Amber Sparks
@ambersparks.bsky.social
Your garbage mom; writer; she/her; I ♥️ unions; essayist on film, books, fairy tales, and horror; wrote AND I DO NOT FORGIVE YOU; HAPPY PEOPLE DON’T LIVE HERE in October; rep’d by Kent Wolf; I just want you to be happy, honey
linktr.ee/ambernoellesparks
linktr.ee/ambernoellesparks
When I was young, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was my master class in playwriting - wordplay, wit, structure. I saw Arcadia three times in a row, just trying to figure out HOW he did that. He was utterly singular, RIP Tom Stoppard, there will never be another www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...
Tom Stoppard, playwright of electric verve, dies at 88
His intellectually challenging and verbally dazzling works, including “Arcadia” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” were among the most acclaimed and oft-performed plays of the last half-cen...
www.washingtonpost.com
November 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM
When I was young, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was my master class in playwriting - wordplay, wit, structure. I saw Arcadia three times in a row, just trying to figure out HOW he did that. He was utterly singular, RIP Tom Stoppard, there will never be another www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...
Reposted by Amber Sparks
If you're looking for a gift for you or the writer in your life, the @barrelhouse.bsky.social DC conference on 4/18/26 is just $95 & includes the full day conference focusing on craft and publishing, 1 book, 1 workshop w an editor, more lit stuff from our partners! www.barrelhousemag.com/conference
The Barrelhouse Conference: Conversations and Connections, Practical Advice on Writing — Barrelhouse
Conversations and Connections is a one-day conference organized by Barrelhouse in person at American University in Washington, DC on April 18, 2026.
www.barrelhousemag.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:24 PM
If you're looking for a gift for you or the writer in your life, the @barrelhouse.bsky.social DC conference on 4/18/26 is just $95 & includes the full day conference focusing on craft and publishing, 1 book, 1 workshop w an editor, more lit stuff from our partners! www.barrelhousemag.com/conference
Last night I dreamed that Bob Dylan agreed to hang out with me, but only if he could talk to me for two hours about a little known American revolutionary named Samuel Peabody Smith who bred snakes to be the colors of the flag
November 29, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Last night I dreamed that Bob Dylan agreed to hang out with me, but only if he could talk to me for two hours about a little known American revolutionary named Samuel Peabody Smith who bred snakes to be the colors of the flag
Reposted by Amber Sparks
lovely prominent placement for @ambersparks.bsky.social at @strandbookstore.bsky.social UWS!
November 28, 2025 at 7:20 PM
lovely prominent placement for @ambersparks.bsky.social at @strandbookstore.bsky.social UWS!
Reposted by Amber Sparks
Book Moon Books
Bright and shiny independent bookshop in Easthampton, MA
www.bookmoonbooks.com
November 28, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Only a few spots left so grab yours now if you want to join my workshop and write some stories where Dorothy never left Kansas, but also Kansas got a little weird
Friends! I am teaching a workshop in December that I am so excited about! I’ve been writing and writing about domestic fabulism forever, but I’ve never actually fashioned a workshop around it before. I think this is going to be so much fun - I hope you’ll join!
No Place Like Home: Writing Domestic Fabulism with Amber Sparks
Learn to write domestic fabulism with author Amber Sparks. Transform ordinary home and family stories with fantastical elements in this online seminar.
writingworkshops.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Only a few spots left so grab yours now if you want to join my workshop and write some stories where Dorothy never left Kansas, but also Kansas got a little weird
Reposted by Amber Sparks
Had a wonderful talk about TWILIGHT OF THE GODS with Peter Riehl for the @chillsatwillpod.bsky.social. Other guests this year have included/will include Alex Chee, Myriam Gurba, and Amber Sparks. There's a rundown of what we discussed with timestamps on the site.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Episode 311 with Kurt Baumeister, Author of Twilight of the Gods, and Skilled Worldbuilder, Craftsman of the Subtle and Resonant, and Curious Student of History
Podcast Episode · The Chills at Will Podcast · 11/26/2025 · 53m
podcasts.apple.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Had a wonderful talk about TWILIGHT OF THE GODS with Peter Riehl for the @chillsatwillpod.bsky.social. Other guests this year have included/will include Alex Chee, Myriam Gurba, and Amber Sparks. There's a rundown of what we discussed with timestamps on the site.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Between MST3K in Minnesota and The Onion in Wisconsin I’m confident I’m from the two funniest places in the country and they taught me never to take anything seriously
Today in 1988 Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on KTMA in St. Paul Minnesota. #MST3K
November 25, 2025 at 3:09 AM
Between MST3K in Minnesota and The Onion in Wisconsin I’m confident I’m from the two funniest places in the country and they taught me never to take anything seriously
Reposted by Amber Sparks
"My own little doll family has no memories, no past, no future. They are perpetually unperturbed."
