Hark! A pub day! PALOMA JOINS THE CIRCUS by Lupe Ruiz-Flores is out today. Paloma is traveling with her family's tent show. She vows to become a wire-walker like her mother. But at what cost?!? And what else might she discover about circus life along the way??? READ BOOK. FIND OUT. EVERYBODY WINS.

"I lowered the bar to the basement and you rented an excavator to tunnel underneath it" feels like the kind of line I should be able to auction off to the blockbuster screenplay most in need of a punch-up, or to the slam poet with the most family money at their disposal

Tag yourself: I'm "out of control (monitored)"

Cheryl in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦🍁🍁@minibubbly.bsky.social · 3w ago

Fires in #Canada 2026 #Wildfires 30 new reported fires today 858 active across the country 2,692 now out Total 3,550 Area burned (ha) 2,389,061 Link here cwfis.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/en/

This should be getting the same attention as Renee Good's and Alex Pretti's deaths. ICE will keep doing this until abolition. They will keep getting away with murders until they are prosecuted. Not an original observation but one that needs repeating until we get justice.

Gabe Ortíz@tusk81.bsky.social · 4w ago

ICE killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo on a Houston street Tuesday morning. "It's using the same script it always uses. No video. No independent witness. Just ICE's word — the same word that didn't hold up the last three times.” migrantinsider.com/p/ice-killed...

Is everything actually exhausting all the time or am I just chronically under-caffeinated? This post brought to you by a 16-oz latte and its contrast with my usual single cup of green tea per day (Answer: both??)

Trans girls are girls. Trans women are women. Trans boys are boys. Trans men are men. Gender expansive people are people. No executive order, federal rollback, or court ruling with ever take that away. 5/

Been thinking about Jane Yolen since yesterday's news. I got to work with her a bit on one of her zillions of books and was amazed at how down-to-earth she was. Pleasant, open to feedback, even gracious when a colleague and I had a version control issue with the manuscript. The best kind of legend.

Children's Bookshelf@pwkidsbookshelf.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Sad news: Jane Yolen, prolific author of books for children and adults, has died at age 87

I do sometimes wonder what the first draft of a presidential tweet looks like before Miller copyedits it using the pre-dementia manual of style

I recently found out I'm among the (MANY) editors whose names are being used in this genre of email scam targeting writers. Naomi's thread breaks down what to check for if you ever get a message purporting to be from a random publishing professional.

Naomi Kritzer@naomikritzer.bsky.social · 3mo ago

One of the current scams targeting writers is to send an e-mail that appears to be from a real editor, full of gushing (LLM-generated) praise for one of their books. There are a couple of very specific tells I want to flag for the vulnerable.

The Summer Scrapbook by @florencemigga.bsky.social is out now! Imagine if The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants followed middle schoolers, featured a scrapbook-in-progress instead of magic pants, & offered what PW calls "an affirming portrait of friendship in transition." Sounds delightful, right?!

Flashback Friday Funpost: WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN FOR MIDNIGHT by Blessing Musariri came out in the US this month! It's a stunning YA novel about a girl who learns that her dad isn't her bio father, goes to stay with her maternal grandmother, and discovers a new definition of family.

It makes me so angry that she now has to carry this knowledge on top of her own trauma, when none of it is her fault and none of it cost the perpetrator a wink of sleep. I hope she's surrounded by love and support, as everyone in her position deserves.

Angus Johnston@angus.bsky.social · 5mo ago

And Huerta told the Times that she was unaware of any sexual abuse of teenagers by Chavez until she sat down with the paper for this story. The Times says that when they described that abuse to her, she broke down, "sobbing and wailing."

Jacob Frey's voicemail message has the same energy as Peter Callaghan's answering machine in While You Were Sleeping; it's worth calling just to experience that level of cringe from an anthropological standpoint. As a bonus, you get to express support for your neighbors.

Aurin Chowdhury MPLS City Council Member W12@aurinmpls.bsky.social · 5mo ago

We passed pause evictions, save lives. Now it’s on Mayor Frey’s Desk— please reach out to his office to support this critical legislation and not to veto it. Call: 612-673-2100 Families will face evictions without adequate time to get funds together for rent.

Usually I'm like "Hoarding is too sad of a subject for me, please give me three books about bereavement instead" but this story pulled me in!

Michelle Witte@michellewitte.bsky.social · 5mo ago

New deal! New deal! Announcement just dropped in Publishers Weekly children's rights report this afternoon. I've never read a more insightful yet bitingly funny YA than this.

It's publication day for Shannon Hitchcock's WILD MOUNTAIN IVY, a middle grade novel about two girls with chronic illness—one in the present and one who lived in the same house 100 years ago—finding new ways to navigate their worlds. Booklist calls it "sweet" and "uplifting," "like a warm hug."

This is why you can't give discrimination a little capitulation as a treat. It will only keep escalating. You should push back even if it magically stops at one targeted group, but fyi it never does. You should care even if it isn't coming for you too, but btw it is. bookriot.com/hr7661-book-...

A Nationwide Book Ban Bill Has Been Introduced in the House of Representatives

Hours after the State of the Union address, House republicans introduced legislation banning LGBTQ+ books from public schools nationwide.

bookriot.com

Tim Walz isn't declaring an eviction moratorium in Minnesota, so many families affected by ICE are at risk of eviction in a few days. Please donate to the rent funds at keepMNhoused.com if you have some scratch.

