Katherine Argent
@katherineargent.bsky.social
Writer in Kansas City. I read about everything, so I post about everything. Funny how that works.
“One of the things that I don’t think is getting talked enough about outside of Minnesota,” she said after a pause, “is how much this feels like ethnic cleansing. People are so afraid to go out and participate in public life regardless of their citizenship status. This isn’t about immigration.”
“Everything We Do Matters.” Minneapolis’s Moon Palace Books is a Hub For Anti-ICE Resistance
Angela Schwesnedl from Moon Palace Books in Minneapolis picked up my phone call on Saturday almost two hours to the minute after Alex Pretti was murdered in the street by ICE officers. “If you have…
lithub.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:09 PM
“One of the things that I don’t think is getting talked enough about outside of Minnesota,” she said after a pause, “is how much this feels like ethnic cleansing. People are so afraid to go out and participate in public life regardless of their citizenship status. This isn’t about immigration.”
I’m jealous of writers who can knock out a draft in a day, turn it into a quality piece of writing by the end of the week, and never miss dinner or a decent night’s sleep in the process.
How do they do it?
I’m on round 5 of editing and can’t remember the last time I bathed.
#writinglife
How do they do it?
I’m on round 5 of editing and can’t remember the last time I bathed.
#writinglife
January 27, 2026 at 2:00 AM
I’m jealous of writers who can knock out a draft in a day, turn it into a quality piece of writing by the end of the week, and never miss dinner or a decent night’s sleep in the process.
How do they do it?
I’m on round 5 of editing and can’t remember the last time I bathed.
#writinglife
How do they do it?
I’m on round 5 of editing and can’t remember the last time I bathed.
#writinglife
Excellent craft insight from Seth Harwood. I’ll be checking the D-I-A ratio from now on.
Most writing advice tells you to cut ruthlessly.
But what if some of the most powerful writing happens in the spaces between your “important” scenes?
Author Seth Harwood offers powerful insight into storytelling using Raymond Carver as an example.
But what if some of the most powerful writing happens in the spaces between your “important” scenes?
Author Seth Harwood offers powerful insight into storytelling using Raymond Carver as an example.
The Art of Connective Tissue: What Raymond Carver Teaches Us About Building Character and Showing | Jane Friedman
Small bits of action—descending the stairs, cleaning off the car—might not be insignificant if they tell something about a character’s world.
janefriedman.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Excellent craft insight from Seth Harwood. I’ll be checking the D-I-A ratio from now on.
Many congratulations to Jaqueline! 🎉
AMAZING NEWS!!! So excited to announce that my hybrid essay collection THE LUNATICS’ BALL is the runner-up for the Gournay Prize and will be published in the 21st Century Essay series by Mad Creek Books (the literary imprint of Ohio University Press) in 2027. My dream publisher!
January 25, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Many congratulations to Jaqueline! 🎉
Reposted by Katherine Argent
That tech oligarchs are noisy and incensed about the remote possibility of a wealth tax and utterly silent about the murder of a man who was only using the phone they invented to chronicle the thuggish government goon squads should tell you everything about these desiccated souls.
January 25, 2026 at 1:37 AM
That tech oligarchs are noisy and incensed about the remote possibility of a wealth tax and utterly silent about the murder of a man who was only using the phone they invented to chronicle the thuggish government goon squads should tell you everything about these desiccated souls.
Zoom in on the eyes. When I look back at my husband’s photos, I’m always struck by how one eye — the one in front of his temporal lobe glioblastoma — was so much different than the other.
And a tumor in that spot also leads to lies, rambling, incoherence, paranoia, violent temper, fatigue. Bigly.
And a tumor in that spot also leads to lies, rambling, incoherence, paranoia, violent temper, fatigue. Bigly.
January 24, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Zoom in on the eyes. When I look back at my husband’s photos, I’m always struck by how one eye — the one in front of his temporal lobe glioblastoma — was so much different than the other.
And a tumor in that spot also leads to lies, rambling, incoherence, paranoia, violent temper, fatigue. Bigly.
And a tumor in that spot also leads to lies, rambling, incoherence, paranoia, violent temper, fatigue. Bigly.
And don’t hit me up for a campaign donation. I donated, knocked on doors, and voted. You sat and watched the country get taken over by a lawless band of goons who treat the Constitution like it’s toilet paper and truth like it’s poison.
