Just sat down on my cushy mattress and literally went OH my god, oh my god it's so soft

Anyway a week later but I'm home from #sirens26!

#Sirens26 was absolutely incredible but I feel the same way I did after running a half marathon

So wonderful to be with folx at #Sirens26. Faculty brought #justice and #resilience into all the talks... Including @dianapho.bsky.social 's keynote on editing.

As always, really enjoying #Sirens26. The world is bleak as fuck, but at least there're nerds who love books so much they come together and talk about it

A photo of Diana M. Pho presenting at #Sirens26

@dianapho.bsky.social on developing a critical reading mindset: "Learn to read both within and outside yourself. Even as I'm sitting in discomfort, what does the text say? If I'm feeling great joy, why am I joyous? If I'm confused, what don't I fully understand? #Sirens26

A photo of Diana M. Pho presenting at #Sirens26

Give into moments of wonder and awe. -- @dianapho.bsky.social giving advice on becoming a great editor, but it sure seems like pretty good life advice for us all! #Sirens26

A photo of people making friendship bracelets

A photo of a friendship bracelet tied on someone's wrist

Morning Joy! Tell us, when is the last time you made a friendship bracelet? Or picked up any hobby -- new or old -- just for the potential joy of it? #Sirens26

A photo of Dr. Micaiah Johnson presenting at #Sirens26

Dr. @micaiahjohnson.bsky.social on the history of creating Black female automatons: "They weren't. The Black male body is tied to labor. The white female body is tied to consumable femininity. Black women fall short of that feminine ideal and their labor is invisible. #Sirens26

A photo of Dr Micaiah Johnson presenting at #Sirens26

[Society has] a psychic need for this inhuman other, and it will be filled at all costs. -- Dr. @micaiahjohnson.bsky.social on race and robots at #Sirens26

60 Conventions this weekend in 🇧🇷 🇵🇱 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇨🇦 🇩🇪 🇮🇪 🛳️ 🇳🇿 🇭🇺 🇮🇳 🇪🇸 🇳🇱 🇲🇽 🇹🇭

What will you be attending? #FST2026 #Gdakon2026 #Sirens26 #GaryCon #MCC26 #MEGACONOrlando #COAF2026 #EvilleCon2026 #Furnal2026 #gamescomLAN #KaizokuCon #MidSouthCon41 #TorontoComicon #CHCHGEDDON #LaConve65 (1/5) ~ LM

A photo of Dr. Layla Azmi Goushey presenting at #Sirens26

@laylaazmigoushey.bsky.social defines "slipstream" as "the bending of reality, surrealism, high strangeness, the reinterpreting, utopia, dystopia -- things that make us think about what we know, but think about it differently." #Sirens26

A photo of Dr. Layla Azmi Goushey presenting at #Sirens26

Globally, there are different speculative fictions happening for different reasons. They are less about fantasy, more about cultural ideation [and where it's going in the future]. -- @laylaazmigoushey.bsky.social at #Sirens26

A photo of Jewelle Gomez speaking at #Sirens26

In order to change the world, one must first change one's dreams. -- Jewelle Gomez at #Sirens26

A photo of the #Sirens26 bookstore, strung in lights

As we reimagined what Sirens could be, we dreamed a place of respite and community, of learning and growth, of transformative magic. --Amy Tenbrink, Conference Chair, kicking off #Sirens26

Going to be at #Sirens26 this week. Come say hi if you'll be there too and want to chat!

#Sirens26 is just a few days away! If you're going to be there, let me know! I'd love to say hi / chat / throw a bagel at you (but only consensual bagel throwing, natch).

I'll be offering a #solarpunk workshop at #Sirens26 on the Friday. Looking forward to being among diverse, progressive #SpecLit community. Join us in New Haven? (CT/US)

#reading #hope #justice #joy

#SFF #WritingCommunity

A graphic with the text: "Single Day Registrations: Speculative fiction gives us blueprints for worlds full of hope, joy, justice, and revolution. Want to talk about these worlds we love and how to make our world more like them? Check out our single day registration options!"

