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J.A. Jablonski

@jajablonski.bsky.social

1.4K followers 240 following 880 posts

Multi-genre writer: Academic Mystery, Speculative SF, & Magical Realism | One-time academic & librarian | Style guide nerd | NO AI | No autofollows. My other online activities: https://jajablonski.com/linktree/

jajablonski.com

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · Oct 11

Setting the stage: J.A. Jablonski (Jude) writes in three different genres (mystery, speculative SF, and magical realism) while keeping one foot in the academic scene by researching material culture in utopian fiction. (She/They/Dr/Ms/Mx)

For more about me, see jajablonski.com/linktree/

#PinnedPost

Against a closeup backdrop of fire are two square images: one of a vivid red/orange/yellow sunset, the other a graphic of a red skull wearing a red academic mortarboard against a black background. The tag "Speculative SF" overlaps the first image while the tag "Academic Mystery" labels the second. When I focus on my day job, the hashtag "Am Writing" is included in the corner of a post.

Closeup color portrait of a middle-aged. female-presenting white person with dark brown eyes. They have a white pageboy hairstyle and are wearing large-ish blue-framed eyeglasses. They look directly at the camera with an amused expression.

Header image from J.A. Jablonski's website shows her name printed in white in a serif typeface against a starry night sky with a horizon of fir trees.

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 17h

Been reviewing old files for my book. One is a set of images from the beginning. There were no ravens yet, no geographic location, no names of campus buildings, no history of the place. The only thing missing are the taverns. There are always taverns adjoining a college!

#DarkAcademia #AmWriting

Children's toy blocks arrayed on a coffee table create a diagram of a college campus. Cotton yarn running among the blocks illustrate the street layouts.

Photo Credits: Toy blocks map is my own image. The crosscut log background closeup is by Joel & Jasmin Førestbird via Unsplash.

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 19h

When the dinner ended, I thanked him but said I wouldn't be joining him at the conference. He looked at me with utter puppy eyes and said "But you're tall!" Hope he found someone.

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 19h

Recalling a long ago 1st date. He was 6'10" (I am 6'3".). He walked in with a long-stem rose in his teeth & announced he was looking forward to taking me to a certain SF conference so we could go skinny dipping in the hotel pool at midnight.
🌹🤣

#TrueStory #WritingPrompt

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you. This!

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 1d

Have you read Jill Paton Walsh's follow-ons? (www.novelsuspects.com/series-list/...) I especially enjoyed A PRESUMPTION OF DEATH.

The New Lord Peter Wimsey / Harriet Vane Mysteries

Twentieth-century mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers was known for her characters Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. Read the revival by Jill Paton Walsh!

www.novelsuspects.com

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 2d

The eyes! Love 'em!

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 2d

Someone on Tumblr decided that Harriet Vane, looking at people at a concert & judging if they're enjoying the music "correctly", is the worst sort of snob.

FFS, she's a writer. People-watching is what we do!

📚💙 ⚡️📚 #GaudyNight #DorothySayers

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 2d

JFC, this is disgusting.

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 4d

E.H. Lutpon’s WISCONSIN GOTHIC series (urban paranormal academic fantasy)

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 4d

Marco Carocari's BLACKOUT.

The new anthology CRIME INK: ICONIC (ed by John Copenhaver & Salem West.

Margot Douaihy's GILLIAN FLYNN series.

📚💙 ⚡️📚 #QueerCrime

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 4d

I usually don't write on weekends. I try to focus on physical work. Helps clear my mind. #balance

Long view of a wooden backyard fence with its old, blue paint partially scraped off.

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 4d

As I've been exploring the Acknowledgements sections in fiction books, this research article on scholarly pub acknowledgements was fascinating stuff.

Jeff Lockhart @jwlockhart.bsky.social · 5d

I'm excited to share my new paper with a former student, Tommy Smith. "'This Work Would Not Have Been Possible without...': The Length of Acknowledgments in Sociology Books"

Open Access in @sociusjournal.bsky.social : doi.org/10.1177/2378...

Main figure from the paper. Violin plots showing the length of acknowledgments sections in books by sociologists, broken out by gender, race, sexuality, parents’ education, millennium of author’s PhD, and publisher type.

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 4d

I've had #ravens on my mind for a long time. A clutch of them live on the campus of my fictional Osley College. Primarily a visual motif, 2 of the them play a part in the 2nd book of my in-process academic mystery series.

More: www.instagram.com/p/DPYfz62Dqs3/

College Mystery
Dark Academia

An illustration—possibly a watercolor—of a small child shying near to the side of one of the Tower of London’s famed Yeoman Warders (aka Beefeaters) as he introduces her to the Tower’s famed ravens. It is one of the pages in Felixx Leigh’s 1883 book LONDON TOWN.

