The Pelicot trial: Are we facing the banality of evil or seeing a man who chooses to be evil? We go deep and dark this week, into a discussion with journalists and philosophers about the existential issues raised by the Pelicot rape trial. But we also get to meet brilliant author Susan Choi.

This may be my most provocative and important Liminal column yet. This week we talk about the Pelicot rape trial and the existential questions it raises. I also meet Susan Choi, and review Mountains Sing, a beautiful Vietnamese novel. jennifersteil.substack.com/p/the-pelico...

Unspeaking by Elizabeth Cohen Unspeaking “The world’s continual breathing is what we hear and call silence.” ― Clarice Lispector I love how we send words away to rest having done enough work for now. Yours, the silence of…

I love this poem, Unspeaking, by Elizabeth Cohen (just read it this morning): oneartpoetry.com/2026/02/15/u...

Unspeaking by Elizabeth Cohen Unspeaking “The world’s continual breathing is what we hear and call silence.” ― Clarice Lispector I love how we send words away to rest having done enough work for now. Yours, the silence of…

I adore this poem by the incomparable @elizpoeta.bsky.social Unspeaking by Elizabeth Cohen oneartpoetry.com/2026/02/15/u...

My entire feed today is news from talented reporters and editors laid off by
@washingtonpost
I just want to say how devastated I am by this, how much I am thinking of those the paper abandoned, when it gave up any pretense at practicing journalism.

Jeff Bezos’s wealth has increased an average of $70 million every day of 2026, meaning that he could have offset The Post’s losses with what he’s made since Monday.

A Theory of Cultural Life That Is Under Attack The closure of the Kennedy Center imperils a core American belief: that democracy and the arts are deeply intertwined.

The impending closure of the Kennedy Center imperils a belief that has been central to its existence: that democracy and the arts are deeply intertwined, Lily Meyer argues:

All that pain whitewashes I thought this had been a terrible week, until I looked back at my journal. Turns out it was packed with sparkly things: a book deal, art, theater, music, friends, and life-changing advice.

It's been such a tough week I thought I would have nothing good to say about anything—but then I looked at my journals. open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...

The 2025 NAWE Conference Special Edition of Writing in Education is out now! Packed with expanded articles from presenters on using AI, embedding ethics in creative writing teaching, the use of poetry in the NHS, writing for wellbeing in the secondary classroom, & much more. Download bit.ly/3YUOeee

The Everyday Magic of Leaving the House I am often reluctant to leave the safety of our flat, but when I do, I am always rewarded. Also, book reviews, art, a reading, and a drain installation.

This week I meet a stained-glass poet, a professional thinker, a roomful of drain surgeons, roomsful of Picassos, visiting nurses, the other other Brontë sister, and friends. All in this week's Liminal. jennifersteil.substack.com/p/the-everyd...

So beautiful!

Lab rat outlives usefulness I'm thrown out of the trial and thrash about in the unknown while I wait to hear what is in store for me now.

Astonishingly, I'm still alive. You can read about the recent horrors and small happinesses here. Thank you. And I love all of you who care enough to keep reading! jennifersteil.substack.com/p/lab-rat-ou...

Texas School Bans Students from the Library Politicians, not parents, are deciding what children can read in the United States.

SB 13 is a bill that removes local control from public schools across Texas and gives politicians (not parents) the power to decide what books are or are not available to students.

action.everylibrary.org/texas_school...

The idiocy of restricting reading If books are as scary as the censors make them out to be, I'm going to dress as one for Halloween.

Please give this week's Liminal a read - we dig into the escalating book bans in the US, what they mean, and how you can help. Bizarrely, the title of the link is incorrect. The title is: What's Behind Americans' Fear of Books. jennifersteil.substack.com/p/the-idiocy...

The idiocy of restricting reading If books are as scary as the censors make them out to be, I'm going to dress as one for Halloween.

Please give this week's Liminal a read - we dig into the escalating book bans in the US, what they mean, and how you can help. Bizarrely, the title of the link is incorrect. The title is: What's Behind Americans' Fear of Books. jennifersteil.substack.com/p/the-idiocy...

