David DeGusta
@davidwrites1.bsky.social
Writer / fiction / Iowa Writers’ Workshop / MacDowell / Yaddo | Ethiopia / literary translation from Amharic | Previously a paleoanthropologist.
www.davidwrites.net
Translator of the Ethiopian novel Oromay by Baalu Girma.
www.davidwrites.net/oromay
www.davidwrites.net
Translator of the Ethiopian novel Oromay by Baalu Girma.
www.davidwrites.net/oromay
“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”
Spotted in the SF Bay Area. Feels like an inflection point for me, marking the moment when I can no longer maintain even the illusion that I have some tentative understanding of wtf is going on in the world.
Spotted in the SF Bay Area. Feels like an inflection point for me, marking the moment when I can no longer maintain even the illusion that I have some tentative understanding of wtf is going on in the world.
October 22, 2025 at 2:36 PM
“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”
Spotted in the SF Bay Area. Feels like an inflection point for me, marking the moment when I can no longer maintain even the illusion that I have some tentative understanding of wtf is going on in the world.
Spotted in the SF Bay Area. Feels like an inflection point for me, marking the moment when I can no longer maintain even the illusion that I have some tentative understanding of wtf is going on in the world.
My “to read next” is a match …
September 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
My “to read next” is a match …
A sighting in the wild never gets old, or I sure hope it doesn’t. Spotted Oromay at @greenapplebooks.bsky.social at SF airport, in proximity to fellow Iowa grad Xochitl Gonzalez’s novel. A good start to my Bread Loaf journey.
August 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
A sighting in the wild never gets old, or I sure hope it doesn’t. Spotted Oromay at @greenapplebooks.bsky.social at SF airport, in proximity to fellow Iowa grad Xochitl Gonzalez’s novel. A good start to my Bread Loaf journey.
I took Apple’s feedback survey for Apple Music and was surprised to see that for the question “How do you listen to Apple Music?“ the possible answers did not include “on my computer.” Which maybe goes some way towards explaining why the Mac Music app is so bad. @siracusa.social
August 5, 2025 at 2:13 PM
I took Apple’s feedback survey for Apple Music and was surprised to see that for the question “How do you listen to Apple Music?“ the possible answers did not include “on my computer.” Which maybe goes some way towards explaining why the Mac Music app is so bad. @siracusa.social
If you were desperate to end your long-running podcast, murdering your co-host and claiming that they are “on vacation in Canada” would be one way to go. Like, hypothetically.
Many thanks to @mikeingram.bsky.social & @tmcallister.bsky.social (rip??) for 13 years (!!) of Bookfight.
Many thanks to @mikeingram.bsky.social & @tmcallister.bsky.social (rip??) for 13 years (!!) of Bookfight.
August 4, 2025 at 4:03 PM
If you were desperate to end your long-running podcast, murdering your co-host and claiming that they are “on vacation in Canada” would be one way to go. Like, hypothetically.
Many thanks to @mikeingram.bsky.social & @tmcallister.bsky.social (rip??) for 13 years (!!) of Bookfight.
Many thanks to @mikeingram.bsky.social & @tmcallister.bsky.social (rip??) for 13 years (!!) of Bookfight.
A top ten moment of my life occurred yesterday when I opened the pre-made salad kit (I know, I know, I usually do make my own but this week is busy) and discovered that it contained TWO packages of shredded cheese. That, my friends, is the taste of victory.
July 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
A top ten moment of my life occurred yesterday when I opened the pre-made salad kit (I know, I know, I usually do make my own but this week is busy) and discovered that it contained TWO packages of shredded cheese. That, my friends, is the taste of victory.
The retro/throwback sports apparel trend has officially gotten out of hand - I just saw an ad (below) for a “Retro Golden State Valkyries Logo T-shirt” from Homage. Folks, the Valkyries are an expansion franchise. Not sure how you can go “retro” during their very first season, but here we are. #wnba
July 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
The retro/throwback sports apparel trend has officially gotten out of hand - I just saw an ad (below) for a “Retro Golden State Valkyries Logo T-shirt” from Homage. Folks, the Valkyries are an expansion franchise. Not sure how you can go “retro” during their very first season, but here we are. #wnba
Isn’t there also a statue of his basset hound next to him? Asking for a friend. Two friends actually.
July 20, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Isn’t there also a statue of his basset hound next to him? Asking for a friend. Two friends actually.
Joyeux 14 juillet! Had some very nice ones in France, grateful to everyone I worked with and got to know there.
cc: @segovandevelde.bsky.social
cc: @segovandevelde.bsky.social
July 14, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Joyeux 14 juillet! Had some very nice ones in France, grateful to everyone I worked with and got to know there.
