Proud to be from Virginia where we just elected Abigail Spanberger. In a year of depressing political news, this was the best news.

I am glad on’t; ’tis a worthy governor.

When real-life reminds you of a dystopian novel In a Hot Mic Moment, Xi and Putin Muse About Living Forever www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/w...

Did you know that in 1925, Indiana had the highest per capita KKK membership in the USA? Read all about it one of the best nonfiction history books I’ve read this decade: Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan. Con man/politician Stephenson is a dead ringer for our current national leadership.

Middle grade novel IT AIN’T SO AWFUL, FALAFEL by Firoozeh Dumas provides a child’s-eye view of what it was like in the 1970s to be a refugee fleeing Iranian dictatorship and settling in the USA. The young protagonist reminds us that military parades featuring tanks & guns are a dictator’s game.

Congratulations, Sydney, to be part of this well-curated collection of books with mental health-related themes. I loved seeing your book RACING THE CLOUDS along with other favorites. @highlightsfound.bsky.social really know what they’re doing when it comes to kids’ well-being and children’s lit.

This is my second share of this article because it explains so clearly why AI-driven search/research is no substitute for an educated human working with original documents, making unique, spontaneous connections with their creative, innovative brain.

Supreme Court rally with Authors Against Book Bans!

While the gospels say that Judas led the Romans to Jesus, a new theory is gaining traction with some Biblical scholars. There is evidence, some say, that Judas merely shared Christ's location on an insecure group chat that accidentally included several Roman officials and journalists.

As the 14th Amendment clearly states: “Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Our government needs to remember that.

Every American should read or reread 1984 because we’re heading there fast.

Stories help us understand recurring patterns in world events. Recent horrifying deportation news reminded me of 2 excellent YA books: THEY CALLED US ENEMY by @georgetakei.bsky.social & INTERNMENT by @samiraahmed.bsky.social If you haven’t read them, I recommend reading & sharing w/a young person.

I love history, so I am excited to live through the 1840s, the Robber Baron era, the 1918 Pandemic, the Great Depression. 1930s Germany, and the 1960s at the exact same time

Thursday night at Scrawl Books in Reston, VA, RACING THE CLOUDS author @sydneydunlap.bsky.social was interviewed by talented historical fiction author Kate Albus. Fascinating insights from both into author’s craft and inspiration for writing. Both authors’ newest books came home with me. #kidlit

I’d like to introduce Frederick McKinley Jones, inventor of the refrigerated truck. I first learned of him when my son researched Mr. Jones for a 2nd grade class project. When you buy fresh produce at the grocery store, remember this innovative man #BlackHistoryMonth www.mprnews.org/story/2025/0...

Grocery prices have gone up and the packages seem smaller. I’ve activated my long-dormant discount shopper persona to meet the moment. Here’s my $100 Wegman’s “market basket.”Their advertised “Hot Zone” specials really are bargains. Acknowledged splurges are nigiri and bakery bread ($21 of total).

My copy arrived in the mail today. Already started reading! #kidlit

I just got my copy in the mail. Congratulations, Sydney! It’s a beautiful edition, with lovely artwork and graphics on the cover and inside pages. #kidlit

Just finished INDIAN NO MORE by Charlene Willing McManis w/ @tracisorellauthor.bsky.social Great to read elementary-level MG hist fiction with authentic native voice. Sad, hopeful, reflective, shocking, centering, and real. Eye-opening, too, to read of U.S. govt terminations in the 1950s. #kidlit

Congratulations, Sydney! The banner and those rankings are well-deserved. RACING THE CLOUDS is a compelling story. You are a master at age-appropriate handling of a timely, relevant, difficult topic. #kidlit #middlegradebooks

Newspeak

Too few Americans grasp the chaos and human hardship the Musk-Trump unconstitutional tear has already unleashed. open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Someone at the American Bar Association ate their Wheaties this morning.

I'm on page 150! It is really, really, really good!

And bring along journalists and cameras. @markwarner.bsky.social @kaine.senate.gov @connolly.house.gov

Dr. Davies @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social thoughtfully and eloquently explains why there’s no substitute for primary source research, and why AI can never replace this important interaction between researcher and documents.

Steve Duke, host of podcast The Factory Next Door came to visit us. Like any good journalist, he was keen to explore the who, what, where, why and how of Netherton Foundry. And how better to do this than to see and hear it for himself. PS Boo, the owl is home. open.spotify.com/episode/2GHa...

