Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Liz Johnston

@lizjohnston.bsky.social

470 followers 430 following 180 posts

She/her. Writer, book nerd & editor. https://liz-johnston.ca. THE FALL-DOWN EFFECT coming out from Book*hug Press in 2026. Pre-order here: https://shoplocal.bookmanager.com/isbn/9781771669627

liz-johnston.ca.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Liz Johnston @lizjohnston.bsky.social · Jul 16

I absolutely love the cover Ingrid Paulson created for The Fall-Down Effect, out spring 2026 from @bookhugpress.bsky.social: the retro feel and big red letters, the drama of the river crashing through the forest. 😍 I'm so lucky & super grateful! (Pre-order link in bio.)

A book cover, described in the post. Cover text: Liz Johnston, The Fall-Down Effect, a novel.

1 1 7

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 2d

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 2d

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.

59 1.1K 3.7K

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Jack Hauen @jackhauen.bsky.social · 3d

NEW: David Piccini, the minister whose office picks Skills Development Fund recipients, was in Paris this weekend at the wedding of a lobbyist whose clients received millions from that fund.

From me and @charliepinkerton.bsky.social.

www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

Ontario labour minister attended lobbyist’s wedding after granting his clients millions in training funds

Two clients of lobbyist Michael Rudderham have received more than $8.5 million in Skills Development Fund grants, records show

www.thetrillium.ca

5 58 84

Reposted by Liz Johnston

king's co-op bookstore @kingsbookstore.bsky.social · Jul 7

this week during prime day sales take a moment and think about what you need, how quickly you need it, and where you might be able to get it in your community! It’s surprisingly easy to boycott the crummiest company on earth and there’s no shortage of great reasons to try start trying

a box that says New! Amazon sucks. Stuff you don’t need…fast! 24,000,000 giant size pkgs.

three of these boxes on a step! they say New! Amazon sucks. Stuff you don’t need…fast! 24,000,000 giant size pkgs.

2 24 63

Liz Johnston @lizjohnston.bsky.social · 3d

I've only read a few of these, but others are on my TBR pile. Looks like a pretty great list!

The New Quarterly @thenewquarterly.bsky.social · 3d

The Wild Writers Literary Festival is officially ONE MONTH away! Prepare for the festival by exploring our reading list, which includes all of the books that will be featured. Find your next great read today: tnq.ca/the-2025-wil...

#tbr #canlit #amreading #booksbooksbooks

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Lauren Groff @legroff.bsky.social · 4d

I love this brave young person so deeply.

BladeoftheSun @bladeofthes.bsky.social · 4d

Greta Thunberg has just been released and she is back on the warpath, exactly like our leaders should be.

Israel will never silence her or the billions who oppose them.

2 7 59

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Nora Loreto @nolore.bsky.social · 7d

Two Indigenous women MLAs in Winnipeg have had their offices firebombed in the past six weeks. And yet, it hasn't been national news. Hear about this and more on today's 7-minute Daily News podcast.

sandyandnora.com/daily-news-o...

Daily News – Oct. 3, 2025

Story 1 – Someone is firebombing the offices of two Indigenous women MLAs in Winnipeg Story 2 – New Auditor General report in Ontario strongly suggests corruption in Ford’s government Story 3 -A new s...

sandyandnora.com

4 58 82

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 7d

My latest is on Sora's AI and why we should care about stolen art

For more, follow:
+ www.tiktok.com/@drewharwell
+ www.instagram.com/bydrewharwell

4 26 72

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Ordinary Notes @hystericalblkns.bsky.social · 8d

Support independent media. Become a monthly supporter. Buy subscriptions. Give a dollar or two when you can. We need them.

4 43 130

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Vicki Ziegler @bookgaga.bsky.social · 8d

"Has anyone done that for you, lately
or ever? Come over, torn open the sky
and let the snow fall in the wrong month
to show there's a rip in the face of the world?"

#TodaysPoem #poetry
Rending the Garments by @ronnabloom.bsky.social
In a Riptide (2025 Brick Books) the-wood-lot.ca/2025/09/21/v...

Poetry collection In a Riptide by Ronna Bloom (Brick Books), nestled amidst dried flowers and stalks in a garden

Poem "Rending the Garments" from the poetry collection In a Riptide by Ronna Bloom, held before dried flowers and stalks in a garden

Handwritten transcription of the poem "Rending the Garments" from the poetry collection In a Riptide by Ronna Bloom

1 5 11

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Kawai 加鬼 Shen 👻 @kawaishen.bsky.social · 13d

Reading this in conjunction with Liz Pelly's Mood Machine and Will Tavlin's Casual Viewing n+1 article, gives a broader view of how pervasive cultural rot has become... Support indie artists, small press, booksellers, critics, zine fairs <3

Tajja Isen @tajjaisen.bsky.social · 14d

I spent the summer reporting this essay on why it seems harder than ever to sell a book right now—especially if it isn't a debut and comes with the dreaded "sales track." I'm grateful to the writers, agents, editors, publishers & experts who spoke to me for this piece: thewalrus.ca/the-publishi...