Contributor @ambersparks.bsky.social published an article in @literaryhub.bsky.social! buff.ly/HG3KQvb
Contributor @ambersparks.bsky.social published an article in @literaryhub.bsky.social! buff.ly/HG3KQvb
November 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
"My own little doll family has no memories, no past, no future. They are perpetually unperturbed."
Contributor @ambersparks.bsky.social published an article in @literaryhub.bsky.social! buff.ly/HG3KQvb
Contributor @ambersparks.bsky.social published an article in @literaryhub.bsky.social! buff.ly/HG3KQvb
Love to be on this list with such an incredible group of writers!
November 24, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Love to be on this list with such an incredible group of writers!
Reposted by Amber Sparks
I just finished "Happy People Don't Live Here" by @ambersparks.bsky.social and I LOVED IT! Fern rules. Read it, folks. Hide in the bathroom with it over Thanksgiving if you need to.
November 24, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I just finished "Happy People Don't Live Here" by @ambersparks.bsky.social and I LOVED IT! Fern rules. Read it, folks. Hide in the bathroom with it over Thanksgiving if you need to.
This was such a fun conversation - give it a listen this week if you need an excuse to get away from your family!
Here's Episode 12: "Amber Sparks and 'We Love You, Bunny'". (@ambersparks.bsky.social y.social) www.thirdpersonlimited.com/episodes/epi...
November 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
This was such a fun conversation - give it a listen this week if you need an excuse to get away from your family!
A movie that takes place where you’re from
November 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
A movie that takes place where you’re from
Does anyone else still make a long list of things they want for Christmas every year even though you’re a grown adult and you don’t get presents anymore
November 23, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Does anyone else still make a long list of things they want for Christmas every year even though you’re a grown adult and you don’t get presents anymore
Winter reading projects:
Rereading The Dark is Rising (with my daughter)
Rereading The Golden Compass (with my daughter)
Rereading Once and Future King
Sylvia Townsend Warner’s biography of T.H. White
The Gormenghast trilogy
Paradise Lost
Vendler’s Dickinson anthology
Wolf Hall books
You?
Rereading The Dark is Rising (with my daughter)
Rereading The Golden Compass (with my daughter)
Rereading Once and Future King
Sylvia Townsend Warner’s biography of T.H. White
The Gormenghast trilogy
Paradise Lost
Vendler’s Dickinson anthology
Wolf Hall books
You?
November 22, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Winter reading projects:
Rereading The Dark is Rising (with my daughter)
Rereading The Golden Compass (with my daughter)
Rereading Once and Future King
Sylvia Townsend Warner’s biography of T.H. White
The Gormenghast trilogy
Paradise Lost
Vendler’s Dickinson anthology
Wolf Hall books
You?
Rereading The Dark is Rising (with my daughter)
Rereading The Golden Compass (with my daughter)
Rereading Once and Future King
Sylvia Townsend Warner’s biography of T.H. White
The Gormenghast trilogy
Paradise Lost
Vendler’s Dickinson anthology
Wolf Hall books
You?
I don’t have any grand theories about whether MTG is playing chess or checkers but also, I don’t care
November 22, 2025 at 2:12 AM
I don’t have any grand theories about whether MTG is playing chess or checkers but also, I don’t care
I love Bob Dylan so much, he is the antidote to everything dumb about culture, like the Kardashians exist? No they don’t because listen to “When I Paint My Masterpiece” ChatGPT wrote a novel? No it didn’t because I married Isis on the 5th day of May
November 22, 2025 at 12:35 AM
I love Bob Dylan so much, he is the antidote to everything dumb about culture, like the Kardashians exist? No they don’t because listen to “When I Paint My Masterpiece” ChatGPT wrote a novel? No it didn’t because I married Isis on the 5th day of May
Friends! I am teaching a workshop in December that I am so excited about! I’ve been writing and writing about domestic fabulism forever, but I’ve never actually fashioned a workshop around it before. I think this is going to be so much fun - I hope you’ll join!
No Place Like Home: Writing Domestic Fabulism with Amber Sparks
Learn to write domestic fabulism with author Amber Sparks. Transform ordinary home and family stories with fantastical elements in this online seminar.
writingworkshops.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Friends! I am teaching a workshop in December that I am so excited about! I’ve been writing and writing about domestic fabulism forever, but I’ve never actually fashioned a workshop around it before. I think this is going to be so much fun - I hope you’ll join!
