An exercise from How to be a Jewish Mother, by Dan Greenburg: "Give your son Marvin two sportshirts as a present. The first time he wears one of them, look at him sadly and say: 'The other one you didn't like?'"

As I always say, if you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much fucking space, so I’m swashbuckling & swaggering into the new year with all the thrusting, thrill a minute explosive energy I intend to bring to every scintillating second of 2026. By which I mean, I’ve ordered a new bin

I've seen a few people posting stuff along the lines of "2026 is the year I'm going to read more!" My friend, don't pressure yourself. Even as an author, I say this: Read better, not more. Read what you love, stop reading something that isn't working for you. Don't aim for more, aim for pleasure.

OKD is open again for free subs until we reach our cap! Learn more about us and submit your best poetry or flash fiction: buff.ly/chQ4jpz Okay Donkey is always open for tip jar ($2.50) or expedited ($4.00) subs! Your contribution helps us pay our contributors and cover other mag-related expenses.

Our microfiction judges @daveswann.bsky.social @debdanthewriter.bsky.social @devaneemily.bsky.social & @joannacampbell.bsky.social are looking forward to reading your micros (up to a 100 words, no theme). Cash prizes & publication 😊Comp closes 15 Feb: www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk

My New Year's resolution, arbitrary as it is, is to be online less. I'm having trouble concentrating, chasing little dopamine hits instead of committing to long term activities like writing and reading. I'm addicted to the distractions, and it has to stop. I'm too old for this constant outrage. (1)

... finishing the year with this, (and still bothering my wife with whole pages I excitedly want to share). A non-fiction book that lights the world brighter and more beautiful with great intelligence and care. #amreading #booksky 📚💙 @jamesbridle.bsky.social @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

Finished the last two episodes this morning. Watching the 3 series again straight through from the begining has affirmed what an incredibly special TV show this was, richly human, profoundly humane and deeply affecting. A major work of art. #Rev #TomHollander #OliviaColeman #BBCiPlayer #comedy #TV

It's the national year of reading in the uk in 2026. Instead of asking "why don't kids read any more", ask "how can I help them find the stories (and non fic) they will fall in love with". Less "get off my lawn whippersnappers" and more "come, sit on the lawn, here's a comic".

no início do mês eu fui a trabalho pro Canadá e dei esse livro de presente pros 3 estagiários do meu time. eu gosto de dar livro de presente, principalmente livros que eu gosto tanto (como esse) se vc BR tiver interesse nesse livro, me manda DM que eu quero dar um de presente pra alguém

The final Calvin and Hobbes, which appeared in papers 30 years ago today.

Proud to see Coldwell in good company amongst the cultural highlights of 2025 for @beardedbadgerbooks.bsky.social!

This year, via Bluesky, I got my book into the window of lovely @kirkdalebooks.bsky.social, chatted with people, writers, musicians, bookshop & library folk I've never met about their work & enthusiasms, fanfared things *I've* loved and discovered new. Mostly been good! 💥Happy 2026 everyone!💥

#nowplaying #amplaying @thecoral.bsky.social in a library still thick with the stink and smoke of a mincepie-microwaving that went horribly wrong.

my proportions Virginia Woolf, Diary, last entry for 1930

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to our fundraiser so far, and for all of the heart warming messages of support about our return. We hope you might consider a donation or helping us spread the word. Happy new year's eve to all! donate.stripe.com/bJe3cw7H99v1...

Dear AHC family, we are so happy to announce that we will be returning from our year long hiatus in the New Year! We are currently running a fundraiser to help facilitate our return and hope you'll consider donating or sharing with your network. Much love! donate.stripe.com/bJe3cw7H99v1...

... finishing the year with this, (and still bothering my wife with whole pages I excitedly want to share). A non-fiction book that lights the world brighter and more beautiful with great intelligence and care. #amreading #booksky 📚💙 @jamesbridle.bsky.social @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

Christmas present

This afternoon's viewing

Glyders - 'Forever' So far I'm hearing White Denim, John Lennon, Creedence, Quo... If the sound of those influences combined appeals, don't let this one pass you by.

London writers please boost: our workshop is always open to new members and anyone who would like help getting their novel over the line please get in touch

Rewatching 'Rev' which, among its many other virtues, cast every character so perfectly. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... #Rev #TomHollander #BBCiPlayer

Funniest and weirdest book about the dark curdling of political ideals and proliferation of America’s living dead, twinned psychic journeys of rejection and abandonment among the foghung redwoods, the fascist threat and the stupefying supremacy of screens. Must be read twice!

