Amanda Castleman
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amandacastleman.bsky.social
Amanda Castleman
@amandacastleman.bsky.social
1.6K followers 2.3K following 93 posts
Seattle writer & photog: heath, travel & the environment. Pubbed in BBC, Sierra, Outside, NYT & NatGeo, etc. Founder of the school writelikeahoneybadger.com. ADHDer, geeks over drag, native plants, tiny homes & wild swimming. She/her. amandacastleman.com
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amandacastleman.bsky.social
Amanda Castleman @amandacastleman.bsky.social · Nov 13
An intro, as the X-odus continues! I'm a Seattle writer & photographer focusing on travel, medicine & the environment. My work appears in Afar, BBC Travel, Hidden Compass, Sierra, National Geographic & The New York Times. Founder & instructor at www.writelikeahoneybadger.com

www.amandacastleman.com
A Guyanese giant river otter glares at the camera with red-rimmed eyes, as it chases a boat. Water droplets hang from its whiskers. The water appears brown from tannins and the bank has small beige-red rocks.
amandacastleman.bsky.social
SCHOLARSHIP OPP: Hands down, Travel Classics Media is the best networking conference for travel writing. Apply for this emerging-author aid—honoring my late brother-by-choice—by 7/1 and win a trip to the Quebec session October 13-16, 2025. Get in there, friends!!! travelclassics.com/scholarship
Edward smiles shyly at the camera. He's a middle-aged man with a black-and-white fleece cap, glasses, a calico beard, moss-green waterproof jacket and a paddling life jacket. It's a clear sunny day in SE Alaska and snow-gilded mountains are visible in the background.
June 16, 2025 at 11:28 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
Photo bombus!!! 😹

#pollinators #bumblebees #bombus #lupine #blossomscrolling #nativeplants
A bumble bee harvests from a purple bigleaf lupine, while another cruises over. In the background are large verdant lupine leaves (kind of like big green daisy petals in shape).
June 16, 2025 at 7:25 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
A black cartoon cat with a crown sits on a pillow above flames. The text reads: "No kings! However we do accept tiny in-house monarchs with ticklety tum tums."
June 14, 2025 at 9:26 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
Getting fired up for No Kings day!

(And, yes, Snopes confirmed this story: bit.ly/3ZXOYA8)
Text says '"we interrupted our drag show to shoot at at Nazis' is a truly powerful energy I want to bring back." The image shows men in pale flouncy dresses pushing a gun into position on a foggy day. Its captions reads: British Soldiers (interrupted during drag show rehearsals by a German raid) manning a BL 6-inch Mk VII naval gun at Shornemead Fort, England in 1940. Epic!
June 13, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
joshshepperd.bsky.social
Wrote a historical piece that defends funding for NPR and PBS. Whatever their problems, we cannot let Fox News become our default "public sphere." There needs to be alternatives, including imperfect yet aspirational ones.
Trump and many GOP lawmakers want to end all funding for NPR and PBS − unraveling a US public media system that took a century to build
The precursors of today’s public media programs consisted of professors giving lectures about history and finance.
theconversation.com
May 2, 2025 at 1:22 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
✨NIPPED!✨

#Void #Blackcat #Blueskycats #Catsofbluesky
A shiny black cat with moss-green eyes (Manson lamps!) hangs off a dark wood cat tree. Behind him, you can see a vaulted cedar ceiling with dark wood beams, plus art and many plants, including a pony tail palm. Image copyright amandacastleman.com
May 1, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
alpbeck.com
Before I go into today's dystopian nightmare, let's take a minute to bring down your blood pressure. Here is one of my favorite creatures, the #RedPanda. Enjoy. #nature #animals
April 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
Cinnamon Squirrel and her mate Big Red have become my coffee klatch. They take turns visiting each morning, sometimes companionably devouring nuts as I caffeinate. Eastern grays are an invasive species in Seattle, I know, but they've also invaded my heart, dangnabbit!
An alert grey squirrel with a peachy face and other red markings on her back. She's standing on the arched branch of a weeping atlas cedar with a weeping redwood behind her, as well as a glimpse of eco-lawn and the street. It's a grey winter day in the Pacific Northwest. A chonky grey squirrel stands atop a mason bee chalet with mossy maple bark in the background. His tail curls behind him and is very plumey. He has red markings, especially on his face and elbows. Little dude has kind of a benevolent major domo vibe going here...
April 1, 2025 at 5:22 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
The blue-booty bees are back! Today I spotted the season's first wild mason bees in action (my cocoons are still slumbering in the fridge). Adorable!
Wild Washington mason bees clamber on a euphorbia blossom. They have blue booties and sort of resemble flies. The two bees are harvesting pollen from a yellow-lime green plant and more plants are visible in the background, including some sedum succulents
March 27, 2025 at 10:25 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
My partner @dspaulding.bsky.social went on disability leave last summer & his company—surprise!—cancelled our insurance without warning on 2/28. Something we discovered today by accident. Fun! But, hey, the stress made our aloof girlcat Badger cuddle me: a new trick in her arsenal at age 12. Awww!
A pumpkin, peach and charcoal tortoiseshell cat sleeps on her person's lap, covered in a sage blanket. Her eyes are closed and paws tucked. The pic is very peaceful and features her Main Coon ear tufts nicely!
March 5, 2025 at 3:32 AM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
honeybadgerwriters.bsky.social
An incredible virtual conference starts tomorrow. @indiejournalists.bsky.social supports BIPOC writers, but welcomes allies too. Learn what 40+ top editors are looking for and how to thrive as a freelancer!

