The Most Banned Author in US Schools
I was actually surprised to read that Stephen King was the most-banned author in U.S. schools, according to a report by PEN America. If you aren't familiar with them, they fight for free expression, both in the U.S. and around the world. Of course, King is a famous horror writer and doesn't shy away from evil spirits, evil people, and the occasional awkward sex scene, but I've never found his horror to be gratuitous. I've found him to be a comfy read, creepy and eerie, but not enough to keep me awake at night jumping at shadows.
The Most Banned Author in US Schools
I was actually surprised to read that Stephen King was the most-banned author in U.S. schools, according to a report by PEN America. If you aren't familiar with them, they fight for free expression, both in the U.S. and around the world. Of course, King is a…
08.10.2025 11:15 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Poetry Moment – Censoring the Censors
There is a line from a poem by the 1st century Roman poet, Juvenal, that reads, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?". Translated, it reads, "Who will watch the watchmen?" In other words, the people we elect to run things do so without oversight. It's not supposed to be that way, but a slow erosion of our checks and balances has brought us to this point. Many of our freedoms are in jeopardy, particularly our right to read and access to books. Who will watch the watchmen? Who will censor the censors? …
Poetry Moment – Censoring the Censors
There is a line from a poem by the 1st century Roman poet, Juvenal, that reads, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?". Translated, it reads, "Who will watch the watchmen?" In other words, the people we elect to run things do so without oversight. It's not supposed…
07.10.2025 11:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Banned Books Week 2025
October 5th through the 11th is Banned Books Week here in the U.S. This past year has been a rough one for free speech here, and book bans seem to be spreading. In the past, the push for censorship in libraries and classrooms seemed to come from parents, but now it appears to be more of a government directive. The rally cry is to protect children and empower parents, but it's a false argument. Parents can already decide what they want their children to read. Nothing is stopping them. And really, I, along with many others, have read most of the titles on the hit lists and we've turned out relatively normal and well-adjusted.
Banned Books Week 2025
October 5th through the 11th is Banned Books Week here in the U.S. This past year has been a rough one for free speech here, and book bans seem to be spreading. In the past, the push for censorship in libraries and classrooms seemed to come from parents, but now it appears…
05.10.2025 09:57 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Today I’m thrilled to finally announce my philosophical fantasy book, The Dynasty of the Divine, coming out December 28. The book will be released by Semper Anticus Press, and for the first time, here's the cover. Preorders are open now! Link in bio.
04.10.2025 19:00 — 👍 43 🔁 14 💬 0 📌 0
Poetry Moment – Pillow Fort
Our older pup, Peppa, likes her alone time. Her buddy, Chili, is a ball of energy, and sometimes Peppa just needs a break. Lately, she's been slipping off into our spare room and positioning herself behind a row of pillows. We started to refer to it as her pillow fort. It's not the most secure location, but she seems to be happy there. Hidden behind the pillows A little ball of fur She thinks no one sees her And she feels secure Of course, we hear her snoring She gives herself away Seems disappointed when we find her Each and every day. Did you make pillow or blanket forts when you were young? RB
Poetry Moment – Pillow Fort
Our older pup, Peppa, likes her alone time. Her buddy, Chili, is a ball of energy, and sometimes Peppa just needs a break. Lately, she's been slipping off into our spare room and positioning herself behind a row of pillows. We started to refer to it as her pillow fort.…
04.10.2025 13:21 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Celebrate Hobbit Day!
For the Tolkien fans out there, September 22 is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the protagonists of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels. If you haven't read the books, they set the standard for the modern fantasy genre. One of my favorite parts of this epic saga is the opening to The Lord of the Rings (LotR), which focuses on the two hobbits celebrating their joint birthdays. In fact, it's quite the milestone event because Bilbo is celebrating his "eleventy first" birthday (he's turning 111), and Frodo is turning 33, which in Hobbit culture means he is legally coming of age.
Celebrate Hobbit Day!
