Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
@ce-mckenna.bsky.social
📤 868
📥 796
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Find my essays, short stories, and an occasional novel @ cemckenna.com
pinned post!
Thrilled to announce I wrote an essay about a really bad one night stand I had in college. Read “Thrilled to Announce” in
@hippocampusmag.bsky.social
💃🏻
www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/11/thri...
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Thrilled to Announce by C.E. McKenna | Hippocampus Magazine
"There she is: white girl drunk on the dance floor of the Reed student union" -- from the essay "Thrilled to Announce" by C.E. McKenna in the Nov-Dec 2025 issue.
https://www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/11/thrilled-to-announce-by-c-e-mckenna/
5 months ago
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Have you ever looked at the price of bringing your husband into the Centurion Lounge, decided it was too much, and then he sent you in to take a shot of whisky, bring it out in your mouth, and baby bird it to him? No? Me neither. At least, not until 5 minutes ago.
#thiseconomy
about 19 hours ago
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You know it’s an
#AI
#hype
#bubble
when a woolen shoe company known for producing shoes with zero arch support that shuttered all its US retail stores within 5 years of its IPO (when it climbed to over $530 a share) declares it will pivot to AI in order to get its share price from $2.30 to $18+.
2 days ago
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I know it’s little, but HOLY SHIT OUR BOOK IS ON THE BESTSELLER SHELF OF THE BOULDER BOOKSTORE! We’re number 8! We’re number 8! 😂🎉
@pujaguha.bsky.social
@rjbrash.bsky.social
@curtisippolito.bsky.social
@jimvermin.bsky.social
@boulderbookstore.bsky.social
14 days ago
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Awful, hideous, no-good, very bad, stinkingly crappy, immoral, unethical, pedophilic woman who somehow passed the bar exam FIRED!!!!! (And replaced with someone who will be even worse).
15 days ago
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Got some good submission news this morning, then read this. What a disappointment that those of us who have committed their careers to the joy of
#writing
are farming it out. It’s not only disrespectful to the
#authors
on sub, but also to their own intellect.
www.thebookseller.com/news/some-ed...
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Curtis Brown agent claims some editors 'uploading confidential manuscripts to ChatGPT to read quickly'
Curtis Brown has voiced concern about editors using ChatGPT to assess confidential manuscripts, as more literary agencies introduce clauses around Artificial Intelligence (AI) into contracts.
https://www.thebookseller.com/news/some-editors-uploading-confidential-manuscripts-to-chatgpt-to-read-quickly-agent-claims
15 days ago
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What a great opinion piece by Leigh Stein about Lindy West’s new memoir, ADULT BRACES. Weirdly, something similar happened to me - a boyfriend moved me to Oklahoma, emotionally abused me, and asked for an open relationship. Unlike Lindy, I grew.
open.substack.com/pub/leighste...
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I Escaped Bluebeard's Castle. Lindy West Didn't.
a review of Adult Braces
https://open.substack.com/pub/leighstein/p/i-escaped-bluebeards-castle-lindy?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
20 days ago
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Had a wonderful event tonight at
@boulderbookstore.bsky.social
for ON FIRE AND UNDER WATER, a climate change crime fiction anthology.
@pujaguha.bsky.social
and
@rjbrash.bsky.social
knocked it out of the park AND we got to have Mac and cheese bites at the Pub after. Baller.
22 days ago
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I’ll be doing my very first author event at my hometown bookstore,
#BoulderBookstore
, tomorrow night at 6:30 MST. I’m excited to share the stage with Puja Guha and Raymond J. Brash, who also wrote stories for ON FIRE AND UNDER WATER. Come join us!
#books
boulderbookstore.net/event/2026-0...
