Omg this is the best message! Thank you and tell him I said hello! I had a blast!!!

Thank you 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Alt-text: Screenshot of two text messages with blue heart reactions. Transcribed Text: ms bond that “no me dejas” story is insane that was the best short story i’ve read all year

In AmLit we’re studying legacy and the way people who have immigrated to America engage with cultural heritage and memory. We read @markdoesstuff.bsky.social’s ‘No Me Dejas’ and my students, who’ve read a hundred different texts this year, were INVOLVED. Teach it! slate.com/technology/2...

These were the most popular books in Fort Worth in 2024 According to the Fort Worth Library system, you couldn’t get enough of these titles last year.

Popular books in the Fort Worth Public Library System in 2024. Thank you Forth Worth Library Patrons! We love seeing both The Chalice of the Gods and now in paperback the Nico and Will book The Sun and the Star by authors @markdoesstuff.bsky.social and @rickriordan.bsky.social

Cover of “Jasmine is Haunted” by Mark OSHIRO

My 1st @markdoesstuff.bsky.social of the year! They do such an amazing job of writing grief, and showing that it can be a long process. (I know I will probably be walking into the kitchen looking for Baby Kitty forever!) Also, it’s just a good, creepy story that highlights the strength of family!

Gen ai is poisoning our power grid, stealing intellectual property, using precious water, and ruining the internet with unreliable information and garbage imagery. Don't use it, and don't normalize it, even for laughs.

Utterly obsessed with it. So vulnerable and catchy and immense.

A photo of a book called Jasmine is Haunted on a grey blanket.

I just finished Jasmine is Haunted by @markdoesstuff.bsky.social and…my heart 😭😭, it’s a beauuutiful middle grades book.

Thank you!!!! 🥹🥹🥹🥹

Publicity graphic reads "Join Amal El-Mohtar on Tour" above side-by-side images of my headshot and my forthcoming book The River Has Roots. On the left, a photo of me with my dark hair in an updo, wearing red lipstick, long red-and-blue earrings, and a red velvet jacket over a dark blue dress with white flowers while looking to the right of the camera. On the right is the book cover of The River Has Roots, featuring colourful dahlias emerging from a stylized line zigzagging curvily from the top left to the bottom right of the cover.

US friends, I'm very excited to announce that @tordotcom.bsky.social is sending me on tour for THE RIVER HAS ROOTS next year!

Confirmed so far are stops in NYC, Portland ME, Chapel Hill, Cincinatti, & St. Louis, & you can book your tickets now!

us.macmillan.com/tours/amal-e...

FWIW: I genuinely & firmly believe that Palestine is one of very few instances where Posting About It actually makes a material difference (because of Palestine Exception bullshit, ironclad media silencing of Palestinian voices, & the COST of speaking up), so if you haven't? Maybe consider it?

Two more days until my San Francisco event and final event of 2024!!! Come hang, friends! 👻

An Open Letter to Our Publishers from Authors Against Book Bans With the election of the Trump administration and its policies as embodied in Project 2025, we authors have deep concerns about how our publishers will be operating and how publishers will advocate for and protect authors. Trump's agenda explicitly calls for the criminalization of authors, teachers, librarians, and publishing professionals with consequences including, "imprison[ment)," and being "classed as registered offenders" (Pg 4, Project 2025). For authors who are not citizens, this could also result in deportation. This promises to be a pro-censorship, pro-book-banning administration, and the successful implementation of its policies will require willing compliance of America's institutions, including its corporations. The freedom to write is as important as the freedom to read. We have been heartened by many publishers' willingness to engage in legal and legislative pathways to fight book banning, and want to be sure that you will double-down on your fight during this consequential time. This past week, AABB held open forums with authors from all genres and age levels to better understand author concerns and needs. While this may not be a complete list due to the rapid turnaround, we know we have a short time before January to prepare for what is to come, and we want to start this conversation sooner rather than later

As authors, we need you to: Continue to acquire and promote books by LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC voices. We a concerned that these voices under particular attack will be silenced or discouraged, directly and/or indirectly. . Be unequivocal in your support of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors. We need to know that no author will be asked to "tone down" or erase elements in their books to please potential censors or to avoid being targeted by unjust laws in certain states. Authors need to know that we can continue to speak our truths in our works and remarks. . Guarantee the safety and confidentiality of all personal information that exists in your portals, or that has been shared for book promotion. We need publishers refuse to provide lists of: Authors or staff they know to be immigrants, Muslims, individuals with backgrounds from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Gaza et al (targeted under Trump's promise to expand the "Muslim ban") - All books by queer or trans authors, or that include queer or trans characters or content Authors and their citizenship, birthplace, and/or other personal information Books that reference diversity, equity, inclusion, sexual orientation, gender identity, racism, privilege, or "critical race theory" etc as defined or listed on page 4 of Project 2025

