Beth Kander

"We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can't believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much. "We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy as we grieve. "Our family would like to thank law enforcement for their swift action that saved others and for the coordination across communities that led to the arrest of the man who murdered our parents. We especially would like to thank the officers who were first on the scene to our parents' home and their heroic attempts to rescue our mom and dad. "Our parents touched so many lives, and they leave behind an incredible legacy of dedication to their community that will live on in us, their friends, their colleagues and co-workers, and every single person who knew and loved them. "If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following: • Plant a tree. • Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail. • Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do. • Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it. • Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone. • Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something. • Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace. "Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear. Our parents lived their lives with immense dedication to their fellow humans. This tragedy must become a moment for us to come together. Hold your loved ones a little closer. Love your neighbors. Treat each other with kindness and respect. The best way to honor our parents' memory is to do something, whether big or small, to make our community just a little better for someone else."

Please read and share this statement from Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.

(via WCCO reporter Caroline Cummings on X)

Thank you so much @helenemeyers.bsky.social & @lilithmagazine.bsky.social for lifting up my little grief-and-golem story 🩵

Actually, yes, this and a fantastic set of encyclopedias

Picture of an owl, looking at the camera, wings pinned back and gliding above a picture of the same owl looking at the camera and raising one wing.

"Morning, Jim!"
"Hey, Tom."

Thank you, @helenemeyers.bsky.social and @lilithmagazine.bsky.social ✨✨✨

A composite graphic featuring a grid of nine oversaturated images (three rows of three) that evoke the mood of YA thriller novel GENERATION ZOMBIE. From top left: a pile of newspapers with the word “classified” visible on one; a disembodied hand on a pane of glass; a young woman holding a phone; a young man staring at a phone with one hand on his cheek; an aerial shot of the Empire State Building with a red sky; a crowd of people; a phone screen showing a grid of social media app icons; a dark silhouette with an arm raised; and a large stack of newspapers.

BLACK MIRROR x HELL FOLLOWED WITH US

When a seventeen-year-old aspiring reporter discovers a mysterious social media app turning young people into zombies, she must expose the truth or lose her generation forever.

GENERATION ZOMBIE is an 86K YA thriller/horror.

#QuestPit #W #YA #T #H

I'm pleased to share the latest interview about my book The Conscious Style Guide. Thanks to journalist Sophia Scolman and the Center for Journalism Ethics for bringing attention to the creativity and flexibility of conscious language. Visit KarenYin.com to learn about my other books.

Thank you so much, Helene! Talking with Judith today was such a delight.

This is a fun and smart book (I actually have a review of it forthcoming), so I’m guessing this lunchtime program will be a treat to be savored during these challenging times. @jwaonline.bsky.social @bethkander.bsky.social

With Hugo nominations closing tomorrow, here's one last reminder that Sargassa is eligible in the novel and Astounding categories ☀️

seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-aw...

No way I’m drinking this OBVIOUS POISON

Anyone else watching #Daredevil and mistaking it for a documentary about American politics

Update from my 4yo's preschool on what they learned from a social worker today - idk felt relevant

Some sad news…

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton’s husband of 58 years, has died.

He was 82.

“Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy."

Okay, an official intro-post:
👋I'm Beth
📚bestselling author & total bookworm
🎭playwright & theatre nerd
🥰mom of 2 hilarious kids
🍿film & TV nerd (it's art too y'all)
🔯one of those contemplative Jewish gals
☕gimme all the coffee & snacks
🗺️roots in the midwest & deep south; longing to live in London

...let's try something. Readers, authors, playwrights, actors, dancers, artists, creatives of all stripes-- I want us to find enough community here to make cutting the Meta-cord easier. Let's follow each other & drive up our numbers.

Share/follow/spread the word: #blueskycreativecommunity

(2/2)

Starting small with social media: In the BeforeTimes, Twitter was my literary community. Twitter got ugly, so I shifted to Instagram. I have 3k followers there now (not massive but not nothing) and it's making it hard to leave AGAIN. But Meta is (overtly) ugly.

If you're in the same boat... (1/2)

I've forgotten how to do this. I used to be good at the old bird app. Now I'm like an out of shape former athlete looking at everyone sail past me here, knowing I should start stretching or something, but opting for curly fries instead.

Author, just getting started on Bluesky - would love to be added to the #booksky starter pack, thank you!

Thanks so much for having me on! Had a blast talking code switching, Nike togas, and *checks notes* Birkin bags 🏛️

The browser searches for the current #wip are going to get me in MUCH more trouble than my last book

I don't intend this poem as sacrilegious; I see helping others as our most sacred obligation. But in a week where once again words feel inadequate & I see so many thoughts & prayers posts, my prayer is that we act. Give what we can, now; help how we can, now; advocate, always, for a better tomorrow.

Occasional reminder that there’s no, “it’s too late, its over” for anthropogenic climate change. Every molecule of CO2 that doesn’t go into the atmosphere makes a difference. Preventing 0.1 degree of warming makes a difference. Every bit of climate resilience we build together makes a difference.

New to the neighborhood.