Since, apparently, the price of #breakfast drives election results, I’ll be interested to see what happens with the price of my fave ingredients during the next four chaotic years.

Stove eye cover? Griddle? Probably both, and still smooth and ready to cook a pancake or a couple of eggs. Considering it’s older than any person alive today, that’s one durable piece of cookware.

This is so well-stated and exactly right ⬇️

Our annual Best Books list is ready! We invite you to look it over, write to me if you have questions about anything, and share the list in your own networks! americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2024/12/aicl... Here's a sample of book covers for books you'll find on our list.

This is a fantastic list. I’ve used five of these collections with students. A few are new to me and I will be ordering them posthaste! Adding to the author address list: @ellenoh.bsky.social @erinentrada.bsky.social @authorgracelin.bsky.social @debbimichiko.bsky.social

It’s cold & rainy outside—my favorite weather for making/eating Nederlandse poffertjes. I remember eating these treats at The Hague’s cozy Paviljoen Malieveld malieveld.nl on days like today, with rain spattering the big windows. Poffertjes originated in 18th c monasteries. #foodhistory #poffertjes

Yes, this is happening with increasing frequency, with Wikipedia and other unvetted sites, yielding echo chambers of misinformation.

Fact check. Peggy did not study at Cambridge. We checked records. This notion survived from an old, unsourced Wiki entry (I tried to delete it but Wiki wouldn’t let me). It was then repeated as fact in a blog (that used Wikipedia as its source) and now the blog is used as the source on Wikipedia !

Moral of the tale. Don’t use Wikipedia for your blog post. Don’t use blog posts for your journalism. This is how misinformation grows.

The Giant of Manio at Carnac, Brittany, France stands on its own, near the other alignments. 6 meters high. #StandingStoneSunday

I’m in snowy PA with writer friends at @highlightsfound.bsky.social, working on current research. Thrilled to be in the Renée Watson cabin, with Zora Neale Hurston watching over me. Ms. Hurston said research is “poking and prying with a purpose.” Hoping to sort out the fluff and focus this project.

Ok...sure. You NEED eels at your Christmas feast. But what *else* do you need? In 1245, Henry III ordered his sheriff at Cambridge to deliver the following to him by Christmas: 2 cranes 24 swans 10 boars & their pickled heads 50 bitterns 6 peacocks And 10,000 eels. Of course. 🗃️🧪

I’m hankering for a really good apple right now, and remembering the wide variety, rich history, and wonderful flavors of English apples. Photos are from apple picking in Suffolk and an apple festival in Essex.

Good evening #foodstudies community. Gastronomica is now on Bluesky and excited to connect with readers, scholars, professionals, and enthusiasts. We will no longer be using our Twitter account, so follow us here for updates and news.

We do enjoy our morning muffins and party cupcakes, but the small breads and cakes known as “gems” are mostly forgotten. Between 1870 and 1930, everyone was enjoying gems, from hearty, healthy Graham gems to sweet apple or date gems. #foodhistory #castiron

Rachel Kushner’s CREATION LAKE was one of my favorite books of the year, and now I see The NY Times has put it on their 100 Notable Books of 2024 list. Philosophical musings about the nature and evolution of humankind plus spies, intrigue and eco-terrorism. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

On #MosaicMonday: the floor of the thermopolium at Ostia Antica, Rome’s nearby port. Takeaway dinners are nothing new.

There’s nothing like compelling YA mystery, and wow, I KILLED ZOE SPANOS by Kit Frick delivers the goods. Main character Anna confesses at the beginning! The plot was so intricate, with a scatter of red herrings, I didn’t figure it out, and the Rebecca/DuMaurier references added gothic creepiness.

For #StandingStoneSunday, here is a small Iron Age stone circle at Bremsnes on Averøya, on Norway’s west coast.

Depression-era baking—Corn muffins from Jiffy mix (1930), baked in a Favorite Piqua #4 Gem Pan (1916-1935). Linda Civitello in The Baking Powder Wars, says Jiffy was invented by Mabel Holmes of Michigan, who sought to make a mix “so simple that even a man could do it” (p 157). #foodhistory #castiron

That other platform was getting dark, so I left behind 10 years of teaching/writing posts, deleted that account, and now find myself in this more pleasant space. To start introducing myself here, this is a graphic I made showing a little of my recent research into the origin of cast iron gem pans.