Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 10h

Tomorrow (October 15) is the final day to get a $100-off early bird discount to attend the April 24-27, 2026 Sandia Starforgers writing retreat for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and other spec fic writers in Albuquerque, NM. I'm teaching with @charliejane.bsky.social. More info: starforgers.com/2026

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Ursula K. Le Guin Bot @leguinbot.bsky.social · 1d

A hero whose heroism consists of killing people is uninteresting to me, and I detest the hormonal war orgies of our visual media, the mechanical slaughter of endless battalions of black-clad, yellow-toothed, red-eyed demons.

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 13h

Pure joy, if it were distilled into an SNL sketch:

youtu.be/LW9QJIT_T-A

KPop Demon Hunters - SNL

YouTube video by Saturday Night Live

youtu.be

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 13h

Here’s to an exciting new adventure! 🎉💚

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Aubrey Hirsch @aubreyhirsch.bsky.social · 17h

Did you know that if you buy my book on Amazon, Jeff Bezos makes 5 times as much as I do on each copy sold? Sharing some behind-the-scenes book math on why buying directly from presses is best for EVERYONE (except Bezos) in my newsletter today! aubreyhirsch.substack.com/p/book-math

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The Ghost of Kat Kourbeti: soon @ World Fantasy Con @darthj.uno · 14h

Congratulations to @podcastle.org for winning an Ignyte Award! 👏

What a beautiful happenstance that my new narration is up there today - 'Vedritsa of the River' by @catchingwords.bsky.social is a sapphic Rusalka story with cli-fi elements, and I was deeply honoured to work on it. Give it a listen!

PodCastle 913: Vedritsa of the River - PodCastle

Vedritsa of the River by Adriana Kantcheva The Kamchia river had grown turgid after a storm. I surfaced from my habitual pool and bent over the young girl as she lay washed on the bank, her limbs co...

podcastle.org

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 1d

I thought this was lovely.

"A few years ago I received a DM from Zohran Kwame Mamdani. Only recently did I discover its existence. It was a very unusual DM—especially coming from a local assemblyman who would soon be running for higher office. He had very little name recognition at the time, and could have benefited from publicity. But unlike the thousands of messages I’ve received from people with something to promote, Zohran did not ask to be featured on Humans of New York. Instead he asked if he could introduce me to taxi drivers that were struggling beneath the burden of debt. Coming from a man with political ambitions, this self-denying request was so strange as to be almost singular. I don’t endorse politicians on Humans of New York. But I’ll endorse a good man. And it was a good man who cleared 30 minutes from his schedule yesterday to swing by Grand Central and visit Dear New York’s Vanderbilt Hall Exhibition. Nearly fifty-student artists were visiting that day with their families, and I thought a surprise visit from this widely-loved future mayor would be a special memory for all of them. Before Zohran’s arrival I was convinced I’d made a terrible mistake. The exhibit was filled to capacity with adult visitors. Dear New York is self-funded so there was very little staff and security for crowd control. In the crush of people I was almost certain this special day for the kids would devolve into thirty minutes of selfie requests. But everyone rose to the occasion."

black text on white background

"Hundreds of adults quickly cleared the room and stood outside the exhibit. Eleven very notable adult photographers are also featured in the show, but even they took a step back, so that these students could briefly have the stage to themselves. Each child stood by their work and Zohran was able to meet all of them, one at a time, and honor their contributions to the most-visited art show in New York City. Thanks to everyone who ceded the stage yesterday to make this moment possible. Thank you Zohran for literally sitting down on the floor so that these young artists could feel so tall. Thanks for continually centering other people in your life and work. And thank you, for being such an important part of Dear New York."

A large group of children and adults pose together indoors in front of a sign reading "DEAR." A man in a suit sits cross-legged in front, surrounded by smiling kids. The background features an ornate architectural detail.

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 1d

I’ll gladly root for the Brewers if this is what it takes.

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Neon Hemlock @neonhemlock.bsky.social · 1d

📚 Opening in two days 📚

(If you submitted to us over the summer, we are still reading/considering those manuscripts and hope to get back to you within the next 30 days or so)

Neon Hemlock @neonhemlock.bsky.social · 20d

whoa october is around the corner!

reminder that we'll be open again for novellas soon.

more info here: www.neonhemlock.com/submissions

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Dr.MRO/ Axel Folio @isasaxonists.bsky.social · 1d

Obligatory post in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day. Have a blessed one (unless you're a racist, then you can go to hell).