One of us owes loyalty to the other. Time to learn who’s who.
One of us owes loyalty to the other. Time to learn who’s who.
I don’t want to hear anything from an elected official unless it’s a plan to defund the DHS and impeach Noem, Bovino, etc. No texts. No emails. No talk about the economy. Step up or step off.
January 24, 2026 at 8:35 PM
And don’t hit me up for a campaign donation. I donated, knocked on doors, and voted. You sat and watched the country get taken over by a lawless band of goons who treat the Constitution like it’s toilet paper and truth like it’s poison.
One of us owes loyalty to the other. Time to learn who’s who.
One of us owes loyalty to the other. Time to learn who’s who.
If I were a young lawyer, I’d be brushing up on Ex parte Young doctrine, Westfall Act substitution, and
Bivens claims — plus class action representation — in preparation for the litigation tsunami of 2028 that will seek to cleanse the nation of this administration’s stench and shame.
Bivens claims — plus class action representation — in preparation for the litigation tsunami of 2028 that will seek to cleanse the nation of this administration’s stench and shame.
January 24, 2026 at 3:05 AM
If I were a young lawyer, I’d be brushing up on Ex parte Young doctrine, Westfall Act substitution, and
Bivens claims — plus class action representation — in preparation for the litigation tsunami of 2028 that will seek to cleanse the nation of this administration’s stench and shame.
Bivens claims — plus class action representation — in preparation for the litigation tsunami of 2028 that will seek to cleanse the nation of this administration’s stench and shame.
Everyone is posting about grocery store shelves being wiped out ahead of snowmageddon. But here’s a twist: my neighborhood B&N was PACKED today.
Heartening to see when Big Tech’s saying writers don’t matter, no one reads anymore, and everyone wants AI slop.
#booksky #reading #snowmageddon
Heartening to see when Big Tech’s saying writers don’t matter, no one reads anymore, and everyone wants AI slop.
#booksky #reading #snowmageddon
Iconic 1990s bookstore Barnes & Noble to open 60 new stores in 2026, including in Illinois
The famous bookstore from the 1990s and early 2000s is continuing its comeback.
www.nbcchicago.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Everyone is posting about grocery store shelves being wiped out ahead of snowmageddon. But here’s a twist: my neighborhood B&N was PACKED today.
Heartening to see when Big Tech’s saying writers don’t matter, no one reads anymore, and everyone wants AI slop.
#booksky #reading #snowmageddon
Heartening to see when Big Tech’s saying writers don’t matter, no one reads anymore, and everyone wants AI slop.
#booksky #reading #snowmageddon
Do it, Minnesota. Lead the way! Show everyone that the teeth in Minnesota Nice aren’t just there for smiles.
Perhaps now that Uncle Olaf and Aunt Hilde have put down the lutefisk and stood up to take charge the rest of the damn country will stop enabling these goons.
Perhaps now that Uncle Olaf and Aunt Hilde have put down the lutefisk and stood up to take charge the rest of the damn country will stop enabling these goons.
It's -20 in Minneapolis and organizers are in the streets before dawn getting ready for actions related to the general strike. They've had locals training out-of-town volunteers on how to prepare for and endure the cold. AND IT IS WORKING. THE STRIKE IS HAPPENING. THE CITY IS DOING THE DAMN THING...
January 23, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Do it, Minnesota. Lead the way! Show everyone that the teeth in Minnesota Nice aren’t just there for smiles.
Perhaps now that Uncle Olaf and Aunt Hilde have put down the lutefisk and stood up to take charge the rest of the damn country will stop enabling these goons.
Perhaps now that Uncle Olaf and Aunt Hilde have put down the lutefisk and stood up to take charge the rest of the damn country will stop enabling these goons.
One of the nice things about getting old: no longer hearing from men, “You’re a writer? I always thought my life would make a great book. Maybe you should write about it?”
Sure, Sparky, that’s why I write: so you don’t have to bother with introspection.
Sure, Sparky, that’s why I write: so you don’t have to bother with introspection.
A relative writes stories and books and self-publishes. He sends me a lot of his manuscripts. As I get older, it gets more stressful. He doesn't accept criticism or many suggestions, and often replies defensively. Lots of self-praise. He isn't a hopeless writer, but refuses to learn. Tired of it.
January 23, 2026 at 9:42 PM
One of the nice things about getting old: no longer hearing from men, “You’re a writer? I always thought my life would make a great book. Maybe you should write about it?”
