Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · 16h

If you or any poet-friends want to get involved in Public School Poetry, send us some work! Our contributors write "5-paragraph essays" for each other (the poems randomly, anonymously assigned, of course). It is, we hope, a totally different kind of engagement than you can find anywhere else!

Public School Poetry @publicschoolpoetry.bsky.social · 16h

For the next six glorious weeks, the submission window for Issue #6 of Public School Poetry is open! Homework is due December 1st!

publicschoolpoetry.submittable.com/submit

Public School Poetry Submission Manager

publicschoolpoetry.submittable.com

David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · 1d

After teaching, before take-out and Survivor

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Emma Bolden @emmabolden.bsky.social · 5d

i would be such a good writer if books did not require tension, character development, or settings

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Roxane Gay @roxanegay.bsky.social · 6d

Libra season is upon us. My power is now infinite and fall has finally fallen. Crisp and clear today. Praise Beyoncé.

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hayden johnson @haydenjohnsonn.bsky.social · 21d

every AI ad is like

“hey gemini, what would i have for lunch?”

and then the phone is like

“sandwich”

and the guy is like

“wow”

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Julie Babcock @juliebabcock.bsky.social · 14d

#Northernspys

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Public School Poetry @publicschoolpoetry.bsky.social · 14d

So excited to check out Laura Passin's new book! (featuring one of our favorite 'A Wrinkle in Time'-themed poems... www.publicschoolpoetry.com/laura-passin)

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Aaron Stewart-Ahn @badideas.bsky.social · 16d

Didn’t see this anywhere else,
Prez walks out after Lockjaw’s psycho speech to zero applause: ‘I’ve never walked into a room so silent before…’

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · 17d

My beloved grows otherworldly tomatoes

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · 18d

It's got a haunted/loungey feel that's like catnip to me right now for some reason

David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · 18d

Every so often I fixate on a very specific flavor--a few months ago it was spicy chili crisp; right now, it's the song "Bologna" by Destroyer. I plan to listen to this song on repeat until I barf
youtu.be/LCEqe50p8Bw?...

Destroyer - Bologna (feat. Fiver) (Official Music Video)

YouTube video by Destroyer

youtu.be

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · 29d

Melania about to ferry this whole group across the River Styx

Tom Jamieson @tomjam.bsky.social · 29d

Loving Melania entering her Grim Reaper mode. Just needs a scythe!

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Sep 15

Featuring work by @jeffkass21.bsky.social, @kavetchnik.bsky.social, @jessicawalsh.bsky.social, and seven other poets who are not on Bluesky!

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Sep 15

Issue #5 of @publicschoolpoetry.bsky.social is out now!
These poets were anonymously assigned a packet of poems by other contributors--and then agreed to write a five-paragraph essay in response. The results are delightful!

www.publicschoolpoetry.com/current-issue

CURRENT ISSUE | Public School Poetry

www.publicschoolpoetry.com

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Sep 13

I'm so excited for this issue! So many fantastic poems and essays coming through...

Public School Poetry @publicschoolpoetry.bsky.social · Sep 13

The TWO DAY countdown to Issue #5 has begun! And will end very shortly! See you Monday on publicschoolpoetry.com

Cover image for Issue #5 of Public School Poetry, featuring 10 poets & an image of Niagara Falls

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Public School Poetry @publicschoolpoetry.bsky.social · Sep 13

The TWO DAY countdown to Issue #5 has begun! And will end very shortly! See you Monday on publicschoolpoetry.com

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Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · Sep 13

These people have smarted themselves into the dumbest fucking arguments.

Determining whether someone is "doing politics the right way" depends almost entirely on the content of their speech! If someone lies constantly and endorses authoritarians that's not practicing good politics.

What Ezra means by "the right way," and what I meant expressing a similar line this morning, is that Kirk was operating within a liberal framework that was modeled on persuasion and included real, robust support for free speech. Obviously it's not an endorsement of the content.

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Sep 7

Happy to confirm, from a place of gastrointestinal normalcy, that those 2-year expired running gels were, in fact, fine to eat

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Emma Bolden @emmabolden.bsky.social · Sep 3

i hope this email never finds you. i hope you are free

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Harry Turtledove @hntdove.bsky.social · Aug 26

Sycophancy 101--freshman sycophancy
Sycophancy 301--upper-division sycophancy
Sycophancy 501--graduate sycophancy
Sycophancy 701--postdoc sycophancy
Sycophancy 901--Steve Witkoff sycophancy

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Aug 26

Witkoff: "There's only one thing I wish for: that that Nobel committee finally gets its act together and realizes that you are the single finest candidate since that Nobel award was ever talked about."

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Aug 26

Got so many of those!

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · Aug 21

signed a deal while eating chili out of a coffee pot
i even gave my life to christ
in a cracker barrel parking lot

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Aug 21

Dropping off the kid at college yesterday I saw not one but two Youth wearing Creed band merch. What is this

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Aug 19

I COULD be prepping classes, but the One Water race is currently streaming live while these athletes complete a 60-hour, 250km swimrun race across the Swedish coast. Syllabi can wait!

www.youtube.com/live/fFec6eR...

ONE WATER RACE 2025 - LIVE

YouTube video by One Water Race

www.youtube.com

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David Ward @davidww.bsky.social · Aug 16

Such a fun race!!!

Julie Babcock @juliebabcock.bsky.social · Aug 16

You moved! You were amazing!

Swimrun racer with windblown hair getting a small cup of Gatorade from an orange cooler

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