My new piece is up at @wsj.com! It's about Eva Ibbotson's SECRET OF PLATFORM 13, a quirky 90s kid's book that clearly inspired Harry Potter. It's for the WSJ's new "Lost Treasures" series about older children's books that deserve a fresh look. Gift link: www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

"James and the Giant Peach by way of The Muppet Movie, with the adventurous high spirits and the meta-framing of The Princess Bride and the lush weirdness of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away." It's the cover of @iamjameskennedy.bsky.social's latest. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/10/09/i...

It's Time to Behold! the Legend of Frogboy with a Cover Reveal and Q&A with the Genius That Is James Kennedy!!! - A Fuse #8 Production

"James and the Giant Peach by way of The Muppet Movie, with the adventurous high spirits and the meta-framing of The Princess Bride and the lush weirdness of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away." If that s...

afuse8production.slj.com

"One of the most versatile, imaginative and prolific writers of his generation." Yeah, I said it. I wrote about Chicago writer (and recent Pulitzer winner) Daniel Kraus for the @wsj.com, unlocked article here: www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

Congratulations to old friend @danielkraus.com, who just won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his masterful, headlong, swing-for-the-fences WWI novel-in-one-sentence ANGEL DOWN! Here we are hanging out in the old days - 2009!!

Thanks to the 270+ people who came to Sunday's Chicago screening of The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival! It was a glorious, exuberant time! Thanks to all the filmmakers and the audience who cheered them on. Full recap on my blog: jameskennedy.com/2026/04/15/t...

Matt Bird and @jonathanauxier.bsky.social had me on their podcast @agoodstorywelltold.bsky.social to discuss my “guilty treasure”—a book or movie that was a commercial or critical flop (or both!) that I liked anyway. I chose Ari Aster's BEAU IS AFRAID! Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g...

Guilty Treasures: Beau is Afraid, with James Kennedy

Podcast Episode · A Good Story Well Told · February 26 · 1h 13m

podcasts.apple.com

"Nietzsche said God is dead, but skimped on details of how we'd deal with the corpse." I wrote a review for @wsj.com of Van Jensen's sci-fi novel GODFALL. It's supposed to be about a 3-mile-long humanoid alien plopping down on Earth, but it's more like a small-town procedural: tinyurl.com/godfallwsj

‘Godfall’ Review: On Earth as He Was in Heaven

When an enormous being pummels from space, a small Nebraska town gets raided by scientists and cultists alike.

wsj.com

🎙️ New Writer’s Chair episode! I chat with James Kennedy ( @iamjameskennedy.bsky.social ), author of Bride of the Tornado, about surreal horror, small-town cults, and why horror should always break the rules. 🎧 pod.link/1829723468 📺 youtu.be/LONKqnqJL9Y

I loved doing this interview with @danielwillcocks.bsky.social !

Devil's Rock Books@devilsrockbooks.bsky.social · 11mo ago

🎙️ New Writer’s Chair episode! I chat with James Kennedy ( @iamjameskennedy.bsky.social ), author of Bride of the Tornado, about surreal horror, small-town cults, and why horror should always break the rules. 🎧 pod.link/1829723468 📺 youtu.be/LONKqnqJL9Y

Thrilled to be back in kidlit! My middle-grade BEHOLD! THE LEGEND OF FROGBOY, AND YOU SHALL READ IT comes out in 2027 on Norton Young Readers (+ another in 2028). Thanks to my great agent @johnmcusick.bsky.social at Folio Literary for making another dream come true. ODD-FISH fans will love this one!

My latest book review for the @wsj.com is of Dan Chaon's carnival-freak literary horror ONE OF US. I liked it, but I also have stuff to say! "A compelling, blood-curdling, often funny delight." Unlocked link: www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

I wrote another book review for @wsj.com! This one is about @jaysongreene.bsky.social's UNWORLD, a satisfyingly weird and emotionally resonant novel about AI. "Less I, ROBOT and more ORDINARY PEOPLE . . . humane and refreshingly idiosyncratic." Read it here: www.wsj.com/arts-culture...

‘UnWorld’ Review: Your AI Wants a Divorce

Jayson Greene imagines a world where digital clones of ourselves take on unwanted tasks—until they decide to go off on their own.

wsj.com

I have an article in the weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal in which I chose 5 books that aren't horror books, but are scary nonetheless! (But the truly scary thing is my uncanny-valley author illustration.) Link: archive.fo/CfMy2

Last Friday we did the 90-Second Newbery Film Fest at Tacoma's Grant Center for the Expressive Arts! Great kid-made movies based on Newbery-winning books, including Dave Eggers' "The Eyes and the Impossible" done in the style of "Bohemian Rhapsody"! Recap: jameskennedy.com/2025/06/04/t...

