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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth
@samuelashworth.bsky.social
670 followers 210 following 1.4K posts
Author of THE DEATH AND LIFE OF AUGUST SWEENEY. NYT-bestselling ghostwriter and screenwriter. Guy at Barrelhouse, professor of Creative Writing at GWU. Swamp Dad. https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-death-and-life-of-august-sweeney-samuel-ashworth/216
bookshop.org
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 1h
I drove past Alan every weekday for four years. This is the article that got me to subscribe to @51st.news.
51st.news
The 51st @51st.news · 2h
For 1,250 days, Alan has given out free water at a busy Brightwood intersection.

He calls it Alan's Oasis — and his constant presence has built a community that stood up for him recently when he seemed to be facing eviction.
For 1,250 days, Alan has given out free water at a busy Brightwood intersection
He’s built a community that stood up for him when the threat of eviction loomed.
51st.news
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 3h
I am not emotionally ready to watch the Jane Goodall video but I can offer this, one of the more deranged choices I made in writing AUGUST SWEENEY, and the one I think I regret the least.
"He didn’t actually learn her name until the next morning, when he left her apartment. It just never came up. Her name was Jane Goodall. It really was. Being progressive, ethical parents, the Goodalls had named their daughter in a fit of admiration, hoping the name would inspire her on to punch through glass ceilings and travel the world. It never occurred to them that, while Jane was very proud of the name as a child—she even had a khaki uniform, and wore her hair in her namesake’s sensible ponytail—they’d drawn a big, shiny target on her back. The day she started middle school the gorillamating jokes began, and had more or less never stopped since then (the “Me Tarzans” began around college). When pointing out that Goodall studied chimps, idiot, turned out to be an ineffective comeback, she learned the art of sarcasm. She was tempted to change her name, but that would mean betraying Jane Goodall, to whom she could not bear to be disloyal. This was a lifelong trait of Jane’s: loyalty. So instead she crushed them academically, majored in anthro at Brown, and went (having added her middle initial, L, for Lily, to her resume) into television."
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 8h
When you get an editor who cares enough to save you from yourself, you cling onto that editor for the rest of your life (or until they finally quit and go freelance)
blipstress.bsky.social
violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 23h
An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
colindickey.com
Colin Dickey @colindickey.com · 22h
I had a really fun conversation with this mortician Victor M. Sweeney for his podcast series; one of the more fun interviews I've done in awhile, if you're interested:
Death And Storytelling | with Mortician Victor M. Sweeney + Author Colin Dickey
YouTube video by Victor M. Sweeney, Mortician
www.youtube.com
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 9h
hang on
samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 9h
I'm part of this lineup next Friday and what writer.org/event/perciv...
A screenshot of an event featuring Percival Everett, Madison Smartt Bell, and, somehow, the author
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
keithwdickinson.bsky.social
Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 1d
Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.
theverge.com
The Verge @theverge.com · May 26
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.
buff.ly
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 10h
I volunteer
A tweet from Rachel Lapides reading "when will they put a successful writer of literary fiction on dancing with the stars" A picture of the author some years ago, never mind how many, doing an awe-inspiring Russian split in the air
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 1d
I just caught myself yelling "THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING" at the cat.
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 1d
I'll be reading as part of the tribute to the god Percival Everett at the Writers Center next Friday, October 17.
wirobooks.bsky.social
Washington Independent Review of Books @wirobooks.bsky.social · 1d
Percival Everett to Headline the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival in Rockville, MD! www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/per... @lizaachilles.bsky.social @samuelashworth.bsky.social #booksky
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
mikeingram.bsky.social
Mike Ingram @mikeingram.bsky.social · 1d
My editing & publishing class at Temple will be opening soon for submissions for a special online issue of Barrelhouse, with the theme "The Dirty Issue." Fiction & nonfiction up to 2,500 words, and up to 5 poems. Usual @barrelhouse.bsky.social contract & payment.
