Been feeling bleak for the past week after I read an essay saying the market for middle-grade books has collapsed because kids can no longer read them. Two long-time publishers of middle-grades have shuttered, with more to come. We don’t appreciate what a crisis this is.

Superior Achievement in Poetry, winners Linda D. Addison and Jamal Hodge, Everything Endless (Raw Dog Screaming Press) with Kevin Wetmore and Sarah Read. #StokerCon2026 #StokerAwards

I’m sitting in the gallery of the 2026 Stoker Awards! #StokerAwards #StokerCon

What could go wrong? smithsonianmag.com/smart-new…

You know how people are all "I have no fucks to give?" That's not me. I'm trying hard to develop a "whatever" reaction when frustrated at the day job. I think "whatever" may be the gateway word I need.

You always hear about how AI is going to change every industry, every product. In some ways, we students are the product that has been changed first. Stanford has a larger budget than 116 countries. That doesn’t happen just because you’re really good at educating people. It happens because you figured out how to monetize yourself effectively. And students are the ones that you’re going to be reaping your future rewards off of. chronicle.com/article/theo-b…

Swoon

"I sold my child into sex slavery. Obviously I am the victim" The BBC needs to go.

Nosferatu (1979)

The Book of Demons | Call for Submissions - We are very excited to announce a new call for submissions, which is now open! This is the newest edition to our Beyond & Within series, to be edited by V. Castro! flametr.com/4uNW9YB

If you’re working towards our 31 May competition deadline, take a breath. Here's a reminder of our word counts. Believe in yourself and get writing. All info on entering at bridportprize.org.uk #YouCanDoIt #AmWriting #WritersCorner #WritingCompetition #FlashFiction

This is it. This is why I write. "Consider those moments when you’ve been reading a story and suddenly been astonished by a writer’s insights into your life. Into you. Insights by a writer you have never met. A writer who may have come from a different country, from wildly different circumstances than your own, who may have been dead for a hundred years. But who has voiced something you couldn’t put into words, who has made you feel seen, recognized, in ways even your loved ones cannot manage, perhaps even your therapist cannot manage. Who seems to have written this story with you specifically in mind. What a strange feeling. Exciting, gratifying, intimate, and also—unsettling." -- Suzanne Berne lithub.com/what-close-readin…

Repost!🙌🏼

Meg Pokrass workshop. If you are curious about ways to approach big topics in tiny stories, try this: Dystopian and/or Sci-fi Microfiction Workshop: May 22nd-24th open.substack.com/pub/megpok…

Today's story research involved watching video of lions mating. That is all.

I am NOT a robot.

Baking a strawberry cake for my son's 25th birthday. It's a helluva long prep to make it by scratch. And then there's getting the cakes out of the dang pans prepartory to baking. But it's for sure made with love!

Prince William: “The Muslim community showed the world the true face of Islam as a religion of peace and understanding.”