A beautiful short video about how these books are made, along with news -- Books and Bistros, City of Asylum's indie book fair coming October 12 -- and more. 💙

Phillipsburg PA protest against Moshannon ICE facility, August 24 --

If you're in Pittsburgh, join us for a celebration at Bottom Feeder Books Saturday August 30 from 6 to 8 pm.

Tonight, live and online

Coming soon ... in Pittsburgh in person and livestreamed -- signup in the link

news old and new

Sounds like the Hegseth vote is going to be close, so tomorrow morning would be a really good time to call your senators and ask them to vote against someone so reprehensible and unqualified. Ask them to please put the good of the country ahead of the desire of Donald Trump.

From his bio: “Sen.McCormick is looking forward to using his unique leadership experiences...to deliver results for the Keystone State. He isn’t afraid to stand up to both parties to do what’s right...” And he’s a vetaran. Let’s flood his inbox & phone lines asking him to demonstrate courage

Anyone with a Republican senator needs to write to them ASAP and oppose the appointment of Pete Hegseth. Write, phone, phone, write. Ad nauseam. Or even just once.

I'm here on Blue Sky so little that I didn't include it in this farewell to social media, but now that I'm reminded, I've just come by to say that in the interest of simplicity I'm just going to be on Substack for some long time to come. If you're there too, come by and say hello.

A beautiful story from the beautiful Heather von Rohr

“We are educated to think that we should be able to know the meaning of a piece of writing, but what if the intention of the writing is to throw us into confusion, induce a state of wonder, and unravel the basic tenets of our experience?” —Robert Glück

Please give -- my beautiful daughter's beautiful movie

Brooklyn Botanic Garden last Sunday 🌸

In Pittsburgh, this Thursday night -- 💙📚📚🐦 @littsburgh.bsky.social -- join @sherrieflick.bsky.social, Mike Good and me for a reading at Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill.

My eclipse gear ... 97% totality here, good view with the glasses, nothing like twilight but an eerie light, bright and dim at once -- and it went perfectly with this perfectly eerie book. 💙📚📚🐦

Somebody has to remind Bluesky of Lord Byron's "Darkness" (1816, the "year without a summer"). Here's the opening. Btw, the skies were blue here in Cambridge until just after 3, when the world switched to something closer to black & white. Grateful that others had eclipse glasses I could borrow.

THE LONG SWIM by Terese Svoboda (UMass Press). Reviewed by Catherine Gammon (@nonabiding.bsky.social).

This is so sad! I have so much to say about this I have to bite my tongue and remain silent.😢

Wonderful! from Chloe N. Clark @pintsncupcakes.bsky.social www.cincinnatireview.com/special-feat...

In case you'd like to write a personal message to the president objecting to continuing military aid to Israel -- www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

This week's newsletter

April 18 -- one last Pittsburgh event for THE GUNMAN AND THE CARNIVAL -- this time with Sherrie Flick @sherrieflick.bsky.social and Mike Good -- come on down to Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill

What Makes You Think You’re Supposed to Feel Better by Jody Hobbs Hesler (Cornerstone Press). Reviewed by Catherine Gammon (@nonabiding.bsky.social).

grab it up!! 💚

Pittsburgh friends: This coming Monday I'll be reading from Denmark: Variations at White Whale Books with @nonabiding.bsky.social & Lynn Emanuel--hope to see you there!

Thank you for the shout out! 💙📚📚🐦

My WSJ Fiction Chronicle for this coming weekend is on a trio of good story collections. Catherine Gammon was the great discovery for me--consider giving 'The Gunman and the Carnival' a try. www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

on the street where I live ..

great news for a great book! 💙📚📚🐦

Excited to learn that Denmark: Variations has been chosen as a March selection for @twodollarradio.bsky.social HQ's Unicorn Book Club! You can order a copy here: twodollarradiohq.com/denmark-vari...

Crocus #1 (february 23) and Crocus #2 and #3 (february 24)

“'...welcome to the end of democracy. We are here to overthrow it completely. We didn’t get all the way there on January 6, but we will endeavor to get rid of it.' He then held up a Christian cross & added, 'We’ll replace it with this right here.' Was the remark in jest? No. And the crowd knew it."

Just because -- this is one of the sweetest acceptance speeches I've ever seen

Arrived! 💙🐦💙📚

The AI boom requires massive data centers that consume enormous amounts of water and energy. Tech CEOs have plans for hundreds more hyperscale facilities in the coming years, but activists around the world are fighting back and forcing us to ask who really benefits from Silicon Valley’s future.

Thank you Sam Sacks in the WSJ! "Ms. Gammon, who publishes her fiction with very small presses, deserves to be more widely read." 💙📚💙🐦

Thank you, @littsburgh.bsky.social !

More Dan Rather...

Intertidal marsh but I bet you knew that already

AWP darlings! Come hang out with me at my first AWP book-signing! We'll have copies of HEADING NORTH and James Brubaker's WE ARE GHOST LIT and all the rest of Braddock Avenue Books' fabulous catalog. Thursday, 2/8, at 2 p.m at Booth 2923.

Dan Rather

It's raining outside but I've got MILLIONS OF SUNS! by Sharon McDermott and Christine Benner Dixon! Thank you to both. ❤️

tulips, irises, daylilies -- all think it's spring!

A short preview event for The Gunman & The Carnival on WANA Live! www.youtube.com/live/8llKw3m...

Have you checked out www.bridgeeight.com yet? Short Fiction. Stellar books. Highly recommend.

Thank you as always -- and if you're going to #AWP24 look for it at Baobab Press ❤️ 💙📚 #writing #fiction 📚🐦

fragments of an image -- but follow the link for the complete picture -- and look for Baobab Press at #AWP24