Samara Rafert
@rafertess.bsky.social
University press publicist (Mad Creek Books), pottery class enthusiast. Columbus, Ohio.
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Samara Rafert
@rafertess.bsky.social
· Jun 13
The Ohio State University Press: Fall 2025 Catalog
The Fall 2025 catalog of the Ohio State University Press, with new titles in creative nonfiction, critical adoption studies, cultural studies, rhetoric and communication, and more.
bit.ly
Feels weird to announce in the midst of … everything, but Ohio State Press's fall catalog is up—two great story collections, feminist essays about class and labor by a woman truck driver, and suuuper timely scholarly stuff. I have ARCs! Highlights in🧵 bit.ly/s_F25 #essays #fiction #booksky #ReadUP
Reposted by Samara Rafert
The video circulating of Alex Pretti, the VA ICU Nurse murdered by ICE in Minneapolis yesterday, honoring a veteran who died in his unit is a good reminder of how we truly should be honoring our troops, compared to all the bullshit talk from the GOP while they gut the VA.
January 25, 2026 at 9:05 PM
The video circulating of Alex Pretti, the VA ICU Nurse murdered by ICE in Minneapolis yesterday, honoring a veteran who died in his unit is a good reminder of how we truly should be honoring our troops, compared to all the bullshit talk from the GOP while they gut the VA.
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Walz: "To Americans who are watching this, I've got a question for you: What side do you want to be on? The side of an all powerful federal govt that can kill, injury, menace, & kidnap its citizens off the streets? Or on the side of a nurse at the VA hospital who died bearing witness to such govt?"
January 25, 2026 at 8:24 PM
Walz: "To Americans who are watching this, I've got a question for you: What side do you want to be on? The side of an all powerful federal govt that can kill, injury, menace, & kidnap its citizens off the streets? Or on the side of a nurse at the VA hospital who died bearing witness to such govt?"
Profiled in @dangearino.bsky.social's book COMIC SHOP. Hosted Dan's Mpls book event. Please do support him.
Remember the other day when I was saluting my friend Greg Ketter, owner of Minneapolis’ DreamHaven Books? This is him the following day. Greg will never say this, so I will — now is a great time to buy books from DreamHaven. Support Americans who stand up vs. 🧊. dreamhavenbooks.com
January 25, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Profiled in @dangearino.bsky.social's book COMIC SHOP. Hosted Dan's Mpls book event. Please do support him.
Reposted by Samara Rafert
For those unfamiliar with Edina this is the Minneapolis equivalent of a Westchester socialite walking down Fifth Avenue singing "John Brown's Body."
They got Edina Moms excoriating the Administration and signing off with a a land acknowledgement. They are so fucked lol
January 25, 2026 at 3:32 PM
For those unfamiliar with Edina this is the Minneapolis equivalent of a Westchester socialite walking down Fifth Avenue singing "John Brown's Body."
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: "People have had enough. This is the third shooting in less than 3 weeks. The MPD went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn't shoot anyone ... this is not sustainable."
January 25, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: "People have had enough. This is the third shooting in less than 3 weeks. The MPD went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn't shoot anyone ... this is not sustainable."
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Literally all of this is a lie. We are about to find out who is state media, because they will be the ones to parrot a justification for state-sanctioned murder.
Noem lies shamelessly: "An individual approached order Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic gun. The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently. This looks like a situation where an individual arrived to inflict maximum damage and kill law enforcement"
January 24, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Literally all of this is a lie. We are about to find out who is state media, because they will be the ones to parrot a justification for state-sanctioned murder.
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Horrifying news out of MN this morning. Sadly, I think we can confidently predict what comes next... DHS, the Trump admin, & rw influencers working to frame another ICE murder as the fault of the victim. I don't see it here on Bluesky, but over on X the focal claim is that the victim was armed.
January 24, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Horrifying news out of MN this morning. Sadly, I think we can confidently predict what comes next... DHS, the Trump admin, & rw influencers working to frame another ICE murder as the fault of the victim. I don't see it here on Bluesky, but over on X the focal claim is that the victim was armed.
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Can someone smuggle copies of this newspaper into the offices of The New York Times and Washington Post so their editors can learn how to write headlines again?
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026
January 24, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Can someone smuggle copies of this newspaper into the offices of The New York Times and Washington Post so their editors can learn how to write headlines again?
Reposted by Samara Rafert
the invisible flow of metadata is what helps you find the books you need. Madison Mosely explains why keeping metadata fresh matters for #Feedingtheelephant #ReadUP networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
The Care and Maintenance of Metadata | H-Net
A guest post from
networks.h-net.org
January 21, 2026 at 11:56 PM
the invisible flow of metadata is what helps you find the books you need. Madison Mosely explains why keeping metadata fresh matters for #Feedingtheelephant #ReadUP networks.h-net.org/group/discus...
