Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 21m

After residency, the bulk of the semester is 1-on-1 mentorship & faculty-guided independent study. It's highly individualized: My goal as an advisor is to meet my students where they are & help them develop the skills/expertise to meet their semester goals & chase their ever-expanding wild ambitions

Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 37m

VCFA residencies happen twice per year on the CalArts campus AND online. For the past several semesters I've done residency online & it's a lovely, robust experience with lots of strong community vibes. There are Cloud-only events (workshop, seminars) & hybrid events with campus folk (lectures, etc)

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 43m

New scholarships available for incoming students in the Writing for Children & Young Adults low-residency MFA program at VFCA (where I teach), funded by kid lit legend Katherine Paterson.

Thinking about applying? I'm happy to chat! vcfa.edu/admissions/v...

Katherine Paterson is empowering the next generation of writers. $2,500 scholarships now available exclusively for incoming winter MFA WCYA students! Apply now! vcfa.edu. Katherine Paterson Scholarships. MFA in WCYA at VCFA, a CalArts affiliate.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 1d

If it's a complete surprise who the killer was, the ending is unearned and book is unsatisfying.

Whydoneits >>>>>> Whodoneits

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

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Reposted by Anica Mrose Rissi

Adam (glad to be here) @apeltapauls.bsky.social · 1d

More books should have illustrations, or even just little doodles by the author. Victorian authors understood this, Kurt Vonnegut understood this, I don’t know why we don’t do it more.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

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Reposted by Anica Mrose Rissi

Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 14d

It's getting ~spooky~ out there, so just a reminder that this book exists. 👻🖤 It has "all the makings of a modern classic...like Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" (SLJ, starred review) and is "certain to be a gateway drug to @stephenking.bsky.social" (Portland Press Herald).

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Reposted by Anica Mrose Rissi

Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

How to celebrate Banned Books Week: Read up on your local candidates for school board (and learn how to read between the lines--scarier candidates in my district basically speak in code); vote for the ones who will protect the freedom to read; encourage your friends & neighbors to do the same.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 2d

I'd like to thank the raindrops for saving me from that guy I didn't want to be talked at by at the dog park today.

(Don't worry; Tato still had fun.)

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 4d

'tis the season

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Reposted by Anica Mrose Rissi

skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · 5d

How to be an informed, pro-library, anti-book ban voter in upcoming fall elections (if you have them) and well into the future.

Don't just celebrate banned books. Don't just read banned books. VOTE to support the democratic institutions creating access to them.

bookriot.com/library-elec...

Be an Informed Pro-Library, Pro-Literary Voter Now: Book Censorship News, October 10, 2025

Elections in several states will be coming up throughout the months of October and November. Here's how to be a pro-library voter.

bookriot.com

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Reposted by Anica Mrose Rissi

Dev Petty @devpetty.bsky.social · 5d

🧵

It would be my grandmother's birthday today so I'd like to tell you a bit about her since it seems relevant right now.

I can tell you this...she would have hated Elon, AI, Tech bros etc.

Here are some bits from her 2007 NY Times Obit:

Ida R. Hoos Is Dead at 94; a Critic of Systems Analysis

A black and white image of a woman in her 80s with large glasses and a rye smile, seated and leaning on the arm of a chair.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

Anyway. Let me know if you want my opinion on which school board candidates to vote for in Montgomery, NJ. (Or my opinion on anything else, really. Always glad to tell you what I think you should do.) I know we're all frustrated w national politics/politicians--but local elections still matter a LOT

Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

Soft censorship not only prevents those existing books from getting into the hands of readers, it also prevents new books from underrepresented writers from being published at all. This isn't about celebrating 1984 and THE CATCHER IN THE RYE.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

Soft censorship--in which overworked teachers and librarians don't order books they anticipate as likely to be challenged (which are predominantly books by LGBTQ+ authors and writers of color)--is an enormous problem these days.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

(quotes above are from an incumbent school board candidate in my district)

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

Yes, this matters even in states like mine where there's a statewide Freedom to Read Act or similar. School board members who insist on "oversight" of what books educators put in school/class libraries & who champion "parental rights to protect their children's innocence" can still do serious damage

Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

How to celebrate Banned Books Week: Read up on your local candidates for school board (and learn how to read between the lines--scarier candidates in my district basically speak in code); vote for the ones who will protect the freedom to read; encourage your friends & neighbors to do the same.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

Yes, this matters even in states like mine where there's a statewide Freedom to Read Act or similar. School board members insisting on "oversight" of what books are in school & classroom libraries and pushing for "parental rights to protect their children's innocence" can still do serious damage

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 5d

How to celebrate Banned Books Week: Read up on your local candidates for school board (and learn how to read between the lines--scarier candidates in my district basically speak in code); vote for the ones who will protect the freedom to read; encourage your friends & neighbors to do the same.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 8d

I'm excited to wake up even earlier tomorrow to catch another sunrise and return to Ocean City for writing workshops with three groups of 7th graders. Visiting schools and getting the students excited about reading & writing is truly one of the greatest joys of author life ♥️

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 8d

After performing dramatic reading of a spooky story told only through text msgs ("You're It" from my collection HIDE AND DON'T SEEK: AND OTHER VERY SCARY STORIES), the 5th graders wrote stories of their own told only through texts or dialogue (students' choice). They came up with some great stuff!

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 8d

The second group of 5th graders invented a tale about an afeared bunny named Snowball, who, alas, was correct to be concerned about that strange noise--and those glowing eyes--in the bushes at night.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 8d

Saw a beautiful sunrise over misty fields on my drive to Ocean City, NJ, this morning & spent an excellent day leading writing workshops with creative 5th graders. In our warmup exercise, the 1st group invented a story about a pigeon who dresses up as a football player to try to score a pizza slice

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 9d

This week I get to wake up verrrrrrrry early to lead two full days of writing workshops with 5th and 7th graders in Ocean City, NJ (one of my favorite things to do). I'll be setting two alarms, since the night before an author visit, I get so excited about going to school, it's hard to fall asleep ♥️

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 14d

HIDE AND DON'T SEEK: AND OTHER VERY SCARY STORIES is "a strong choice for both horror fiends and those just wanting to dip their toes into scarier waters” (Booklist)—perfect for readers ages 8 to 888.

(Please don’t share it with any 889-year-olds. I shudder to think what might happen.)

Hardcover of Hide and Don't Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories by Anica Mrose Rissi, with illustrations by Carolina Godina, on a (spooky?) pile of sticks.

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Anica Mrose Rissi @anicarissi.bsky.social · 14d

HIDE AND DON’T SEEK: AND OTHER VERY SCARY STORIES is a collection of 20 original spooky tales—some as silly as they are scary, some that will send a tingle up your spine, and a few that may make you want to hide under the covers and not come back out—with gorgeous illustrations by Carolina Godina.

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