Anyone have an extra ticket for Sunday Hal-Con?

Thanks for putting up with the biggest post dump ever. Going back to school has been amazing, and I am so thrilled to be doing work that I love, but it doesn't leave a whole lot of time for updating the ol social feeds. Gonna try and see what everyone else is up to on this fine and spooky evening.

I also wrote this piece recently. This is a special one for me--Labour Day Picnic is the best community space we have in my area. Apologies for the paywall. atlanticbusinessmagazine.ca/article/labo...

The kids at the door keep jump-scaring me every time I sit back down to type something.

Sorry, but this is how I have to do Bluesky now--you're gonna get all my news at once. Maybe I should start a newsletter? Anyways! I also have a piece in Write Magazine (The Writers Union of Canada) about how writing their Traditional Publishing How-To Guide was the hardest thing I've ever written.

Love it when rad books made by rad humans get starred reviews.

Happy Halloween!! (Thanks for supplying the comics, @strangeadventures.bsky.social)

PS: It's trickier to promote now that I'm only on Bluesky. If anyone is willing to share the post below on Twitter or Instagram, I'd be super grateful. Thank you!!

Cover reveal! I'm so excited to share the cover (and a couple of spooky pages) from ELLIS ON GUARD. Librarians and teachers, message me if you want a review copy! Coming in February, and available for preorder now: 49thshelf.com/Books/E/Elli... #kidlit #booksky #teachersky #librarians

MSVU's part-time faculty (CUPE Local 3912) is beginning a strike tomorrow at noon. I'm fortunate to have/have had many wonderful part-time instructors, and I hope they get what they need. If you're driving by the Mount, send a (friendly) honk or two their way. I'll be walking with them when I can.

Hope you're all doing okay! I've had to take a break because Bluesky was simply Too Much for my anxiety over the summer, and I'm practicing Healthy Boundaries For My Poor Inundated Brain. Speaking of anxiety (what a segue!) my forthcoming picture book, Ellis on Guard 1/3 @secondstory.bsky.social

Hello comics people of the internet! Did you know I have a graphic novel coming out? Well I do! And you can pre order it here: conundrumpress.com/product/quie... (or at your local bookstore!) @conundrumpress.bsky.social @skyjanquest.bsky.social - colourist @salsawler.bsky.social - editor

Hey #teachers, there was someone on here compiling a list of research links on the impact of AI on education. I thought I saved it, but can't find it now. Anyone know who that was?

🧵 Anyone in #halisky need an amazing-but-enormous chair? If you're in the market, I have not one, but two (!) options for you to choose from! With ✨ special ✨ discounts for Bluesky people. 1/3

Also, I haven't been around much cause I bought myself a Brick, which is the little device that makes it impossible to access social media on my phone unless I ask my partner to get it from wherever he hid it so that I can "unbrick" my phone. Mental health is on the upswing.

MORE OF THIS PLEASE. If people are going to claim that AI is an artist, we need to quadruple down on demonstrating that art, especially meaningful art, is inextricably connected to being human, even if that art is "terrible." www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...

I wrote this in May: "Here in Canada, we are not immune to the influence of our neighbors to the south... As we watch what is happening in the US, I hope we will continue to speak up for the freedom to read." As Alberta bans books, I'm glad to see people pushing back! macleans.ca/society/how-...

Anyone recognize this work? #halisky

I will remind folks those images of Nazi book burnings aren't burning just any books. They're burning the library of Magnus Hirschfeld; a gay, Jewish doctor who created an institute dedicated to LGBTQ sex education and healthcare. And a man who pioneered gender affirming care surgeries.

I love this view of Halifax from Georges Island

Is this app totally annihilating anyone else’s nervous system right now? I think I have to unfollow a few people (probably not you) because my nervous system just can’t handle the constant horror. I know it’s a privilege to be able to do that but… wow. It’s really feeling necessary.

Boosting this! But also, I’m proud to say that Quiet Crossings is an EMANATA book, so I’m handling the marketing for it! If anyone in my circle sees this and knows of an opportunity, you’re welcome to reach out to me by DM, or go directly to Vivi. Trust me, this is a GREAT book. #kidlit #booksky

Also, I left Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for obvious reasons, but if you want to share a link to the video on any of those platforms you are absolutely welcome and I would be very grateful!

