Tessera

Come see me and E. this Saturday (July 25) at @shopbooksweet.bsky.social in Ann Arbor! We’ll be signing books and discussing our author journeys (and maybe some plot and character stuff, too). #booksky www.eventbrite.com/e/725-author...

7/25: Author Event with E.M. Anderson and Darren Cools

Join us at Booksweet for an author event featuring E.M. Anderson and Darren Cools in conversation about their recently released books.

eventbrite.com

“To write about darkness when you’re in the light is a beautiful, gentle, tender thing. You get to appreciate all the ways the darkness is formed . . . can almost touch and smell what it was once like, and yet, miraculously, you’re safe and cradled in the light.” —Shannan Mann

So much to unpack in David Brooks’ article in the Atlantic: The People Who Will Thrive in the AI Age. I posted a few excerpts that stood out to me. The full article is well-worth a read, especially toward the end where he discusses desire and motivation. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

The People Who Will Thrive in the AI Age

What will differentiate people is not how smart they are but their relationship to mental effort.

theatlantic.com

“Before AI, many people believed that reason and intelligence were the qualities that define humanity. They are what make us different from the animals. But soon there will be entities that are much smarter than us; so that can’t be what defines humanity.” —David Brooks

“In the age of AI, these [are the] questions: ‘What is it that you truly want most in the depth of your heart? What out there in the world is truly worth wanting?’ In our current culture, everybody tells you to find your passion, but nobody tells you how.” —David Brooks

“The crucial task before us is to cultivate people’s desire . . . How do we train people to see their life as a hero’s journey . . . [to] have an explorer’s heart, a willingness to endure . . . even when their body and mind are telling them to give up?” —David Brooks

Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 4w ago

AI “offers competence without apprenticeship. Fluency without understanding . . . A student who internalizes that pattern does not become lazier; he becomes less formed, less present, less able to bear the weight of difficulty without reaching for a prompt.” —David Brooks

Latest newsletter — take a look! mailchi.mp/71d8fab472cb...

Upcoming events

mailchi.mp

E.M. Anderson | THE LORD OF THE WOOD is out now!@elizmanderson.com · 4w ago

and Saturday's event with @darrencools.bsky.social at @shopbooksweet.bsky.social is also free, but please register to help the bookstore plan! register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/725-author...

In conversation with Darren Cools: July 25, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. EST at Booksweet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Join me and author Darren Cools to celebrate the releases of our new books, The Lord of the Wood and Light in the Canyon! Preordering the book will ensure the store has enough copies for everyone! The Lord of the Wood's cover is blue, paler in the center, darker at the edges, with a central image of a stag of foliage and flowers growing from a tree whose upper branches drip black ooze and the tagline, "Even a beastly woodland protector needs saving..." Light in the Canyon's cover has a central image of a person in silhouette—with stars in them as if their body is a universe—standing and waving, with an evergreen forest below.

Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · 4w ago

Happening Friday! RSVP: www.booklovebar.com/events/55463...

Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · last mo.

OMG... #1?! What do even I make of this??? @slantbooks.bsky.social @gregorywolfe.bsky.social #yafiction #sff #scifi #youngadult #debut #booksky

Darren Cools @darrencools.bsky.social · last mo.

Next week I'll chat with the editor in chief of Ann Arbor Observer, Brooke Black, about my debut YA novel, Light in the Canyon. Come out to Book Love Bar in Yspi for a cozy upstairs conversation and a signed copy of my book! #booksky @slantbooks.bsky.social www.booklovebar.com/events/55463...

Author Event w/ Darren Cools | Book Love Bar

Ypsilanti, Michigan's Local Independent Bookstore

booklovebar.com

I’m on the radio! I had a lovely interview with April Baer on @michiganpublic.bsky.social's Stateside. My section starts at about the 12:30 mark: www.michiganpublic.org/stateside/20... Enjoy!