The Publishing Industry Has a Gambling Problem | The Walrus

Companies keep betting on the next bestseller. Literature is poorer for it

thewalrus.ca

2 2

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 17d

AI is just microplastics for software. It's polluted every app and slowly killing them.

6 98 440

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 19d

“The downside of [an AI interaction] is how it continues to isolate us…I think having our everyday conversations with chatbots will be very detrimental in the long run.”

The AI Therapist Epidemic: When Bots Replace Humans - Coda Story

They promise judgment-free therapy at your fingertips. What they deliver is an algorithmic echo chamber that validates your worst impulses, isolates you from human connection, and even coaches you tow...

www.codastory.com

2 7 44

Liz Johnston @lizjohnston.bsky.social · 19d

I feel a bit bereft after finishing Isabella Hammad‘s The Parisian last week. My latest Substack: lizdsjohnston.substack.com/p/life-after...

Life After a Great Read

I feel a bit bereft after finishing Isabella Hammad’s The Parisian last week.

lizdsjohnston.substack.com

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Michael @fleerultra.bsky.social · 23d

so many dead canaries and we just keep on mining

280 7.2K 30K

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Maris Kreizman @maris.bsky.social · 23d

Huh, weird, it’s almost like the free speech crisis that we’re in now has nothing to do with voices on the left being too woke.

TVMoJoe @tvmojoe.bsky.social · 23d

Update: It's not just Nexstar

“Jimmy Kimmel Live will be preempted indefinitely” - per an ABC spokesperson

TVMoJoe @tvmojoe.bsky.social · 23d

This is...something

Nexstar, one of largest owners of TV stations in the country, is pre-empting JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE "for the foreseeable future":

"Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming."

3 25 160

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Viet Thanh Nguyen @vietthanhnguyen.bsky.social · 29d

Two US senators say Israel is deliberately engaging in ethnic cleansing, including starving Palestinians. And the USA is complicit.

Senators say US is complicit in Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza

Democrats Chris Van Hollen and Jeff Merkley reach ‘inescapable conclusion’ after fact-finding trip to region

www.theguardian.com

3 27 93

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) @iwriteok.bsky.social · 29d

oh my god

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 29d

Pet parrots which typically live alone (whilst those in the wild live in large flocks) were given the technology to call each other. They would use it for up to three hours a day, and developed favourite friends 💔
on.ft.com/3K05vhS

When a parrot wanted to connect with a distant friend, a touchscreen showed a selection of other birds available online. The parrots learned to activate the screen, designed specially for them, by touching it gently with their tongues rather than pecking aggressively with their beaks.
"We had 26 birds involved," said Hirskyj-Douglas. "They would use the system up to three hours a day, with each call lasting up to five minutes." The interactions ranged from preening and playing with toys to loud vocal exchanges.
"When we went through the data, we found that most of these parrots had favourite friends," said Hirskyj-Douglas.

65 460 2.8K

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Christine Estima @cestima.bsky.social · 29d

Racism is political violence
White supremacy is political violence
Settler colonialism is political violence
Genocide is political violence

1 2

Liz Johnston @lizjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 10

Another fantastic episode of @brickliterary.bsky.social's Writer to Writer podcast series has dropped. I got so much from this rich and warm conversation between Kyo Maclear and Brandon Shimoda. And congratulations, Orly Zebak, on the great intro!

brickliterary.bsky.social @brickliterary.bsky.social · Sep 10

Listen today!

Kyo Maclear and Brandon Shimoda bond over their quests to understand what it means to grow, parent, and exist within the many layers of self in this new episode of Brick's Writer to Writer series. Available wherever you stream.

open.spotify.com/episode/5CiV...

Liz Johnston @lizjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 10

What an absolutely incredible list and a fantastic year for non-fiction. Congratulations to everyone on the shortlist!

Writers' Trust of Canada @writerstrust.bsky.social · Sep 10

Announcing finalists for the 2025 #HilaryWeston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction 🏆 Congratulations to:

◢Omar El Akkad

◢Tessa McWatt

◢Vinh Nguyen

◢ @biidaasamose.bsky.social

◢ @authormiriamtoews.bsky.social

$75K winner announced Nov 13 at the #WTAwards bit.ly/4lXZqQk

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Casey Plett @caseyplett.com · Sep 8

Of everything I hate about what AI has done to my corners of the world, a really big one is that it's made me suspicious of every cold e-mail, so many of which I know are in good faith, but whose literal personhood I nevertheless now question. Feels bad, man.

5 13 140

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Chris Benjamin Nova Scotia Writer @benjaminwrites.bsky.social · Sep 6

Don’t let them get away with scapegoating newcomers

2 72 160

Reposted by Liz Johnston

Carolyn Kellogg @paperhaus.bsky.social · Sep 7

The horrors continue.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Israel destroys second Gaza high-rise as military kills another 56 Palestinians, including aid-seekers

Residents say military gave them 20 minutes to evacuate 15-storey building before attacking, with casualties unclear

www.theguardian.com

1 32 48

Liz Johnston @lizjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 6

Thank you, Theresa!