Stephi Cham
LightNews LightNews
banner
stephicham.com
Stephi Cham
@stephicham.com
720 followers 210 following 910 posts
Editor by day and night | LGBTQ+ Editors Association secretary, board of directors
Published by Publishers Weekly, Capstone Press, Strange Horizons, JAMA, et al.
Former medical end-of-life music therapist
she/her | StephiCham.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
stephicham.com
my grinchly Christmas wish is making someone else think of this every time the new Wicked movie gets brought up
tumblr post from loveprideanddeepfriedchicken. A portrait of Isaac Newton is altered so his face is green, captioned "I think I'll try defining gravity"
December 3, 2025 at 3:43 AM
stephicham.com
I've collected so many memes and posts that I'm pretty sure I could post a seasonally appropriate one for every day of December.
...Should I?
comic by worry lines 1st panel is person looking into black hole, captioned "staring into the abyss" 2nd panel is person holding gingerbread cookie and mug, and the black hole is decorated with holiday lights, captioned "staring into the abyss in December"
December 2, 2025 at 1:16 AM
stephicham.com
@diannalgunn.bsky.social I'm trying to figure out my domain hosting and was getting rapidly more and more frustrated when I saw a familiar face—so cool to encounter your work like this!
Article's "Our Experts" byline reads "Written by Dianna Gunn" and "Written by Zachary McAuliffe" with their profile pictures
November 13, 2025 at 7:19 AM
stephicham.com
Voting as Fire Extinguisher When the haunted house catches fire: a moment of indecision. The house was, after all, built on bones, and blood, and bad intentions. Everyone who enters the house feels that overwhelming dread, the evil that perhaps only fire can purge. It's tempting to just let it burn. And then I remember: there are children inside. -Kyle Tran Myhre
October 30, 2025 at 10:34 PM
stephicham.com
Jesus being helpful and technologically adept:
Excerpt from a printed copy of a deacon's script: One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these! I have these in a word document if that would be easier.
September 8, 2025 at 9:13 PM
stephicham.com
This poem changed my life, but very very subtly; I was sure my depression had reached a point of no return, but this was like a call from the other shore from someone who'd been where I was
The Wild Iris by Louise Glück At the end of my suffering there was a door. Hear me out: that which you call death I remember. Overhead, noises, branches of the pine shifting. Then nothing. The weak sun flickered over the dry surface. It is terrible to survive as consciousness buried in the dark earth. Then it was over: that which you fear, being a soul and unable to speak, ending abruptly, the stiff earth bending a little. And what I took to be birds darting in low shrubs. You who do not remember passage from the other world I tell you I could speak again: whatever returns from oblivion returns to find a voice: from the center of my life came a great fountain, deep blue shadows on azure sea water.
September 6, 2025 at 11:55 PM
stephicham.com
Shared this to my close friends story, so why not all of bluesky
oops in my meeting with our researcher today me: what happens if i make a mistake? researcher: it would depend on the mistake. what specifically are you afraid of? me: like, i get a patient's consent. they just got their right arm amputated so they sign with their left hand. it's invalid be it's non-dominant, but i don't know that. a month later the FDA finds out, they're horrified, i'm fired, they audit the hospital, the dept is shamed, and now lifesaving research is on hold at a world-famous hospital. i'm banned from working with anyone ever again and soon i must exile myself somewhere my ignorance can do no more harm researcher: me: researcher: do you have a therapist
September 4, 2025 at 2:46 AM
stephicham.com
I will take any chance to share this poem, which often comes to mind and brings quiet comfort.
Fiction I think of the innocent lives Of people in novels who know they'll die But not that the novel will end. How different they are From us. Here, the moon stares dumbly down, Through scattered clouds, onto the sleeping town, And the wind rounds up the fallen leaves, And somebody-namely me-deep in his chair, Riffles the pages left, knowing there's not Much time for the man and woman in the rented room, For the red light over the door, for the iris Tossing its shadow against the wall; not much time For the soldiers under the trees that line The river, for the wounded being hauled away To the cities of the interior where they will stay; The war that raged for years will come to a close, And so will everything else, except for a presence Hard to define, a trace, like the scent of grass After a night of rain or the remains of a voice That lets us know without spelling it out Not to despair; if the end is come, it too will pass. -Mark Strand
September 3, 2025 at 10:03 PM
stephicham.com
Yes it is! We're in a pretty populated area so I have AirTags for both dogs
small white dog sleeping on a pillow wearing blue airtag collar
September 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
stephicham.com
Her name is Mimi! Loves to assert dominance over our editorial assistant, Momo:
small white dog resting his head on computer keyboard
September 2, 2025 at 10:07 PM
stephicham.com
I have thousands of iPhone notes and whenever I tell people, they're like "oh you must have so many great ideas!"
well...
short iPhone note that reads only: "modern communist manifesto titled the fault in our tsars"
September 2, 2025 at 10:05 PM
stephicham.com
She's promoted herself to production editor. #StetPets
Small white Maltese dog in desk chair with bookshelf behind her
September 2, 2025 at 3:40 PM
stephicham.com
I'm starting to learn that sometimes joy CAN be easy. I made a thing and it made me happy.
pink and yellow beaded bracelet on a wrist with m&m tattoos pink and yellow beaded bracelet on a wrist
August 25, 2025 at 3:22 AM
stephicham.com
Real-time shot of me finally sending out some work today after a week of crisis #WeeknightWriters
Tired-looking man in apron says "started making it. had a breakdown. bon appétit." to three smiling people
August 22, 2025 at 12:04 AM
stephicham.com
Momo ran to the window, barking, practically in Mimi's face. Guess what she thinks of that?
