Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 2h

Honestly, yes

James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 7h

If you're going to a No Kings march instead of a witty sign that might elicit a chuckle maybe you could just carry an American flag

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Reposted by Mike Meginnis

Amber Sparks @ambersparks.bsky.social · 6h

My book comes out today! It’s sad and funny and a little spooky and a lot mysterious and very weird, and you can buy it wherever fine books are sold in indie stores bookshop.org/p/books/happ...

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Reposted by Mike Meginnis

Steve Himmer @shimmer.bsky.social · 6h

Thursday night at @harvardbookstore.bsky.social I'll be in conversation with @ambersparks.bsky.social. Hope to see you there! www.harvard.com/event/amber-...

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 6h

I feel like it's natural for there to be fewer male novelists when there are fewer male readers of fiction, and that neither is really an indictment of anything in particular. Men should read more. When I write I imagine myself in what is basically a space for and by women and other genders.

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 1d

Your MFA in literary fiction has prepared you to help genre writers do their work! You almost certainly know everything you need to if you have one and can apply it with any creativity.

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 1d

The thing folks never seem ready to hear when I make this argument is that you barely have to do anything differently when you teach genre: especially given the level of accomplishment most students bring to class, they all end up needing more or less the same techniques and information anyway.

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 1d

Judging from the way people in the lit world often respond when I say it, by far my most unhinged take is that genres like horror, science fiction, fantasy, etc. are essential parts of the discipline of creative writing and if you can't handle teaching them you should maybe find another job.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 1d

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

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 1d

I'm still kind of embarrassed by what a large realization it was for me the first time I encountered an argument along these lines. So, so much exculpatory "how could they possibly have known it was wrong?" bullshit falls apart when you remember they could have asked the people they were killing.

Sexy Andrew Hickey Costume @andrewhickey.500songs.com · 1d

Also, all the people he tortured, raped, enslaved and mutilated were also people of their time. I suspect if anything they felt rather *more* strongly that Columbus was a bad person than even the most fingerwagging person on Bluesky does.

Always worth thinking who we count as "of their time".

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d

yearly reminder to people insisting that we view Christopher Columbus as "a man of his time" that *the people responsible for the Spanish Inquisition* thought Columbus was out of pocket

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Reposted by Mike Meginnis

Boo!-per Lund @cooperlund.online · 1d

These guys are terrified of the numbers that are going to turn out on Saturday, and that's all the more reason to put down your "wine mom protest" objections and join them.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Bessent: "No Kings means no paychecks. No paychecks and no government."

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Reposted by Mike Meginnis

Bastard Child of the Nuclear Bomb @strangeclay.bsky.social · 1d

Giant Winnie the Pooh throwing a trash can through the window of a cell phone store

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 1d

Imagine how widely shared the footage would be if there were a bunch of violent antifa frogs, unicorns, Cooke Monsters, etc. doing terrible violence to ICE. You'd be lucky to ever see anything else on a screen again

Michael Edison Hayden @michaelehayden.bsky.social · 1d

“They are highly organized … [they] have purchased their own animal costumes”

Andy ngo mad about muppets again — this time in Chicago

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 2d

These dumb assholes can't even end civilization correctly

Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 2d

The Trump administration on Saturday scrambled to rescind layoffs of hundreds of CDC scientists who were mistakenly fired on Friday night in what appeared to be a substantial procedural lapse.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/h...

Trump Administration Is Bringing Back Scores of C.D.C. Experts Fired in Error

www.nytimes.com

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 2d

Saw 100 METERS with Tracy last night. Had some virtuosic sequences, which I wish existed in service of a more interesting story. I'll admit I did really vibe with this guy, whose deal was asking the audience, "Are you sure I'm not one of the main characters in this anime?"

A picture of Kaido, the shades-wearing scraggly middle-aged runner in 100 METERS.

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Reposted by Mike Meginnis

LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 @longtimehistory.bsky.social · 2d

ICE drag girl out of car & body slam her to ground—then pin her face down & kneel on her neck.

"I'm 15!" she cries out. "I'm not resisting!"

Agents have now asked multiple area housing associations to unlock main doors—so they can go door to door.

Hoffman Estates, Illinois

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 2d

If we wanted to make a policy on this point nationally or as a party I'd be okay with either, but if you're a person running a primary against a mummy-aged person and you can't take advantage of that difference, I don't know that I want you on my party's ticket in a general. Sounds like you suck.

Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 2d

My feeling on people running for office while old is that it's a legitimate knock on their candidacies, and people running against them in primaries should absolutely feel free to make that part of the argument against them, though they should do so in dignified and tactful ways when possible.

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 2d

I feel like it's both great and one of the hardest watches there is among things I really enjoy. PAPRIKA is my favorite movie by a mile, I rewatch it in a way I've never rewatched anything, and this one shares enough with that one I can't help loving it, and yet I can also barely sit through it.

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Reposted by Mike Meginnis

Jason Adams @jamnpp.bsky.social · 3d

Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world,... I feel like I can't take it. And my heart is just going to cave in.

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 3d

I am a Normal Men enjoyer and would love to have you on. 🙂

Will DM to schedule

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 3d

Ken Burns-style letter from the front written by a man whose Internet keeps going down right as he begins to trust and rely on it again

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Reposted by Mike Meginnis

Ryan North? But - he died... 30 years ago this very night!! @ryannorth.ca · 3d

I used to get mad when people misused "decimated" to refer to things that weren't 1/10th destroyed, but I've given it some thought and now I've done a complete 360 on it

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 3d

How does everyone find out what the thing will be for a given day

Is there an announcement

Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 3d

this mf said "cartoon put"

Reposted by Mike Meginnis

Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 4d

My home's Internet remains broken, but the show must go on: episode 2 of Library Pizza, my podcast about reading, features a careening literary conversation with my friend @philosiraptor.bsky.social, a cartoon put, who kindly did the art for the pod. Links to various feeds at librarypizza.com.

The podcast art for Library Pizza, which features a slice of tasty pizza on an open book.

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Mike Meginnis @mikemeginnis.bsky.social · 3d

So the thing is that historically I support touching the stove but lately it feels like this old lunatic is going to break things bad enough we don't really have to help and at this point putting on the brakes may even be necessary