Feb 27–28, 2025. $79. 10% discount: HONEY10. Recordings available. theiij.com.
A graphic showing five speakers at the IIJ 2025 Freelance Conference for the panel Pitching Stories on Work and Play.
February 26, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
transjournalists.org
📣 Trans journalists! We want to support your career development. We're offering $250-$500 stipends.

Who's eligible?
👉 Any journalist who qualifies for TJA membership!

We also have stipends specifically for:
👉 students
👉 early-career journos

Apply now 👇

airtable.com/appL7bizZ6ai...
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airtable.com
February 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
My travel writing course still has three seats open at @honeybadgerwriters.bsky.social. The asynchronous class starts today, 2/25 (open enrollment till day 10). Join us for industry insights and weekly developmental line-edits from expert instructors!

www.writelikeahoneybadger.com/classes/trav...
A Zodiac full of travelers is silhouetted against giant blue icebergs. Very majestic vibe.
February 25, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
druzbasky.bsky.social
#resistance
February 22, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
druzbasky.bsky.social
#Resistance
February 22, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
rebeccasolnit.bsky.social
Cheerful round-up of bad news for Tusk/Mump.
murshedz.bsky.social Murshed Zaheed @murshedz.bsky.social · Feb 21
Hello friends. I know times are dark but it is incredibly important not to lose hope. And, this week there are signs of hope and it paramount we recognize that hope, not let up and build. A thread on this if I may. You may appreciate this on a Friday. Come along with me. 🧵 (1/10)
February 22, 2025 at 2:18 AM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
Scholarship opp: @honeybadgerwriters.bsky.social is accepting applications from journos and emerging writers from backgrounds underrepresented in the #media. Deadline: midnight on 2/19 for my six-week online #travelwriting class starting 2/25.
www.writelikeahoneybadger.com/scholarships
A young Asian woman in a train station with a knapsack and camera. She has dark hair in a bun, a white tank, and blue-and-white striped shirt.
February 19, 2025 at 12:10 AM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
Today, I had a phone interview for a medical article sooooo early that this night owl slept in her clothes. Feeling fierce now! But not so fresh... 😹
February 14, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
neilthurman.bsky.social
The @niemanlab.org just published this piece on our new paywalls study. @speppered.bsky.social does a great job presenting the findings comprehensively, accurately, and with stylistic flair. Thanks Sophie!

www.niemanlab.org/2025/02/less...

Full paper:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Less is more, and discounts work: A new study looks at the minutiae of paywall strategy
“Reducing the information density of teaser elements on paywalled articles and offering discounts may help newspapers increase their online subscriber numbers.”
www.niemanlab.org
February 11, 2025 at 11:07 AM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
How to purge Copilot's intrusive, unethical, resource-guzzling trash for anyone else suffering! (Only works for Word & Powerpoint so far...😿)

I canceled my subscription & bought Office from Digital Licensing instead for $25! Especially nice since Microsoft is jacking rates 30% on renewal now...
How to turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 Family and Personal subscriptions - Microsoft SupportYour Privacy Choices Opt-Out Icon
support.microsoft.com
January 21, 2025 at 1:03 AM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
Registration opened for the fall @travelclassics.bsky.social conference. Interested? Apply immediately, as it usually sells out in a day or two. Another avenue: a scholarship honoring my late brother-by-choice, which includes the fee, accommodation & $350 towards airfare. bit.ly/travelclassics
A white man in his 40s with thin wire glasses, a calico beard and outdoor gear. Snowcapped SE Alaskan peaks and blue sky are visible behind him. Photo copyright amandacastleman.com
January 15, 2025 at 8:59 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
It's teaching time again! Writers, learn how to perfect your pitches to get the work you want this year!
honeybadgerwriters.bsky.social Write Like a Honey Badger @honeybadgerwriters.bsky.social · Jan 7
Charge into 2025! Last call for our online course Pitch Like a Honey Badger, which demystifies pitching #journalism and #creativenonfiction! This four-week workshop starts January 7th (enrollment open until day 10). Discover how to query like the world's most ferocious animal! bit.ly/badgerpitch
A young girl races across the shallow water of Jasper Lake. It's a clear day and tawny mountains are visible in the background. Image copyright amandacastleman.com
January 7, 2025 at 12:15 AM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
How fun that our Jeep achieved Peak Northwest by spouting baby blue mini-mushrooms, right as my soul sister Stephanie Oswald rocked up in Seattle!

(Pic of a previous rainy hangout together, back when Kalaloch Lodge allowed beach bonfires.)
A rainy Pacific Northwest beach bonfire at night with people huddled around in raincoats and others sitting on logs with an umbrella.
December 18, 2024 at 7:31 PM
amandacastleman.bsky.social
Last call for a nifty free webinar on December 5, starting at 7am PST/10am EST. Come talk #travelwriting with @charukesi.bsky.social, @jenrosesmith.bsky.social, Meera Dattani and myself! #writingtips #narrativenonfiction #journalism #pitching

bit.ly/travelmediaw...
A promotional image for a travel writing webinar, December 5, 2024, featuring Amanda Castleman, Charukesi Ramadurai, Jen Rose Smith and Meera Dattani, 3pm GMT on Zoom
December 5, 2024 at 2:47 AM
Reposted by Amanda Castleman
honeybadgerwriters.bsky.social
#Writingtip 1.6: Avoid an attack of the unnecessary initial-caps when writing about food. In most style guides, menu items don't count as proper names, so you can lower-cap 'em. Otherwise it can go a bit A.A. Milne with The Portentous Pooh-Bear-style Capitalizations. #NarrativeNonfiction #Journalism
A public domain illustration by Ernest Howard Shepard from Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), by A. A. Milne. It's a b&w sketch of Pooh leaning his back against Christopher Robin's, as his boy pulls on galoshes.
December 3, 2024 at 1:27 AM