Josh Cook
@joshthelibromancer.bsky.social
Co-owner of @portersqbooks.bsky.social Author of The Art of Libromancy & An Exaggerated Murder. Opinions my own. BlueSky for @authorsabb.bsky.social & @massaabb.bsky.social He/him https://linktr.ee/joshthelibromancer
Pinned
Josh Cook
@joshthelibromancer.bsky.social
· Oct 21
www.portersquarebooks.com
An intro post for the latest BlueSky wave! I'm a writer & bookseller w/ @portersqbooks.bsky.social where I mostly hype books from small presses written by marginalized voices or works in translation. If you're into the books on this list www.portersquarebooks.com/category/sta... you dig my taste
Reposted by Josh Cook
Porter Square Books, is (one of my) local booksellers - kinda spoiled by good ones in the area & they're among the best - but also kudos for them using ordering a book about one of the transiest zines of the 90s as their exemplar in this thread.
When you're asking for books, ask your loved ones to buy them from a specific store. If you just say "I want GenderTrash from Hell," well, you know where they'll get it, but if you say "I want GenderTrash from Hell from PSB," well, it's like an extra present if they get it from us...
November 27, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Porter Square Books, is (one of my) local booksellers - kinda spoiled by good ones in the area & they're among the best - but also kudos for them using ordering a book about one of the transiest zines of the 90s as their exemplar in this thread.
Reposted by Josh Cook
"Left on the economy, right on the culture," is just fascism in the end. Also it will never take you left on the economy in the long run, because a machine built for eating people will keep eating people.
"Left on the economy, right on culture" is also, as needs repeating a hundred thousand time, the central lie of fascism.
OF COURSE it appeals to the in-group who thinks their well-being AND their prejudices will be pandered to.
OF COURSE it appeals to the in-group who thinks their well-being AND their prejudices will be pandered to.
The thing about "left on the economy, right on culture" is it's based on analysis of swing voters. Those voters are often low attention and their politics are often not especially coherent. Which is fine for them, it's not their job to run the country, but, you know, the government is
November 27, 2025 at 1:22 PM
"Left on the economy, right on the culture," is just fascism in the end. Also it will never take you left on the economy in the long run, because a machine built for eating people will keep eating people.
Reposted by Josh Cook
We know that, for a ton of reasons, a lot of folks don't have as much to spend as they'd like this holiday season. Sooooooo, here's a thread of things you can do that will support your local indie bookstore or other business WITHOUT spending any more than you intended...
November 26, 2025 at 10:26 PM
We know that, for a ton of reasons, a lot of folks don't have as much to spend as they'd like this holiday season. Sooooooo, here's a thread of things you can do that will support your local indie bookstore or other business WITHOUT spending any more than you intended...
Reposted by Josh Cook
Malinda has been doing so much incredible work for the cause both behind the scenes & being a public figure for the right to read. Would love to see, I don't know, 10 donations to AABB in her name today. Be a great way to thank her for her work.
November 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Malinda has been doing so much incredible work for the cause both behind the scenes & being a public figure for the right to read. Would love to see, I don't know, 10 donations to AABB in her name today. Be a great way to thank her for her work.
Reposted by Josh Cook
A reminder: For the Holidays, your friends and families want books. Buy them books. If you aren't sure which book to get them, buy them more books. People want books!
My family has been calling me a luddite for years, & I’ve never felt better about that moniker than I do now, after a cities conference highlighting AI data centers & a new push for more surveillance downtown. We don’t have to participate. This year, shop in local stores, buy actual books. 📚🎄🕎
Christmas is coming, and the Black Friday sales signal we’re in peak gift-buying season.
When you’re picking out gifts for friends and family this year, there’s a whole slew of tech products that are better to avoid. I put together a guide to help you through it.
When you’re picking out gifts for friends and family this year, there’s a whole slew of tech products that are better to avoid. I put together a guide to help you through it.
November 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
A reminder: For the Holidays, your friends and families want books. Buy them books. If you aren't sure which book to get them, buy them more books. People want books!
Reposted by Josh Cook
People need food. Market won’t provide it. Government should. It’s literally the whole point.
Turns out Mamdani's controversial proposal for government-run supermarkets isn't so novel. Other cities also are toying with the idea to bring fresh, affordable food to communities that do not have easy access to it. Good WSJ read (gift link)
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
Inside Atlanta’s First Government-Funded Supermarket
The goal is for the store to become profitable without any government subsidy within three years.
www.wsj.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
People need food. Market won’t provide it. Government should. It’s literally the whole point.
