Dr. U. Whitcher (U. is for Bear)

waves and wires Gentle readers, I have links, Worldcon news, and a variety of recommendations for you. A long interview with me appeared on my public library's blog...

Links and recs to while away a summer afternoon!

buttondown.com/yarntheory/a...

Book cover showing a woman in a cloak and a raven. Text: Skin-Singer: Tales of the Kaltaoven, by Heather Rose Jones

It's release day for Skin-Singer: Tales of the Kaltaoven! I hope you enjoy my collection of semi-cozy sapphic shape-shifter stories, set in a pre-modern secondary world.
books2read.com/links/ubl/bM...

U.S. map showing that in 25 states and D.C., federal agencies like ICE and the U.S. Marshals only detain people using local jails. In other states, jails play a part in the detention network alongside federal or private facilities. In Arizona, Delaware, and Hawaii no local jails provide substantial detention space to these agencies.

Local jails–mostly run by elected sheriffs–are making money off of ICE's rampant criminalization of immigration.

Saint of Bright Doors fits here, too!

Maybe Byatt's Angels and Insects?

Yesss, do it!

My novelette "The Fifteenth Saint" has self-driving buses! (And the arc plot of North Continent Ribbon involves suspicion of self-driving technology more generally.)

I made this reading because I want to celebrate the human work that goes into SFF. Join us Thursday for an offsite reading at Seattle Beer Co! Free to attend, 21+ only. Details in the link, RSVP if you want a reminder! www.eventbrite.com/e...

The monorail no vote was sometime in the middle of the first decade of this millennium, after people had voted yes multiple times & the city spent all the money on consultants. (I was there & am still sad.)

The Multitude of Existence and North Continent Ribbon This time around, Langdon and Eden peer into the world, which is actually many things and not just one (and that's good!) Then, they take a look at Ursula K. Le Guin award nominee, Ursula Whitcher's

Langdon and Eden peer into the world, which is actually many things and not just one (and that's good!)

Then, they look at @yarntheory.bsky.social's North Continent Ribbon! Weird ships, radical politics, and interesting AI mix in this short story suite!

soundcloud.com/death-senten...

I might be one of these readers!

Congratulations!

screaaaaaaaam

I confess I do a lot of these things, but the trick is for psychological verisimilitude you have to precede them by "fuck it." "fuck it, I'm going for a walk" or "fuck it, I'm going to play my stupid video game."

We've solved it, the way to have fun is to wave your hands in the air.

There are also delicious blueberries! They are imprinted on my memory from a trip when I was eight or so.

They show as both AI banner and occasional AI imagery user in the labeler from @aimod.social .

I really enjoyed @reasie.bsky.social’s story in LCRW 50, “The Summer Kids and the Gemini”. I aspire to one day die peacefully having never once ridden a roller coaster, but this story is the closest I’ve ever come to “getting it”

My library has a library of things and it's great for exactly this kind of intermittent tool!

It can't solve all the city's woes but I do recommend Socotra--phenomenal all-ages vibe, delicious coffee and cake, open late.

we'll hold a workshop in your honor. cat pictures on every slide.

Noooo!

For the math folks on here: NSF has suspended Terry Tao's grant. www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/...

Breaking: NSF is suspending roughly 300 grants with UCLA, following a DOJ finding on Tuesday that the university violated Title VI by "creating a hostile educational environment for Jewish and Israeli students."

I'm doing a small zoom equivalent of a kaffeeklatsch September 10th 7pm EST as a Locus fundraiser reward. I was chatting with the winner of that & we agreed it'd be better with others too.

If you'd like to join, please reply with your fav recent SFF story. I'll draw a couple random numbers.

68. I do like pistachio cake!

67. I don't like oat milk (it tastes like soggy cereal to me).

66. One of my summer goals is to try all of my city's Yemeni coffee shops.

Also browse Parfum d'Empire, I think their stuff is very interesting but it does have Dude With Money vibes.