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Puja Guha, C. E. McKenna, and Raymond J. Brash -- "On Fire and Under Water"
About the Book:Our world is changing dramatically before our eyes. Increased average global temperatures have wreaked havoc on ecosystems, economies, and people's lives. Fires rage. Flood waters rise. Storms and heat waves are occurring out-of-season and are becoming increasingly more dangerous and more frequent. Still, some politicians, some pundits, and some corporate oligarchs continue to deny reality and refuse to take responsibility and necessary action to mitigate this existential crisis. Those who did the least to cause this crisis will suffer the most from its consequences.
https://boulderbookstore.net/event/2026-03-26/puja-guha-c-e-mckenna-and-raymond-j-brash-fire-and-under-water
23 days ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Boulder Bookstore
29 days ago
"On Fire and Under Water" is a crime fic anthology exploring the intersection of climate change & crime, through the lens of 15 stories. Join us next week when Puja Guha,
@ce-mckenna.bsky.social
, &
@rjbrash.bsky.social
will join us to celebrate the book! Tix:
OnFireandUnderWaterBBS.eventbrite.com
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I can’t stop thinking about the fact that
#AI
#LLMs
are pushing people into violent behavior and suicide. The things
#Gemini
told this man to do are truly frightening and included setting him up for a terrorist attack and targeting the CEO of Google.
techcrunch.com/2026/03/04/f...
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Father sues Google, claiming Gemini chatbot drove son into fatal delusion | TechCrunch
A father is suing Google and Alphabet, alleging its Gemini chatbot reinforced his son’s delusional belief it was his AI wife and coached him toward suicide and a planned airport attack.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/04/father-sues-google-claiming-gemini-chatbot-drove-son-into-fatal-delusion/
about 1 month ago
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Happy Monday from someone who needs you to know (because too many people seem to think this is normal): AI is not your friend. AI is not your therapist. AI is not your doctor. AI is not your lover. AI is collecting your data. AI is pattern-matching your work. AI is just a program.
about 2 months ago
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In Barcelona in October, I bought a drawing titled, “Alone,” that makes me deeply uncomfortable in a delightful way. The artist, Cirro Marra, is having a show at the same gallery beginning March 5, and if I could, I’d go back there and buy everything.
artquemy.com/producto/il-...
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Fashion Shop - Jupiter X Templates
Mixed media on canvas 146 x 114 cm / 57,48 x 44,88 in 2023
https://artquemy.com/producto/il-grido-del-silenzio/
about 2 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Curtis Ippolito
about 2 months ago
There’s some great reading across all the finalists. Thrilled that we are one of them.
add a skeleton here at some point
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Turns out I’m still angry about the five old men in Indian Wells who told me that doing an MFA was stupid because I could just “ask ChatGPT to write my book for me.” Wherever they are, I hope they’re having shitty days.
2 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
ProPublica
3 months ago
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
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Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
https://www.propublica.org/article/alex-pretti-shooting-cbp-agents-identified-jesus-ochoa-raymundo-garcia?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=propublica-bsky
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I’m FT employed again, which means it’s time to up my monthly donation to
@aclu.org
because I still believe in the parts of America I always have believed in.
3 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Curtis Ippolito
3 months ago
Thrilled that On Fire and Under Water is a Finalist for the Best Anthology Derringer Award!Congrats to the other five well-deserving finalists also! This is an honor and I’m so happy for everyone at
@rhppress.bsky.social
and our 15 contributors for making this anthology such a great success.
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Derringer Award Announcement: 2026 Best Anthology Finalists
Derringer Awards,awards,Derringer Awards 2026,Best Anthology,Join SMFS,SMFS,Short Mystery Fiction Society,Derringer Awards Finalists
https://shortmystery.blogspot.com/2026/02/derringer-award-announcement-2026-best.html?m=1
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My heart is in Minneapolis
3 months ago
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That’s stacked bedside table, primed for historical mysteries and ennui, methinks.
#takemeapart
#myyearofrestandrelaxation
#cipher
3 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Kristen Radtke
3 months ago
I wrote about my childhood friend Alexi Pretti. Please read it and share it and remember him as a human being.
@theverge.com
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I grew up with Alex Pretti
The kind-hearted ICU nurse shot by ICE agents was my childhood best friend.
https://www.theverge.com/policy/868567/alex-pretti-minneapolis-childhood-friend?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IktWYlQ1a1F1ZUUiLCJwIjoiL3BvbGljeS84Njg1NjcvYWxleC1wcmV0dGktbWlubmVhcG9saXMtY2hpbGRob29kLWZyaWVuZCIsImV4cCI6MTc2OTk2NDA1NSwiaWF0IjoxNzY5NTMyMDU1fQ.FrZ0NlULSpVamKAg761dJTzxcH4-LkVYlrvVVZb2ZFc&utm_medium=gift-link
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Mother Jones
3 months ago
Ian Austin, an Army veteran, was arrested for protesting ICE in Minneapolis. But he’s continued protesting. Senior reporter
@julialurie.bsky.social
spoke to him. “When they say, ‘Why would you be out here?’ How the fuck could I not be out here?” he says. “My nation is under attack."