November Yesterday Today Tomorrow Forever is scheduled for tomorrow, but you can save it to read while you're family talks about something boring on Thursday! Sign up here:
Josh's Newsletter
joshs-newsletter-dc434e.beehiiv.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:14 AM
November Yesterday Today Tomorrow Forever is scheduled for tomorrow, but you can save it to read while you're family talks about something boring on Thursday! Sign up here:
Reposted by Josh Cook
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
I see some book piracy discourse, and, to make a positive argument in favor of buying books, your marginal ability to influence what books get published and support the careers of writers you like is massive compared to most other forms of media.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.
Reposted by Josh Cook
This is what AABB has been talking about. This is a truly insane overreach, and people on the ground are really scared.
1. In Tennessee, public libraries have closed for up to a week to facilitate a Trump-inspired book purge.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) has ordered most of the state's public librarians to remove children's books with LGBTQ characters or themes.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) has ordered most of the state's public librarians to remove children's books with LGBTQ characters or themes.
Tennessee public libraries close for Trump-inspired book purge
One hundred and eighty-one public libraries in Tennessee are reviewing their children’s collections after Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) ordered them to remove books with LGBTQ themes…
popular.info
November 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM
This is what AABB has been talking about. This is a truly insane overreach, and people on the ground are really scared.
Reposted by Josh Cook
Are you an author? Come slay dragons with us.
November 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Are you an author? Come slay dragons with us.
Reposted by Josh Cook
pro wrestling
I figure Ken Burns has one, maybe two big documentary series in him before he fully retires. What do you think they should be? My votes include Football, Hip-Hop, World War 1, Reconstruction (though Skip Gates did this one well), Iraq/Afghanistan, 19th Century Expansionism.
November 25, 2025 at 2:29 AM
pro wrestling
Reposted by Josh Cook
AABB has joined Read Freely Alabama, EveryLibrary, PEN America and other organizations in expressing alarm at a new ban on youth access to trans books by the Alabama Public Library Service. Read the full statement
Statement on Discriminatory APLS Code Change
Supporting the Right to Read in All Alabama Libraries
www.readfreelyalabama.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
AABB has joined Read Freely Alabama, EveryLibrary, PEN America and other organizations in expressing alarm at a new ban on youth access to trans books by the Alabama Public Library Service. Read the full statement
I think it's really difficult to talk about something like artists/writers pay without acknowledging that wages have not kept pace with inflation or productivity in decades. Nearly everyone has less spending power than they did before Regan & that puts downward pressure on EVERYTHING.
November 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I think it's really difficult to talk about something like artists/writers pay without acknowledging that wages have not kept pace with inflation or productivity in decades. Nearly everyone has less spending power than they did before Regan & that puts downward pressure on EVERYTHING.
Reposted by Josh Cook
I talked to Aftyn Behn, who's making a race of a U.S. House seat in and around Nashville that Trump won by 22 points.
Her big proposed bill in the state legislature would have ended grocery taxes in Tennessee and paid for it by stopping corporate tax avoidance. Perfect for the political moment.
Her big proposed bill in the state legislature would have ended grocery taxes in Tennessee and paid for it by stopping corporate tax avoidance. Perfect for the political moment.
Aftyn Behn: Running for Congress in deep red Tennessee
Aftyn Behn is trying to flip a seat Donald Trump won by 22 points in a December special election. Grocery bills and corporate taxes dominate.
prospect.org
November 24, 2025 at 3:06 PM
I talked to Aftyn Behn, who's making a race of a U.S. House seat in and around Nashville that Trump won by 22 points.
Her big proposed bill in the state legislature would have ended grocery taxes in Tennessee and paid for it by stopping corporate tax avoidance. Perfect for the political moment.
Her big proposed bill in the state legislature would have ended grocery taxes in Tennessee and paid for it by stopping corporate tax avoidance. Perfect for the political moment.
Reposted by Josh Cook
The high pressure question of the holiday gift-buying season descends upon us once again: Is this dad a Civil War book dad or a World War II book dad?
November 24, 2025 at 6:47 PM
The high pressure question of the holiday gift-buying season descends upon us once again: Is this dad a Civil War book dad or a World War II book dad?
