Laurie Muchnick
@lauriemuchnick.bsky.social
Fiction editor at Kirkus Reviews. Welsh by marriage. 🏴✡️📚
Pinned
Hello! I'm the fiction editor of Kirkus Reviews, and I've worked at The Village Voice, Newsday, and Bloomberg. I like talking about books, Wales, baking, and Zuri dresses. Romance audiobooks have been getting me through the day. If you haven't, read THE TRANSIT OF VENUS by Shirley Hazzard.
Got phone surveyed about next year's primary by Dan Goldman's team today. He's worried about Brad Lander running. As he should be.
November 4, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Got phone surveyed about next year's primary by Dan Goldman's team today. He's worried about Brad Lander running. As he should be.
Also, anyone who doesn't know the difference between rent controlled and rent stabilized has no business running for mayor of New York.
Also, Andrew Cuomo spent $20 million of NY taxpayers' money to subpoena phone (& gynecological records!) of women who accused him of sexual harassment. How else might those 20 million have been spent? For instance: on resources and services for needy New Yorkers?
Grandma-killer says what? (This is deeply deranged and Mamdani got the apartment when he was making $47K)
August 8, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Also, anyone who doesn't know the difference between rent controlled and rent stabilized has no business running for mayor of New York.
Liz Lopatto nails the problem with the NYT. It's been sucking up to the right for years but it's only getting worse.
the new york times got rid of its public editor some time ago, so I took the position out for a spin www.theverge.com/culture/7000...
How The New York Times is (still) getting gamed by the right
And blowing its credibility in the process.
www.theverge.com
July 9, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Liz Lopatto nails the problem with the NYT. It's been sucking up to the right for years but it's only getting worse.
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
i keep thinking about how monumental what we are contending with is, as a project. it’s congress & electoral politics; it’s the judiciary; and it’s what passes for mainstream media outlets at the moment. anyway, this is a good thread about the misguided and reactionary policies of the times 👇🏻
It's very obvious that the NYT has put people in editorial positions who view it as part of their job to upset the left. This is, in the bizarro, insular world of US elites, seen as a way to restore balance & regain the trust of the right.
Putting aside the merits of the larger effort ...
Putting aside the merits of the larger effort ...
July 4, 2025 at 8:55 PM
i keep thinking about how monumental what we are contending with is, as a project. it’s congress & electoral politics; it’s the judiciary; and it’s what passes for mainstream media outlets at the moment. anyway, this is a good thread about the misguided and reactionary policies of the times 👇🏻
It is a sad day, but the Post's Metro section lasted a lot longer than the NYT's did.
A sad day for @washingtonpost readers as the standalone Metro section in print is eliminated and folded behind Style. As a lifelong Washingtonian and veteran of the Metro staff, I always admired the Post's commitment to covering Washington as a community not just a capital.
June 24, 2025 at 3:49 AM
It is a sad day, but the Post's Metro section lasted a lot longer than the NYT's did.
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
Dear friends, we've launch a change to the way we offer grants to underrepresented writers at @pageonem.bsky.social. I hope you'll read and share with your colleagues and writers. Thanks!
Page One Media is offering one pro bono publicity campaign for 2026 to an underrepresented writer. For more info, check out the blog - https://page1m.com/blog/
If you want to submit your 2026 title, apply here: https://page1m.co/2026grant
#authorthreads #authortips #bookpublicity
If you want to submit your 2026 title, apply here: https://page1m.co/2026grant
#authorthreads #authortips #bookpublicity
May 16, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Dear friends, we've launch a change to the way we offer grants to underrepresented writers at @pageonem.bsky.social. I hope you'll read and share with your colleagues and writers. Thanks!
Congratulations @langealexandra.bsky.social !!!
The 2025 Pulitzer winners and finalists will be announced at 3 pm Eastern time! Watch the livestream here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSCp...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSCp...
2025 Pulitzer Prize Announcement Livestream
YouTube video by The Pulitzer Prizes
www.youtube.com
May 5, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Congratulations @langealexandra.bsky.social !!!
