchen, and even brass switch plates in one room. -When brass tarnishes, it turns black. -When restoring the shine to brass, know that if a magnet sticks, it's brass-plated, be careful. 1/4

I didn't bother reading it (thank you for doing the unpleasant work, Kate!) but what bothers me most about this, I think, is the smug implication by the 'writer' that her time is so much more important than the reader's. "I use AI because I have better things to do than write for you!"

Under no circumstances whatsoever should anyone ever, ever, EVER trust AI to interpret the contractual obligations between you and your publisher. If you don't understand your contract, ask a lawyer that you hire.

I want to point this out not necc because it's so clearly generated by LLM with light human editing, but because as my eyes skimmed over the classicly bland, milquetoast word salad, it reminded me of how critical having a unique voice is in this business. It's the one ownable thing we have.

Poppy napping

Currently reading Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind.

Last night, I finally got to watch The Life of Chuck, which is based on one of my favorite Stephen King short stories. The film was simply beautifully done with a wonderful message, not just about the multitudes within us but the multitudes who shape our lives.

In 2025, with the help of @awfulagent.bsky.social and the amazing @shecky.bsky.social, I published a heavily revised version of my first novel, Miserere. I won 0 awards and 0 mentions, but I am happy and at peace, and that is worth all the awards in the world. 1/3

A podcast with me!

I just woke up from a very long afternoon nap because Christmas almost kilt me ... again.