Stateside: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

For many in Michigan, the electric bill is an unaffordable expense. Today on Stateside, a reporter provided insight into the state's efforts to help, including details on a new approach — and who stan...

michiganpublic.org

Christy Matthes | Kidlit Writer @christymatthes.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Light in the Canyon comes out TOMORROW! Join @slantbooks.bsky.social and me for a live launch event, Tuesday at 8 p.m. eastern time! us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... #booksky #michiganauthors #yafiction #youngadult #childrensliterature #kidlit #sff #scifi

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Live Book Launch for "Light in the Canyon". After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

Join us for the live book launch event for Darren Cools's novel "Light in the Canyon," published by Slant Books.

us02web.zoom.us

One week away, and this young adult novel releases! My interview with Darren Cools posts on June 23. A profound debut novel with science fiction, magical realism, and fantasy woven throughout. Buckle up for a wild ride until the final stunning conclusion. @darrencools.bsky.social

Somebody publish Shemaiah’s review so we can all read it! 😋 (she’s not on Bluesky, but you can find her here: www.shemaiahgonzalez.com) I wouldn’t mind if you preordered the book, too. 😎 Order from your local bookstore! Online alternatives: darrencools.com #booksky @slantbooks.bsky.social

Did you know I have a Substack? Here’s my post from today: darrencools.substack.com/p/grey-friday #FridayReads

Grey Friday

The sun went away, but at least I’m almost done working

darrencools.substack.com

@ala-booklist.bsky.social reviewed Light in the Canyon!!! Full review in the June 2026 issue, mailed, and live online June 3. More about my book: slantbooks.org/books/light-... 😊📚💃 #booklist #booksky #michiganauthors #yafiction #youngadult #childrensliterature #kidlit #sff #scifi

Light in the Canyon - Slant Books

COMING SOON! This astonishing debut novel for young adults and readers of all ages—in the spirit of beloved writers like Madeleine L’Engle and Maile Meloy—is by turns chilling, tender, and profound. A...

slantbooks.org

“... this artful novel demonstrates the power of community and empathy as it moves across three decades to restore faith and heal wounded hearts. Contemplative storytelling for teens looking for something off the beaten path.” —Booklist 😍 @slantbooks.bsky.social #booksky #yafiction #kidlit #sff

Local to southeast Michigan, or feel like traveling? Come celebrate with me! All ages invited (teens especially) and the event is free! June 25, 6:30 p.m. @ Corner Brewery in #Ypsilanti. #booksky #yafiction #youngadultfiction #youngadult #childrensliterature #kidlit #sff #scifi #debutnovel

If you happen to be in the Ypsi/A2 area this weekend, join me for the YpsiWrites Anthology celebration at @ypsilibrary.org! There’ll be lots of wonderful people there and readings from local writers (including me!). www.ypsiwrites.com/events/launc...

Angelica's Anthology Launch Party Celebration Event — YpsiWrites

Join us for our inaugural YpsiWrites Writer in Residence of Ypsilanti celebration!

ypsiwrites.com

charli xkcd @ky.fyi · 4mo ago

Sometimes I pick the ARC of my book and just look at it. I’m dazed that many dozens of other people now also have ARCs... It’s hard to articulate how it feels to realize this powerful, life-shaping dream... Excited to see how it’s received. Hoping you love it, of course. #yafiction #sff #booksky

I wrote about why I quit my job, and how weird and tiring tech feels these days.

Do I belong in tech anymore?

On quitting, the spread of AI, and the loss of an ideal.

ky.fyi

Pre-orders are now available! Indie Bound: bookshop.org/p/books/ligh... Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/light-in-t... Amazon (physical formats will populate soon): www.amazon.com/Light-Canyon...

Light in the Canyon

Check out Light in the Canyon - <p>A year has passed since Halley's mom died, but she still feels like she's falling to pieces. Dad talks her into joining him at her uncle Gill's house for yet another...

bookshop.org

Philosophical and theological wonder? I treasure these words. Proud to have @bryanbliss.bsky.social, @slantbooks.bsky.social, and @gregorywolfe.bsky.social as my champions. Thank you. #youngadult #fiction #sff #yafiction #scifi #booksky #books #literature #literary #author #writer

😍 😍 😍

WOW. You want to talk about AI and the design industry? This: “We are attempting to build precision software with the most imprecise tool available: natural language.” www.linkedin.com/pulse/detach...

Detaching from Tomorrow

Like many of my design and engineering peers, I have been thinking about the future that looms before us, under the shadow of generative AI. Our creative tools are evolving, and design as an industry ...

linkedin.com