Harold Underdown

Not Simon & Schuster: Deconstructing an Impersonation Scam - Writer Beware For writers chasing a traditional publishing contract, an email from Big 5 publisher Simon & Schuster inviting submission might seem like a dream come true. Just one problem: major publishers like S&S...

The world is on fire, but if you're in the mood for some light entertainment to take your mind off things, follow along with me as I take apart a bait-and-switch scam impersonating a Big 5 publisher writerbeware.blog/2026/02/28/n...

One of the most strident pro-democracy voices in America right now is @willbunch.bsky.social at @inquirer.com

"This war-and, yes, it is a war...is illegal”

"Trump’s actions are those of an unrestrained dictator-exactly the mad king that Madison sought to warn us about.."
bsky.app/profile/will...

Illustrators, heads up!

What is the actual benefit of a baby over migration for growing the population (skills base, tax base)? Don't get me wrong, it's fabulous if people want babies, but they cost money to develop. They don't even know English! They don't understand our culture! They want everything given to them! 😉

This feels like something @friede.bsky.social would appreciate: a map of 18th century London and Bath that pinpoints locations in Austen, Burney, Fielding and Smollett with accompanying excerpts. Including the ability to track location mentions through the text of a novel.

There is always a tweet.

Every Republican president since I have become an adult has said we need no more wars in the Middle East. Every one has started one. And each of those wars has had a heavy economic, diplomatic, and human toll.

A purple crayon, the logo of The Purple Crayon, Harold Underdown's #kidlit website.

What's new at The Purple Crayon: 2 reviews of professional resources, updates on editor moves and layoffs, the upcoming "Crash Course...," more: www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

In my time at Princeton, we've had several Army officers in our doctoral program. They've all done excellent work.

When this former Princeton undergrad says we're actually teaching them "the enemy's wicked ideology" I have no idea what the hell he's talking about but, of course, neither does he.

I have done the same...

Indeed!

I've been writing articles about this problem since last August

What was on your screen? Just those two hashtags?

It’s amazing to see Gavin Newsom, Rahm Emanuel, etc running the same playbook that has Labour in shambles here and people refuse to see how it’ll play out just the same.

Tim nails it here - "eat real food" and get exercise are things people have been saying for decades.

Giving someone who's completely untethered from the world of evidence credit for them is ridiculous.

A purple crayon, the logo of The Purple Crayon, Harold Underdown's #kidlit website.

What's new at The Purple Crayon: 2 reviews of professional resources, updates on editor moves and layoffs, the upcoming "Crash Course...," more: www.underdown.org/newhdu.htm

ICE has detained more than 120 kids in 'inhumane' hold rooms in NYC under Trump Detainees held in the rooms have complained of crowded conditions and lack of food, soap, hygiene products, and access to attorneys.

gothamist.com/news/ice-has...

New poll: Democrats' real problem isn't being too liberal — it's being seen as too weak Americans, including swing voters, see the Republican Party as 20 points more extreme than Democrats — and the Democrats as weak and ineffective. So why would the *Democrats* moderate?

At the risk of being serious, I think this U.S. poll relates to what just happened in that UK election www.gelliottmorris.com/p/new-poll-d...

Sociopaths are terrific at spotting other sociopaths.

{gift link} www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Trump, seeking executive power over elections, is urged to declare emergency Activists who say they are in coordination with the White House are circulating a draft executive order that would unlock extraordinary presidential power over voting.

The theory of the case is that China interfered with the 2020 election and in response the federal government needs to seize control of U.S. elections while also asking China to buy more of our soybeans and selling them AI chips. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Kansas invalidates driver’s licenses, birth certificates of over 1,000 transgender residents The Kansas state government has invalidated the driver’s licenses and birth certificates of transgender residents who changed the gender on those documents, in accordance with a law that took effect o...

When fascists take rights away from a group of people, they never stop there. Eventually, they come for everything. Invalidating the drivers licenses of trans people in Kansas is just the start. Who will be next?

www.reuters.com/legal/govern...

URGENT call to those in USA.

1) Look if any of these are your reps.

2) Choose from the talking points on the slide below this one, to tell them to vote NO - and you feel very strongly about this - for HR 7661.

Follow @authorsabb.bsky.social for more.

#BookSky

I doubt that it is unique. The Pentagon/Hegseth just wants everyone to fall into line, and they'll punish anyone who doesn't.

Neither would I but their roots suggest they are the most likely to draw a line. But now the Pentagon can just choose a different company, right? Anthropic isn't unique.

I would not have bet on this.

Thank you to @authorsabb.bsky.social heroes @beccacoffindaffer.bsky.social and Ed Underhill, we have some slides that can be shared by anyone about this, with particular reps to target. Let's kill this bill in committee.

That is the truth.

I appreciate Debbie calling this out, & I will say the advice “Work with what makes you weird” is only more salient in the age of AI. What is strange, what is tender, what is joyful, what is unique, what is real, what is most human about you? Write about that, because the robots sure can’t.

Why the Trump-Backed Save America Act Threatens Election Security Nationwide - Bucks County Beacon Buried in the legislation is a mandate requiring every state to funnel voter data into a centralized voter-purge system plagued by security and accuracy concerns and controlled by the Trump administra...

Why the Trump-Backed Save America Act Threatens Election Security Nationwide | Buried in the bill is a mandate requiring every state to funnel voter data into a centralized voter-purge system plagued by security and accuracy concerns and controlled by the Trump admin, warns @jennycohn.bsky.social.

Jason Low, publisher of Lee & Low Books, issues a call to action to fellow members of the industry to focus their efforts on fighting book bans buff.ly/Jc7UGNu