Stand With Minnesota

Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.

keepmnhoused.com

Greg Pak@gregpak.net · 6mo ago

Hey, friends! @ziibiing.com and the awesome folks at StandWithMinnesota have launched #keepMNhoused! Check out keepMNhoused.com and kick in to help folks affected by ICE stay in their homes! ALSO, artists, please join the call for art to help spread the word! (art here by the great @trungles.com)

Today we are launching a new intitative of Stand With Minnesota—KeepMNHoused.com, a rent-relief campaign backed with a $1.5 matching fund from the Wilson Foundation. Thousands of MN families are at risk of eviction because of the ICE occupation’s lasting impacts. We can keep them housed.

Can't say it enough: They did this to a white man in broad daylight in front of multiple witnesses. That tells you everything you need to know about what they're doing out of sight to people they deem less than human. Absolutely nothing short of abolition should even be on the table.

The Intercept@theintercept.com · 6mo ago

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: “I was literally begging the agent who was holding me back to let me do CPR,” she told The Intercept.

This is what I wondered about as someone who moved into a place with a preexisting Ring doorbell I've never paid for: It's still recording and sharing that footage. Take it offline or cover the camera till you can get a new doorbell. Even if, like mine, it's not in a spot where it can "see" much.

Drew Harwell@drewharwell.com · 6mo ago

Here's a hidden secret of doorbell cameras, as revealed by Nancy Guthrie's kidnapping. They're recording even when you don't know it, and sending video to company servers even when you don't pay

Tim! Buddy! Your voicemail* is about to hear from me about this again... *651-201-3400 just fyi for my MN neighbors

Robin for Ward 2@robin4mpls.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Governor Walz finally speaks! Unfortunately, he gave us nothing. The governor says that to enact an eviction moratorium, he needs to declare a peacetime emergency. Okay? So do it.

This fundraiser is really close to its goal... AND February is a short month so rent will be due again very soon (not to mention utility bills etc etc). It'd be great to give these families a little cushion!

audreyii_fic@audreyii.bsky.social · 6mo ago

I've never posted a GoFundMe before (seriously, not once) but I'll personally vouch for this one. It's a little neighborhood group trying to keep seven Minnesotan families from getting evicted tomorrow. If you can help, please help; if you can share, please share. www.gofundme.com/f/support-sa...

Two books I edited are out today: CHOIR GRRRL by Ashley Granillo (middle grade, contemporary, delightful) and BEYOND SEVEN FORESTS by Amanda McCrina (young adult, historical, gripping). I love them both. Read 'em. Thanks. @lernerbooks.bsky.social @missashleyjean.bsky.social @mccrina.bsky.social

Me, fresh off of two post-breakfast chocolate chip cookies, to my governor's voicemail: "Where are we at with that eviction moratorium, buddy? My neighbors can't pay their rent because they're being terrorized by slave catchers, we need it done yesterday" The #, for fellow Minnesotans: 651-201-3400

Governor Tim Walz@governorwalz.mn.gov · 6mo ago

They’re taking kids from Minnesota and sending them to detention camps. They’re shooting American citizens in the street and locking investigators out of the crime scenes. The world is watching what happens next.

Anyone who still wants to get in on the Publishing for Minnesota fundraiser has until 11:45 pm EST TONIGHT (1/30!) to bid on offerings like manuscript critiques, AMAs, and swag from authors, agents, and editors. $$ supports Minnesotans impacted by ICE. 💙 www.32auctions.com/organization...

Publishing for Minnesota

Silent auction 'Publishing for Minnesota' hosted online at 32auctions.

32auctions.com

Fun fact, today is 1/29 and tomorrow is 1/30. The auction runs through Friday, 1/30!

Amy Fitzgerald@amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Today's a perfect day to check out Publishing for Minnesota's fundraiser auction, which benefits Minnesotans impacted by ICE. It runs through 11:45 EST tomorrow, 1/29. You can bid on more than 500 offerings from authors, agents, and editors (including me). www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...

Today's a perfect day to check out Publishing for Minnesota's fundraiser auction, which benefits Minnesotans impacted by ICE. It runs through 11:45 EST tomorrow, 1/29. You can bid on more than 500 offerings from authors, agents, and editors (including me). www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...

Publishing for Minnesota

Silent auction 'Publishing for Minnesota' hosted online at 32auctions.

32auctions.com

Decided to feature a kids' movie in this month's Historical Flicktion newsletter, to keep the mood light and chill. That turned out about how you'd expect. historicalflicktion.beehiiv.com/p/our-lady-o...

Our Lady of We-Keep-Us-Safe

I Have a Hunch We're Going to Win

historicalflicktion.beehiiv.com

These are the deaths we're not hearing about. This neighbor was even younger than Renee Good and Alex Pretti. I know nothing about him except that he didn't deserve this. Our future must include justice for all those who've been terrorized, tortured, and murdered, here in MN and elsewhere.

Steve Held@peoplesfabric.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, was abducted in Minneapolis. He died in ICE’s El Paso detention camp 8 days later on Jan 14. ICE calls it suicide. They didn’t send his body to the El Paso County ME who just classified another “suicide” at that camp a homicide. They sent him to an army medical center.

One more celebratory post today: THE PECAN SHELLER by Lupe Ruiz-Flores has won a Pura Belpré Award! #ALAyma