John Coxon

Oooooh!

This is maybe the most bone-dry Chotiner interview I've seen in a while

Hey Molly, have you seen this incredibly cute blog post by a person who is completely thrilled to have read yours? www.livegreenwearblack.com/2026/01/til-...

That’s a shame, but thank you for letting me know, and I will do!

This is a big reason why I've been trying to use physical media at my library whenever it's on offer, even if there are digital options.

Anyway, if your local library has a friends of the library chapter, set up a recurring donation and help your library out.

In April 2024, Spotify implemented a new scheme: songs with less than 1k streams per year would no longer receive royalties.

The data for 2025 was just released via Luminate, and 88% of songs have been demonetized.

Read it again: 88% of songs on Spotify have been demonetized.

Three lions photographed on a safari in Kenya, with glasses photoshopped onto two of them to make them look very slightly more like John and Alison. The top has words reading “Octothorpe 151” and the bottom has words reading “Definitely not about the cricket”. It is unclear why, because John edited all the cricket out.

We emerge blinking into the sunlight of 2026 and we have a full mail bag! We discuss the @montreal2027.bsky.social org chart and René Walling’s role at Montreal, as well as recent Hugo how-to guides from @renay.bsky.social and @mollytempleton.com.

Listen here! octothorpe.podbean.com/e/151-only-d...

I only started participating in Hugo voting two years ago. It always seemed arcane and exclusive, and it never occurred to me that it might be otherwise. I was wrong! I'm glad I was wrong.

(I only went on about the Lodestar and YA a LITTLE here; please applaud my relative restraint, lol)

In fact I am in the last photograph!

I just saw the Reactor article and we’ve called it out on @octothorpecast.bsky.social as a great resource, and @renay.bsky.social has also written a really fab Google Doc which will accompany the Hugo Awards Spreadsheet of Doom, so thank you both very very much 🥰

February would work I think?

@irny.bsky.social Hello! I was just wondering if you’re planning on going to Eastercon this year? (I’m helping with the gaming part of programme, and am thinking of you for a panel.)

How many citizens were killed by police in each country between 2010-2019:

Canada: 305
France: 233
Germany: 100
Australia: 53
United Kingdom: 22

United States: 15,008

For reference:

I spent an excessive number of years moderating a gaming forum and I learned a great deal about community spaces and cultivation, whether I wanted to or not. I have critical advice for anyone who runs a game store or gaming convention. Please share this thread with people who run those things.

Folks, she brought a whole plate of spaghetti to the broadcast center to do her headshot. She then houses that spaghetti.

Mattia sips on an espresso during his.

Truly the heroes we need during these times.

A Mahalo Flying V, an Uma Blue Pineapple, and a Brunswick soprano are hanging on a Christmas tree beneath the words “Octothorpe 150”.

Octothorpe 150 is up, the last episode of 2025! We discuss Smofcon 42 and the conventions that John found out about, plus John doesn’t pass out. RESULT. Listen here! octothorpe.podbean.com/e/150-i-woul...

Oh no, this is the worst. We had this a couple of years ago and it’s so stressful, I’m sorry.

This is a stressful story!

This is the saddest day of my professional life. Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage. I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys. I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show, A show that I named and helped develop over all those years. Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry. These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter

In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices. Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'. • I chose the latter. It broke my heart. I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make. I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer. I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence. One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career.

I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more. I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost". James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice. Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences. I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness. Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire. I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal. I am so sorry to let you down. I hope that you can understand my reasoning. I have to accept that I am not what the current BBC expects of their freelance presenters.

Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not "just a job" I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world. From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too. The strawberry is dead. Long live the strawberry. B

Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.

Episode 149 is here! Which we forgot to put on socials because John is at to SMOFcon and I didn't notice. We discuss some upcoming worldcon bids and get slightly derailed by Rutger Hauer. www.podbean.com/ew/pb-tjhfq-...

Valve has now rejected my complaint, confirming that "I don't like muslims" is a valid reason to leave a negative review on a game on Steam

This is where we're at now.

#ChristmasGiftMonday

Came here to say Worcestershire sauce IS a drink

To my friends from LiveJournal I still think about you Wonder if you finally quit, Do you still speak to your mom? I remember when you went to Japan How you swore you'd never forgive him. I can't remember to take my meds but I remember you wanted to live on a houseboat. It's a strange intimacy, all of us unspooling across decades of internet space Like balls of yarn leaving a trail behind us of everywhere and everyone we've ever been I hope you got your houseboat. I hope you got everything. -Hayley DeRoche

♥️

*youth pastor voice*

Let me tell you kids about another carpenter who wasn’t very popular with the authorities

Working on a thought-tool called "stupid drunk guy in a bar". Works like this: If the take you're responding to is essentially being mumbled by a clearly very stupid drunk guy in the bar you're at, is it worth starting a big public discussion with him?

Emily Tesh, John, and Alison stand in front of a suspiciously purple background which may indicate that the real background has been subtracted by nefarious photo editing. The words “Octothorpe 148 Live from Novacon” are overlaid.

John, Alison, and stunt Liz @emilytesh.net are live from Novacon 54! We discuss the convention, what it’s like to be a Guest of Honour, parenting at cons and also whether or not John should read the Silmarillion. Listen here! octothorpe.podbean.com/e/148-i-m-wi...

Octothorpe live, with @johncoxon.bsky.social @alisonscott.bsky.social and guest @emilytesh.net

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