Our September newsblotter is out! Less than a week remains to get in your submissions for issue 1. Check out the updates to our guidelines, plus interesting reads, kickstarters, a fantasy art exhibit, and other new outlets for your short stories! open.substack.com/pub/furtherl...

Not sure but this might be heresy.

Promise?

I felt torn about adding this book to my TBR. On the one hand, the concept is right up my alley. On the other hand, I have had serious issues with every Kuang book I've read. Sounds like the issues have gotten worse, which is sad because PhD students visit Hell is such an awesome premise.

One of my favorite things about teaching at BYU is the chance to open class with a blessing on both learners and teachers. timesandseasons.org/index.php/20...

Inspired by a recent John Scalzi post against recommending old books, some thoughts on gifted readers and the canon. open.substack.com/pub/lizbusby...

Back from Japan with book reviews and news! Less reading than usual, but at least three of these are going on my all-time favorites list.

Excited to be presenting but a bit intimidated by the level of Tolkien knowledge on the program. I'm gonna learn a lot!

We're getting an A24 Mormon Horror Cinematic Universe, folks!

A little project I've been working... I hope you'll join me. Links in the usual places, or check out www.furtherlightmag.com

Sometimes you write a story because you can't not write this story, even if there's little to no chance it will ever be published because it's so idiosyncratic. And sometimes, a random opportunity comes along and they want said piece. And so nothing in writing is ever wasted. 🎉

A slightly spoiler-y post about religion in Brandon Sanderson's latest secret project. "Patji represents a god who wants us to suffer opposition to help us grow, a Latter-day Saint idea best reflected in 2 Nephi 2 and its discussion of opposition in all things." open.substack.com/pub/lizbusby...

The AAR Religion and the Arts Award is presented to an artist, performer, critic, curator, or scholar who has made a recent significant contribution to the arts and religion. Send in your nominations by September 15, 2025: aarweb.org/award/religi...

Well, I guess it's time for me to invest in some of the new shiny editions. This happened while reading aloud to my youngest last night. At least I now have an easy bookmark!

15/15

Excited to be presenting here!

I'll be speaking at a panel with Chanel Earl and Steven Peck at the Compass gallery about the relationship between imagination and faith. Wednesday, June 18, 7-8 pm Imagine That: Wayfare Panel Discussion The Compass Gallery, 250 W Center St, Provo, UT www.thecompassgallery.com/event-detail...

Back from the conference circuit with some book reviews: lizbusby.substack.com/p/what-i-rea...

The ability to embrace the Mormon weird is one of my favorite things about MHA. 😂

For those in or near Provo, come to the opening of the Fantastically Human art show at The Compass Gallery. www.thecompassgallery.com/fantasy25

If a conference’s success can be judged by whether they can fill a ballroom at 9am to listen to someone talk about lingering discourse over Mormon polygamy in the 20th century, then MHA’s first full day is off to a successful start!

Can't wait! #MHA2025

6 days left to pre-order Write with Jane Austen on Kickstarter! We've just hit the fifth stretch goal. Level up your storytelling and style with writing lessons and exercises inspired by Jane Austen's novels. www.kickstarter.com/projects/kat... #janeausten #kickstarter #writingadvice

in the stormlight archive the listeners are the Nephites send tweet

Modern xkcd.com/3089

Coming back up after a heads-down semester. So you get four months of book reviews at once! open.substack.com/pub/lizbusby...

Filled out three applications for adjunct positions today🙏

Buying tickets to the Nintendo museum is more locked down than buying airplane tickets. Once you buy them, you can never ever change the name on the ticket, and if it doesn't match your ID exactly, they won't let you in. Not sure what they are worried about. Secret 1-up vault?

Time to celebrate Star Wars Day the way the Bard intended. May the force be with thou!

Tolkien's sketches in the daily paper. What does it say about a man who did things like this? He certainly lived with a childlike imagination!

We’re delighted to announce the finalists for our 2024 awards in poetry, novel, and short fiction: www.associationmormonletters.org/2025/04/2024...

Just finished grading the last paper, so now the semester is officially over.

Gonna be real with you, this feels like an advertisement for spiritual death

Some really cool Easter art from LDS artists: www.centerforlatterdaysaintarts.org/journal/2025...

“The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the story of the Incarnation. There is no tale ever told that men would rather find was true... Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, and of men - and of elves. Legend and History have met and fused." - Tolkien #Easter

Served up this ad today. As a college instructor, this makes me angry. Legit encouraging students to cheat as a way to make money. I mean, we could*pretend* it's encouraging students to use it to review concepts for finals, but we know that's not real. So obviously unethical.

Okay. So Mystery's out. What's next? Maybe the table of contents?

Ross Douthat saying the quiet part out loud. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/o...

It's now even more official: folks who live in Utah are Utahns, not Utahans. Please don't add the a. www.abc4.com/news/politic...

Today is #TolkienReadingDay! Founded by the @tolkiensociety.org and held on the date the Ring was destroyed. This year's theme is "Fellowship and Community". In celebration, I am giving away five copies of the US Kindle edition of Tolkien's illustrated Lord of the Rings. Rules below ⬇️ 1/3

Submitting my proposal to OMS to celebrate Tolkien Reading Day!

Hey #MormonStudies folks! There's now a Discord server! The goal was to have a place outside conventional social media where anyone under the Mormon Studies umbrella could network and collaborate. We also share job postings, calls for papers, and other opportunities. Can't wait to see you there!

Happy to return to ICFA this year! I'll be presenting part of my thesis on the Stormlight Archive in about 15 minutes. Then I can relax and enjoy the rest of ICFA. #ICFA #ICFA2025

The hero slays the beast The beast is himself No the beast is his parents No the beast is the past No the beast is the king/queen/regent No the beast is the magician/witch No the beast is the storyteller No the beast is god, a god, the gods, little gods All the hero’s little gods in himself

Thinking about sharing this one with my WRTG 150 students. And teaching them all how to use an RSS reader. youtu.be/QEJpZjg8GuA?...

Well, this is ... an idea for a Stormlight adaptation.... youtu.be/e6Py-BzRleU?...

Spent a good chunk of today looking for examples of logical fallacies on Twitter to show my persuasive writing class tomorrow. As a result, I now remember why I don't do politics on social media, and we'll be dissecting logical fallacies from Disney villains instead.

New post on Karl G Maeser and the Stormlight Archive: open.substack.com/pub/lizbusby...

I am dying to see Greta Gerwig take on The Magician's Nephew. Please let it be true. 🤞 www.narniaweb.com/2025/01/netf...

Cool thoughts! I agree in the vein of many great authors never being discovered or gaining a following. Fame is not always equal to quality, but it's certainly correlated with luck. timesandseasons.org/index.php/20...