PETITION: Protect the Center for Disease Control Library Staff at the CDC Library were laid off on October 10th and have not been brought back. Sign the petition to call for their return.

The CDC Library plays an important role in providing our public health professionals with access to the best information.

Without them, CDC employees will lose access to information and resources in an outbreak.

bit.ly/4qaDIMi via @everylibrary.bsky.social

Dress Rehearsal for a Wedding I’ll Never Attend

A thread: My friend and Columbia classmate @jfsteilauthor.bsky.social published this beautiful piece of writing in this weekend's New York Times. First I want you to go read it. And then... www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/s...

During COVID, authors who had books published in 2020 banded together to create the group Lockdown Lit. We did joint events & promoted one another's work. One member, @jfsteilauthor.bsky.social has had a Modern Love column published. It's heartbreakingly beautiful.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/s...

Dress Rehearsal for a Wedding I’ll Never Attend

My friend @jfsteilauthor.bsky.social has a piece in the Modern Love column of the New York Times!

I truly wish it was under better circumstances, but this is a huge accomplishment. 💞📰

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/s...

Dress Rehearsal for a Wedding I’ll Never Attend

It is one of the greatest honors of my writing life to have this piece in the Modern Love column of @nytimes.com this weekend. It's online now, in print this weekend! It would mean the world to me if you could give it a read, and perhaps share it! www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/s...

Border crossers, blood, and first scan results This week I learned how my body is reacting to the trial, as well as the history of immigration in France.

This week's Liminal column is out! Would love it if you gave it a read and shared it with your people. jennifersteil.substack.com/p/border-cro...

Why you should care about the gutting of the NEA Our national soul is in grave danger. Do you dare to speak up for it?

The National Endowment for the Arts was founded to benefit every single American. How well do you understand its impact on your life? Please checkout my latest Liminal, and I would be so happy if you were inclined to subscribe and or share! #NEA #arts jennifersteil.substack.com/p/why-you-sh...

How art operates as an oxygen mask Small museums, large lives, brutal crimes, disobedient feet, and the spaces between

This week's Liminal column takes a break from cancer to talk about art, and why I breathe it. Please give it a read and share with your friends! How art operates as an oxygen mask open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...

Author Jennifer Steil: Go Somewhere That Challenges Your Beliefs — Tanya Shaffer Jennifer Steil is a British-American writer currently living in France. She’s the author of the novel  Exile Music ,  which won Grand Prize in the Eyelands 2020 Book Award...

I'm delighted my interview on Off-Leash Arts with Tanya Shaffer is out now! It was a delight to talk with fellow Oberlin grad Tanya about writing, theater, kidnapping, etc. www.tanyashaffer.com/off-leash-ar... #writing #oberlin #books #travel #ExileMusic #ovariancancer #TheAmbassadorsWife #Yemen

Exile Music by Jennifer Steil

Once in awhile, I am delighted to stumble upon a review of one of my books I hadn't seen before. I just discovered this moving review of Exile Music: literaryhoarders.com/5-star-ratin... #exilemusic #literaryfiction #historicalfiction #Bolivia #Austria

Food Aid in Gaza Has Become a Horror In the scramble for sustenance, Palestinians are gunned down for no reason, with no excuse.

Food-distribution points in Gaza have practically become death traps, @ibishblog.bsky.social argues. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation may not have intended to create these conditions, but it now perpetuates them without correction and with full awareness.

Supreme Court Decision on LGBTQ Storybooks in Public Schools Lays Foundation for New Assault on Books Of All Kinds in Schools - PEN America The Supreme Court ruling today mandating “opt outs” for children whose parents object to LGBTQ+-relevant picture books in public schools deals a “deeply disappointing” blow to the right to read under ...

Every day, a new reason to be ashamed to be an American. Kids should have the opportunity to read whatever the hell they want. How else will their minds open? #reading #lgbtq #censorship pen.org/press-releas...

A Photo Gone Wrong in the Uffizi Fuels Selfie Worries in Europe’s Museums

"“It’s more about sharing, not necessarily the experience, but the fact that ‘I was there,’” she said." A Photo Gone Wrong in the Uffizi Fuels Selfie Worries in Europe’s Museums www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/w...