“The wind had blown off, leaving a loud, bright night, with wings beating in the trees and a persistent organ sound as the full bellows of the earth blew the frogs full of life.” Nearly every sentence of The Great Gatsby is this rich and musical. I’m rereading my old, beat-up copy. Beautiful.

F*CK THIS MURDER’S Queer, curvy, neurodivergent, and chronically ill Maggie Livingston just wants a 5-star review for her new B & B, but dead bodies, a rogue alligator and accident-prone guests keep getting in the way. www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJZNMRF...

It’s the last #FridayReads before Christmas! Let’s share some books and boost all signals. Books are great gifts! Repost this and let us know what to repost for you. Here’s a piece of my soul that starts with a real event… www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316... bookshop.org/p/books/hous...

Ready to revise the last 7 pages early tomorrow morning, then send it off to beta readers. I’ll be submitting the book to publishers by December 31. I can’t believe it.

There are over 18,000 types of lichen in existence. My personal favourite is ‘village bench lichen’, which devotes its entire existence selflessly to gradually making communal public seating more furry and comfortable.

10 pages left of this novel revision. It's the hardest part, of course!

Love this so much! 💗

Creative writing teachers: Do you ever do the exercises you offer in class? I’m thinking about doing this as a way to try them out and also to be in tune with what the students are working with.

So much of rewriting is waking up your verbs, my God.

Me finishing this novel. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSbb...

FYI: blacklawrencepress.submittable.com/submit/6678/...

I don't know why but in the last 2 days I've seen multiple people posting about my favorite shark the tasselled wobbegong and in case your timeline has not been similarly blessed I just think you should be aware that this is what it looks like

The @mbta absolutely needs a Communications Director. This morning’s commute on the Green Line has been frustratingly low on info the whole route through. The sign at Park St. doesn’t mention the Red Line, only the Orange and Green Lines. They need multiple sites of info, not just the website.

Revising my novel is like rolling up an air mattress and flattening out the air bubbles. I have been working on this book too long!

Frank Gehry, 1929–2025 www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/a...

"I believe the world is beautiful and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone." #poetry #smallpoemsunday @tomsnarsky.bsky.social

Monthly reminder: Many people have a book in them, but it takes a special kind of freak to leave the Land of Laziness, cross the Plains of Procrastination and Insecurity Mountain, find the Blade of No One Made You Do This, and use it to cut your chest open and yank that book out.

It's December 1, so this month's free writing prompt is up at From the Bookshelf. December's inspiration is from 13th-century poet Zhang Yuniang. cherylpappas.substack.com/p/from-the-b...

Set up the Christmas village to get in the spirit.

The most precious commodity you have is your attention. You don’t have to waste it on poor-faith debates or arguments with strangers if you don’t think they’ll be productive. You can prioritize the things that matter to you and make your life richer.

(Bursting through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man, frantically waving a copy of “Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism”)

In a few days, I’ll be 2/3 of the way done with this novel revision.

Almost ready…

Just in case you missed it! My interview by @mynachang.bsky.social!!

Managed to revise 12 pages of the novel and now to nap to mark the boundary between writing and Thanksgiving prep.

An excellent read.

Love seeing Caroline Hagood on the list! @carolinehagood.bsky.social @electricliterature.com

We’re hiring a web/senior editor and an engagement editor. See more here:

From my 15yo son, after hearing how much I make as a writer: "It's a bad business, Mom. You should get out of it."

So happy to be signing a contract for a flash to be published in a dream journal in the spring!

Congratulations to you, @burgi.bsky.social!

Carving out a writing space in this small side room.

I will always treasure this essay by my friend Kirsten Giebutowski, "Things I Have Written in Cover Letters," up at @mcsweeneys.net www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/thi...

Friends! I am teaching a workshop in December that I am so excited about! I’ve been writing and writing about domestic fabulism forever, but I’ve never actually fashioned a workshop around it before. I think this is going to be so much fun - I hope you’ll join!

first blurb, from big fave, Amelia Gray!

Wrote a little about difficult books, short books, and short and difficult books. countercraft.substack.com/p/short-litt...

Woke up on my birthday to this sweet vision. Later, a visit to see Sargent’s murals at the Boston Public Library!

This is just incredible work by @claudiamonpere.bsky.social. Thanks again for the recommendation, Matt.

Make holidays magical &treat yourself or a friend to an HFR Holiday Tote Bundle! Each tote bag comes with: 🎁 a mystery back issue wrapped in an old map 📝 a handwritten writing prompt or fortune by editors 📖 an HFR bookmark & a sticker More info via link in the comment!

GORGEOUS COVER!! OMG. This color! I can't wait for HIDDEN RIVER.

Flash writers: Would you submit an approximately 100-page flash fiction collection (with a few longer stories)? I always think that 250 pages of flash is *a lot* and the ideal length should sit between a full-length poetry collection and a short story collection. Would love to hear what you think.

cover! synopsis! preorder! out in feb!! "Blending autofiction with fantasy, meta with magic, and earnestness with absurdity, 𝘛𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘢 presents a recognizable but also magical world where we ask, if nothing is real, then why not have as much fun as possible?" autofocusbooks.com/store/p/tacoma

UNC-Chapel Hill's chancellor says the university will not sign on to a higher education compact from the Trump administration. www.wunc.org/education/20...

Good rewriting day. Got to the point where I felt I had to reacclimate to the world after.

Let’s gooooooo!! 🥰🥰🥰

Lit mag friends: I have a couple of undergrads who would be amazing readers for your journal. And one is looking for a summer internship, specifically (for grad hours, unpaid). Anyone have a spot to offer?

Well, this is maybe cheating because I help edit a lit mag that publishes spec and have MANY favorites just from this year, but I think about this @rpmirabella.bsky.social story we published a lot! hexliterary.com?p=2727

If you wrote an SF/F/H story that was published in 2025 (or read a story that you thought was great), tell me about it in this thread! Authors, also send your story to me here: johnjosephadams.com/basff-submis... (Please read the guidelines before submitting.)

Did Women Ruin The Workplace?

A reminder about my class Reading Flash for @flashfictioninst.bsky.social, on Sunday, November 23, from 6 to 8pm ET. flashfictioninstitute.com/product/read...