Refuse to provide "ratings" of books that goes beyond the current industry standard categorization of books by age group. . Resist requests for authors to sign contractual language for appearances that impinges upon our free speech in ways including but not limited to: written or spoken language, personal expenditures, personal advocacy. Provide security in states or locations . where an author may be under threat or has received threats. If an author is arrested for discussing their book in a public space, we need you to promise to provide legal aid. We need clear industry standards regarding author security and direct contact information for security and legal needs. . Stand against the blanket weaponization of "pornography," "obscenity," "triggering," and "inappropriate" as they have been used in widespread book bans to target anything with queer content, sex, or references to racism, bigotry, misogyny, abortion, etc. Project 2025 states that people who produce or distribute anything deemed "pornographic" should be jailed, though it does not define pornographic, nor does it seem to adhere to the SCOTUS standard of pornography

Ensure the freedom of every author to use the terms targeted on pages 4-5 of Project 2025 (which include but are not limited to: sexual orientation and gender identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender awareness, gender-sensitive, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, etc) freely in their works. We need to know you will continue to send LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC authors to schools, libraries, and festivals funded in whole or in part by federal grants. . Provide training on author safety and emergency contacts for situations when an author feels unsafe. . Be more aggressive and more public in fighting book bans and censorship at local, state, and the national level. We approach all these needs with the assumption of your support, and we will be vigilant to make sure that any divergence on these crucial points will be noted and protested. It's imperative that publishers, like authors, do not obey in advance. We must be aligned against policies that promote censorship, book bans, and the criminalization of storytelling. We look forward to working together with you and with all the other organizations fighting for our fundamental freedoms to read and to write. Sincerely, Authors Against Book Bans

this is an open letter to publishers from @authorsabb.bsky.social. it should give you an idea of what authors are currently up against in the united states, especially those who are making books that contain marginalized characters (even and especially if those "characters" are ourselves).

WHAT IF

Hi, one of the best things I’ve read all year. 👽

It's almost like the IDF has a pattern of testing the waters on horrific actions, brushing them aside successfully on the world stage by promising an investigation, and then continuing to do the exact same horrific actions they pretended to investigate

It's almost like this is super predictable!

Heart shattering to learn an Israeli drone has targeted and assassinated Mahmoud Almadhoun, one of the founders and chefs behind the Gaza Soup Kitchen.

What started as four pots and essential ingredients in Bait Lahia had grown into a remarkable effort to feed 3,000 people daily.

A copy of my book, PAYAL MEHTA’S ROMANCE REVENGE PLOT next to a cup of chai.

There’s an Amazon picket line, so don’t cross it. Buy books from Libro.fm or bookshop.org instead and support your local indies!!

(Maybe even try out an enemies to lovers rom com written by yours truly idk idk)

Donate to Help Yara and her family survive in Gaza, organized by Carole Gautier Hi, my name is Ranko and I am an artist from France. I am collecting donat… Carole Gautier needs your support for Help Yara and her family survive in Gaza

Yara is raising money for her family's survival in Gaza. Please give if you can. www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-...

Do what @shariwrites.bsky.social says ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

YES. I’ve been obsessed with her album since a friend introduced me to it. ✌🏽

Omg yay!! That’s the one with the yellowed pages, yes?

A promotional image with Mark’s headshot on the left and the cover of Jasmine is Haunted on the right. The text reads: Books Inc Presents Mark Oshiro Wednesday, December 4th 6pm Books Inc. in the Marina

Hello, BlueSky. I’m coming to San Francisco! Hang with me at the Marina location of Books Inc on December 4 at 6pm to talk JASMINE IS HAUNTED!
Free RSVP: booksinc.net/event/2024-1...

Ahhhhh, JASMINE IS HAUNTED is on this list!!! 😭😭😭😭😭 Thann you!!!

It’s in various locations surrounding the Capitol building today and tomorrow! All my panels are tomorrow tho 🫡

A selfie of Mark. They are smiling and wearing a light brown beanie, a purple shirt, a multi-colored maroon keffiyeh, and their nails are painted sparkly blue.

There’s a lot more of you here than there were before. Hello from Austin on the eve of the Texas Book Festival!

This may be helpful for you new followers. You can block every single person on these lists. Just click on the subscribe button and it will give you the option to block every one on it. Here’s the first: bsky.app/profile/did:...

I still think about that joke every time I see the word hors d’oeuvres. 🫡

PREETI NO