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 1d
a meme: upper image is a screenshot of a gmail inbox with "report spam," which never works, next to a screenshot of the "stay signed in?" box from microsoft, which also never works. The caption reads "corporate needs you to find the differences between this picture and this picture. Lower image is Pam from the Office saying "they're the same picture."
samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 1d
But Dave it worked so well last time
screenshot of a FORTUNE article entitled "Mic's plans to become a millennial media powerhouse"
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 1d
In the past three weeks I've started getting ten of these a goddamn day and maybe our overlords at google could devote 0.001% of their workforce to stopping the fucking firehose of scam emails we all have to deal with now
A screenshot of a gmail inbox featuring yet another spam email that looks real but begins with "Re:"
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 1d
Today is @bookshop.org's anti-prime day sale, & shipping is free! If you would like to stick it to Amazon, and support bookstores, indie publishers, and moi, pick up a copy of THE DEATH AND LIFE OF AUGUST SWEENEY for the person in your life who loves food and/or bodies! bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
The Death and Life of August Sweeney
Check out The Death and Life of August Sweeney - Legendary chef August Sweeney has served his final meal, dying in the middle of service in the very restaurant he built to secure his legacy. When Dr. ...
bookshop.org
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
catfacejoe.bsky.social
old uncle BATface @catfacejoe.bsky.social · 2d
tweet screenshot Matt the outlaw @cursedgloryhole Lady behind me at the thing screening last night to her partner "why are they shooting at the dog?" and her partner says very firmly "have you never seen a film before? you watch and information is revealed"
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
chibdm.bsky.social
Chibdm @chibdm.bsky.social · 3d
Robin Williams' daughter has some quality thoughts on AI slop
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
robbiemaakestad.bsky.social
Robbie Maakestad @robbiemaakestad.bsky.social · 3d
We had an amazing @plnuwritingma.bsky.social Visiting Writers Series with @samuelashworth.bsky.social. He ran a masterclass on student drafts, read from THE DEATH AND LIFE OF AUGUST SWEENEY, and delivered a lecture titled “The Art of Telling.” Such a generous, wise human!
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
writesloud.bsky.social
Hannah Grieco @writesloud.bsky.social · 3d
Y'all, you get a free registration for AWP if you volunteer for ONE SHIFT. That's incredible, considering the $$$ of entrance!

conference.awpwriter.org/work_exchang...
Work Exchange
Are you a current student, adjunct professor, or someone needing assistance to cover the cost of the conference? Sign up to participate in our work-exchange program for the 2025 AWP Conference & Bookf...
conference.awpwriter.org
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 3d
Like you knew this piece was going to be great but not THIS great
slate.com
Slate @slate.com · 3d
Daniel Day-Lewis is the poster child for Method acting. He in fact does its exact opposite. slate.trib.al/Wbu7x4x
He Might Be the Greatest Actor of All Time—and the Most Misunderstood
Only one performer has won three Best Actor Oscars. Is it fair that he’s also a joke?
slate.trib.al
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 5d
THE SMASHING MACHINE is a great movie for those of us who enjoy seeing enormous sweaty bald men kiss each others’ bald heads and say I love you
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Reposted by Samuel Ashworth
robbiemaakestad.bsky.social
Robbie Maakestad @robbiemaakestad.bsky.social · 7d
Pumped to have @samuelashworth.bsky.social visiting the @plnuwritingma.bsky.social program today to talk about THE DEATH AND LIFE OF AUGUST SWEENEY. In-person and live-stream tickets are still available plnu.universitytickets.com
Point Loma Nazarene University | Ticketing - Ticket Office Home
plnu.universitytickets.com
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 7d
improbably I find myself in San Diego to teach a class and give a lecture and this place doesn’t feel real
An ad for a reading and lecture Just a holy shit sunset over the pacific A goblet of ceviche in tomato broth
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 9d
LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO
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samuelashworth.bsky.social
Samuel Ashworth @samuelashworth.bsky.social · 9d
I want to be clear that if you work for OpenAI you are a bad person
caseym.org
casey morell @caseym.org · 10d
isn't the whole point of copyright that you are opting out of people stealing your work
wsj.com
The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 10d
Exclusive: OpenAI is planning to release a new version of its Sora video generator, which creates videos featuring copyrighted material unless copyright holders opt out of having their work appear.
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