As the World Stearns
@mikalroy.bsky.social
Former editorial director and editor; current agency head, book packager, and writer. USC film, Hollins U, Clarion West alum. Dad. Books & cats & f&sf & film & games & music & Brooklyn. He/him/foul unspeakable one.
Pinned
The world is too often unbearably heartbreaking. In lieu of all that, here is my cat, Maeby. I love her.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
What y'all need to understand is that "writing for the market" is flatly bonkers in traditional publishing, because "the market" when you start writing is not the same "market" that will be there when you finish the book, much less when they finally release it 2 years later.
Just write a good book.
Just write a good book.
November 19, 2025 at 2:39 AM
What y'all need to understand is that "writing for the market" is flatly bonkers in traditional publishing, because "the market" when you start writing is not the same "market" that will be there when you finish the book, much less when they finally release it 2 years later.
Just write a good book.
Just write a good book.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
Reposted by As the World Stearns
THEN YOU PURCHASE THEM AND DO NOT USE THE PROPERTY OF OTHERS
Open AI loses copyright case in Germany.
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Judge Elke Schwager summarized the case saying that if you want to build something and need components, "then you purchase them and do not use the property of others."
Blow for OpenAI in Germany as court rules song lyrics used illegally
A German court ruled on Tuesday that OpenAI violated copyright on nine popular songs in a lawsuit that marked another attempt to prevent the free use of artists' content online. The Munich Regional Co...
www.yahoo.com
November 14, 2025 at 9:23 PM
THEN YOU PURCHASE THEM AND DO NOT USE THE PROPERTY OF OTHERS
Reposted by As the World Stearns
People who hate Zohran and everything he stands for: Now that Zohran has won, the most effective thing he can do is betray all of his principles
November 6, 2025 at 2:39 PM
People who hate Zohran and everything he stands for: Now that Zohran has won, the most effective thing he can do is betray all of his principles
Reposted by As the World Stearns
Reposted by As the World Stearns
PSA to all authors affected by the Anthropic settlement: You don't have to file your claim right now. You have until March 2026 to do so. My agent advised that I should wait a little while and let things shake out. You *can* file now but it won't hurt to wait a bit and it might benefit you.
October 21, 2025 at 8:53 PM
PSA to all authors affected by the Anthropic settlement: You don't have to file your claim right now. You have until March 2026 to do so. My agent advised that I should wait a little while and let things shake out. You *can* file now but it won't hurt to wait a bit and it might benefit you.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
That really moving Marseillaise scene in Casablanca is now 400% more moving youtu.be/CbWgOpG1988
Casablanca - Marseillaise Scene (extended edition)
YouTube video by Jeremy Limb
youtu.be
October 11, 2025 at 9:26 PM
That really moving Marseillaise scene in Casablanca is now 400% more moving youtu.be/CbWgOpG1988
The world is too often unbearably heartbreaking. In lieu of all that, here is my cat, Maeby. I love her.
September 21, 2025 at 1:07 AM
The world is too often unbearably heartbreaking. In lieu of all that, here is my cat, Maeby. I love her.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
Everything is bad, but books are good. Get a book. Read the book. Cherish the book. Finish the book. Tell your friends about the book, and leave a review of the book. Hold the book close. Listen to what it tells you. Do as it commands. Place it on the dread altar and let it guide your every choice.
September 15, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Everything is bad, but books are good. Get a book. Read the book. Cherish the book. Finish the book. Tell your friends about the book, and leave a review of the book. Hold the book close. Listen to what it tells you. Do as it commands. Place it on the dread altar and let it guide your every choice.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
A friend perfectly summed up why legacy media is unequipped to adequately report on this moment/era in history:
September 13, 2025 at 5:15 PM
A friend perfectly summed up why legacy media is unequipped to adequately report on this moment/era in history:
Reposted by As the World Stearns
I wrote about how I am not buying the narrative that the anthropic AI settlement is good for authors: defector.com/if-the-thiev...
If The Thieving AI Company Can Survive The Legal Settlement, Then It Is Not Big Enough | Defector
There is an easy answer to the question “How long does it take to write a book?” but it is not a true one. The easy answer is the duration between when you actually start putting your pen down on the ...
defector.com
September 8, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I wrote about how I am not buying the narrative that the anthropic AI settlement is good for authors: defector.com/if-the-thiev...
Reposted by As the World Stearns
Christ almighty.
Democrats’ favorite research firm told them to avoid discussing Trump’s “rising authoritarianism” and focus on tariffs instead.
Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
August 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Christ almighty.
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Why do these people *still have jobs*
August 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Why do these people *still have jobs*
Reposted by As the World Stearns
All
Folks
Had
To
Do
Was
Vote
For
The
Super
Qualified
Black
Lady…
With
A
Degree
In
Economics
Folks
Had
To
Do
Was
Vote
For
The
Super
Qualified
Black
Lady…
With
A
Degree
In
Economics
August 23, 2025 at 3:36 AM
All
Folks
Had
To
Do
Was
Vote
For
The
Super
Qualified
Black
Lady…
With
A
Degree
In
Economics
Folks
Had
To
Do
Was
Vote
For
The
Super
Qualified
Black
Lady…
With
A
Degree
In
Economics
Reposted by As the World Stearns
RT if you also wish ill upon JK Rowling.
Outcry grows after multiple trans users were targeted for mild criticisms of the anti-trans billionaire.
Bluesky silenced trans voices over J.K. Rowling, here’s why
Outcry grows after multiple trans users were targeted for mild criticisms of the anti-trans billionaire.
bit.ly
August 21, 2025 at 1:43 PM
RT if you also wish ill upon JK Rowling.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
Cities are the best of us and there’s no future if they are captured by these goons
August 12, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Cities are the best of us and there’s no future if they are captured by these goons
Damn. Dire news.
