And how many anthologies are, genuinely, open call, you know? As an author, I dislike it, but I also dislike anthologies that have “open calls,” but practically speaking only have one to two open slots—it feels like a variation on the same thing

I’ve stood in front of this exact same shelf and had the exact same thought,
I fear

There’s maybe an adjacent essay to be written about the way that publishing leverages the term “gothic” and what that’s meant to invoke, as against or in conjunction with the weird

What movies have your favorite sound effects/Foley work? What makes sound design most effective for you?

you have my sword and my empty uhaul truck etc etc

i barely need the excuse but i'll take it anyway

now are we seeking revenge against costco, truffettes de france, our northern neighbors writ large, or all of the above

me when I spill my lunch while reading: in a promotion designed for booktok enjoyment….

they’re well-deserved!!

Frankly I think we could use more of this, overall!!!

Fukuyama and Find Out

Otherwise, the form of the confusion matters a lot. If it feels like a productive or intentional confusion then I’ll usually let it ride. But sometimes it feels like what I’m picking up on is the author not really knowing what they’re after, either.

I think genre matters a lot for me. If there’s a mystery element present, for example, I’m the world’s most trusting reader, I’ve never once figured out a twist before the detective character told me and I’m just so fine with it. Take me by the hand, I am as a newborn babe, &c