Bad Place characters in two panels
Top panel: Fun fact: Columbus is in the bad place
Bottom panel: because of all the raping, slave trade, and genocide.

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Georgina Kiersten @ingloriousgigi.bsky.social · 1d

Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! If you want to get into the Halloween spirit and want to support Indigenous people, may I suggest you pick up Never Whistle At Night, edited by Shawn Hawk with an introduction by Stephen Graham Jones.

www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 2d

youtu.be/TcNxY4TudXo

3/3

Fred Rogers inducted into the TV Hall of Fame

YouTube video by Julian Park

youtu.be

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 2d

“But how do we make goodness attractive? By doing whatever we can do to bring courage to those whose lives move near our own. By treating our neighbor at least as well as we treat ourselves and allowing that to inform everything that we produce.”

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 2d

When inducted into the TV Hall of Fame, Fred Rogers gave a speech I hold close to my heart, especially now:

“Well, life isn’t cheap. It’s the greatest mystery of any millennium, and television needs to do all it can to broadcast that: to show and tell what the good in life is all about.

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unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 2d

People are spontaneously posting up near any laborers or street vendors they spot. Just saw a rapid responder guarding a man working on a building exterior. Many things are terrible today but lord, this stuff matters.

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 2d

There are a tremendous number of ICE watchers out in Rogers Park this afternoon after some early morning abductions.

People are guarding churches and patrolling alleyways. Ran into Alderperson Hadden. First timers tell us they're primed and ready to use their whistles.

Know your rights flyer in Spanish on street pole

Alderperson Maria Hadden on street corner

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 2d

My vote is for Encino Man because I think that’s the funnier choice.

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Suzan the chalant goth @sillysyntax.bsky.social · 2d

A huge congrats to all of the Ignyte winners and nominees!

You all keep us going🖤🖤🖤🖤

The Ignyte Awards @theignyteawards.bsky.social · 2d

Oh, hello

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Annalee Newitz @annaleen.bsky.social · 2d

SF Bay! This is *tonight*! Don't miss it!

Annalee Newitz @annaleen.bsky.social · 3d

Bay Area friends! Food! Trauma! Healing! All that and more with me, @soleilho and Lee Lai, tomorrow night, 6pm at Mrs Dalloways! Free! It's all part of @litquake.org!! litquake2025.sched.com/event/28S9x/...

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Cap ✨ Polly Cocktail @gentleranium.bsky.social · 2d

🤝 on Mr. Brightside for similar reasons.

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Melissa @bibliothecar.bsky.social · 3d

I am at a festival for a music scene that currently only has one bassist. The festival is in a hilly forest venue and he runs the trails between stages to get to every set, carrying his stand-up bass. People give him beers and snacks as he passes.

Anyway, I have an idea for a new Olympic sport.

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Elise Wang @elisewang.bsky.social · 3d

For those not fluent in Catholic: refusing the Monstrance is not denying prisoners the Eucharist, it is refusing Christ himself, since Christ is present in the Monstrance.

If Portland’s blow up animals are the right language for Portland, this is the right language for Chicago.

Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 3d

Chicago priest Fr. Larry Dowling describes procession to ICE facility: “No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ.”

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J. Elvis Weinstein @jelvisweinstein.bsky.social · 22d

I know antifa isn't a real organization because I don't get 40 texts a week from them asking for donations.

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Ify Nwadiwe @ifycomedy.com · 3d

I think we really should stop using antifa and just fully say anti-fascist and get them saying they are against anti fascism. Using antifa is giving them some distance and I genuinely think some of their base don’t even know that’s what it stands for.

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The Reluctant Rose @reluctantrose.bsky.social · 4d

I TOO WOULD LIKE TO READ THE STEINBECK WEREWOLF NOVEL

Casey Stegman @caseystegman.com · 4d

Your Spooky Season reminder that John Steinbeck has a shunned werewolf novel

www.theguardian.com/books/2021/m...

John Steinbeck’s estate urged to let the world read his shunned werewolf novel

Rejected and hidden away since 1930, an early murder mystery by the Nobel-winning author is ‘an incredible find’

www.theguardian.com

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Cami @cafiffle.bsky.social · Jul 9

I think one of the saddest things about being a millennial is remembering a time when technology was advancing in a way that made life better and easier and more exciting instead of actively, intentionally worse

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