Reposted by Josh Cook
Alright #BookSky got a little time this afternoon, we're all staring down the barrel of the holiday shopping season, sooooo....give us your toughest reader to shop & we'll give you a recommendation for them.
November 24, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Alright #BookSky got a little time this afternoon, we're all staring down the barrel of the holiday shopping season, sooooo....give us your toughest reader to shop & we'll give you a recommendation for them.
Every Democrat in Congress should put out a video saying troops have an obligation to refuse unlawful orders. Make them prosecute all of you. This isn't a close call.
I'd add Republicans too if I thought any of them had the courage to actually cross Trump on this.
I'd add Republicans too if I thought any of them had the courage to actually cross Trump on this.
Hegseth is now threatening to recall Sen. Mark Kelly to active duty in order to court martial him.
November 24, 2025 at 5:59 PM
The opportunities for total chaos in this
Support emerging writers! Attend a totally unique creative competition! Take a break from thinking about holiday shopping! So many reasons to attend our first ever Write Off!
Write-Off Fundraiser
Join Porter Square Books: Boston Edition for our First Ever Write-Off Fundraiser for GrubStreet’s Emerging Writer Fellowship.
What’s a Write-Off?
Writers will compete in a live test of their literary chops! The competitors will respond to timed, writing prompts.
portersquarebooks.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:49 PM
The opportunities for total chaos in this
Reposted by Josh Cook
I read Caren Beilin’s Sea, Poison on recommendation of Josh from @portersqbooks.bsky.social and it was so good I immediately read Revenge of the Scapegoat. Now @davidnaimon.bsky.social drops the latest conversation with Beilin, which means I get to listen to her talk about both books back to back.
November 23, 2025 at 10:04 PM
I read Caren Beilin’s Sea, Poison on recommendation of Josh from @portersqbooks.bsky.social and it was so good I immediately read Revenge of the Scapegoat. Now @davidnaimon.bsky.social drops the latest conversation with Beilin, which means I get to listen to her talk about both books back to back.
Reposted by Josh Cook
If I organized a meet-up for radical trekkies to discuss radical Star Trek, why we love it, and how we want to engage with the struggles of our real-world moment, here, in Chicago, how many people would show up?
November 24, 2025 at 2:41 AM
If I organized a meet-up for radical trekkies to discuss radical Star Trek, why we love it, and how we want to engage with the struggles of our real-world moment, here, in Chicago, how many people would show up?
The random phenomena of existence has coalesced into what I think is my first poetry focused edition of my newsletter! Should be out in a couple of days so you can read it while ignoring your family at Thanksgiving
Josh's Newsletter
joshs-newsletter-dc434e.beehiiv.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:12 AM
The random phenomena of existence has coalesced into what I think is my first poetry focused edition of my newsletter! Should be out in a couple of days so you can read it while ignoring your family at Thanksgiving
Some of you have never had to keep your shit together while reading City Dog, Country Frog to your toddler and it shows
November 24, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Some of you have never had to keep your shit together while reading City Dog, Country Frog to your toddler and it shows
Hey, does anyone else remember how we eventually learned that Russian bots & operatives used Facebook to specifically target swing districts in 2016 & Trump's electoral college victory hinged almost entirely on thin margins in these absolutely vital districts?
If you’re a journalist who’s still on Twitter, from now on in your writing you have to replace “the American people want” with “troll bots in Eastern Europe demand”
Being there makes your judgment suspect. I don’t care how savvy you think you are, you’re marinating in a disinformation campaign.
Being there makes your judgment suspect. I don’t care how savvy you think you are, you’re marinating in a disinformation campaign.
November 23, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Hey, does anyone else remember how we eventually learned that Russian bots & operatives used Facebook to specifically target swing districts in 2016 & Trump's electoral college victory hinged almost entirely on thin margins in these absolutely vital districts?
Reposted by Josh Cook
Do you or does someone you love live in the mid-Hudson Valley and want books for the holidays? I'm doing a limited run of curated book bags for folks — 3 titles, either hc or pb, in a Rough Draft tote with a little swag on the side. roughdraftny.square.site/shop/holiday...
November 22, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Do you or does someone you love live in the mid-Hudson Valley and want books for the holidays? I'm doing a limited run of curated book bags for folks — 3 titles, either hc or pb, in a Rough Draft tote with a little swag on the side. roughdraftny.square.site/shop/holiday...