one thing that sunk only more fully in, being sick with covid again, is how people position those of us who never stopped masking as having some weird individual vibes-based fear, when the reality is the end of what *community-level* covid prevention and care infrastructure there was is why we mask

Superb performance by Conrad Veidt. #horrorwatch

Makeup by the great Jack Pierce! #horrorwatch

Watching Carol (2015), as I like to do this time of year.

Listening to Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas, as I must.

And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, thinks of Dean Moriarty, he even thinks of Old Dean Moriarty the father they never found, he thinks of Dean Moriarty.

My strongest crackpot opinion is that Pasolini's Teorema is basically a remake of The Bishop's Wife, with sex instead of ice skating.

Listening to the Borgo Pass Horror Podcast's episode on The Bishop's Wife!

When the snowman brings the snow.

Fritz Leiber with his wife Jonquil (Johnny) Stephens Leiber, the inspiration for his greatest works, Conjure Wife and (after her death) Our Lady of Darkness. A poet and weird fiction fan in her own right. Bonus cat doodles by Fritz from the Lilly Library’s Leiber archive. 🖤

Eating Thai food and watching The Bishop's Wife, which has somehow become my Christmas Eve tradition.

In the Aqueduct Press blog, @gwynnega.bsky.social says: "As a long-time fan of Dale Spender's Mothers of the Novel, I loved this novel's celebration of 18th-century women writers... Anders' writing is brilliant, quirky, and full of heart." aqueductpress.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...

I don't know which challenge this is - but I agree with @themountaingoats - one of the cruddiest things that's happened to reading in the past 20 years or so is the algorithms that narrow bookshelf recs into books like those you've already bought, rather than wild books that might blow your mind.

Last Christmas Ich gave thee myne hearte The verye next daye ther came a wolf Wyth sinews of whispers - quiet as frost - And the wolf stole myne hearte, fled To a tower out of tyme biyonde all the stars. Seek now myne hearte, Return it within a yeare and a daye: Thys ys thy queste Fayle not

I talk about some books I enjoyed this year at the Aqueduct Press blog.

Just a thing about this: a common statement in writing is that you can fix crap, but you can't fix a blank page. I have heard AI apologists claim that this is why it's fine to generate a first draft. Now, to be clear, fuck this. But also: an AI draft is a fucking blank page.

Speaking, you know, *as a market*, writing to what you think my tastes are as an editor is a bad idea. What I want most are the stories I don’t yet know that I want.

“Write to the market.” You’ll never catch the market. By the time you’ve written it, the market is gone. Write what you’re on fire to write, and sometimes the market shows up.

Wordle 1,648 2/6 🟩⬜⬜⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

I talk about some books I enjoyed this year at the Aqueduct Press blog.

For anyone in the US or Canada, Wooing the Witch Queen is on sale for $2.99 on Amazon, Kobo, and B&N for just 7 days, starting today. Enjoy! www.amazon.com/Wooing-Witch... www.kobo.com/us/en/search... www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wooing-the... www.indigo.ca/en-ca/wooing... #romancelandia

My recommendations for short SFF and speculative poetry, 2025! By no means comprehensive, even I can't read everything, but gosh there's been good stuff: marissalingen.com/blog/?p=4317

If you've got writers in your life: I do manuscript consults, and this time of year I allow single hour session bookings or gift cards - an hour or two on zoom with me to talk about your project can change things in major ways! Or give yourself a gift! www.theshipmanagency.com/classes/manu...

My top 3 weekly #lastfm artists: Lilys (13), Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (12), Odetta (11)

Hooray! My sapphic romantasy short story "Five Reasons Why I am Absolutely Not in Love with my Nemesis" is available as an ebook now. Just subscribe to my Patreon at any level from $5/month upwards to snap up this & a whole bunch of other stories from me: patreon.com/stephanieburgis #romancelandia

How it started vs. How it’s going NOW 👀 LA tow truck driver who towed ICE’s car found NOT GUILTY 🦸🏽‍♂️

I wonder if the use of doves at the end of The Hunger was inspired by this film. #horrorwatch

Man, those cops really were useless. They got that girl in trouble and then did nothing! #horrorwatch

"Smile!...Not too much." #horrorwatch

The girl's musical theme is so pretty and haunting. #horrorwatch

The scientist reminds me of the villain in The Vanishing. #horrorwatch

The dogs! I remembered them. #horrorwatch

Great shot of the tree branches reflected in the car finish. #horrorwatch

I must have seen The Third Man first, but didn't make the connection re: the actress. #horrorwatch

I love this score. I've seen this film once, maybe ten years ago or so. #horrorwatch

Just noticed that bookshop.org has the paperback pre-order for SHOESHINE BOY & CIGARETTE GIRL at 20% off. Now’s the perfect time to order your copy! bookshop.org/p/books/shoe...

blergh, I HATE having to ask coz I know it’s super hard for everyone especially around this time of year… but I’m also about to hit negative balances and I don’t get paid til next Friday :/ been a real f’ing hard eight months tbh and I’m sorry everything is so awful ko-fi.com/mercwolfmoor

This is possibly the most significant attack on trans rights in this country yet, and I can count the number of posts on my timeline about this on my hands. If you're trying to dismiss this thinking "It'll die in the senate," DON'T! Sound the alarms now!

Look what arrived: my author copies of (the US edition of) Enchanting the Fae Queen! Aren't they beautiful? You can preorder your own copy now: stephanieburgis.com/books/enchanting-the-fae-queen And I'll give away an early copy in my next newsletter! stephanieburgis.com/newsletter #romancelandia

SHOESHINE BOY & CIGARETTE GIRL takes place in an alternate, retrofuturistic Toronto, so it’s only right to have the book launch in our Toronto. If you’re in the general vicinity, you’re invited. Click the link to rsvp and reserve your book for signing. www.bakkaphoenixbooks.com/events/42502...

[Spelled coupon wrong 4 times writing this (How?!?)] 25% off a bunch of our books from now until year end using code SBP25 smallbeerpress.com/not-a-journa... indiepubs.com/collections/...

BREAKING: Four House Republicans have just forced a vote on healthcare subsidies. Four GOP members of Congress have signed on to the Democrats' discharge petition, and now a mandatory vote on extending ACA tax credits must be held.

and 40% off at university press of kentucky when using FROSTY25 ar checkout.

Oh good, I'm glad this GIF exists. It seems...relevant today.

My anti-GenAI prose poem, "The Ghosts of me are in your machine," is up at @strangehorizons.bsky.social Thanks to @cafenowhere.bsky.social for editing, and @bogiperson.bsky.social for being the first reader for this. strangehorizons.com/wordpress/po...

RIP Tony Geary. Damn it.

My top 5 weekly #lastfm artists: John Lennon (16), Frank Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim (13), Pretenders (11), Curtis Mayfield (10), The Bird and the Bee (10).

On top of everything else, this is one of the greatest trailers of all time.

Rob Reiner would want you to make art about everything that is happening in whatever voice you have in whatever way you can