1622 Okes-print of Othello, p. 19. Note use of dashes. Page 19 of an early printed edition of Shakespeare's "The Moore of Venice" (Othello), showing a dialogue between Iago (Iag.) and Roderigo (Rod.). The text includes Iago's repeated urging to "put money in thy purse" and his declaration "I hate the Moore." The typeface is early modern English blackletter mixed with roman type, with italic used for character names and proper nouns like Desdemona, Barbarian, and Venetian. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dash#/media/File:P15878coll17_5783_large.jpg

I Love the Em Dash—Too Bad If AI Does Too

I won’t abandon the controversial punctuation mark just to prove I’m human

by Mihika Agarwal (from the archives)

thewalrus.ca/i-love-the-e...

#books #punctuation #typography

Mercenary Librarians ebooks are on sale RN. Read a trilogy about people actually trying to put the world back together post-apocalypse!

I do think tech companies are underestimating the amount of
- new account fatigue
- new app fatigue
- useless upgrade fatigue
- terms of service fatigue

A Publishers Marketplace deal report reads: A MANOR BEYOND THE MIST By Beth Cato Fiction: Sci-Fi/Fantasy April 20, 2026 Beth Cato's A MANOR BEYOND THE MIST, pitched as weaving Arthurian lore and fae myth, in which an American photographer is lured to a remote estate in 1935 England where she realizes she shares a terrible tragedy with her fellow guests and that their hosts are not entirely human, to Marilyn Brigham at 47North, in an exclusive submission, by Rebecca Strauss at DeFiore and Company (world).

Good news!

Thirteen U.S. troops died trying to get these people to safety — Afghan interpreters, soldiers, and the families of our service members. Veterans spent sleepless nights during the chaotic withdrawal fighting to keep them alive. Now our own government is going to abandon them.

Toe socks are cute and keep me from developing blisters when I walk a lot. Toe shoes are also great!

Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a criminal investigation by the Justice Department The Southern Poverty Law Center says it’s the subject of a Justice Department criminal investigation and faces possible charges over its use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.

BREAKING: The Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces investigation by Justice Department over past use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.

Archaeologists Find Iliad “Catalog of Ships” Papyrus Inside Egyptian Mummy - Arkeonews Archaeologists in Egypt’s Oxyrhynchus have discovered a Roman-era tomb containing mummies with golden tongues and a rare papyrus

A mummy containing a rare papyrus fragment which included text from Book II of Homer’s Iliad, the famous “Catalog of Ships” which lists the Greek forces that sailed to Troy #classicalreception
arkeonews.net/archaeologis...

As someone who often needs to sit and rest when out in public, I say "HEAR, HEAR!"

Gov. Pritzker bans state workers from using insider information on prediction market apps like Kalshi

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed an executive order barring state employees from using insider information to bet on prediction market apps, joining six other states that have moved to either restrict or regulate the burgeoning betting field.

Our friend @princejvstin.com sends a warning--

? @skywatch.blue has seen Paul's enthusiasm for so many friends being nominated for a Hugo? And has slapped a Hiding Label on all his posts, saying Engagement Abuse/Hacking.

It says 3 more days. So, unless it was a setup, careful on Hugo shares!

To anyone going to the @laworldcon.bsky.social -

1. Zankou Chicken is great
2. The top of Runyon Canyon (near Mulholland) is the best view in LA
3. The Huntington Library/Gardens is worth the trip
4. Check out some Frank Lloyd Wright homes

This would be horrific no matter what it was referring to. But "cleaning up the risk pool" by eliminating vaccines just means you kill a bunch of people WHILE ALSO creating a whole new "risk pool" of people with post-viral issues.

This essay felt, to me, like the most illuminating thing I'd seen on the accusations against Gaiman. I highly recommend reading it, though it is the length of a small book.

Likely interest for @hugobookclub.bsky.social since you cover labor issues. There'll probably be VOD if you can't watch live.

@aaup.org This event is happening TONIGHT at 8 p.m. EDT; please join us for this wide-ranging discussion with professors and union activists as we chat about labor rights in higher education, and please spread the word! Livestream links: www.twitch.tv/arvaneleron, www.youtube.com/@ArvanEleron.

My thesis was a novel-in-stories (who could've guessed) about a city where violence reshaped reality into literal monsters and ghosts. So we cannot say I am anything but consistent in my themes.

And WHILE I'M SQUAWKING

"THE ROAD TO THE SPEAR," an episode of Amazon/Sony's THE WHEEL OF TIME, LANDED ON THE HUGO BALLOT FOR BEST DRAMATIC PRESENTATION, SHORT FORM.

We're looking to expand our crew. If you're interested in being a periodic guest or a co-host, contributing to our blog, or even helping us with managing the show (social media, etc.), please get in touch.

More details right here: skiffyandfanty.com/b...

Help us grow more tentacles!

I don't have it to hand but I am reminded of a line in C.S. Lewis' Abolition of Man where he comments that he is aware that he doesn't like young children but considers that a personality defect of the sort everyone has and ought to work to overcome.

He hardly treats it as normal for men!

Huh, I have listened to several history podcasts that covered the Russo-Japanese war over at least one or two episodes, and none of them mentioned disease iirc. Too focused on Japanese tech ascendancy and the long/incompetent Russian supply chain.l, etc., I guess.

virginians, if you planned to vote in today’s election & have not already: don’t forget we have same day, in person registration AND if you’re 17 but will turn 18 before nov 3, you can register and vote today.
(post from the charlottesville office of voter registration & elections)

Across five prose fiction categories, there are 30 different authors shortlisted.

That means no author was shortlisted more than once for a novel, short story, novelette, novella, or series.

Awesome to note there are 10 authors who appear on the ballot in those five categories for the first time.

Also, shout out to @scalzi.com, who created lots of change decades ago (HUGO PACKET) to allow a poor woman from the rural U.S. South to participate fairly in the awards, which led to me having the idea for the spreadsheet at all. It wouldn't exist without him, and the contributions of every fan.

This nomination belongs to all of us, y'all. 🥰

This was such a fun chat. @sashasienna.bsky.social brought some terrific insights and left me with lots to think about.

"We need to codify in law that we are completely unable to control our sexual urges and that the responsibility for maintaining our functionality is on women, because we cannot master ourselves.
We'll call it the, "She Had It Coming," law."

Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces DOJ probe over paid informants The civil rights group is being investigated over how it has sought to infiltrate extremist groups, its CEO says, adding that it “will not be intimidated.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization founded to promote racial justice in the South, said it is facing a Justice Department investigation including possible criminal charges over its past use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups.

At this point experts are all but 100% sure the “Spanish” Flu originated in North America and had already gone through several mutations before US soldiers brought an especially vicious strain with them to Europe.

This is in re: Hegseth dropping the military’s flu vaccine requirement, by the way.

Ah yes, we should definitely add influenza outbreaks to risks associated with military deployments, where service members live in cramped crowded quarters for extended periods of time. That won't affect our military's readiness and morale.