A question for my illustrator friends. If I were seriously considering going back to school to learn to draw, would you recommend a I study illustration, specifically, or drawing and painting?

Rosh Hashanah is feeling sad to me this year. I made my usual apple cake, but just stood there, stirring it and stirring it and trying to find a way to be hopeful. Sending you all joy and rest and the energy to change this moment in our collective story.

Authors: Which is harder on you: writing a book you love but can't sell, or selling a book you can't write (or love)?

A new picture book from @laurelsnyder.bsky.social! Congratulations to Laurel and illus. Leanne Hatch on the release of THE BOOK OF CANDLES: EIGHT POEMS FOR HANUKKAH. Young readers should have access to books that reflect and expand their worldview. Happy book birthday and welcome to the world!

I know what you're all thinking! You see the Hanukkah decorations flooding stores earlier each year. You hear all those Hanukkah carols playing in the grocery store. Everywhere you look, someone is playing dreidel or eating a latke, and you want to say, "ENOUGH ALREADY! IT ISN'T EVEN HALLOWEEN!"

Thank you so much!!

I'll be on @democracynow.org this morning to talk about assassination of Charlie Kirk & what his org, Turning Point is: a transformation in rightwing youth politics away from ideology per se toward fascistic cult of personality devotion to Trump. slowcivilwar.substack.com/p/the-strugg...

Waiting for @erinentrada.bsky.social at the airport in Philly and it’s SCARFWEATHER! First warmy scarf of the year.

Students in Louisville, Ky., are checking out library books at record rates after their public school district instituted a cellphone ban | WAVE

I just found this on a curb! It’s my lucky day.

Today's #WeAreAllDC protest in downtown Washington, D.C. demanding an immediate withdrawal of federal troops from the District and an end to the federalization of the local police department.

I filled out the application to be part of the class action, but didn’t get a confirmation email. Was that your experience too? I only just thought of this.

Clean desk. Deep breath.

I’m just a girl, who did a spinal tap on a preschooler last week, asking you to fire RFK Jr.

I wish there were children's and YA books about abled kids who are not weird about or embarrassed by their disabled siblings. Most books with a disabled sibling character start off this way and that's not representative of my family's experiences, nor is it something I want my kids to read

I’m officially an empty nester! Where are the best happy hours in all the land? (Well, #Atlanta, #ITP…)

Many years ago, when my kids were little, we found ourselves without a hanukkiah. The banorah was born! Now, in just 2 weeks, you can all pick up a copy of "The Book of Candles: eight poems for Hanukkah," with gorgeous art by Leanne Hatch, and bring a little of my bananukkiah into your own home.

This

You’re tired of calling, I get it. But call.

The world is a chaotic whirling mess. But the kittenbox? The #kittenbox is full of purrs, gentle paws, and shy noses.

Let’s be clear: Pritzker isn’t a savor, he’s not “the leader of the resistance.” There won’t be one. That’s us. He’s an elected doing his job when most aren’t, and doing it well. He’s not a leftist, he’s a liberal, but he’s putting himself on the line, and that’s worth a lot.

If you saw the clip, watch the whole 12 minutes. This is it. Electeds—everyone around Pritzker is knowingly putting themselves at risk—meeting the moment. It’s not glib, it’s not a meme, it’s clear-eyed, brave, & necessary. www.msnbc.com/deadline-whi...

★ Using a “luminous collection brief free verse poems,” Laurel Snyder and illustrator Leanne Hatch “depict a lovely range of holiday moments” in their picture book THE BOOK OF CANDLES: EIGHT POEMS FOR HANUKKAH

The IPC just called the situation in Gaza a famine for the first time. Israel is saying they're doing propaganda for Hamas. There was an easy way to prevent this report: Allow aid to reach Gazan civilians. Here are the claims against the report vs. the reality.

Famine confirmed for first time in Gaza FAO, UNICEF, WFP & WHO reiterate call for immediate ceasefire & unhindered humanitarian access to curb deaths from hunger & malnutrition.

In @nytopinion.nytimes.com “This is truly a war with no limits,” our columnist Lydia Polgreen writes of the war in Gaza, “and soon there may be no journalists left to document its horror.”

At last! At last! I can finally share! Y'all. LeUyen Pham has done something truly extraordinary with this book. March, 2026. Just you wait!

We urge all authors who believe their books may have been unlawfully downloaded by Anthropic to visit the website and provide the requested information. www.lieffcabraser.com/anthropic-au...

This was the end-of-summer read I needed. One big gulp. Thank you, @lilyking.bsky.social.

Listen Back: Laurel Snyder and Chuck Groenink share HUNGRY JIM. In this new picture book, a boy awakens to realize that he is a lion... and that he is hungry. www.matthewcwinner.com/post/listen-... #kidlit #podcast @laurelsnyder.bsky.social

This should be a top story. The visual is stubbing. But listen to the officer in charge: “we’re here making LA a safer place. Since we don’t have politicians that’ll do that, we do that ourselves.” Clearly doesn’t think Trump’s a politician. Or respected civilian control.

Horrifying.

It was really wonderful getting to share this new book with folks this weekend at #nvnr25!

1. Bloomberg journalist Jason Leopold reported this morning that the president’s name has been redacted from more than 100,000 documents the FBI has on child-sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet...

Read @rabbisandra.bsky.social's reflections on Gaza and the Soul of Judaism. rabbisandra.substack.com/p/losing-a-g...

Deskilling is real. This is the world generative AI peddlers long for, one where people are incompetent without their service. Don't outsource your brain to this shit. You'll regret it.

A starred review for The Book of Candles! ❤️

Thank you @ossoff.senate.gov and @warnock.senate.gov, from a Jewish Georgian.

So excited to share this bit of light!

This.

Such wonderful news!

Sen. Warnock is reintroducing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act on Tuesday, 7/29 at Noon! The press conference that will begin at noon. #johnlewis #VotingRights #raphaelwarnock www.instagram.com/senatorwarno... www.youtube.com/senatorwarnock

What are some tropes/tricks/cliches of horror?

❤️❤️❤️

Oh hell, no you don’t have to praise Marjorie Taylor Greene for denouncing genocide in the same post she makes a big deal about Fine being Jewish. Google Jackson Hinkle. Fascists are fascists: Greene and Fine both.

HAPPENING NOW: a group of New York rabbis are being arrested at a protest outside the Israeli consulate calling for bringing food into Gaza, an end to the war, and return of all hostages @newjewishnarrative.bsky.social

With the publication of these two reports, B'Tselem & Physicians for Human Rights Israel become the first two Israeli organizations to state it loud and clear, based on meticulous documentation and research: Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. www.amnesty.org/en/latest/ne...