Esme
@esmedutcher.bsky.social
Librarian and Author in the PNW. Music, mythology, and art.
The War of the Oaks should definitely be on more people's radar.
Another list!! This time, old books we at Lit Hub read in 2025! I'm here to pitch Sarah Orne Jewett, Thornton Wilder, Robin Hobb, Emma Bull (h/t @kellylink.bsky.social), and Todd Grimson! Plus lots of other great old (new-old, somewhat-old, old-old) reads!
lithub.com/the-29-best-...
lithub.com/the-29-best-...
The 29 Best (Old) Books We Read in 2025
It is the hallowed tradition of every cultural publication under the sun to, come December, curate a list of their favorite books of the year. (No shade, we did it too.) But at Literary Hub, we als…
lithub.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:50 PM
The War of the Oaks should definitely be on more people's radar.
Reposted by Esme
"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—"
Reviews.
Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.)
Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!
Reviews.
Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.)
Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!
December 9, 2025 at 11:04 PM
"I can't afford to support my favorite author right now, I—"
Reviews.
Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.)
Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!
Reviews.
Reviews are free AND they are a gift to authors that can keep on giving (i.e., exposure, marketing, algo boosts, etc.)
Please, give the gift of reviews to your authors this holiday season. It really can make a difference!
Reposted by Esme
I can't believe I have to say this, but if you have COVID don't go to public gatherings/events.
December 9, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I can't believe I have to say this, but if you have COVID don't go to public gatherings/events.
Reposted by Esme
this is spearfishing, which is incredibly effective. AI gives any old bad actor the ability to target victims with a high degree of personalization, and polish that was impossible two or three years ago. people expect scams to look like scams, and when they don’t, they get hustled
There's a tendency to look at these after the fact and go "I would never fall for this" but I have definitely gotten emails from journalists or public figures I don't know, done 5-ish minutes of googling and replied. At first it looks like a totally harmless, plausible message!
December 10, 2025 at 5:29 PM
this is spearfishing, which is incredibly effective. AI gives any old bad actor the ability to target victims with a high degree of personalization, and polish that was impossible two or three years ago. people expect scams to look like scams, and when they don’t, they get hustled
Reposted by Esme
I say this as someone whose entire job is finding the narrow use cases in which AI is actually useful:
All the fear about AI, all the reluctance to adopt it, is entirely legitimate, and a product of the fact that it's been foisted on the public with no consideration of its negative externalities.
All the fear about AI, all the reluctance to adopt it, is entirely legitimate, and a product of the fact that it's been foisted on the public with no consideration of its negative externalities.
I continue to have no sympathy left for whinging about how the public are rude about AI and feel threatened by it when the biggest players in the AI space have spent years very vocally and constantly *threatening the public*
December 10, 2025 at 4:38 PM
I say this as someone whose entire job is finding the narrow use cases in which AI is actually useful:
All the fear about AI, all the reluctance to adopt it, is entirely legitimate, and a product of the fact that it's been foisted on the public with no consideration of its negative externalities.
All the fear about AI, all the reluctance to adopt it, is entirely legitimate, and a product of the fact that it's been foisted on the public with no consideration of its negative externalities.
Reposted by Esme
One of the reasons these scams persist is because victims feel guilty about falling for them, so I don't want to hear any "lol this is so obvious" stuff. These emails are written in perfect english and something approximating my voice. As far as I know it hasn't worked yet but no shame if it did!
December 10, 2025 at 4:58 PM
One of the reasons these scams persist is because victims feel guilty about falling for them, so I don't want to hear any "lol this is so obvious" stuff. These emails are written in perfect english and something approximating my voice. As far as I know it hasn't worked yet but no shame if it did!
Reposted by Esme
This is new information for me, too. It's wild that the person who invented the most common reading education system in the US says point-blank that it doesn't matter if people don't actually read words, but just guess what they are. He says it's fine to see the word "pony" and read it as "horse."
how did i go so long not knowing we were literally teaching people to read wrong. i knew something wasn't right but jesus christ www.apmreports.org/episode/2019...
How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers
For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't kno...
www.apmreports.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
This is new information for me, too. It's wild that the person who invented the most common reading education system in the US says point-blank that it doesn't matter if people don't actually read words, but just guess what they are. He says it's fine to see the word "pony" and read it as "horse."
Finished Ancillary Mercy last night. Chugging tea to get over the book hangover.
November 6, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Finished Ancillary Mercy last night. Chugging tea to get over the book hangover.
Reposted by Esme
For @msnbc.com I wrote about how Tuesday's election gives Democrats the blueprint for overcoming Republican anti-trans attacks and how thus should settle all the talk about throwing trans people under the bus.