small maltese dog barking toward window half a foot away from another small dog on a bean bag cushion, looking at the camera like Jim from The Office close up of small maltese dog looking at camera, alert and with a somehow expressively blank face
August 17, 2025 at 2:39 AM
stephicham.com
"keep on keeping on" makes me think of these two short poems that I turn to often. I couldn't decide which one to share with you so hope it's ok to share both 🫂 #WeeknightWriters
To Know The Dark Wendell Berry To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings. Go to the Limits of Your Longing Rainer Maria Rilke God speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us silently out of the night. These are the words we dimly hear: You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing. Embody me. Flare up like a flame and make big shadows I can move in. Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final. Don't let yourself lose me. Nearby is the country they call life. You will know it by its seriousness. Give me your hand. Book of Hours, I 59
August 15, 2025 at 12:53 AM
stephicham.com
silly, perfect Mimi 🩷
#WeeknightWriters
small maltese dog in the lap of a woman in scrubs. the dog is so small that only her head is visible over the person's arm, and she has her tongue fully out, eyes almost closed, looking mellow and relaxed in a clearly candid photo
August 14, 2025 at 11:49 PM
stephicham.com
Working in publishing:
three-panel comic showing a big dinosaur imparting advice to a smaller dinosaur. big dino: do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. small dino: cool. big dino: but if what you love isn't profitable, your life will be very short.
August 13, 2025 at 4:30 AM
stephicham.com
Will let a librarian answer this:
reddit comment by setin-skyheart In my system it works like this: Overdrive/Libby books are purchased for our digital catalog like anyone would buy an ebook. However it only allows us one key per purchase. Those keys are basically what's being checked out and why ebooks can have a waitlist. It's silly, but that's how it's set up. If it's unlimited than a different kind of key was purchased. More annoyingly, depending on the publisher the keys can expire. It's the big issue in digital media that consumers (and by extension libraries) have to buy the same product multiple times largely because publishers can. Trust us, we're annoyed by it too. So if an ebook vanishes from a catalog, that's usually what happened and it's the same reason a physical book is weeded- it wasn't circulating. As far as the cost goes, here's an industry detail. We never want individual patrons to worry about minimizing their impact on our budget. In most cases, everything but the millage is practically inconsequential in terms of financial impact. We have these things because we already paid for it all and/or set money aside for it to be used in "pay per use" arrangements like Hoopla. In fact, patrons using the services less is usually what motivates budget committees to shrink said millage the next time it comes up for a vote. (In many public sectors, said committees aren't related to the library directly and instead are just seeing an abstract usage report when examining where incoming taxes should be distributed.)
August 13, 2025 at 3:32 AM
stephicham.com
I never related to Mozart until I learned that he procrastinated so hard on an overture that he was still writing it the DAY OF THE PERFORMANCE, even though:
- overtures require multiple players! and ideally rehearsals!
- music had to be copied by hand, and his looked like this
sheet music handwritten by Mozart; the notation is substantial and crowded in a legible but frantic-looking scrawl
August 12, 2025 at 6:39 PM
stephicham.com
Someone made this for their wife to read to her students in their camp-themed classroom and I'm 😭😭🩷
indoor wooden "porch" replica with an overhang, fake door, working lantern, and boxes of school supplies under the porch, in a classroom
August 10, 2025 at 10:32 PM
stephicham.com
RAIN Raymond Carver Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read. Fought against it for a minute. Then looked out the window at the rain. And gave over. Put myself entirely in the keep of this rainy morning. Would I live my life over again? Make the same unforgivable mistakes? Yes, given half a chance. Yes.
August 9, 2025 at 3:31 AM
stephicham.com
his perfect little spot!!
small maltese dog on a little footstool just tall enough for him to peek out the window
August 7, 2025 at 1:43 AM
stephicham.com
I can't move, right?
small dog on my lap with his head and arm resting on my arm
August 5, 2025 at 3:11 AM
stephicham.com
Alt text version:
Press release on letterhead THE TEXAS SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2025 TEXAS SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF HOUSE DEMOCRATS' STAND AGAINST RIGGED REDISTRICTING AUSTIN, TX: Today, the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus issued the following statement applauding members of the House Democratic Caucus for denying quorum to protect Texans' voting rights: "We applaud our House colleagues for taking courageous action to defend the voting rights of all Texans. They're using the power they have and the only tool left to them —to stand up for the Texans they represent and protect the principle of fair elections for all. "The contrast is stark. Texans need solutions on flooding, health care, schools, jobs, the costs of housing and groceries. Yet, the House's first scheduled floor vote this special session is on a rigged redistricting map that disenfranchises millions of voters, especially minorities. Not a single flooding bill has been heard in either chamber. "This push to redraw lines is not only unnecessary, it completely ignores the real needs and priorities of the people we serve. Let's be clear: We should be singularly focused this special session on flood relief, not redrawing maps to save a President from voters holding him and those who voted for an unpopular bill- cutting critical services for working families like Medicaid, CHIP & SNAP to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy accountable. "Breaking quorum is never done lightly. We take seriously our oath to represent our constituents. But when the system is being rigged to steal political power and ignore the needs of flood survivors, extraordinary measures are necessary. Our House colleagues are standing up for democracy, for the rule of law and for the millions of Texans who deserve to have their voices heard. We stand with them-and with every Texan who believes voters should choose their elected officials, not the other way around."
August 4, 2025 at 6:18 AM