Local public radio (WFIU will happily take your money!) has the next (final?) update on this sad, preposterous, and annoying story (in which nothing more threatening than some houseplants has been found--but careers have been ruined and science stymied) www.ipm.org/2026-05-19/u...

Still in the middle of it but y'all, McGrath's Middlemen is so good! It's a history of literary agents but it also has tons of data and interesting stories about book publishing and I've already told 5 colleagues to read it so now I'm telling you! bookshop.org/p/books/midd...

I appreciate how blunt my texts about samples of my writing are to my friends. I know the facts are correct, tell me if the words are beautiful or not! 😭

Once again, I think ED gave states an opening in a lawsuit by adding one program to that ancient list of ten "professional" programs.

Recency bias here but the Applebaum book, Autocracy Inc., I just finished has a tight overview of what it means that petro is the infrastructure for global power — and that it bisects and subverts the labels we use to understand the world eg democracy v communism

Profiles in Courage II is real rough

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate advances bill aimed at ending Iran war after GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy, defeated in primary, switches to support it.

every time I think about the motivations and critical thinking skills of these oligarchs I remember how their panic in private messages and group texts destabilized a bank, accelerating its collapse www.marketplace.org/story/2023/0...

This one took a while to write. Put out an essay about the links between fandom and consumerism, and its effect on how we interpret fiction. Hope y'all enjoy!

Was looking around for something and stumbled upon this. Oh, 9 months ago me...

"If the tradwife won’t die, it’s because she was never alive. We are boxing with an apparition." @sarahjones.bsky.social is one of the very few people I want to read on this new novel and related phenoms/phantoms.

Getting a fresh pot of tea and lighting a candle cause it's 🎵 writing time🎵

I want to write one of these why again?

Here's the Darling thread on the (food-at-home) inflation working paper I posted yesterday Strong points. The paper makes a contribution but def isn't a slam dunk for Team Material Realities

For the years 2015-2019, the UN reported that 52 countries had policies intended to raise fertility rates, and 69 were trying to lower fertility; 19 wanted to maintain current rates, and 52 specified no national policy. These are their stories.

People often laugh when I tell them this, but: A sizable cohort of Texas GOP voters have been convinced over the last decade that the state is actually under the secret control of Democrats who, with help from RINOs, tried to impeach Paxton. This primary has already been ugly; if he loses? Hoo boi.

The contrast between the number of media requests I got when rich people on a cruise were facing a deadly, but contained outbreak versus now that some of the poorest people in the world are facing a deadly and devastating epidemic is just so so stark and it just really annoys the hell out of me.

Oh...oh my [runs to the family group chat]

baseball discourse on bluesky dot app today

In my latest newsletter I rave about a truly assured debut and I also consider that Guardian Best 100 Novels list. www.themarisreview.com/the-maris-re...

For those in NYC, please share this link with people you may know who do not have access to air conditioning. They can enter a zip code and find nearby cooling centers today (and, well, on the other extreme heat days to come): finder.nyc.gov/coolingcente...

As I said to someone else, the most likely outcome, if he was interested in leaving, is that now they've just raised his salary for the other institution

Also, the issues with quote attribution in In Covid's Wake feel nearly as important but also feel like they got much less attention

*gross sobbing* how are Hans and Franz so cute I can’t get anything done

Still in the middle of it but y'all, McGrath's Middlemen is so good! It's a history of literary agents but it also has tons of data and interesting stories about book publishing and I've already told 5 colleagues to read it so now I'm telling you! bookshop.org/p/books/midd...

Woo! Yeah! USA! (talks to economist friend)...Oh nooo

"A review of the GitHub account and its exposed passwords show the “Private CISA” repository was maintained by an employee of Nightwing, a government contractor based in Dulles, Va. Nightwing declined to comment, directing inquiries to CISA."

If you want to attend a sporting event to watch the game, there's nothing like basketball but if you want to attend a sporting event and not watch the game, baseball is basically the GOAT sport

this is such classic grifting language, I simply do not understand how any rational person could take any of this seriously.

LOL squared

LOL

We're coming up on our 20th blogiversary which is spurring on bouts of musing & while I was finishing a Kristen Stewart post just now, I suddenly remembered that there was a time her posts filled up with comments from people insisting she was secretly married to Pattinson with several babies

Love to see this attention to @unlawfulentries.bsky.social important book! Can't wait to dig into this conversation with @bakerdphd.bsky.social.

Only one way to find out...

ICYMI

There has been a distressing lowering of standards at some of the most prestigious newsrooms in the country, and no one's talking about it.

Negotiators reach a deal to end strike on the Long Island Rail Road, the busiest commuter rail system in U.S.

Oh my, they selected the former Alabama president

Transform and roll out!

See you guys in half an hour for this free virtual craft chat!! writer.org/event/chanda...

All the best husbands are buying this I’m told

To many horrors. RHORI let's go.

Oscar was something out of a horror movie this morning.

If you've ever wondered where to start reading my books, I have a guide here: www.courtneymilan.co... /jb #HistoricalRomance #ContemporaryRomance #Romance #Romancelandia #HEA #CourtneyMilan

So. Jealous.

Peter and Ozzy gazing into each others' eyes

Katina Boutis, Everlane’s former head of sustainability, also confirmed to Sourcing Journal that she was no longer working for the brand.

Ah. Well this is useful information about the direction Northwestern's board would like to take the institution. (Yes, I've been in the Purdue subreddit and in their student newspaper archives, why do you ask?)