This absolute obsession with Dorian Greying your face is so depressing to me, generations of women passing up the opportunity to pass into their powerful crone years
November 19, 2025 at 9:50 PM
This absolute obsession with Dorian Greying your face is so depressing to me, generations of women passing up the opportunity to pass into their powerful crone years
Same and I think it’s because it’s not only incredibly misogynistic and mean, it’s also so deeply embarrassing and horrifying that the person who is the president of the United States is a cruel child
I don't know why the "Piggy" thing is bothering me so much. It's one more unforgivable thing in a list of 20,000 unforgivable things, but I've been mad about it for like 12 straight hours.
November 19, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Same and I think it’s because it’s not only incredibly misogynistic and mean, it’s also so deeply embarrassing and horrifying that the person who is the president of the United States is a cruel child
Reposted by Amber Sparks
haven't shared one of these for a minute. here's a rave from a submitter for @ambersparks.bsky.social's amazing story on SSL.
haven't read it? you should:
ashortstorylong.substack.com/p/your-life-...
haven't read it? you should:
ashortstorylong.substack.com/p/your-life-...
November 18, 2025 at 11:34 PM
haven't shared one of these for a minute. here's a rave from a submitter for @ambersparks.bsky.social's amazing story on SSL.
haven't read it? you should:
ashortstorylong.substack.com/p/your-life-...
haven't read it? you should:
ashortstorylong.substack.com/p/your-life-...
Top 5 movie genres:
Guy who’s a pathetic piece of shit
Woman falling apart and it’s hard to watch but goddamn
Theater production/movie production falling apart and it’s so fun to watch
Detective but sad
Period film where they just said fuck it
Guy who’s a pathetic piece of shit
Woman falling apart and it’s hard to watch but goddamn
Theater production/movie production falling apart and it’s so fun to watch
Detective but sad
Period film where they just said fuck it
Top 5 movie genres are:
heist
intelligence/espionage thriller
pitch perfect
cerebral ensemble oscar fodder drama
heist some more
heist
intelligence/espionage thriller
pitch perfect
cerebral ensemble oscar fodder drama
heist some more
Top 5 movie genres are:
People being shits at a dinner party
Rotting mansion, faded starlet/society beauty, high-camp fuckdown
Either nothing or everything happened, glacially slowly & visually stunningly
Woman is being haunted or maybe there’s actually a gross guy
Tilda Swinton hears a weird noise
People being shits at a dinner party
Rotting mansion, faded starlet/society beauty, high-camp fuckdown
Either nothing or everything happened, glacially slowly & visually stunningly
Woman is being haunted or maybe there’s actually a gross guy
Tilda Swinton hears a weird noise
November 17, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Top 5 movie genres:
Guy who’s a pathetic piece of shit
Woman falling apart and it’s hard to watch but goddamn
Theater production/movie production falling apart and it’s so fun to watch
Detective but sad
Period film where they just said fuck it
Guy who’s a pathetic piece of shit
Woman falling apart and it’s hard to watch but goddamn
Theater production/movie production falling apart and it’s so fun to watch
Detective but sad
Period film where they just said fuck it
One thing I love about being a person who is extremely nearsighted (with GOOD insurance) is how every year insurance is like: do you want to see during the day (contacts) or do you want to see at night (glasses), you can’t have both
November 16, 2025 at 3:42 PM
One thing I love about being a person who is extremely nearsighted (with GOOD insurance) is how every year insurance is like: do you want to see during the day (contacts) or do you want to see at night (glasses), you can’t have both
So bored of memes about type A gifted and talented kids who are neurotic now - what about the memes for my people, the type B kids who just sat in class drawing pictures of ghosts all day and are now depressed but in a goth way, not a sweatpants way
November 14, 2025 at 3:49 AM
So bored of memes about type A gifted and talented kids who are neurotic now - what about the memes for my people, the type B kids who just sat in class drawing pictures of ghosts all day and are now depressed but in a goth way, not a sweatpants way
Reposted by Amber Sparks
So HAPPY for @keithdonohue.bsky.social's take on @ambersparks.bsky.social's new HAPPY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE HERE. "a run-down apartment in a converted sanitorium. A handful of zany tenants...the adjacent graveyard." Yes! @wirobooks.bsky.social
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/h...
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/h...
Happy People Don’t Live Here: A Novel | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
So HAPPY for @keithdonohue.bsky.social's take on @ambersparks.bsky.social's new HAPPY PEOPLE DON'T LIVE HERE. "a run-down apartment in a converted sanitorium. A handful of zany tenants...the adjacent graveyard." Yes! @wirobooks.bsky.social
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/h...
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/h...