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#Authors
, it’s time to have a conversation about the
#publishing
world’s reliance on
#microsoftword
. We can’t be fighting stolen data in LLMs on one side and then feeding all our drafts into a different company’s database. It’s absurd. And the UI sucks. And is messes up spacing. Let’s leave it.
3 months ago
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It was so cool to have my very first live speaking event for the anthology ON FIRE AND UNDER WATER this past weekend. My friends
@pujaguha.bsky.social
and Raymond J. Brash joined me to chat with Douglas County readers about climate change, crime, and revisiting our favorite places through words!
3 months ago
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Tomorrow, I’ll be chatting with my friends Puja Guha and Raymond J. Brash at the
#HighlandsRanch
branch of the Douglas County Libraries! If you’re looking to dive into interesting
#shortstories
, come see us at 2pm!
#fiction
#crimefiction
#authorevent
#colorado
#publishing
go.dcl.org/event/14969853
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Crime Fiction: "On Fire and Under Water"
Adults, register now. A panel of award-winning authors talk about their stories in "On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology," edited by Curtis Ippolito.. Event starts at Janu...
https://go.dcl.org/event/14969853
3 months ago
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It’s disgusting. It’s inhumane. It’s illegal. But here’s something a friend in
#Minneapolis
told me this morning that made me hopeful: “They picked the wrong city bc they’ll never break our commitment to each other. They’re weakening themselves across the country the more they entrench here.”
3 months ago
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Very interested in following this case. It recently took me over a year to find a fulltime job and many rejections came in the middle of the night on weekends - sent automatically. I even wrote an essay about it:
www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/11/thri...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/b...
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Job Applicants Sue to Open ‘Black Box’ of A.I. Hiring Decisions
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/business/ai-hiring-tools-lawsuit-eightfold-fcra.html?unlocked_article_code=1.GFA.9XQK.n_nH_2Z3omQR
3 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Sisters in Crime Colorado
3 months ago
Learn more at
go.dcl.org/event/14969853
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Crime Fiction: "On Fire and Under Water"
Adults, register now. A panel of award-winning authors talk about their stories in "On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology," edited by Curtis Ippolito.. Event starts at Janu...
https://go.dcl.org/event/14969853
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Sisters in Crime Colorado
3 months ago
Don't forget to check your local libraries for opportunities to meet new readers. Our Sister
@ce-mckenna.bsky.social
is part of an author panel on Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Douglas County public library in Highlands Ranch. Check it out!
#sistersincrime
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I’ve always thought that insecurity was one of the most dangerous and fueling states a human can be in. What we are seeing on the world stage now is exactly what I’ve always feared. Insecure men are tearing the world apart because they don’t see we would be stronger together. What a fucking wreck.
3 months ago
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Just in case the rest of my memory and all my writing is wiped and the only thing left of me is this Bluesky account, I want to make sure this is saved in perpetuity: My nephew got a kids watch/phone thing and has called me 16 times today to say “I love you” and it’s the best day of my life.
3 months ago
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I refuse to be out of hope. I fucking refuse.
3 months ago
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Sometimes, all we can do is write down what happened. Just as we see it. Write down your dismay, your grief, the words you used when you heard the news. The way it felt in your chest. How your breath changed. They’re rewriting history. Don’t let let them. Memory can be an act of rebellion.
3 months ago
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Recently, I published a short story called “Long Night of the Polar Bear” in ON FIRE AND UNDER WATER: A CLIMATE CHANGE CRIME ANTHOLOGY with
@rhppress.bsky.social
This video is exactly the vibe I was thinking of while writing it.
#polarbear
#svalbard
#shortstory
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNPG...
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Close Call with a Polar Bear! 🐻❄️
YouTube video by AccuWeather
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNPG2_hzSmM
3 months ago
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My favorite (semi) goodboi hanging out on top of Flagstaff on NYE.