30 years ago today, 12 Monkeys (1995) went into limited release in theaters, wide release was January 5, 1996. I love this film, one of director #TerryGilliam’s best. #90sSciFi #UniversalPictures

'I AM LOVE' is a Christmas/post-Christmas film. #LucaGuadagnino #TildaSwinton #amwatching #nowwatching #primevideo

Stop Using Porn as a Suffix open.substack.com/pub/jbleasda...

Backlisted has introduced me to so many great writers, but none continue to amaze me across their work like Annie Dillard. I’ve only just started The Writing Life yet I’m already swooning; her ecstatic register doesn’t hesitate to pack a punch. Here she is, talking about ditching one’s first draft:

🚨PSA🚨 Brassed Off is available to watch on the Channel 4 app. Nothing more festive than a film about Maggie Thatcher savaging mining communities. It is such a good film- empathy, humour and righteous fury. Pete Postlewhaithe's best performance and that is saying something.

I wasn’t familiar with Michael McDonald’s Christmas song game until this year. Good stuff

I chose the right time to start reading Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens – two days after Christmas Day. So now I can blame my bloated body and feelings of shame and self-disgust on genetic predisposition. Huzzah.

Luhrmann's Elvis is *staggeringly* brilliant. I remember doing a Twitter thread about six months before it came out, talking specifically about one Elvis performance, largely unknown, which if people saw it would change their opinion of Elvis totally. Luhrmann used that performance as the end.

‘Wynter wakeneth al my care, Nou this leves waxeth bare; Ofte I sike ant mourne sare When hit cometh in my thoht Of this worldes joie, hou hit goth al to noht.’ ~ Anon. #BookWormSat

My odd, sweet, sad, funny, dark, bright ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐-reviewed book of short stories, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE is now available directly from me, via eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/26752117... or through Amazon www.amazon.co.uk/Positive-Neg... #books #booksky 📚💙 #amwriting #shortstories #flashfiction

To celebrate the 50th birthday of Death Race 2000, Mat Colegate charted a multimedia genre which would spawn Mad Max, Alita: Battle Angel and Grand Theft Auto, and makes more sense today than it did in 1975 Quietus Best of 2025: Celebrating Half a Century of Violent Future Sports buff.ly/7LiYJKq

"Well, what shall we hang? The holly, or each other?" Now that's a Christmas movie. From 'The Lion in Winter' (1968). With the brilliant Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole

#amwatching #nowwatching

#amwatching #nowwatching

Very happy with the #Pluribis season finale.

Christmas evening.

"As if through coloured glasses we remember the childhood thrill Waking in the morning to the rustling of paper The eiderdown heaped in a hill Of dogs & bears & bricks & apples The feeling that Christmas Day was a coral island in time" BOOK OF CHRISTMAS - THEA GILMORE youtu.be/FM45cmupHZU?...

Christmas Day movie: the wonderful Remember The Night boxd.it/cekJiL

About to start...

Merry Merry 🎄

Happy Christmas from Roxy Music! "Dance Away" was one of the 'Tracks of the Year' from Top On The Pops on Christmas Day, 1979 #roxymusic #totp #top10 #christmas

As is traditional, here's the 2017 Xmas @backlisted.bsky.social in which @iammilliam.bsky.social @johnmitchinson.bsky.social @jamesbpcook.bsky.social and I talk about OHMSS & all things Bond. Happy Christmas one and all. www.backlisted.fm/episodes/56-...

✨Christmas reading.✨ Recently found a 1982 set of the Narnia books in my parents-in-law's flat, presumably the copies my wife read as a kid, closer in date to their original publication than 1982 is to now.

New Christmas episode up now! Asterix and the Roman Agent - and LOADS more Asterix books - with Louie Stowell, Robert Shearman, Una McCormack & Andy Miller. 🎄📚🎅 @robertshearman.bsky.social @louiestowell.bsky.social @unamccormack.bsky.social @iammilliam.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/6mIn...

"As if through coloured glasses we remember the childhood thrill Waking in the morning to the rustling of paper The eiderdown heaped in a hill Of dogs & bears & bricks & apples The feeling that Christmas Day was a coral island in time" BOOK OF CHRISTMAS - THEA GILMORE youtu.be/FM45cmupHZU?...