When I inadvertently listened to all six Austen novels on audiobook—all praise to Juliet Stevenson!—I was surprised by how many books *about* Austen I had scattered around the house waiting to be read. www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...
Travels in Austenland: Our Fiction Editor Binges | Kirkus Reviews
Laurie Muchnick listened to all six Jane Austen novels on audiobook. Then she went next level.
www.kirkusreviews.com
May 1, 2025 at 3:12 PM
When I inadvertently listened to all six Austen novels on audiobook—all praise to Juliet Stevenson!—I was surprised by how many books *about* Austen I had scattered around the house waiting to be read. www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...
It's been a tough few months for the Village Voice since @tromano.bsky.social's book came out, losing Jim Ledbetter, David Schneiderman, Jules Feiffer, and now Karen Durbin.
Karen Durbin, a fierce feminist who championed sexual liberation and served as the second female editor in chief of The Village Voice, died this month. She was 80.
Karen Durbin, 80, Dies; ‘Fearless’ Feminist Who Edited The Village Voice
A fierce advocate of sexual liberation, she pushed the alternative weekly to cover women’s issues, as well as gay rights and avant-garde culture.
www.nytimes.com
April 24, 2025 at 9:01 PM
It's been a tough few months for the Village Voice since @tromano.bsky.social's book came out, losing Jim Ledbetter, David Schneiderman, Jules Feiffer, and now Karen Durbin.
It's definitely good that the Trump administration is making a list of Jews at Barnard to "protect" them that's sure to end well.
April 24, 2025 at 11:45 AM
It's definitely good that the Trump administration is making a list of Jews at Barnard to "protect" them that's sure to end well.
Just saw a book description inviting me to "travel back in time to 1997 in this cozy, slow-burn romance." Do you think the writer was thinking that 1997 was just before everything started to go off the rails with Bush v. Gore and Citizens United?
April 18, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Just saw a book description inviting me to "travel back in time to 1997 in this cozy, slow-burn romance." Do you think the writer was thinking that 1997 was just before everything started to go off the rails with Bush v. Gore and Citizens United?
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
If you hear crickets that’s the antisemitism task force springing into action
Today, the Oklahoma House passed HCR 1013, declaring “Christ is King.”
This isn’t harmless symbolism—it’s a blatant violation of church/state separation and a dangerous step toward Christian nationalism.
Our government serves all of us—not just Christians.
This isn’t harmless symbolism—it’s a blatant violation of church/state separation and a dangerous step toward Christian nationalism.
Our government serves all of us—not just Christians.
April 17, 2025 at 5:36 PM
If you hear crickets that’s the antisemitism task force springing into action
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
Days before masked ICE agents detained Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk to deport her, Dept determined that the admin had not produced any evidence showing she engaged in antisemitic activities or made public statements supporting a terrorist organization www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
No evidence linking Tufts student to antisemitism or terrorism, State Dept. office found
An internal memo, prepared before Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk was detained by ICE, raises doubts about the Trump administration’s claims that she supports Hamas.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 14, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Days before masked ICE agents detained Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk to deport her, Dept determined that the admin had not produced any evidence showing she engaged in antisemitic activities or made public statements supporting a terrorist organization www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Here's a surprise! New Pynchon novel SHADOW TICKET coming 10.7 from Penguin Press. In 1932, a Milwaukee PI is hired to find a missing cheese heiress and finds himself in Hungary with no heiress in sight—but lots of Nazis, Soviet and British spies, and more. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/316427...
Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon: 9781594206108 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
The new novel from Thomas Pynchon Milwaukee 1932, the Great Depression going full blast, repeal of Prohibition just around the corner, Al Capone in the federal pen, the private investigation busines...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
April 9, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Here's a surprise! New Pynchon novel SHADOW TICKET coming 10.7 from Penguin Press. In 1932, a Milwaukee PI is hired to find a missing cheese heiress and finds himself in Hungary with no heiress in sight—but lots of Nazis, Soviet and British spies, and more. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/316427...
The police clearly have different friends on social media than I do or they would have known that everyone was going to be there.