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
Opinion | Democrats’ election wins showed they don't need to hide their support for trans rights
Republicans repeated Trump's anti-trans strategy from 2024 and lost big. This should be instructive for Democrats.
www.msnbc.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:41 AM
For @msnbc.com I wrote about how Tuesday's election gives Democrats the blueprint for overcoming Republican anti-trans attacks and how thus should settle all the talk about throwing trans people under the bus.
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
I wish instead of Christmas creeping into November, it extended into January.
November 6, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I wish instead of Christmas creeping into November, it extended into January.
October 30, 2025 at 5:41 PM
In all the hype over Wicked, how has no one mentioned the guy from Bridgerton is in it?!?!
October 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
In all the hype over Wicked, how has no one mentioned the guy from Bridgerton is in it?!?!
My shift starts late today, so I'm at Starbucks writing. This is what I did all last fall during maternity leave: Dropped my kid off at preschool, then went to Starbucks (the only coffeeshop nearby) to write while the baby slept on my chest in the carrier.
Good memories.
Good memories.
October 14, 2025 at 5:39 PM
My shift starts late today, so I'm at Starbucks writing. This is what I did all last fall during maternity leave: Dropped my kid off at preschool, then went to Starbucks (the only coffeeshop nearby) to write while the baby slept on my chest in the carrier.
Good memories.
Good memories.
*sees Bari Weiss made editor-in-chief of CBS News*
*runs to BlueSky to see what @michaelhobbes.bsky.social has to say*
*runs to BlueSky to see what @michaelhobbes.bsky.social has to say*
October 6, 2025 at 10:04 PM
*sees Bari Weiss made editor-in-chief of CBS News*
*runs to BlueSky to see what @michaelhobbes.bsky.social has to say*
*runs to BlueSky to see what @michaelhobbes.bsky.social has to say*
Reposted by Esme
if your Bari be weiss run in fright, if your Berry be Boo, more cereal for you
October 6, 2025 at 2:07 PM
if your Bari be weiss run in fright, if your Berry be Boo, more cereal for you
I finally read Ancillary Justice.
Murderbot meets Left Hand of Darkness. If you consider yourself any kind of sci-fi fan, you need to read it.
Murderbot meets Left Hand of Darkness. If you consider yourself any kind of sci-fi fan, you need to read it.
October 2, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I finally read Ancillary Justice.
Murderbot meets Left Hand of Darkness. If you consider yourself any kind of sci-fi fan, you need to read it.
Murderbot meets Left Hand of Darkness. If you consider yourself any kind of sci-fi fan, you need to read it.
According to Hegseth, women can't be in military combat unless they can meet male physical standards.
I already know how this is going to go. When women do pass those tests, they're going to be accused of not actually being women.
I already know how this is going to go. When women do pass those tests, they're going to be accused of not actually being women.
September 30, 2025 at 10:04 PM
According to Hegseth, women can't be in military combat unless they can meet male physical standards.
I already know how this is going to go. When women do pass those tests, they're going to be accused of not actually being women.
I already know how this is going to go. When women do pass those tests, they're going to be accused of not actually being women.
Instant coffee is gross, but it's still better than no coffee.
September 30, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Instant coffee is gross, but it's still better than no coffee.
I've read two of the stories in Kelly Link's Get in Trouble so far, and they were both really good, but fell flat in the last couple paragraphs.
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 AM
I've read two of the stories in Kelly Link's Get in Trouble so far, and they were both really good, but fell flat in the last couple paragraphs.
I was really hoping this news article was going to be about a bitter fight between sandwich fanatics.
September 11, 2025 at 8:09 PM
I was really hoping this news article was going to be about a bitter fight between sandwich fanatics.
Reposted by Esme
The Try Guys come clean about their biggest scandal...😳
September 10, 2025 at 5:00 PM
The Try Guys come clean about their biggest scandal...😳
Reposted by Esme
Florida welcomes polio.
Florida surgeon general says state will eliminate all vaccine mandates
"Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery," Dr. Joseph Ladapo said. "Who am I to tell you what your child should put in [their] body?"
www.nbcnews.com
September 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Florida welcomes polio.
Scene 1: I'm at WorldCon watching @gailcarriger.bsky.social on a panel about writing in different genres and age groups.
Scene 2: I'm scrolling Libby because my four-year-old has asked for a fairy audiobook. I see Carriger's name. Score!!
Scene 2: I'm scrolling Libby because my four-year-old has asked for a fairy audiobook. I see Carriger's name. Score!!
August 28, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Scene 1: I'm at WorldCon watching @gailcarriger.bsky.social on a panel about writing in different genres and age groups.
Scene 2: I'm scrolling Libby because my four-year-old has asked for a fairy audiobook. I see Carriger's name. Score!!
Scene 2: I'm scrolling Libby because my four-year-old has asked for a fairy audiobook. I see Carriger's name. Score!!