It's profoundly saddening to read that AP will no longer be assigning or running book reviews because readers don't engage with them enough and they take too much effort to plan and assign. People complain about critics as gatekeepers; wait until all that's left is marketing.
August 11, 2025 at 2:16 AM
Damn. Dire news.
“Fiendishly well-constructed horror comedy” is the perfect description of this terrific movie. Such dark fun.
I rarely enjoy writing a review — reliving the experience of watching a movie — as much as I did with “Weapons,” the fiendishly well-constructed horror comedy that opened on Friday. Posting this (free) link if only to urge you all to see it in a theater with a roaring crowd.
wapo.st/4fuKo2J
wapo.st/4fuKo2J
Review | ‘Weapons’ is a fright-night delight from a promising director
Our critic says to see this one in a theater, if you can.
wapo.st
August 10, 2025 at 11:43 AM
“Fiendishly well-constructed horror comedy” is the perfect description of this terrific movie. Such dark fun.
Two days later and I am still giddy about how absolutely terrific Weapons is. Gruesome? Of course. But also full of surprising turns, a clever structure, and more laugh out loud funny than The Naked Gun. Just gd marvelous.
I need to see it again.
I need to see it again.
August 10, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Two days later and I am still giddy about how absolutely terrific Weapons is. Gruesome? Of course. But also full of surprising turns, a clever structure, and more laugh out loud funny than The Naked Gun. Just gd marvelous.
I need to see it again.
I need to see it again.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
True: @zohranmamdani lives in 1 unit of rent-stabilized housing.
Also true: Andrew Cuomo oversaw the loss of 96,064 units of rent-stabilized housing. And killed NYC’s program helping people move out of shelter.
Leaders must show moral clarity. Andrew, time to move out. 🧵
x.com/andrewcuomo/...
Also true: Andrew Cuomo oversaw the loss of 96,064 units of rent-stabilized housing. And killed NYC’s program helping people move out of shelter.
Leaders must show moral clarity. Andrew, time to move out. 🧵
x.com/andrewcuomo/...
August 9, 2025 at 1:04 PM
True: @zohranmamdani lives in 1 unit of rent-stabilized housing.
Also true: Andrew Cuomo oversaw the loss of 96,064 units of rent-stabilized housing. And killed NYC’s program helping people move out of shelter.
Leaders must show moral clarity. Andrew, time to move out. 🧵
x.com/andrewcuomo/...
Also true: Andrew Cuomo oversaw the loss of 96,064 units of rent-stabilized housing. And killed NYC’s program helping people move out of shelter.
Leaders must show moral clarity. Andrew, time to move out. 🧵
x.com/andrewcuomo/...
Reposted by As the World Stearns
Gretchen got suspended, so we have to extra spread the word about Black Flame's release. I had the chance to read it a few months back and it's such a brutal hard look at cultural trauma, assimilation, self hatred, revenge, and the messiness of history. It will knock your socks off
August 7, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Gretchen got suspended, so we have to extra spread the word about Black Flame's release. I had the chance to read it a few months back and it's such a brutal hard look at cultural trauma, assimilation, self hatred, revenge, and the messiness of history. It will knock your socks off
Reposted by As the World Stearns
Hey, so, TOTALLY not suggesting that RFK Jr. BACKS DOWN when we PUSH BACK, BUT if you’d like to call…
HHS Toll-Free: 1-877-696-6775
HHS Direct Line: 202-690-7000
PLEASE share and consider calling your senators and representatives as well.
NONE of this is okay.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
HHS Toll-Free: 1-877-696-6775
HHS Direct Line: 202-690-7000
PLEASE share and consider calling your senators and representatives as well.
NONE of this is okay.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
RFK Jr’s health department to halt $500m in mRNA vaccine research
Agency to end 22 federal contracts, questioning safety of technology credited with helping end Covid pandemic
www.theguardian.com
August 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Hey, so, TOTALLY not suggesting that RFK Jr. BACKS DOWN when we PUSH BACK, BUT if you’d like to call…
HHS Toll-Free: 1-877-696-6775
HHS Direct Line: 202-690-7000
PLEASE share and consider calling your senators and representatives as well.
NONE of this is okay.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
HHS Toll-Free: 1-877-696-6775
HHS Direct Line: 202-690-7000
PLEASE share and consider calling your senators and representatives as well.
NONE of this is okay.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Reposted by As the World Stearns
All. Of. This.
Do. Not. Use. AI. Period.
Do. Not. Use. AI. Period.
If I have to explain to you why it's a bad idea to use a machine that makes shit up 15-80% of the time AND destroys the environment AND contributes to rising fascism and genocide AND puts brilliant skillful creatives out of work by stealing their work, then we're already speaking different languages
August 6, 2025 at 6:13 PM
All. Of. This.
Do. Not. Use. AI. Period.
Do. Not. Use. AI. Period.
Reposted by As the World Stearns
The employee asked the girl and her mother if they needed help shopping. That’s it. That’s all. The misinformation, the insinuations (because the facts are inconveniently benign) are EXACTLY what was done to lesbians in the 80s. This is the product of hate and fear, not reality.
August 6, 2025 at 9:39 AM
The employee asked the girl and her mother if they needed help shopping. That’s it. That’s all. The misinformation, the insinuations (because the facts are inconveniently benign) are EXACTLY what was done to lesbians in the 80s. This is the product of hate and fear, not reality.