The book was illustrated by Thomas Crane and Ellen Houghton. London: Marcus Ward & Co, 1883. (The book can be found on the Project Gutenberg website.)

Reposted by J.A. Jablonski

PEN America @penamerica.bsky.social · 6d

🧵 In 2025, book censorship in the United States is rampant and common. Never before in the life of any living American have so many books been systematically removed from school libraries across the country.

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 5d

How fun is this? Every other week or so someone leaves a #Pokémon card in our little street library! 😁 It always goes quickly.

#LittleFreeLibrary
#StreetLibrary

Pokémon card labled "Seaking" shows an ovoid-shaped creature with multiple fins or wings & a unicorn-like horn or nose. (Apologies for description! I know nothing about Pokémon.)

Reposted by J.A. Jablonski

So Mayer @suchmayer.bsky.social · 6d

HOLY MOLY. I've read the screenplay drafts, looked at the budgets, read the faxes but never dreamed there was some footage…

Neil Snowdon @neilsnowdon.bsky.social · 6d

@unamccormack.bsky.social and @iammilliam.bsky.social I'm sure someone must have shared this already, but just incase they haven't: footage of Michael Powell filming scenes from the Earthsea Trilogy with students by way of teaching film. collections.dartmouth.edu/archive/obje...

Dartmouth College Films

Dartmouth Library's Statement on Potentially Harmful Content

collections.dartmouth.edu

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Reposted by J.A. Jablonski

Candace Robb @candacerobbauthor.bsky.social · 6d

PSA for authors.

The Authors Guild @authorsguild.org · 6d

Authors: You can now search the official Works List to confirm whether your books are part of the class and FILE your Claim Form to receive compensation.

Learn how: authorsguild.org/news/anthrop...

Is Your Book in the Anthropic Settlement Class? Find Out and File a Claim - The Authors Guild

The court granted preliminary approval of the settlement in Bartz v. Anthropic on September 25, 2025, and you can now search the official Works List to confirm whether your books are part of the class...

authorsguild.org

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 6d

Conducting some basement archeology of our house's previous owner paint can collection & found this half gallon of a grey-violet tint labled as "Master Bedroom 'The Love Room'." 😆

It's actually rather grim-looking. We're planning to repaint with Tuscan Sun Yellow. 🌞

#OoLaLa

Top view of a can of paint splotched with grey-violet latex paint. Written over this in black marker are the words "Master Bedroom" and "The Love Room."

Reposted by J.A. Jablonski

Jane Friedman @janefriedman.com · 6d

Authors, you can now search an official database to see if your books are part of the Anthropic settlement.

My book is in there, and I just filed my claim. 💸

Search here: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup

Submit a Claim

secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com

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Reposted by J.A. Jablonski

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 7d

If you're into #typewriters & in Milwaukee this weekend, check out QWERTYFEST, "a 3-day festival for writers, artists, typewriter aficionados, history buffs, mechanical keyboard connoisseurs and anyone who wants to celebrate innovation."

shepherdexpress.com/culture/milw...

QWERTYFEST Celebrates a Great Milwaukee Invention, the Typewriter

QWERTYFEST is spread out across three days in six historic locations within the city limits.

shepherdexpress.com

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 6d

Always irks me when an author is more concerned with the mechanics of the mystery & its solving than the people involved. Recently finished something with a clunky, obvious shift of narrative that seemed there to be clever only. The characters were little more than stick people. 😠
📚 💙 #MysterySky

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 7d

We have a curious neighborhood. Lots of dog walkers of varied ages, numerous young parents with strollers & toddlers, & older couples getting in their daily strolls. And there's this one cool-vibes preteen girl gang that checks out the library regularly. The book exchange rate varies.

J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 7d

A couple of books about books failed to interest anyone. "What irony," said the little street library, "perhaps something on party cookery, knitting and crochet, or a Gershwin cd will charm."

#LittleFreeLibrary #StreetLibrary

Handcrafted wooden street library box holds a selection of hardcover & paperback books, including one spiral bound cookbook. Tucked in front is a set of fancy metal hair clips

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J.A. Jablonski @jajablonski.bsky.social · 7d

QWERTYFEST Celebrates a Great Milwaukee Invention, the Typewriter

QWERTYFEST is spread out across three days in six historic locations within the city limits.

shepherdexpress.com

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Reposted by J.A. Jablonski

Ursula K. Le Guin @ursulakleguin.com · 8d

Coming (very) soon: An occasional newsletter about all things Ursula! Sign up here: www.ursulakleguin.com

Ursula K. Le Guin - Author

Ursula K. Le Guin was author of 21 novels, 11 volumes of short stories, 4 collections of essays, 12 children’s books, six volumes of poetry and 4 of translation.

www.ursulakleguin.com

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