For the Tolkien fans out there, September 22 is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, the protagonists of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels. If you haven't read the books, they set the standard for the modern fantasy genre. One of my favorite parts of this…
22.09.2025 11:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Poetry Moment – Sleepy Dog
One of the joys of my day is watching my two mutts playing in the back yard. They take turns chasing one another, rolling in the grass, and generally acting silly. After fifteen or twenty minutes, they're both panting and ready to go back inside to drink some water and rest up for the next round. Recently, I grabbed a photo of the younger one, Chili, as she caught a cat nap (pun intended) after a play session. Energy depleted, you ran at full speed, circling the yard, kicking up blades of grass in…
Poetry Moment – Sleepy Dog
One of the joys of my day is watching my two mutts playing in the back yard. They take turns chasing one another, rolling in the grass, and generally acting silly. After fifteen or twenty minutes, they're both panting and ready to go back inside to drink some water and…
19.09.2025 11:08 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Music Moment – Magic Power
One of the great, but now mostly forgotten, rock bands of the 1980s was the Canadian trio, Triumph. They had a great sound that combined blues, rock, and a little bit of classical (guitarist Rik Emmett was classically trained). One of their biggest hits was 1981s "Magic Power" from their Allied Forces album. To me, the song hits in several great ways. First is the music. The song opens with some soft keyboards and acoustic guitar that, over the course of five minutes, evolves into a fantastic rocker. Then there are the lyrics, sung in Emmett's higher range, that touch upon not only the angst of youth, but also the power of music.
Music Moment – Magic Power
One of the great, but now mostly forgotten, rock bands of the 1980s was the Canadian trio, Triumph. They had a great sound that combined blues, rock, and a little bit of classical (guitarist Rik Emmett was classically trained). One of their biggest hits was 1981s "Magic…
17.09.2025 11:11 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A Little Abstract Expressionism – Fall Colors
My blogging friend, Andrea, over at Andrea, Illustrator, recently posted a wonderful piece that I felt was a great introduction to the fall season. I highly recommend her site if you're interested in fantastic illustrations that are playful, thoughtful, and often relatable. When I commented on her post, she suggested I draw inspiration from it and do my own interpretation using the same - or a similar - color palette. It took me a few days, but this is what I came up with. It's a mixture of acrylic paints and acrylic pens.
A Little Abstract Expressionism – Fall Colors
My blogging friend, Andrea, over at Andrea, Illustrator, recently posted a wonderful piece that I felt was a great introduction to the fall season. I highly recommend her site if you're interested in fantastic illustrations that are playful,…
15.09.2025 10:59 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Review – Under the Eye of the Big Bird
I have to say that Under the Eye of the Big Bird was one of the most interesting, original, and unusual pieces of fiction I've read. The author, Hiromi Kawakami, has crafted something that's almost hard to define. It's a bit of science fiction, speculative fiction, and dystopian fiction, but also an ode to humanity as a whole. The book reads both as a novel and as a collection of short stories, all overlapping as they leap forward in time. The basic premise is that humanity is dying out. There aren't enough births to sustain the worldwide population, so two men come up with a plan to try to rebuild the human race.
Review – Under the Eye of the Big Bird
I have to say that Under the Eye of the Big Bird was one of the most interesting, original, and unusual pieces of fiction I've read. The author, Hiromi Kawakami, has crafted something that's almost hard to define. It's a bit of science fiction, speculative…
12.09.2025 11:13 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Poetry Moment – Indignant Chicken
So I had to take one of my hens to the vet this past weekend. She'd done something to her right eye and it was a bit swollen and had a little discharge. Because I was unprepared for the situation, the only thing I could find to transport her was a cloth grocery bag. So while we were sitting in the waiting room, the hen, who we now refer to as Penelope, began poking her head out looking at one of us, then disappearing back inside the bag. Up, down, up, down...looking one way, then another.
Poetry Moment – Indignant Chicken
So I had to take one of my hens to the vet this past weekend. She'd done something to her right eye and it was a bit swollen and had a little discharge. Because I was unprepared for the situation, the only thing I could find to transport her was a cloth grocery…
10.09.2025 11:10 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Poetry Moment: Where From Here?
There's a theory in quantum mechanics called the many-worlds interpretation that, among other things, suggests that every decision we make creates a new timeline - or new reality - on a quantum level. Each of these new timelines opens up new outcomes for us, and these splits go on indefinitely. So, for example, when you approach a fork in the road and you almost go to the right, then change your mind and go to the left, that creates a new timeline. It's theoretically possible that a part of you continues on the original timeline and another follows the new timeline.
Poetry Moment: Where From Here?