Lucy's art! "The Dwellers lived on animals long after we left the Earth poisoned... they found a way to harness the animals' souls in their decaying bodies, at least until their flesh and bones decompose. The Dwellers live in the bones of their hosts until then."

I enjoyed my interview on @whostherepc.bsky.social! I talk of my love of the demented trailer for Stephen King's MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE, ruining a double date with Cronenberg's DEAD RINGERS, what tech companies have in common with Charles Manson, & more. Listen here: whostherepodcast.com/podcast/ep-2...

Congratulations Rita Williams-Garcia on a terrific graphic novel adaptation of your Newbery Honor winner ONE CRAZY SUMMER. One of my favorite Newbery books! Rita is a generous gem of a friend and an amazing co-host for the 90-Second Newbery film festival. Get this new graphic novel now!

Had a blast last night at @storystudiochicago.bsky.social's Storyball, whooping it up with @anandalima.bsky.social, @mxfaylitahicks.bsky.social, @fulmerford.com, @kathleenmrooney.bsky.social, @rebeccamakkai.bsky.social, and more ... and won a fancy copy of THE WIZARD OF OZ in the costume contest!

Saturday we did the San Antonio show of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at the Tobin Center! An audience of 100s of young filmmakers & friends & family WHOOPED IT UP! Our biggest show every year, thanks to Bibliotech and HEB Read 3. And thx to my cohost Claudia Villarreal!

After a 6-year hiatus, the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival returned to Minneapolis on Saturday! Thanks to @jacquelinewest.bsky.social for being a tremendous co-host, and to all the talented young film filmmakers. Here's to next year!

A decade ago, 9-yr-old Eian-Gabriel Sinclair made his 1st movie for my 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. He's made a movie for us every year since, & just *graduated* college at age 18! Here's an interview with Eian, plus all his stop-motion movies here: jameskennedy.com/2025/04/18/e...

BOSTON! I'm doing a FREE screening of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival tomorrow (Saturday) at the @bpl.boston.gov. Kids make short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books! I'm co-hosting it with author @rebeccawriting.bsky.social. Tix: www.ticketleap.events/tickets/90se...

90-Second Newbery Film Festival 2025 - BOSTON SCREENING

The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival is an annual video contest in which young readers create short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery award-winning books. Creative takes are encouraged: th...

ticketleap.events

Floored when horror author @danielwillcocks.bsky.social included BRIDE OF THE TORNADO in his Top 10 Horror Novels of 2024. Now I'm on his podcast "The Other Stories" talking Ray Bradbury, my greatest fear, Twin Peaks, "that scene" in Stephen King's IT, & more. Listen: www.podbean.com/media/share/...

Big crowd at @eastmanmuseum.bsky.social for the Rochester showing of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, hosted by me and @brucecoville.bsky.social! Kids made great movies: a stop-motion TALE OF DESPEREAUX, a claymation LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY, and more! Recap: jameskennedy.com/2025/04/07/t...

Hey Rochester, New York! Join the 430+ folks who have made their FREE reservations for this Saturday's screening of the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at the @eastmanmuseum.bsky.social at 2pm! Hosted by me and legendary author @brucecoville.bsky.social. Tix: www.ticketleap.events/tickets/90se...

I guess my Ricken theories have to wait another 3 years

ICYMI, I reviewed MALORT: THE REDEMPTION OF A REVERED AND REVILED SPIRIT by @joshnoel.bsky.social for the Wall Street Journal! "This quirky, enlightening, unexpectedly poignant book isn't only for aficionados of the offbeat Chicago liquor, but fans of stubborn underdogs everywhere." archive.fo/Yng1d

i'll be the death of her! (at indiana comic con)

chicago writers 🤝 reading each other's books! this is the way! congrats again on the malört book, it's a pleasure to write an honest rave. see you around town!

Josh Noel@joshnoel.bsky.social · 2y ago

Thanks so much for that. Funny enough someone recommended The Order of Odd-Fish so I bought it several months back for my son to read! It’s still on the to-do list for him but we’ll get there. I hadn’t made the connection but love the full circleness here. Thank you again!

I wrote a rave review for the Wall Street Journal about @joshnoel.bsky.social's book about Malört! (For out-of-towners, Malört a notoriously nasty liquor, mostly imbibed only in Chicago, that we take a perverse civic pride in.) I loved it! Read: archive.fo/Yng1d