I asked the one high ranking policeman I saw on 5th Ave why there were so few police. He said “We did not expect anything like this. Don’t tell anyone but I’ve only got 44 officers out here — and it’s a great crowd, great event, no incidents.”
I have never seen anything like this in NYC. 5th Ave covered from 42nd St well to the 20s. Nobody prepared for this volume. Volunteers are holding the traffic on all the side streets. No police in sight. #handsoff
April 6, 2025 at 3:07 AM
The police clearly have different friends on social media than I do or they would have known that everyone was going to be there.
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
Military historian teaching in the Army’s most elite officer training school booted to the curb, along with his entire department; the base which houses it, itself historic, to be shuttered.
April 6, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Military historian teaching in the Army’s most elite officer training school booted to the curb, along with his entire department; the base which houses it, itself historic, to be shuttered.
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
This is just to say
I have tariffed
the penguins
that are on
Heard Island
and which
you were probably
assuming
did not export goods
forgive me
they were taking advantage of us
so cunning
and so cold
the penguins
that are on
Heard Island
and which
you were probably
assuming
did not export goods
forgive me
they were taking advantage of us
so cunning
and so cold
April 3, 2025 at 9:20 PM
This is just to say
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
It has been two weeks since a Georgia woman was arrested for her miscarriage, and not one major national outlet has covered the story
April 3, 2025 at 2:46 PM
It has been two weeks since a Georgia woman was arrested for her miscarriage, and not one major national outlet has covered the story
As part of our Best Books of the 21st Century package, we highlighted the impact of a few titles. Here's @michaelschaub.bsky.social on THE CORRECTIONS: www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...
April 1, 2025 at 4:56 PM
As part of our Best Books of the 21st Century package, we highlighted the impact of a few titles. Here's @michaelschaub.bsky.social on THE CORRECTIONS: www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
As someone who is not Jewish watching this destruction carried out by others who are not Jewish, that part looks intentional. Trump, Musk, et al want these acts of vandalism and sabotage to be in the name of the Jews, to appear to be at their behest. They want to shift the blame to them.
The claim that the destruction of essential civilizational institutions is being done in the name of the Jews is itself a form of antisemitism—cultural vandalism carried out in our name.
That, my friends, is rank bullshit.
That, my friends, is rank bullshit.
April 1, 2025 at 2:23 AM
As someone who is not Jewish watching this destruction carried out by others who are not Jewish, that part looks intentional. Trump, Musk, et al want these acts of vandalism and sabotage to be in the name of the Jews, to appear to be at their behest. They want to shift the blame to them.
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
DOGE has just completely gutted the IMLS, firing all staff, closing down their email addresses, and leaving any funding for 2025 in question.
bookriot.com/imls-gutted/
bookriot.com/imls-gutted/
The Institute for Museum and Library Services Was Just Gutted
DOGE fired all IMLS employees and closed down their emails. It is assumed all funding for 2025 coming from the federal agency will not be happening.
bookriot.com
March 31, 2025 at 8:52 PM
DOGE has just completely gutted the IMLS, firing all staff, closing down their email addresses, and leaving any funding for 2025 in question.
bookriot.com/imls-gutted/
bookriot.com/imls-gutted/
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
Here's a fun thing: We at Kirkus have spent the last few months reading and debating the best books of the 21st century (so far!) in fiction, nonfiction, and young readers' literature. Here's the list of 100 fiction titles: www.kirkusreviews.com/fiction/best...
Best Books of the 21st Century (So Far) | Kirkus Reviews
www.kirkusreviews.com
March 31, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Here's a fun thing: We at Kirkus have spent the last few months reading and debating the best books of the 21st century (so far!) in fiction, nonfiction, and young readers' literature. Here's the list of 100 fiction titles: www.kirkusreviews.com/fiction/best...
Reposted by Laurie Muchnick
Wolf Hall as a trilogy is so good that I'm amazed people don't talk about it constantly. I should see posts about it the way I see people post about Moby Dick
March 31, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Wolf Hall as a trilogy is so good that I'm amazed people don't talk about it constantly. I should see posts about it the way I see people post about Moby Dick