My novel, Red Clay, from @blackstonepub.bsky.social , has received another honor, the Silver Indies award for historical fiction, for which I am grateful: www.forewordreviews.com/awards/winne...

2025 Foreword INDIES Winners in Historical (Adult Fiction)

These are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the cherries on top a metaphorical ice cream sundae of indie books. The Historical winners of the 2025 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

forewordreviews.com

Nourishing food for thought from @adamserwer.bsky.social of The Atlantic: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Democracy Is a Racial Entitlement Now

The all-out assault on Black voting

theatlantic.com

Important reading: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/02/o...

Opinion | Ruling by Ruling, the Supreme Court Is Undoing the Civil Rights Movement

nytimes.com

This week seems to be the right moment to revisit the 1965 debate between the great James Baldwin and William F. Buckley in the Cambridge Union: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tek...

James Baldwin vs William F Buckley: A legendary debate from 1965

YouTube video by Aeon Video

youtube.com

I'm excited to share that I was named the winner of the NAACP Image Award for my novel, Red Clay, in the Outstanding Literary Achievement-Debut Author category last night www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyC9... #historicalfiction #BlackAuthors #southernliterature #debutnovel #blackstonepublishing

57th NAACP Image Awards Virtual Pre-Show | Night One

YouTube video by NAACP Image Awards

youtube.com

What a week! Not only is today, Jan.13, the official release date for the paperback edition of my novel, #RedClay, from @blackstonepub.bsky.social, I learned yesterday that it is also a nominee for the 2026 #NAACPImageAward in the Outstanding Literary Work-Debut Author category. I'm beyond grateful.

So glad to receive this honor for my novel, Red Clay, on Friday: crookscornerbookprize.com/crooks-corne... #historicalfiction #charlesbfancher #blackstonepublishing

Remarks by the great Dr. Carla Hayden, recently fired Librarian of Congress, at the American Library Assn conference in Philadelphia were inspiring. I was proud to be there signing my historical novel, @Red Clay, from @Blackstone Publishing. #ALAconference2025 #charlesbfancher #historicalfiction

I was thrilled to be one of 12 authors invited to be part of Literary Feast 2025 in Fort Lauderdale last weekend to benefit the Broward Public Library Foundation and grateful for the attention my novel, Red Clay @blackstonepub.bsky.social received.

For cryin' out loud! www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/u...

Trump Says Biden’s Pardons are ‘Void’ and ‘Vacant’ Because of Autopen

The use of the autopen, a device that reproduces signatures and is ubiquitous in government and business, is ordinarily uncontroversial. There is no power to undo a pardon in the Constitution or case ...

nytimes.com

This is powerful: www.huffpost.com/entry/french...

Stop What You’re Doing And Watch This French Senator’s Take On Trump, Musk

Beware the “ketamine-fueled jester.”

huffpost.com

This is telling: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/u...

Republican House Members Told to Stop Holding In-Person Town Halls

The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee told G.O.P. lawmakers that public confrontations with angry constituents could hurt them politically in the midterm elections.

nytimes.com

As usual, she gets to the point

Jasmine Crockett@jasmineforus.bsky.social · last yr.

It’s been a long day, but in short, bullies ain’t shit! I don’t care what title you hold! This isn’t some long gone reality tv show or failed casino; it is war! How dare a draft dodging dumb dupe humiliate an ally & berate a brave man who has actually been on a battlefield for his people?!

Another special column from Margaret Renkl, a calm(ing) voice in a world that desperately needs it.

Margaret Renkl@margaretrenkl.bsky.social · last yr.

This time the robots have gone too far. (A few words about James Dickey, Isaac Asimov, and a nearly 40-year-old memory about writing a poem. Gift link via @nytopinion.nytimes.com.) www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/o...

A straightforward, insightful look at the state we are in, by The Atlantic's Adam Serwer: www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The Great Resegregation

The Trump administration’s attacks on DEI are aimed at reversing the civil-rights movement.

theatlantic.com

This is just pathetic: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/22/l...

Lake County library leaders expect to see more challenged books

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, according to the American Library Association. Challenges lead to censorship.

chicagotribune.com

This comment cuts to center of it.

George Takei@georgetakei.bsky.social · last yr.

He nails it.

Surprise?

Having just experienced my own first publication day earlier this month with my novel, RED CLAY from @blackstonepub.bsky.social , I agree with @elongreen.bsky.social about the importance of library orders. They make a difference!

Elon Green@elongreen.bsky.social · last yr.

Just weeks away from pub day! I know you’re tired of hearing about it, but preorders are *so* damn important for authors. Not everyone has the money for that, of course, but asking your library to order it is just as good. bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

I enjoyed this interview about my new novel. If you missed it live, you can see it here on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPNy...

Debut Spotlight with Charles B. Fancher

YouTube video by A Mighty Blaze

youtube.com

Yeah, man, she's the best.

Eric LaRocca@ericlarocca.com · 2y ago

At the Blackstone offices in NYC with my amazing publicist to celebrate the release of my new book!!! ☺️🖤

I was thrilled to see this comment from a remarkable journalist about my new novel.

Bill Mitchell@bostonbill.bsky.social · last yr.

I got the sample of Red Clay to see what former Detroit Free Press colleague @cbfancher.bsky.social had written. I soon clicked "buy this book." This historical novel is a great read and eye-opening about Reconstruction & Jim Crow. Quite timely as Jim Crow re-appears. www.amazon.com/Red-Clay-Cha...

#BannedBookSkyClub Don't forget, March 2025's book is #ParableOfTheSower Schedule: Feb 2025: The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin March 2025: Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler April 2025: Banned Book Club, Kim Hyun Sook, et al. May 2025: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Stephen King #BookSky

Something to consider: thehill.com/opinion/camp...

Democrats need a new message: ‘Blame Republicans’

Democrats have one simple message to deliver: Republicans are responsible for everything that happens from now on. All the unintended consequences, government shutdowns and colossal failures are 10…

thehill.com

☺️

Mark Hamill@markhamillofficial.bsky.social · last yr.

In troubling times, people experiencing high stress or crippling anxiety deal with it in different ways. Some have a therapist, some have a deep breathing exercise & some even have a personal mantra. I have a Mabel.

Clear thinking on the issue of our times: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/o...

Opinion | Trump’s War on D.E.I. Is Really a War on Civil Rights

The genius of the right-wing crusade against D.E.I. is that the term is amorphous enough that it can mean many different things to many different people.

nytimes.com

Elmo, Big Bird and the rest of the gang are weeping: www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...

PBS Closes DEI Office After Trump Executive Order

The public broadcaster is also facing an investigation by the FCC and potential threats to its funding.

hollywoodreporter.com

would make for a good book

We salute you, sir!

CNN@cnn.com · last yr.

Retired Lt. Col. Harry Stewart Jr., a decorated World War II pilot who broke racial barriers as a Tuskegee Airmen and earned honors for his combat heroism, has died. He was 100. cnn.it/42Q7FIs

Calling the costs of running scientific research labs “administrative overhead” might fool the lab rats and guinea pigs. It won’t fool the people dying of cancer or heart disease. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

NIH cuts billions of dollars in biomedical funding, effective immediately

Researchers say it would hurt facilities that work on medical issues such as cancer research and heart disease. Elon Musk contends the old policy was ‘a ripoff.’

washingtonpost.com