There's a theory in quantum mechanics called the many-worlds interpretation that, among other things, suggests that every decision we make creates a new timeline - or new reality - on a quantum level. Each of these new timelines opens up new outcomes for us, and…
05.09.2025 11:45 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Poetry Moment – I Love Books
It shouldn't come as a surprise that I love books. Particularly physical books. I love the way they feel in my hands, the weight of them. I love the sound the pages make when I flip through them. I love looking at the jacket art, the font choices, the color schemes. I'm also fond of the smell of books, especially old books, but also new books. The aroma of the paper and ink makes me feel at ease. Old books, new books Even dusty old school books Hardback, paperback On a shelf or on a rack…
Poetry Moment – I Love Books
It shouldn't come as a surprise that I love books. Particularly physical books. I love the way they feel in my hands, the weight of them. I love the sound the pages make when I flip through them. I love looking at the jacket art, the font choices, the color schemes.…
27.08.2025 11:11 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Reader, writer, book collector, and all-around biblophile.
Learning to channel the soft whisper of the muses.
Autodidact.
INFJ
#WritingCommunity
#Shelley #Keats #Tennsyon #HartCrane #Stevens #Whitman #Dickinson #Bloom.
Vegan FTA
Good vibes only. ~ ~ ~
Blogger from Northern Ireland, living in Sydney, Australia www.wrookieschu.com
Beyond Agreement is a blog that dives into the issues that divide us. We create a space for you to speak your mind in the comments, listen to others, and understand the path someone walked to get where they are. https://linktr.ee/BeyondAgreement
Author of 16 📚 including ANCESTOR, MENTOR and the GREAT GIMMELMANS.
MILES IN TIME/TIME FIXERS out now.
Screenwriter and publisher of Fringe Press.
Native New Yorker. LeeMatthewGoldberg.com
Novelist. USA-born, but raised abroad. Married. //
Insta @j.ellenhall // www.jwellenhall.com // My Weekly Cozy Sci-Fi Comedy series (with once a month writing insights) is at jwellenhallnovelist.substack.com
Senior editor at the DarlingAxe.com. Blogging at SeptimusBrown.com. Award-winning short-fiction writer. Author of WHEN THE SKY BREAKS. Chaotic good. He/they. 🏳️🌈
Black lab dad. Writer and ambient musician. The Dynasty of the Divine coming soon!
www.adamrowan.info
Preorder my book: https://www.amazon.com/Dynasty-Divine-Adam-Rowan-ebook/dp/B0FS3G3WWH/ref
I write immersive adventure stories told through the eyes of animal protagonists. My debut novel, "Ember's Gallop," follows a brave wild mustang as she leads her herd through a raging wildfire. Authentic animal perspectives make my work unique. aryder.com
Author of War Boys, Fat Boy Fat, and Let Him Be. Recipient of PEN America/Jean Stein grant, support from Bread Loaf, Ucross, Tin House, and Mass Cultural Council. U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Germany.
Designer in Austin, TX. Building things— Exploring systems, aesthetics, and the future of the web. Cat dad.
Artist, reader, pet lover, occasional blogger on StraddleTheTurtle.com
- Multi-genre author of German heritage. Recent words in: Guilty Crime Mag, Chiron Review, Hidden Peak Press, Bristol Noir, Pulp Modern, Mystery Tribune, Thriller Magazine, Close To The Bone
- THE BLACK BOW now out on https://amazon.com/dp/B0DD6YX6FJ/
Learning and teaching my language—Nishnaabemwin. Jijaak ndoodem. Consultant at Oodenaw.com. Award-winning short fiction author and poet. Developmental editor at DarlingAxe.com. Kidlit, YA, hist fic, women's lit. She/they
Author, webmaster, podcaster, occasional trend setter, and part-time warlock. Seventh Son of the Seventh Mother. Gaytheist in an ever-contracting universe. Cats are the answer. Code name: Nail Gun. 🌈🤡😺😸😻🕵️♀️
Canadian
Author of Beyond the Mark: Ashes of the Hero. 🗡🛡🔮✨️🧙♂️
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/beyond-the-mark
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM96B5J9
Singer for Violet Outburst 🎸🎤
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0Vf4w9Ze38rLniADBEGKSp?si=AcWduGX
Artist seeking world peace.
Hiking. Literature. Art.
NYT Worstselling Author
SFF📚, Satire, Comedy, Absurdist
Dummest Person in the Room
https://www.thatwriterguy.com
https://www.amazon.com/author/m.l.tilford
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