Oops, shoulda hashtagged this. It might be too late but #canlit #kidlit #halisky #booksky

Now that I’m in a separate thread that won’t be pinned to my account for the foreseeable future… that was like 7 takes! I can talk in front of a live audience for days (apologies to the audience) but filming a video of myself talking to no one is still hard. I don’t know how TikTokers do it.

Behold! It's me, talking about my upcoming picture book, Ellis on Guard, illustrated by the immensely talented Nandita Ratan! It's not out til February, but my publisher, @secondstory.bsky.social, sent me an ARC, so I decided to show it off a bit, cause I'm SO EXCITED about this character. 1/3

I have something exciting to show you later today… but first I have to take the 13yo to camp. (And maybe drop in on @blockshopbooks.bsky.social and @lunenburgbound.bsky.social while I’m at it.) cc @secondstory.bsky.social

This article made me feel more seen than anything else I’ve read this summer. But only read it if you need the reassurance that you aren’t alone in feeling overwhelmed-on-the-way-to-numb by our current reality. It’s also a hard read. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

Omg something normal happened!

I realize my social media feed has been feisty lately but I’m a reasonably nice person, I swear. But hoo boy am I ever frustrated by a lot of things right now.

I’m pretty sure the artists of any given era are never who we think they are. “Artists are not making the visual avant-garde anymore,” Dean Kissick, the cultural critic, said, referring to the traditional fine-art world. Instead, the avant-garde comes from the basement levels of the internet.

How Horror authors really look VS how they be tryin’ to look in the back a their books.🤣💀

People really don’t understand that ChatGPT is trained on stolen literature. Literature is about being human. Of course it can give ChatGPT the patterns it needs to sound “vulnerable.” But no one’s sitting around chatting with their paperback copy of Anna Karenina like it’s Wilson from Castaway.

Absolute no to mandatory military service. Civic service, sure—however, it needs to be noted that countries who do this provide free post-secondary education in exchange 👀

Just a reminder, in this age of wildfires and the NS Health CEO breathlessly advocating for NS to become an “AI centre of excellence” that healthcare — and indeed, people — need water.

I just learned that otters have a built-in pocket where they keep special rocks. Maybe everyone else knows this already, but in case you didn’t: you’re welcome.

Tigers with a frozen milk brick on a hot day.

IT’S RAINING 🌧️

Great tip on opting out on AI-driven Google searches, thanks @ardathjean.bsky.social

Yep. That’s the bottom line. But also: taking good care of the people who are keeping things orderly WHILE WE ARE IN THE SKY is a safety consideration.

Does anyone know of illustrators on Bluesky who post photos of their physical (non-digital) art, whose photos ALSO incl: - art tools (eg photo of a partly-finished painting surrounded by evidence of tools they used, like paints, messy palette etc) - alt-text - minimal hashtags #CreatedWithoutAI

Is anyone using Telus home Internet? They’re pushing it hard—is it good?

centuries of fairy tales & folklore about not trusting glittering, deceptive entities that flatter our vanity and look at us. eating the fae food, mesmerized by the mirror, etc. clown behavior.

HALIFAX: if you live near Bayers Lake and/or Susies Lake area, pack a go bag NOW. If you have pets, this includes all of their medical records, food, medicines (if applicable), water, and bedding. You need your own medication, passports, important irreplaceable paperwork, clothes for at least 7 days

In an incredible overreach, the province is rejecting the municipality's Regional Plan. A municipal press release:

Just read the Globe & Mail article by Lindsay Jones and Greg Mercer, about the missing children in Pictou and I have Strong Feelings. I’m not going to post a link, but it reeks of poverty shaming and contains no actual new information—just sensationalizes the lives of people in this rural area.

The “turn off comments” feature is vastly underused on Facebook. If you are an NS park and you’re posting a PSA about the fire ban, for the love of all that is holy TURN OFF COMMENTS.

Think I just saw #criticalmass go by at Hydrostone and it made me happy. #halisky

The Life of Chuck is a beautiful wistful movie and everyone should watch it.