Reposted by Samara Rafert
"Many Americans have maintained a suspended reality, too, in which they simultaneously believed that they lived in a functioning democracy while also on some level realizing tremendous harm was being visited on vulnerable communities."
January 23, 2026 at 11:19 PM
"Many Americans have maintained a suspended reality, too, in which they simultaneously believed that they lived in a functioning democracy while also on some level realizing tremendous harm was being visited on vulnerable communities."
Reposted by Samara Rafert
"Slavery was real"
Tiny sign at the base of a brick wall that, until yesterday, held panels about the people enslaved by George Washington.
Presidents House, Philadelphia.
Tiny sign at the base of a brick wall that, until yesterday, held panels about the people enslaved by George Washington.
Presidents House, Philadelphia.
January 23, 2026 at 3:22 PM
"Slavery was real"
Tiny sign at the base of a brick wall that, until yesterday, held panels about the people enslaved by George Washington.
Presidents House, Philadelphia.
Tiny sign at the base of a brick wall that, until yesterday, held panels about the people enslaved by George Washington.
Presidents House, Philadelphia.
Liquid Glass is the most annoying thing tech has foisted on me yet. I HATE IT
January 23, 2026 at 11:35 PM
Liquid Glass is the most annoying thing tech has foisted on me yet. I HATE IT
Lynette D'Amico's MEN I HATE gave me that edgy, slightly breathless, electrified feeling I get when the cadence and language of work together perfectly. Anyway, enjoy this excerpt on @queerloveproject.bsky.social, and pick up a copy online or at AWP! queerloveproject.substack.com/p/f437a477-0...
The Queer Love Project
What do we know about love? Find, accept and explore love and commitment among gay, lesbian and trans people in queer relationships through storytelling and interviews with LGBTQ+ folx. Click to read ...
queerloveproject.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Lynette D'Amico's MEN I HATE gave me that edgy, slightly breathless, electrified feeling I get when the cadence and language of work together perfectly. Anyway, enjoy this excerpt on @queerloveproject.bsky.social, and pick up a copy online or at AWP! queerloveproject.substack.com/p/f437a477-0...
Don't forget @uminnpress.bsky.social and Minnesota Historical Society Press
Dear #BookSky Minneapolis has an absolutely incredible literary culture. In fact, three of the most important small presses call the city home; Coffeehouse Press, Graywolf, and Milkweed. There are also a ton of great bookstores in the Twin Cities. So here's the assignment...
January 22, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Don't forget @uminnpress.bsky.social and Minnesota Historical Society Press
Reposted by Samara Rafert
CHOTINER: You said you did nothing to provoke the cat. But here it says you —
ME: Moved my foot. Yes.
CHOTINER: While the cat was sleeping.
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: I see
ME: Moved my foot. Yes.
CHOTINER: While the cat was sleeping.
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: I see
January 15, 2026 at 3:46 AM
CHOTINER: You said you did nothing to provoke the cat. But here it says you —
ME: Moved my foot. Yes.
CHOTINER: While the cat was sleeping.
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: I see
ME: Moved my foot. Yes.
CHOTINER: While the cat was sleeping.
ME: Yes.
CHOTINER: I see
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Do not forget that people are GOOD.
People WANT to help.
People have evolved to be in community and do teamwork.
The jackasses in control of the government want us to forget that. Don't let them get what they want.
People WANT to help.
People have evolved to be in community and do teamwork.
The jackasses in control of the government want us to forget that. Don't let them get what they want.
January 15, 2026 at 3:59 AM
Do not forget that people are GOOD.
People WANT to help.
People have evolved to be in community and do teamwork.
The jackasses in control of the government want us to forget that. Don't let them get what they want.
People WANT to help.
People have evolved to be in community and do teamwork.
The jackasses in control of the government want us to forget that. Don't let them get what they want.
It's so nice to momentarily think about medieval plague victims instead of everything else.
Medieval plague victims likely found in mass grave in Germany www.popsci.com/science/medi...
Medieval plague victims likely found in mass grave in Germany
Archaeologists say they located a Black Death burial site containing some of a village's 12,000 dead.
www.popsci.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:50 PM
It's so nice to momentarily think about medieval plague victims instead of everything else.
Childhood: Brandywine. Now: Olentangy/Scioto
My favorite Twitter prompt was "RT this with your home river," so reskeet this with your home river.
Mine is the Patuxent.
Mine is the Patuxent.
