Wow. Noelle Cook is the real deal. She has spent years studying how women fall into conspiracy and fringe ideologies. I’d say a good portion of my sources for Damned If She Does ran the other way, turned off by some churches’ association with such ideologies. What attracts some, repels others.

I was thrilled to give background to @margauxmaccoll.bsky.social from @vanityfair.com on the loonnng history of trad influencers who came before today's *teen* tradwives. Many don't even know the roots of what they are cosplaying. www.vanityfair.com/story/teen-t...

Teenagers Are Buying Into the Tradwife Fantasy, Literally and Figuratively

A cohort of young, married influencers have gone viral presenting their domestic life—cooking, cleaning, fighting anyone who warns them to stash money away from their husband—as a balm to generational...

vanityfair.com

I think a lot about the right way to cover someone with extreme views, and it's not just giving them a mic. In contrast, @kieraevebutler.bsky.social did an excellent job showing how people get drawn into Wilson's world and acknowledging some of the consequences. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Pete Hegseth dreams of holy war. Meet his spiritual adviser.

Doug Wilson preaches iron discipline and male dominance. One of his disciples runs the Pentagon.

motherjones.com

@saramoslener.bsky.social's book VIRGIN NATION is on my reference shelf and often my desk. It's the sort of book I just keep finding myself going back to again and again. It means so much to be considered a "must read" by someone to whom I so often find I "must footnote."

❤️❤️❤️

Aprilcots@aprilcots.bsky.social · 2w ago

My review for Damned If She Does is up. I tore through this book this morning and am feeling very seen and a bit raw. Exmormon women and anyone else who has left their faith, if you want to feel less gaslit and alone, read this book. It’s what we’ve been waiting for. @sarahstankorb.bsky.social

This endorsement from Samuel Perry means a lot to me, not only because I know him as a serious scholar, but also because I know he is a person of faith—and it is so good to see someone with both lenses be outraged *and* inspired by these stories. DAMNED IF SHE DOES is out 9/15/26!

Such a wrenching story. People built lives caring for our families, becoming family. "I lost not only a lady working for me," the 87-year-old Holocaust survivor says, her voice broken by sobs, "I lost a friend." apnews.com/article/immi...

I worked for New York’s largest medical center at the start of the pandemic. There were morgue trucks on the streets. They set up emergency medical tents in Central Park. Healthcare worker colleagues died. It is horrific that RFK Jr is on national TV lying that ICUs were empty.

"Since at least the time of the Moral Majority, conservative Christians have been trying to claim and shape the American church’s brand. Now, to a lot of Americans, they do represent the church—and that brand is politically toxic." sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/gen-z-goin...

Gen Z, going no-contact with the church over Trump?

They aren't the only ones

sarahstankorb.substack.com

This is a personal one, about the period during which I started questioning my faith. #deconstruction sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/alone-on-t...

Alone, on the floor, praying

I was 18 years old, sprawled on my dorm room floor one Saturday night, praying.

sarahstankorb.substack.com

This endorsement is so meaningful to me. If you know Bradley Onishi you know he is one of the leading voices warning against those who want to reshape our country with an authoritarian form of religion (that little resembles the faith many still hold dear).

Stories like these are ever-present. But this week, in a matter of a few hours, these three popped up with important similarities... and all show an awful reality: that our institutions often do not help survivors, and instead, make healing more difficult. sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/why-didnt-...

Why didn’t you come forward?

A lesson in survivors’ hell, in three vignettes

sarahstankorb.substack.com

Stories like these are ever-present. But this week, in a matter of a few hours, these three popped up with important similarities... and all show an awful reality: that our institutions often do not help survivors, and instead, make healing more difficult. sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/why-didnt-...

Why didn’t you come forward?

A lesson in survivors’ hell, in three vignettes

sarahstankorb.substack.com

One of the beautiful things about being a writer is the connections we make between our words, to other writers. I am so grateful that @tialevingswriter's voice is in this world, that she speaks and writes so clearly about what she survived. I am moved that she was willing to endorse DAMNED IF SHE D

I keep joking that these books are sisters. Kobes Du Mez's is the one who stayed; mine is the slightly witchy one who left. I think we need to somehow read both to get a full picture... though simultaneous reading might get a little confusing!

ChaosTex@bjeanius.bsky.social · last mo.

Du Mez AND Stankorb’s books coming out the same day?! Y’all, I’m good, but I don’t think I can read two books at once. But I can certainly try. 🤪

More of the review will be out in August, but this early love from Booklist (published by the American Library Association) is so heartening! 🩷 If you want to help support Damned If She Does, please request that your local library order it!

