"I had a viral video about my book, and it has like 6 million views now, and the publishers got very excited. I feel like it encouraged more marketing from them, in a way, because they're like, 'Okay, people are interested in this.'" - bestselling author Liann Zhang
Listen to the conversation:
The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, or Else It Gets the Hose Again.
07.03.2026 12:22 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Love all her non-historical novels. (And a few of the historical ones, though I'll read anything she wrote.)
Her episode of Desert Island Discs is hilarious, FYI: she's an unapologetic throwback.
Dunkirk for guys whose first marriage was before their current wife was born
05.03.2026 14:35 — 👍 116 🔁 20 💬 0 📌 0
I listened twice to the end of this piece about Fela Kuti's use of counterpoint and its influence on Brian Eno and David Byrne. Fascinating musically but also Byrne talking about its influence on him personally makes me think about games... 🧵1/
05.03.2026 14:46 — 👍 36 🔁 7 💬 2 📌 0Someone thought Josh Brolin's character was the hero of SICARIO.
05.03.2026 14:39 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Still does at 27.
05.03.2026 12:37 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
When my oldest was 4 years old, he idolized paleontologists, and wanted to be one, so we consumed a LOT of dinosaur science specials and documentaries. Phil Currie always seemed to be the reasonable, soft-spoken foil to the more blowhard, attention-seeking Jack Horner. My kid preferred Currie.
05.03.2026 02:33 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0Liann Zhang's debut novel, Julie Chan Is Dead, was an instant bestseller, was translated into multiple languages, and was longlisted for Canada Reads. Chatelaine called the book “a delicious and outrageous exploration of influencer culture [that] has both Yellowface and Yellowjackets vibes.”
05.03.2026 01:47 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
"I had a viral video about my book, and it has like 6 million views now, and the publishers got very excited. I feel like it encouraged more marketing from them, in a way, because they're like, 'Okay, people are interested in this.'" - bestselling author Liann Zhang
Listen to the conversation:
Feels like a minor miracle to get to write a culture piece. This is me www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
04.03.2026 14:56 — 👍 9 🔁 7 💬 1 📌 1
Yeah, that's not a word I'm going to be breaking out anytime soon, Word of the Day site.
04.03.2026 12:03 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0I go to every show I can and even though I have only been up on stage once, singing your heart out in a crowd of kind people (whether you're in the audience or in front of them) is just the most joyous experience. Trying to muster the courage to get up again tomorrow, but I'll be there either way.
27.02.2026 13:37 — 👍 7 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0"Friends" is a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1994 to 2004, following six young adults—Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe—living in New York City. The show explores their friendships, romances, careers, and personal growth over ten seasons.
27.02.2026 03:44 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Chapter 1 of Moby Dick, page 1 The phrase ‘Call me Ishmael’, the first sentence of the book, is highlighted in blue, with careful highlighting on the very big C at the start. Above this, written in ballpoint pen ‘His name’
Love the glimpse into the beautiful mind that notated this used copy of Moby Dick I got
25.02.2026 05:48 — 👍 14997 🔁 2988 💬 194 📌 237
While walking my dog past a school, some kids asked me to throw back their soccer ball. I gave it a decent drop kick, but also fell on my ass—hard—because I was standing on ice.
I assume I'm already on social media, repeatedly falling to the CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM theme.
"It's that important, mundane thing that will not just allow a writer to write, but will allow a person to develop the conditions to have some of that worry and some of that noise removed for a little while, so that one can start to think one's way into a new project, let alone begin writing it."
25.02.2026 14:48 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Agreed. That's Spenny's job.
(Do I have the right person?)
"It's a very practical thing. It's a matter of finally being able to go to the dentist or paying overdue bills."
Poet Karen Solie on the financial impact of winning a book prize.
@houseofanansi.bsky.social
Listen to the full conversation:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/k...
AI is the solution to our tech needs the same way heroin is the solution to our mental health needs.
24.02.2026 16:59 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Oh shit - the secret's out...
24.02.2026 14:24 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0"There’s always a moment when a singer finds their footing in a song, and it’s like you can see all their anxiety just melt away. To give people that moment of joy in the middle of all the terrible things that are happening in the world is exactly why we do this." @amylaurajones.bsky.social #hamont
24.02.2026 14:03 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0I just finished listening to Adam Higginbotham’s book on the Challenger disaster. Astounding to see the exact same pattern of “get the thing into space no matter what” here.
24.02.2026 12:45 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Turns out Canada won.
23.02.2026 16:57 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0People who don’t pick up their dogs’ poops believe in magic. (derogatory)
23.02.2026 00:05 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Long live the Approximators!!
22.02.2026 18:09 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Spoiler for tomorrow's episode.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is presented by @thewalrus.ca
Please find it (and leave a review) at all the podcast places.
thewalrus.ca/podcasts/wha...
@houseofanansi.bsky.social
I have sung with The Approximators, and watched other people sing with them, and it was a damn good time.
21.02.2026 17:50 — 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0We are the realest fake band to ever fake realism.
21.02.2026 17:44 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0The Approximators is a *lot* of fun if you ever find yourself in Hamilton
21.02.2026 03:22 — 👍 6 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 1