Wrote a bit about this year's edition of The Best American Science and Nature Writing - and posted the Notables jaimealyse.beehiiv.com/p/basnw25

He’s surely going to go after libraries and he will find out fast that people don’t like that, no they do not.

I can’t stand even reading the headlines these days.

Writing this one cracked me up: susanorlean.Substack.com

I’m on my way to Panama! If war breaks out while I’m there please come get me.

Enough with the plagues, LA.

www.ala.org/news/2025/01... 📚

My most recent Substack is especially meaningful to me. I’d be thrilled if you read it. Susanorlean.substack.com

The speed with which companies are abandoning DEI is a clue about how shallow their commitment to it ever was.

A while ago I thought about deleting my Make America Kittens Again plug-in, which replaces all photos of Trump in the NYTimee with pictures of kittens. Little did I know it would again become an essential quality-of-life item!

I think this is going to be one of those days.

It’s been a horrible week here in Los Angeles. So many friends have lost their homes. We were evacuated but are home now, and grateful that we’re safe. I’ve written in more detail at susanorlean.substack.com

Plus a personal note about the L.A. fires, with links to writing I admire by @susanorlean.bsky.social @meghandaum.bsky.social @theatlantic.com @sfstandard.com fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...

Wind is roaring like a beast here. We aren’t really close to any of the fires but we’re worried our windows might blow out: It’s that intense.

The Palisades Fire from a a flight landing at LAX, approaching Santa Monica, California.

Wow I worded my request so poorly! I am looking for folks who need help organizing something like… a closet. Or toys. Or a drawer.

Do you have an organization challenge you’d like help tackling? Would you be willing to talk about it on a podcast? Reply here or as a DM and let’s talk!

My New Year resolutions:

I bought so much elephant stuff in India

Pajamas with my name on ‘em methinks

Aboard United flight from Newark to Delhi and I am so excited!

I’ve been reduced to eating chocolate chips for dessert, straight out of the package, like some kind of fucking animal

THIS IS A FUCKING OUTRAGE

In particular, insurance for profit. How can that not go sideways?

Insurance sort of doesn’t make sense to me.

It’s not that I don’t want to read. I want to read stories about real people and real things, not politics.

I guess the cratering of viewership on MSNBC suggests I’m not alone in this.

Also, I think I was gobbling up so much news pre-election that I burned out. But also my disappointment and discouragement has made me turn away from news—at least political news.

Since the election I’ve found it hard to read the news. It’s not that I don’t care, but I think I want to distance myself. I’ve never experienced this before. It’s not a pleasant feeling.

I think things went to hell once people started writing “your” when they meant “you’re”.

Massive away win for the little fella.

Someone at Sonos clearly said, Is there any way we can make this app totally confusing and also not work? Yay, we did it!

myfivethings.com/class/writin... C’mon! Let’s talk!

I haven’t been on a flight in at least a year that wasn’t totally full. There simply aren’t any empty seats.

I’m flying home Saturday night rather than Sunday and so far it’s pretty civilized. Tomorrow the Kraken is unleashed.

I still get a little weepy remembering when I taught my little baby son how to Rickroll. It was a very special moment.

I’m so glad Rickrolling has survived the ages.

I am so fucking thankful for public libraries!!

Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🦃🍽 to one and all!

Santa looks drunk

Come join me for a talk about memoirs or else myfivethings.com/class/writin...

We are such a polarized nation; a chasm divides us and rends the fabric of our society. But at least we all agree that the driver gets to control the radio.

I just watched the NatGeo tsunami docuseries and it worked: I no longer have any desire to be in a tsunami.

Now I’m super mad

My new thing is to be super-offended when someone leaves me out of their starter pack