Imagine if your neighbor's home were on fire and you threatened to call them with your dry cleaning bill because of the smoke...

Aaron Parnas@aaronparnas.bsky.social · last mo.

www.axios.com/2026/07/17/c...

Yesterday, WIRED learned that Madison Square Garden was suing us for our accurate reporting. We stand by our work. That’s why we’re removing the paywall from two of the MSG stories they don’t want you to read, making them free for everyone.

The recent call for conservative (usually white) Christians to “have more babies than you can afford” is nothing new. This call is rooted in religious and racial anxiety… and does not care a fig about the reality of poverty for families of any size. sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/have-more-...

“Have more children than you can afford”

A vow of poverty and pronatalism all in one!

sarahstankorb.substack.com

Wow. The ICE shooter in Maine asked his ex-wife to "to lie for him and to cover for his character." She said he was abusive and had previously reported concerns about him to his military superiors. He was also a volunteer firefighter, but was removed after several spats with department leadership.

ICE agent who killed man in Biddeford identified as former Maine law enforcement officer

An ex-wife told the Press Herald that David Brouillette called her and admitted he was the ICE agent who shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero.

pressherald.com

Ossoff: "Here's what's going to happen tonight: the world's most famous sore loser will deliver a prime-time presidential sour grapes address to pursue his 6-year-old grievances about the 2020 election, while his war in the Middle East spirals out of control & the cost of living continues to rise.."

Woah! I just learned there is a giveaway. Go ahead and see if you win a copy! #booksky

LibraryThing@librarything.com · last mo.

"In this landmark account of American women leaving the church, award-winning journalist Sarah Stankorb... asks why they leave—and where they land." Win a copy of @sarahstankorb.bsky.social's "Damned If She Does" from @broadleafbooks.bsky.social #💙📚 #Booksky www.librarything.com/ner/detail/5...

Today, Mary Pride has in many ways been displaced by influencers with a natively digital footprint, who sell to their audiences a lifestyle similar to the one Pride imagined, now supported by the churn of modern algorithms. sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/who-is-mar...

Architect for the trads

Who is Mary Pride?

sarahstankorb.substack.com

Yep, Wilson was on NPR. He defended his propriety of rape comments. "If you know or read the stories of women from the very environment he has constructed, you will see that abuse happens there too... Wilson gets to pontificate; the women wear the scars." sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/it-is-not-...

It is not Doug Wilson’s world, and we don’t have to live like it is

Douglas Wilson’s NPR Whistlestop

sarahstankorb.substack.com

This is such a great interview, and read the comments, too, to see how the book resonate with so many people. DAMNED IF SHE DOES releases Sept 15. Preorder now and get a special candle! 🕯️

Sarah Stankorb@sarahstankorb.bsky.social · last mo.

As ever, @kkdumez.bsky.social is generous with her time, care and reach. Check out our Q&A about my forthcoming book, Damned If She Does (with a link to a fun preorder bonus). substack.com/home/post/p-...

As ever, @kkdumez.bsky.social is generous with her time, care and reach. Check out our Q&A about my forthcoming book, Damned If She Does (with a link to a fun preorder bonus). substack.com/home/post/p-...

Damned If She Does

On loving and then leaving the church

substack.com

I am so excited to announce that I am partnering with one of my favorite indie bookstores on the planet, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, to offer a preorder bonus for the first 100 of you. Get this gift box for yourself... or your best (damned) friend. josephbeth.com/product/pre-...

Like many of you, I am sad and shaken. The world lost a fierce advocate, a voice for children. Many lost a friend. sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/rememberin...

Remembering Ryan

If you are having thoughts of suicide, please skip this post and text or call 988 immediately.

sarahstankorb.substack.com

So, there's a book being published by Canon Press (Doug Wilson's publishing house) by a Southern Baptist pastor. (Yet another SBC/Wilson crossover.) It's called Loser Theology, guess who it considers a "winner"... sarahstankorb.substack.com/p/jesus-the-...

Jesus, the biggest loser?

A pastor’s new book seems to imply just that

sarahstankorb.substack.com

Barnes & Noble is running its annual preorder sale! There are a STACK of excellent books coming out this Sept. Save as you stock your TBR pile! Premium & Rewards Members save 25% off with code: PREORDER26 until June 26th. (Rewards membership is free.) www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damned-if-...