cc: @segovandevelde.bsky.social
cc: @segovandevelde.bsky.social
Brave Basset Confronts Cowardly Lion
June 5, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Brave Basset Confronts Cowardly Lion
Excited to dive in! @zyzzyvamag.bsky.social going strong at 40. Kudos @ovillalon.bsky.social & contributors @arlozoroff.bsky.social
@cubistoctopus.bsky.social
@poetkellycm.bsky.social
@mpalaia.bsky.social
@fetaplace.bsky.social
@dapowell.bsky.social
@kimsamek.bsky.social
@gregoryspatz.bsky.social
@cubistoctopus.bsky.social
@poetkellycm.bsky.social
@mpalaia.bsky.social
@fetaplace.bsky.social
@dapowell.bsky.social
@kimsamek.bsky.social
@gregoryspatz.bsky.social
June 3, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Excited to dive in! @zyzzyvamag.bsky.social going strong at 40. Kudos @ovillalon.bsky.social & contributors @arlozoroff.bsky.social
@cubistoctopus.bsky.social
@poetkellycm.bsky.social
@mpalaia.bsky.social
@fetaplace.bsky.social
@dapowell.bsky.social
@kimsamek.bsky.social
@gregoryspatz.bsky.social
@cubistoctopus.bsky.social
@poetkellycm.bsky.social
@mpalaia.bsky.social
@fetaplace.bsky.social
@dapowell.bsky.social
@kimsamek.bsky.social
@gregoryspatz.bsky.social
Me when I realize it’s Wednesday and I should really deal with the emails etc that I put off until “after the holiday weekend”:
May 28, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Me when I realize it’s Wednesday and I should really deal with the emails etc that I put off until “after the holiday weekend”:
Gracie confirms my working theory that every basset is adorable and also has resting hungry face.
May 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Gracie confirms my working theory that every basset is adorable and also has resting hungry face.
For all future submissions to lit mags, my cover letter will just be a photo of the basset hounds. Feel like that will be better for everyone involved.
May 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
For all future submissions to lit mags, my cover letter will just be a photo of the basset hounds. Feel like that will be better for everyone involved.
It seems we both have writing in the current issue of @barrelhouse.bsky.social and also both have basset hound(s)? If so, quite the coincidence!
May 20, 2025 at 2:17 PM
It seems we both have writing in the current issue of @barrelhouse.bsky.social and also both have basset hound(s)? If so, quite the coincidence!
Warming up for a whole new franchise - let’s go Valkyries! #WNBA #GoldenState
May 17, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Warming up for a whole new franchise - let’s go Valkyries! #WNBA #GoldenState
I’m routinely amused by how the New York Times’ weekly news quiz reveals things about its readership. Today, for example, 95% of responders knew the type of treatment a baby received for a rare disease, but only 67% knew which NBA team traded Luka Doncic and got the #1 pick in the draft lottery.
May 16, 2025 at 3:01 PM
I’m routinely amused by how the New York Times’ weekly news quiz reveals things about its readership. Today, for example, 95% of responders knew the type of treatment a baby received for a rare disease, but only 67% knew which NBA team traded Luka Doncic and got the #1 pick in the draft lottery.
Prediction: The last survivors of end-stage capitalism will be purveyors of current event t-shirts.
May 11, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Prediction: The last survivors of end-stage capitalism will be purveyors of current event t-shirts.
I’m 100% opposed to racist sports names/logos, whose removal is virtually always a result of activism from the community.
But the Warriors logo change occured before the occupation/reclamation of Alcatraz (began 11/20/69 vs start of NBA season 10/15/69; City logo introduced in 1966 per SF Chron).
But the Warriors logo change occured before the occupation/reclamation of Alcatraz (began 11/20/69 vs start of NBA season 10/15/69; City logo introduced in 1966 per SF Chron).
May 4, 2025 at 2:02 PM
I’m 100% opposed to racist sports names/logos, whose removal is virtually always a result of activism from the community.
But the Warriors logo change occured before the occupation/reclamation of Alcatraz (began 11/20/69 vs start of NBA season 10/15/69; City logo introduced in 1966 per SF Chron).
But the Warriors logo change occured before the occupation/reclamation of Alcatraz (began 11/20/69 vs start of NBA season 10/15/69; City logo introduced in 1966 per SF Chron).
When Your First Professional Job Was Being An Editor It Warps Your Brain, Part 72:
Was re-watching the pilot episode of True Detective and got distracted by inconsistent capitalization in the label of the videos. It doesn’t matter, but I can’t help noticing.
Was re-watching the pilot episode of True Detective and got distracted by inconsistent capitalization in the label of the videos. It doesn’t matter, but I can’t help noticing.
May 2, 2025 at 1:27 PM
When Your First Professional Job Was Being An Editor It Warps Your Brain, Part 72:
Was re-watching the pilot episode of True Detective and got distracted by inconsistent capitalization in the label of the videos. It doesn’t matter, but I can’t help noticing.
Was re-watching the pilot episode of True Detective and got distracted by inconsistent capitalization in the label of the videos. It doesn’t matter, but I can’t help noticing.
X marks the spot @yaddocommunity.bsky.social
April 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
X marks the spot @yaddocommunity.bsky.social
Blurb Creep: made a rare visit to the Amazon UK website to check a listing and was surprised to see that apparently blurbs are now being appended to book titles !?
(again, I was just checking some info - I buy books from indie bookstores or Bookshop dot org, not Amazon)
(again, I was just checking some info - I buy books from indie bookstores or Bookshop dot org, not Amazon)
April 17, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Blurb Creep: made a rare visit to the Amazon UK website to check a listing and was surprised to see that apparently blurbs are now being appended to book titles !?
(again, I was just checking some info - I buy books from indie bookstores or Bookshop dot org, not Amazon)
(again, I was just checking some info - I buy books from indie bookstores or Bookshop dot org, not Amazon)
View from my window at Yaddo.
April 14, 2025 at 2:30 PM
View from my window at Yaddo.