Sure, Sparky, that’s why I write: so you don’t have to bother with introspection.
Sure, Sparky, that’s why I write: so you don’t have to bother with introspection.
Just finished The Stranger. I read it in a couple of hours and didn’t enjoy a single minute. I’ve never been one for absurdism. So to me, it read as a tragedy: a man who believed nothing matters threw away his life and fulfilled his own prophecy.
January 23, 2026 at 3:21 AM
Just finished The Stranger. I read it in a couple of hours and didn’t enjoy a single minute. I’ve never been one for absurdism. So to me, it read as a tragedy: a man who believed nothing matters threw away his life and fulfilled his own prophecy.
Let’s not forget how the media derailed Howard Dean’s candidacy over “the Dean Scream” but is all but silent about the assault on our Constitutional rights and blatant efforts to derail democracy.
This is why it’s not just Republicans who’ve lost trust in the media.
This is why it’s not just Republicans who’ve lost trust in the media.
January 22, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Let’s not forget how the media derailed Howard Dean’s candidacy over “the Dean Scream” but is all but silent about the assault on our Constitutional rights and blatant efforts to derail democracy.
This is why it’s not just Republicans who’ve lost trust in the media.
This is why it’s not just Republicans who’ve lost trust in the media.
People who read are dangers for those who don’t. It’s not a matter of violence. It’s a matter of foreknowledge of what’s really at stake.
Via @literaryhub.bsky.social
Via @literaryhub.bsky.social
In the Twin Cities, indie bookstores are stepping up to ICE.
As ICE agents continue to terrorize the Twin Cities, indie bookstores are stepping up. As Claire Kirch reported in Publishers Weekly last Friday, booksellers in Minneapolis and St. Paul have joined…
lithub.com
January 21, 2026 at 12:00 AM
People who read are dangers for those who don’t. It’s not a matter of violence. It’s a matter of foreknowledge of what’s really at stake.
Via @literaryhub.bsky.social
Via @literaryhub.bsky.social
Dear World Leaders:
Please consider being a Democrat in the USA under the current administration sufficient for asylum. Obvs not high priority, but if you have room…
- Asking for the majority of voters who are stuck with the repulsive consequences of an electoral college system
Please consider being a Democrat in the USA under the current administration sufficient for asylum. Obvs not high priority, but if you have room…
- Asking for the majority of voters who are stuck with the repulsive consequences of an electoral college system
January 20, 2026 at 11:47 PM
Dear World Leaders:
Please consider being a Democrat in the USA under the current administration sufficient for asylum. Obvs not high priority, but if you have room…
- Asking for the majority of voters who are stuck with the repulsive consequences of an electoral college system
Please consider being a Democrat in the USA under the current administration sufficient for asylum. Obvs not high priority, but if you have room…
- Asking for the majority of voters who are stuck with the repulsive consequences of an electoral college system
Life these days feels like a long string of leaving one interaction thoroughly annoyed and needing a breather so I’m not pre-annoyed for the next one.
January 20, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Life these days feels like a long string of leaving one interaction thoroughly annoyed and needing a breather so I’m not pre-annoyed for the next one.
Motion to standardize how phone apps capitalize titles: either all automatically convert things to title case or none do.
Consistency is part of UX!
Consistency is part of UX!
January 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Motion to standardize how phone apps capitalize titles: either all automatically convert things to title case or none do.
Consistency is part of UX!
Consistency is part of UX!
Plot twist: At 58, I’ve headed back to school for the MFA I’d intended to get before law school, marriage, motherhood, and social media distracted me.
January 20, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Plot twist: At 58, I’ve headed back to school for the MFA I’d intended to get before law school, marriage, motherhood, and social media distracted me.
Forty-six percent of young people say they’d prefer a world without the internet. That’s not nostalgia — that’s exhaustion.
Read the essay →
effthealgorithm.com/p/your-alien...
Read the essay →
effthealgorithm.com/p/your-alien...
effthealgorithm.com
August 21, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Forty-six percent of young people say they’d prefer a world without the internet. That’s not nostalgia — that’s exhaustion.
Read the essay →
effthealgorithm.com/p/your-alien...
Read the essay →
effthealgorithm.com/p/your-alien...