4 months ago
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Things I’m thankful for when the power goes out for multiple days due to hurricane-force winds: Flameless candles, leftover from our wedding A gas stove Dry shampoo A butter bell A dog/heater who loves to snuggle A husband who loves to snuggle Friends who check in
4 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
BoulderCAST Weather 🏔️⛈️
4 months ago
🔥 WIND/FIRE UPDATE for FRIDAY 4:30 PM ⚠️ WORST IS BEHIND US, STILL WINDY THIS EVENING WITH HIGH FIRE DANGER UNTIL MIDNIGHT
#COWx
#Colorado
#Boulder
#Denver
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On I25 heading into
#Albuquerque
and I’d like to report that the city is definitely not abandoned and no one seems to be working in conjunction with one another for the greater good.
#pluribus
5 months ago
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I’m writing a screenplay about techie friends re-wilding a ranch in Colorado when the internet collapses, but I’m currently traveling and it turns out
@finaldraftinc.bsky.social
has to connect to the internet in order to open a desktop app. So no car edits.
@scrivenerapp.bsky.social
would never.
5 months ago
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It’s Monday. You’re sitting on the toilet, avoiding your computer (best of luck with all those slack notifications pushing to your phone, btw). Maybe take a few minutes and read an essay about
#ai
,
#jobs
, and how
#tech
compares to a bad
#onenightstand
.
www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/11/thri...
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Thrilled to Announce by C.E. McKenna | Hippocampus Magazine
"There she is: white girl drunk on the dance floor of the Reed student union" -- from the essay "Thrilled to Announce" by C.E. McKenna in the Nov-Dec 2025 issue.
https://www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/11/thrilled-to-announce-by-c-e-mckenna/
5 months ago
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Are you searching for a
#Christmas
#Horror
#Comedy
#movie
? If so, Rare Exports is for you. Santa is a demon and only a small Sami boy and his teddy bear can stop him from destroying the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Ex...
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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_Exports%3A_A_Christmas_Tale
5 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
David_j_roth
5 months ago
Everyone is getting upset about the data centers. They pollute a lot and use a lot of energy and will eventually be very ugly/huge vacant buildings. And I understand being mad about that. Until you consider the state of the lazer tag industry at this moment, and how much help that sector needs.
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Snowy sendoff for my roadtrip out to the
@ucrlowresmfa.bsky.social
December residency! +200 cool points to anyone who can identify the pass.
5 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
molly conger
5 months ago
we have to go back. to warn them.
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Hippocampus Magazine & Books
5 months ago
"Let's dissociate for a sec." – from the essay "Thrilled to Announce" by C.E. McKenna.
https://www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/11/thrilled-to-announce-by-c-e-mckenna/
#essay
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Thrilled to Announce by C.E. McKenna | Hippocampus Magazine
"There she is: white girl drunk on the dance floor of the Reed student union" -- from the essay "Thrilled to Announce" by C.E. McKenna in the Nov-Dec 2025 issue.
https://www.hippocampusmagazine.com/2025/11/thrilled-to-announce-by-c-e-mckenna/
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Another snap from a moody midday in the naked aspens east of Breckenridge,
#Colorado
.
5 months ago
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Hoosier from Boreas. It’s starting to snow a little, just glimpses of confetti against the pines.
5 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Rock and a Hard Place
5 months ago
AVAILABLE NOW: Will the world end in fire or flood? 15 of the best crime fiction writers today have an idea, including
@ce-mckenna.bsky.social
. Guest-edited by Anthony winning author
@curtisippolito.bsky.social
. Order your copy today:
bit.ly/4nOVXoK
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@karenpalmer.bsky.social
just finished The Reader is the Protagonist in my darkened office, a couple blocks north-east of the spot where Longs Drugs “hunkered” back in 1989. Earlier today, I crossed at the same light that ends this essay. What a haunting, sensory story. Gave me shivers. Thank you.
5 months ago
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reposted by
Caitlin Eliza (C.E.) McKenna
Liberty and Justice for All
5 months ago
Senate unanimously votes to release Epstein Files
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Hey Copilot, how do I DDOS Cloudflare to the point that GitHub goes down?
5 months ago
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