When I talk to people, when I ride on trains, life seems to have some apparent, surface goodness that does not need questioning. —John Cheever, journal

I love this so much. Thank you @fulmerford.com

Today’s #lunchbagdoodle is the annual herpetarium reenactment of John Cassavetes’s A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE.

I have a new article out in Newcity Lit today about the inimitable Camille Bordas! lit.newcity.com/2026/02/23/c...

Had a very fun time chatting with Ben Tanzer on his podcast. I haven’t listened to it yet (hard to hear your own voice) but I do remember referencing those 80s Freedom Rock commercials ("well, turn it up, man!") as an example of how nostalgia can be embarrassing. www.tanzerben.com/blog/this-po...

I wrote about one part of my reaction to recent events: the importance and nuance of what it means to subscribe to something.

Did you know that skunk cabbages are thermogenic - they generate their own heat to melt frozen, icy ground and prepare the soil for new growth in the spring? Join us for a hike in the woods to see skunk cabbages emerging for the spring and raise money for Midwest Immigration Bond Fund.

Incredibly delighted to see this in the Washington Post (and to see Watching the Detective included alongside Cher Part One). Btw, the holiday sale is still on at www.bsideeditions.com. Get 10% off orders with the code THANKS10 at checkout.

This means so much to me – thank you, Juan. 2025 has been so rough in so many ways. If this book has added a little light, I'm very happy to hear it.

I sometimes think about how in the course of his career Columbo met at least four guys who looked like Robert Culp, and three of them turned out to be murderers. Do you think by the fourth one he went in feeling suspicious?

from Deborah Shapiro’s WATCHING THE DETECTIVE

“you don’t make too much of yourself because you are occupied with making much out of what is going on around you” — on Columbo & writers being unassuming

Just a reminder that B-Side Editions offers the option of free gift wrapping, and books make great presents. I don’t have the time/patience/microphone to make an ASMR gift wrapping video so please accept these inert photos and imagine me whispering “Shop small, if at all.”

❤️ thank you @kathleenmrooney.bsky.social ❤️

Tonight! Release party for Watching the Detective. At the Whistler. Doors at 6. Would love to see you!

Thanks so much to @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social and @rachellayown.bsky.social for this interview🖤

Coming at you in May 👀@tortoisebooks.bsky.social

The date is fast approaching... Wednesday 11/19/25 at the Whistler. Would love to see you there.

Thanks for reading, @levistahl.bsky.social 👀🖤

super proud to be part of this @wbez.org story alongside two amazing writers, love that I was photoshopped so that it looks like I’m lurking & about to jumpscare the both of them www.wbez.org/books/2025/1...

New book, Watching the Detective, ostensibly about the year I got weirdly obsessed with watching Columbo, but really about so much more. Out 11/18/25. Available to preorder on www.bsideeditions.com 🖤

Chicago! Save the date for a Watching the Detective book launch party. Weds, November 19th, 6-8pm at The Whistler. Books, beverages, friends, hope to see you there.

Do you like cities? Do you think they're miraculous instances of collective creativity, not despite but because of the fact that they always involve complex & improvisatory negotiations among dissimilar individuals? Would you like to explain that to kids? Allow me to recommend LEAF TOWN FOREVER:

Tomorrow (Friday)! I'll be talking with Naomi Washer about her wonderful new book MARGINALIA at @skunkcabbagebooks.bsky.social in Chicago. Would love to see you.

Design and book people: you might want to check out this interview with super-talented designer Matthew Jacobson, who came up with the cover for Watching the Detective, the next B-Side Editions book (out soon) substack.com/home/post/p-...

Chicago, come hear/see Donato read as part of this great lineup. Today!

First time at @roscoebooks.bsky.social, picked up the new one by @tvayyyy.bsky.social and finally got one by @bside-editions.bsky.social - enjoying the patio at Soul & Smoke (I swear this isn’t a paid ad)

Such a fun event and a great lineup! Thanks @ignatius2u.bsky.social and @roscoebooks.bsky.social ❤️

See you Sunday?

Such a fun time at Exile in Bookville, talking about The Golden Hour, with @specktor.bsky.social

This is gonna be so good! Chicago, come through!

This Thursday, 7pm, at Exile in Bookville in Chicago! I'll be talking with @specktor.bsky.social, whose new book, The Golden Hour, is just so great. So much to talk about.

I'm excited to host Sunday Salon Chicago's next in-person reading event @roscoebooks.bsky.social on May 25 at 7 pm CT, w/ Afabwaje Kurian, @bside-editions.bsky.social Deborah Shapiro, @thejs3.bsky.social, Zak Mucha, & Chris Solís Green🔥❤️👏 Bios are up at www.sundaysalon-chicago.com. Come join us!

I'll be reading in Chicago, 5/25 at @roscoebooks.bsky.social with this great line-up. Would love to see you there.

We donated a private party at the bookstore for the fundraiser for our friends at @storystudiochicago.bsky.social. Win a two-hour party at the store with all your friends, wine and snacks included! Bid now here: new.biddingowl.com/item/private...

The next Neon Night Mic is in two weeks! So excited for this stacked lineup 🎤 @danikastegeman.bsky.social 🎤 @parkeryoung.bsky.social 🎤 @simonemuenchie.bsky.social 🎤 Scott Daughtridge DeMer 🎤 Hedgie Choi (@uwiscpress.bsky.social) 🎤 Donato Loia (@bside-editions.bsky.social)

If you're in Chicago, I'll be in conversation with @specktor.bsky.social at Exile in Bookville, Thurs 5/15 at 7pm. It's such a great book, there's so much to talk about. Would love to see you there.

Had the chance to talk books, writing, small press publishing and more on the Preserving Disorder radio show/podcast. Fun, entertaining, maybe even insightful?? www.mixcloud.com/lumpenradio/...

THE GOLDEN HOUR is out in three weeks! I'm really excited about this book, which I put everything I had into. You can order from an indie store and get a better discount than Am*zon's here (use the code GOLDEN): tertulia.com/book/the-gol...

This Sunday 3/16! We'll be reading at Hungry Brain in Chicago. Doors at 6:30. See you there?

Chicago: March 16, 6:30pm, at the Hungry Brain. We'll be reading. See you there? www.sundayreadingseries.com/events/bonni...

True Failure is out today! @coffeehousepress.bsky.social

Infinite thanks to @meganstielstra.bsky.social for believing in this story. I have so much love, admiration, and respect for Megan, @nupress.bsky.social, @marisaemily.bsky.social, and the rest of the NUP team, this is a literal dream come true.✨

This is such a wonderful book – if you can go see @shayneterry.bsky.social you should!

Making an argument for vacations, I wrote about the Finnish author Tove Jansson for @theatlantic.com. Her 1974 novel Sun City (just reissued by NYRB), a fascinating portrait of American loneliness, was inspired by her pivotal extended travels through the US. www.theatlantic.com/books/archiv...

early warning for my Chicago launch of TRUE FAILURE w/ Lindsay Hunter @ Exile in Bookville on 2/28 exileinbookville.com/events/43793

We've got copies at @roscoebooks.bsky.social now – if you're in Chicago, please go say hi!

Might just make this a t shirt appreciation account. Love my Proust Finisher. finefinefine has the best ones! finefinefine.bigcartel.com

Hey! We've only got a few of the limited edition white cover copies of 1095 Short Sentences left. Get a "ghost edition" while you can. (Original blue is forever, tho). www.bsideeditions.com/shop/p/1095-...