Remember when The Sims loaded with nonsense updates like:
"Prelaminating Drywall Inventory…"
"Reticulating 3-Dimensional Splines…"
You didn’t know what it meant, but it showed the game was loading. That’s what AI’s chain-of-thought (CoT) is like — except it’s real and we need it. Here's why:
"Prelaminating Drywall Inventory…"
"Reticulating 3-Dimensional Splines…"
You didn’t know what it meant, but it showed the game was loading. That’s what AI’s chain-of-thought (CoT) is like — except it’s real and we need it. Here's why:
August 13, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Remember when The Sims loaded with nonsense updates like:
"Prelaminating Drywall Inventory…"
"Reticulating 3-Dimensional Splines…"
You didn’t know what it meant, but it showed the game was loading. That’s what AI’s chain-of-thought (CoT) is like — except it’s real and we need it. Here's why:
"Prelaminating Drywall Inventory…"
"Reticulating 3-Dimensional Splines…"
You didn’t know what it meant, but it showed the game was loading. That’s what AI’s chain-of-thought (CoT) is like — except it’s real and we need it. Here's why:
I’m so proud to be part of this group of women and nonbinary folks writing about AI. There is nothing artificial about the intelligence here!
go.bsky.app/V6KAea1
go.bsky.app/V6KAea1
June 18, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I’m so proud to be part of this group of women and nonbinary folks writing about AI. There is nothing artificial about the intelligence here!
go.bsky.app/V6KAea1
go.bsky.app/V6KAea1
Google has announced its plan to write their own articles and answer search queries entirely.
With YOUR content.
Here’s how we got into this mess. And what creators need to do to fight back — while there’s still time.
effthealgorithm.com/p/google-use...
With YOUR content.
Here’s how we got into this mess. And what creators need to do to fight back — while there’s still time.
effthealgorithm.com/p/google-use...
Everything You Published Became Google’s Brain
You trained the machine and got nothing for it. Now what?
effthealgorithm.com
June 14, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Google has announced its plan to write their own articles and answer search queries entirely.
With YOUR content.
Here’s how we got into this mess. And what creators need to do to fight back — while there’s still time.
effthealgorithm.com/p/google-use...
With YOUR content.
Here’s how we got into this mess. And what creators need to do to fight back — while there’s still time.
effthealgorithm.com/p/google-use...
The goal is to make you a predictable, known quantity.
Why?
Because predictable people are easier to monetize.
open.substack.com/pub/efftheal...
Why?
Because predictable people are easier to monetize.
open.substack.com/pub/efftheal...
Your Alienation Is Engineered
The numbness, disconnection, and self-censoring you feel is all part of their business model.
open.substack.com
June 12, 2025 at 4:19 AM
The goal is to make you a predictable, known quantity.
Why?
Because predictable people are easier to monetize.
open.substack.com/pub/efftheal...
Why?
Because predictable people are easier to monetize.
open.substack.com/pub/efftheal...
Last week, I wrote about how platforms convert your leisure time into unpaid labor, turning your time into their profit on the Attention Farm. This week, we’re going deeper: into the emotional, relational, and civic costs of living inside their system.
Your Alienation Is Engineered
The numbness, disconnection, and self-censoring you feel is all part of their business model.
open.substack.com
June 10, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Last week, I wrote about how platforms convert your leisure time into unpaid labor, turning your time into their profit on the Attention Farm. This week, we’re going deeper: into the emotional, relational, and civic costs of living inside their system.
What were you doing right before you picked up your phone just now?
Do you remember why you grabbed it?
If not, you’re not alone. The algorithms are designed to pull you back to your phone, over and over.
Find out why, how, and how to make it stop in tomorrow’s Substack.
It’s a doozy.
Do you remember why you grabbed it?
If not, you’re not alone. The algorithms are designed to pull you back to your phone, over and over.
Find out why, how, and how to make it stop in tomorrow’s Substack.
It’s a doozy.
June 10, 2025 at 12:40 AM
What were you doing right before you picked up your phone just now?
Do you remember why you grabbed it?
If not, you’re not alone. The algorithms are designed to pull you back to your phone, over and over.
Find out why, how, and how to make it stop in tomorrow’s Substack.
It’s a doozy.
Do you remember why you grabbed it?
If not, you’re not alone. The algorithms are designed to pull you back to your phone, over and over.
Find out why, how, and how to make it stop in tomorrow’s Substack.
It’s a doozy.