January 12, 2026 at 11:22 PM
Childhood: Brandywine. Now: Olentangy/Scioto
Reposted by Samara Rafert
New on Book Work: an interview with Michael Lowenthal. His first essay collection “Place Envy” is out on Feb. 11 @derekkrissoff.bsky.social @rafertess.bsky.social @ohiostatepress.bsky.social
January 11, 2026 at 4:40 PM
New on Book Work: an interview with Michael Lowenthal. His first essay collection “Place Envy” is out on Feb. 11 @derekkrissoff.bsky.social @rafertess.bsky.social @ohiostatepress.bsky.social
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Remembering today that having your heart broken is a necessary step on the path to becoming fully human. Whichever heartbreak is your first, it’s probably critical that a state break your heart so that you can develop a political imagination. If this is your first, I’m sorry and also welcome.
January 8, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Remembering today that having your heart broken is a necessary step on the path to becoming fully human. Whichever heartbreak is your first, it’s probably critical that a state break your heart so that you can develop a political imagination. If this is your first, I’m sorry and also welcome.
Reposted by Samara Rafert
On this shortest day and longest night, I'm so happy to be part of @necessaryfiction.com's wonderful solstice project, which will be featuring new short pieces of wintry writing from now until new year's:
Day One of our solstice gathering features writing by @rosaleenlynch.bsky.social, @travisflatt.bsky.social, @raymondbrunell.bsky.social, @eileentomarchio.bsky.social, @janewords.bsky.social, Talya Byrd, Carol M. Quinn, Tanya Kornilovich, and Joe Kalovac. necessaryfiction.com/stories/poin...
December 21, 2025 at 4:18 PM
On this shortest day and longest night, I'm so happy to be part of @necessaryfiction.com's wonderful solstice project, which will be featuring new short pieces of wintry writing from now until new year's:
It's great to see Michael Lowenthal's PLACE ENVY (February 2026 from Ohio State University Press) on this list! I have ARCs available for reviewers. @jewishbookcouncil.bsky.social @jwi.bsky.social @kristener.bsky.social @joy-castro.bsky.social www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/jbc...
JBC Bookshelf: Winter 2026
As we approach the winter equinox, we’re making use of longer evenings for more reading!
www.jewishbookcouncil.org
December 8, 2025 at 11:44 PM
It's great to see Michael Lowenthal's PLACE ENVY (February 2026 from Ohio State University Press) on this list! I have ARCs available for reviewers. @jewishbookcouncil.bsky.social @jwi.bsky.social @kristener.bsky.social @joy-castro.bsky.social www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/jbc...
Reposted by Samara Rafert
What is the quintessential Onion headline? The strong contender that just randomly popped in my mind is "Hank Williams Jr. Honored by Institute For Football Preparedness"
May 19, 2024 at 12:26 PM
What is the quintessential Onion headline? The strong contender that just randomly popped in my mind is "Hank Williams Jr. Honored by Institute For Football Preparedness"
Reposted by Samara Rafert
Awesome piece by the Berlin-based writer Jane Yager in the fabulous new issue of @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social: "I sit in the car while everyone else goes into the museum, because as we pulled into the parking lot, Dad let slip that the pits are still active."
gooseberry-pie.com/la-brea-tar-...
gooseberry-pie.com/la-brea-tar-...
La Brea Tar Pits - Gooseberry Pie Lit Magazine
Photo by Imleedh Ali on Unsplash by Jane Yager I’m the one who wanted to come here, but now I sit in the car while everyone else goes into the museum, because as we pulled into the parking lot, Dad le...
gooseberry-pie.com
September 15, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Awesome piece by the Berlin-based writer Jane Yager in the fabulous new issue of @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social: "I sit in the car while everyone else goes into the museum, because as we pulled into the parking lot, Dad let slip that the pits are still active."
gooseberry-pie.com/la-brea-tar-...
gooseberry-pie.com/la-brea-tar-...
La Brea tar pits are the best
Super excited that my story "La Brea Tar Pits" was nominated for Best Microfiction 2026 -- huge thanks to Gooseberry Pie and Jeff Harvey!
Best MicroFiction nominees 2026 from @gooseberrypielit.bsky.social
Jen Wrightsmith
Kalliopy Paleos
@francinewitte.bsky.social
@claudiamonpere.bsky.social
Jane Yager
Congratulations to all!♥️
gooseberry-pie.com/category/goo...
Jen Wrightsmith
Kalliopy Paleos
@francinewitte.bsky.social
@claudiamonpere.bsky.social
Jane Yager
Congratulations to all!♥️
gooseberry-pie.com/category/goo...
November 26, 2025 at 12:10 AM
La Brea tar pits are the best