Maybe you've thought about joining us next week for #Sirens26, our reader conference for #sciencefiction, #fantasy, and #horror. It's not too late to join us! A few full registrations are still available at sirensconference.org/attend, and we have some single day registrations available now as well

The #Sirens26 faculty are a-maaaaaa-zing! You won't want to miss their keynotes! @kellybarnhill.bsky.social @notquitehydepark.bsky.social @sarahgailey.bsky.social Jewelle Gomez @laylaazmigoushey.bsky.social @micaiahjohnson.bsky.social @dianapho.bsky.social @lilliamr.bsky.social

Hey, awesome humans! Pretty please think about coming to #Sirens26, our reader conference at the intersection of the better worlds that trans, nonbinary, and female spec fic authors have dreamed, and the work of activists, educators, and community builders to make those worlds possible today.

Reminder that I will be at #Sirens26 talking about everything from black robots to unchecked capitalism and racism in the publishing landscape. IT WILL BE MORE FUN THAN I AM MAKING IT SOUND. @sirensconference.org

A photo of Sirens 2026 faculty Sarah Gailey, with their name and the words "Author. Inquirer. Instigator."

#Sirens26 Faculty Sarah Gailey (@sarahgailey.bsky.social): Speculative fiction master from alt-history hippos to horror. Gorgeous essayist. Dedicated fan. Thoughtful community builder. Hugo winner. Raconteur. Provocateur. EW: "For those who aren't [familiar with Gailey's work], well, get ready."

A photo of Sirens 2026 faculty Jewelle Gomez, with her name and the words "She. Writer. Feminist."

#Sirens26 Faculty Jewelle Gomez: Speculative fiction royalty. Author of THE GILDA STORIES, the first Black lesbian vampire novel and powerful exploration of found family. Essayist, poet, playwright, Lambda Literary Award-winner, activist, educator, and "foremother of Afrofuturism." Absolute legend.

A photo of Sirens 2026 faculty Lilliam Rivera, with her name and the words "Writer. Anticolonial. Force."

#Sirens26 Faculty Lilliam Rivera (@lilliamr.bsky.social): Dazzling author across genres and categories, including for the LOVE IN GRAVITY podcast. Winner of piles of awards, honors, and fellowships. Essayist (NYT, WaPo, Elle, Cosmo), educator, and speaker. Absolutely luminous firestarter

A photo of Sirens 2026 faculty Layla Azmi Goushey, with her name and the words "Educator. Writer. Advocate."

#Sirens26 Faculty Dr. Layla Azmi Goushey (@laylaazmigoushey.bsky.social): All-around all-star educator, with academic work focused on the literatures and cultures of the Southwest Asia North Africa region. Speculative poet and author. Editor of the literary magazine Baladi ("my home" in Arabic).

A photo of Sirens 2026 faculty Micaiah Johnson, with her name and the words "Author. Scholar. Activist."

#Sirens26 Faculty Dr. Micaiah Johnson (@micaiahjohnson.bsky.social): World-changing author, scholar, activist. Purveyor of hope, joy, rage, and revolution. The NYT says her fiction "rattles [your imagination] out of complacency." Her academic work focuses on the intersection of race and tech.

A photo of Sirens 2026 faculty Kelly Barnhill, with her name and the words "Author. Teacher. Mom."

#Sirens26 Faculty Kelly Barnhill (@kellybarnhill.bsky.social): Masterful teller of tales. Winner of a veritable mountain of awards. Maker of pie. Mom. NYT essayist. Former teacher, activist, bartender, waitress, janitor, park ranger. WaPo says she's "eloquent writer who spins beautiful lines."

A photo of Sirens 2026 faculty Diana Pho, with her name and the words "Dreamer. Editor. Hugo Winner."

#Sirens26 Faculty Diana M. Pho (@dianapho.bsky.social): Brilliant scholar, playwright, Hugo Award-winner, Editorial Director at Erewhon. Academic work on race in fashion, performance, and the media, as well as fan studies and communities. Runs Beyond Victoriana, on multicultural steampunk.

A graphic with the words: Progressive speculative fiction – science fiction, fantasy, horror, and more – gives us the blueprints for futures full of hope, joy, justice, and revolution for all. Activists, scholars, librarians, and community-builders are providing the education, the tools, and the leadership that we need to make those futures possible. Join us for Sirens, a reader conference that believes in both those better futures and our ability to build those futures today. Check out our faculty

We need our communities now more than ever. So we hope you're thinking about coming to #Sirens26! Online registration ends February 20. Please take care of that so you can learn from our amazing faculty, discuss the books you love, and hang with our community of readers, dreamers, and world-makers!

And a second early-price registration is also available for #Sirens26! We'll miss you, Andrea!