This morning, I was sitting on a bench with my sister on the University of Washington campus, just throwing peanuts to crows (as one does), and a squirrel popped up out of nowhere, took a flying leap, and landed in my sister's lap, and I've never been more envious of my sister in my life.

“Hmm, how can I sell an author on my transparently scammy book-marketing services? Maybe I should email her an AI-written summary of all her bad reviews, then insult her pop culture tastes!”

Just thinking about how, in my grade school choir class lo these many years ago (~1984), we sang “Sloop John B” with faintly bowdlerized lyrics (“walking all night/just seeing the sights”). To this day, I feel a faint surprise whenever I hear the original lyrics. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSAo...

@rodman.bsky.social I'm sure you already know, but in case you missed it, you make an unexpected cameo (in a thoroughly benign way) in Slate's new lengthy piece on the Black Dahlia case: slate.com/culture/2026...

My sister impulse-purchased a bag of plain potato chips imported from Mexico, and inside the bag it included packets of hot sauce, which is strangely endearing. Like, who's gonna want to eat potato chips without hot sauce?

Very good and relevant thread from the smart and wonderful @cheriepriest.com:

I was feeling grim about the ravaging effects of time, so I used a retinol cream, and it made my face erupt into puffy yellow blisters. My face is now back to the way it was, which is a relief, but I feel like there's an Important Life Lesson™ in this that I didn't actually want or need.

Going back over something I'd written yesterday, and I see I've typed "kindred soup" instead of "kindred soul," and now I'm obsessed with starting a cute little soup-only restaurant called Kindred Soup.

Period reminder: writers need to eat, pay rent & see the doctor like everyone else. If you appreciate a writer but don‘t have $15 or $30 to buy their/our book, a FREE way you can put money in our pockets is to just request that the libraries you use buy our books!

In 1990, when I was applying to colleges, I could get application fees waved with proof of financial hardship, which required a note from my guidance counselor. He asked to see my parents' income tax forms. My parents, who both worked, had a combined income of $9K, which would be about $22K today.

"Seeking experts to help shape AI's understanding of literature." Cute. For SO MANY REASONS, I'm gonna pass on applying for this one, thanks. (Not my biggest issue, but the salary range is listed as, ahem, "$6-$65 an hour + tips." That's a hell of a range, and also: a tip-based writing/editing job?)

Personally I think when a world leader announces “Tune in tonight at 8pm Eastern to watch the world end” like it’s the fucking season premiere of Roseanne we should have a different leader the next day.

who has a book coming out that people can preorder so they have something to look forward to and then be pleasantly surprised when the book just shows up on their doorstep

We all gotta have a world better than this

He has nukes. He is a damaged fool. Stop him. Remove him.

Mushroom by Can www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR5g...

Low-hanging fruit, I admit, but… youtu.be/LuN6gs0AJls?...

Hey! For no reason at all, and *certainly* not due to any spike in nuclear anxiety caused by recent US political madness: Gen-Xers, what's your go-to song when you flash back to our collective 1980s fears of looming apocalypse? Mine is Ultravox's "All Stood Still": www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW9I...

In light of the conversation about how hard it is to promote your own book: Post a link to buy your book here and I’ll boost it cause you destroyed yourself to get it done, your publisher won’t help you sell it, and you deserve cheers and admiration for your accomplishment.

I have about 10k already but I'm *always* accepting floppy donations 🌈💾 #floppydisks

Thought I was having a heart attack today, but it was just a panic attack following a chat with my agent, in case anyone is wondering how my writing career is going right now.

HEY WRITERS (not just SF/F writers) HAVE YOU BEEN PROCRASTINATING ON MAKING YOUR ANTHROPIC SETTLEMENT CLAIM? SFWA is running a webinar event OPEN TO ALL WRITERS (not just members! not just SF/F writers!) on Thursday. Sign up here: www.sfwa.org/events/anthr...

I'm *clearly* the nostalgia-bait target audience for the Lost Boys musical opening soon on Broadway, but: holy hell, you could give me unlimited guesses as to which 1980s film this (schmaltzy, wretched) song is based on, and I would never, ever land on The Lost Boys: www.youtube.com/watch?v=letE...

There was a time in my life, long ago, when Buffy was pretty important to me, and while a lot has changed since then, I still remember it mostly fondly, so: rest well, Nicholas Brendon; I hope you find the peace that eluded you in life. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/a...

In the wake of the Mia Ballard "Shy Girl" fiasco, I'm seeing valid concerns that AI has doomed publishing, but look: Readers clocked something phony about Ballard's writing and loudly objected, forcing Hachette to pull the book. Readers are smart, and this *could* deter others from trying this crap.

movie posters but with muppets: thread

“The Fake Jem shows up at the venue and starts flipping over tables, à la Simon Le Bon in the “Hungry Like the Wolf” video.” Read it!

Every single thing going on behind the scenes of this long-troubled Rebel Wilson film seems absolutely bonkers. www.vulture.com/article/rebe...

There are many ways in which I feel 2026 is 1982 times one million. Let's listen to the wisdom of Fun Boy Three: “No nuclear, the cowboy told us, and who am I to disagree?/‘Cause when the madman flips the switch/The nuclear will go for me.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=on-y...

If you're nominating for the Hugo or Locus Awards, I'd love for you to consider this story of mine! I'm also eligible for the Astounding Award this year :)

You know those TV shows that you watched religiously decades ago, but are so lost with time that you now think it might've been a fever dream? Yeah, I have a *bunch* of those. Today, I've been googling "Bots Master," just to confirm that it actually existed. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLKY...

Tell a movie's plot through other characters played by the actors: James Bond teams up with Marilyn Monroe to investigate the murder of Captain Von Trapp. Suspects include Laurie Strode, Sonny Crockett, Captain America, and General Zod.

well this is just lazy

I logged into Facebook for the first time in a while, and I was immediately greeted by a barrage of suggested (yet very pointed) Facebook Reels that are being EXTREMELY JUDGMENTAL of me.

Watched it? Hell, I've reviewed this movie. It's even more magnificent than the poster would lead you to believe. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEy5...

"Friends" is a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1994 to 2004, following six young adults—Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—living in New York City. The show explores their friendships, romances, careers, and personal growth over ten seasons.

It Only Tuesday https://theonion.com/it-only-tuesday-1819569397/

#mugs for sale

I got the call from @laneheymont.bsky.social this morning, but this is the first time I've seen it in print: GIRL IN THE CREEK is a Stoker finalist for Best Novel! I have to look at it again, because it's almost impossible to believe my eyes. locusmag.com/2026/02/2025...

Middle name: Elsbeth. It's a family name: both my aunt and a great grandmother are Elsbeths. I like it, though it gets tiring explaining that it's not "Elizabeth." Unique enough that when The Mandalorian introduced a character named Morgan Elsbeth, I checked the credits to see if I knew the writer.

Hi, Gabino! Today I want to shout out this anthology. My contribution is something I call a "fan folk horror" and deals with the question of what to do when death of the author doesn't come fast enough. darkmattermagazine.shop/products/lit...

The Gen X urge to smell like a sound, be lost and then found, and be hungry like the wolf

The Gen X urge to save a prayer 'til the morning after.

The Man from UNCLE. Holy hell, I sat through it with gritted teeth. None of the (boundless!) charm of the series. Hugh Grant made a very fine reimagined Mr. Waverly, but other than that: nonstop character assassinations. (Guy Ritchie gave icy, deadpan Illya *anger management issues*? The fuck?)

"Is the repairman gone?" a tale in two parts

I’ve just realized that this is very clearly where Dr Manhattan comes from