Congratulations to the writers shortlisted for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. All stellar books -- it will be very difficult to decide on a winner, but our jury is working hard and debating. Read them all before they decide on a winner. You have till June 2!

The Carol Shields Prize For Fiction@carolshieldsprize.bsky.social · 4mo ago

The 2026 Shields Prize Shortlist is Here! Hellions by Julia Elliott (Tin House), The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes (One World), Cannon by Lee Lai (Drawn & Quarterly), A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar (McClelland & Stewart; Knopf), and Lion by Sonya Walger (New York Review Books).

No two human reactions look the same, and none of them resemble the neat “adrenaline surge” we often see in fiction. Learn about the four major stress responses—fight, flight, freeze, fawn—to reveal your character’s emotional architecture. Insight from nurse and editor Sarah Brinley.

Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn: Use Stress Responses to Strengthen Your Scenes | Jane Friedman

Understanding stress responses as learned survival strategies can help you turn every high-stakes scene into character development on the page.

janefriedman.com

“…we don’t know if we’re brave until we first face genuine physical risk. We don’t know if we’re honest until telling the truth carries a consequence. We don’t know if we’re kind until our kindness is tested by cruelty.” David French, NYT www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/o...

Opinion | What Courage Does for Us

nytimes.com

writersunion.ca/short-prose-... Calling Canadian Writers to submit stories for the short prose competition of the Writers Union of Canada

“Not only is reality horrible, you also don’t know what the real story is.” Etfar Karet Israeli novelist quoted in Letter from Israel: Zones of Denial by David Remnick. The NewYorker July 31, 2025

Save public radio & PBS. If public media funding is clawed back, it would rip out vital services – early education, local journalism, emergency alerts. Call/email your reps b4 it’s too late. @MyPublicMedia: bit.ly/3YMxiXB #ProtectMyPublicMedia

Urge Congress: Save Public Media

Save your local stations. Email your Members of Congress now!

bit.ly

Congratulations to the five women/BIPOC writers from Canada and the United States whose books are shortlisted for the Carol Sheilds prize. Winning book to be announced on May 1 2025. Stay tuned! bsky.app/profile/caro...

The Carol Shields Prize For Fiction@carolshieldsprize.bsky.social · last yr.

The 2025 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction Shortlist: • Pale Shadows by Dominique Fortier, translated by Rhonda Mullins • All Fours by Miranda July • Code Noir by Canisia Lubrin • Liars by Sarah Manguso • River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/2025-shortlist

I remember reading this article in Aeon in 2018. It’s about escaping an echo-chamber. Found it. Consider it. aeon.co/essays/why-i...

Why it’s as hard to escape an echo chamber as it is to flee a cult | Aeon Essays

First you don’t hear other views. Then you can’t trust them. Your personal information network entraps you just like a cult

aeon.co

A language-oriented volunteer opportunity… www.goodnewsnetwork.org/volunteer-fo...

Volunteer for the National Archives to Translate Cursive Handwriting for Modern Newbies

To date, more than 4,000 Revolutionary War Pension Project volunteers have typed up the content of over 80,000 pages of pension files

goodnewsnetwork.org

Calling literary translators from South Asian languages to apply! www.armorysv.com/translation-...

Armory Square Prize for Literary Translation — Armory Square Ventures

armorysv.com

open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...

Hey, If You Can Kill 20 Million Native Americans, Enslave 12 Million Africans, and Let Biden Fund the Slaughter of 40,000 Women, Children and Elderly...

— Of Course You Can Install a Rapist/Felon/Fascist as your President! In the Meantime, Breathe, Take Care of Yourself, Read a Good Book.

open.substack.com