Emily Strempler
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estrempler.bsky.social
Emily Strempler
@estrempler.bsky.social
660 followers 230 following 670 posts
🏳️‍🌈✊🧡 (She/Her) Lit and lit-genre crossover author, work in Agnes and True, Broken Pencil, the BK, and many more. Editor at the Baltimore Review. Managing Editor at Li Isprii.

Banff, AB, 🇨🇦 / Treaty 7 / Homeland of the Red River Metis

www.estrempler.com
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Reposted by Emily Strempler
baltimorereview.bsky.social
Our winter 2026 issue is live! We hope that you enjoy the poems, short stories, and creative nonfiction in these pages. A huge thanks to everyone who made this issue possible. baltimorereview.org
January 20, 2026 at 5:26 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
Happy hour and The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman

#currentlyreading 💙📚
A wooden restaurant table, with a long platw of fish tacos in the foreground and an open book, bowl of fries, and pint of hazy pale ale in the background.
January 14, 2026 at 12:12 AM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
baltimorereview.bsky.social
Congratulations to Christopher Notarnicola on having “Dysgeusia” (in our fall 2025 issue) included in Best Microfiction. And congratulations to all these writers of stunning micros!
January 6, 2026 at 6:46 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
Found a peaceful corner away from the New Years Eve chaos to drink a cup of coffee and read the last few chapters of @sequoian.bsky.social's fabulously inventive "How High We Go in the Dark." 👌📚💙
A book and a cup of coffee sit on a round, wood-topped table. An empty section of a small mall can be seen in the background.
December 31, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
baltimorereview.bsky.social
As we slide out of the old year and into the new, we wish all you readers and writers out there peace and many hours of reading whatever fills you with joy and wonder. Preferably in a warmer place than this guy. In a cozy armchair. Maybe with a mug of hot chocolate.
Picture of snowman reading a copy of Baltimore Review
December 24, 2025 at 10:53 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
“One article…said journalists had to be impartial, that they couldn’t be angry or driven by emotion…and after reading that she wondered if maybe journalism wasn’t for her, the same way some kids want to be pilots before they realize they’re afraid of heights.”

Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards

📚💙
December 24, 2025 at 4:02 AM
estrempler.bsky.social
Put together a bookshop list of (almost) all 23 books recommended in my monthly newsletter since it launched in March of this year (one is only available in Canada).

Some fun stats: 30% were by 2SLGBTQ+ authors, 61% by BIPOC authors, and 39% by Canadian authors.

🌎📚💙🌈📚

bookshop.org/lists/2025-n...
December 24, 2025 at 2:05 AM
estrempler.bsky.social
Stopped by the library for a pre-holiday book haul! I’ve heard good things about all of these titles, so I’m expecting some solid reads. ☕️🎄❄️

What are you reading over the holidays?

#currentlyreading 🌎📚💙🌈📚🖋️
A stack of hardcover library books sits on a wooden dining table. The titles, from top to bottom, are “How High We Go in the Dark” by Sequoia Nagamatsu, “The Sunflower Boys” by Sam Wachman, “Apple Skin to the Core” by Eric Gansworth, “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson, and “The Talk” by Darrin Bell. A Christmas tree with multicoloured lights can be seen in the background.
December 24, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
li-isprii.bsky.social
For readers who might normally steer clear of "Western" fiction, Finding Flora by Metis author Elinor Florence is an opportunity to dip a toe back into the genre. Jeremy Allard found it fun, light, and romantic, without the negative tropes.

#metis #indigenous 🌎📚💙

www.liisprii.ca/magazine/202...
White text on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “[Stylized Li Isprii Logo], Book Review: Finding Flora by Elinor Florence” In a white frame on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers the poster image for “Finding Flora” appears. The cover features a painted prairie landscape in warm greens, with a cream-coloured sky. The title appears in large curling letters. A quote in white text on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “Florence emphasizes that the happy ending is an important part of her brand, noting that readers today are weary of dark, disturbing content and want to be inspired.”
December 10, 2025 at 6:36 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
Haven’t been posting much recently (busy with Christmas prep), so I thought I should put together a little update.

Currently reading: Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards and North End Love Songs by Katherena Vermette

About to start: The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

#reading 💙📚🌎
Cover of “small ceremonies by kyle edwards” featuring a blue river full of stars snaking across a white landscape under an orange sky. A tiger is stalking out of frame. Cover of “North End Love Songs by Katherena Vermette.” The middle of the frame features an illustrated in a wobbly style, with muted colours. A street, car, and abandoned shoe fill the foreground, and a Ukrainian-orthodox cathedral dominates the background. The cover of “the house of my mother by Shari Franke.” In a torn photo a woman sits on a chair with her feet up on the seat, the rest of the cover is a stark white.
December 9, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
estrempler.bsky.social
This month in the newsletter, a beautiful literary novel set during Hurricane Katrina, a stereotype defying queer refugee memoir, and a sweeping work of anti-fascist historical fiction.

Subscribe for exclusive reviews, bright and early, every month on the 10th!

💙📚🌈🌎📚🖋️

estrempler.com/newsletter
Emily Strempler: Newsletter
estrempler.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:37 AM
estrempler.bsky.social
This month in the newsletter, a beautiful literary novel set during Hurricane Katrina, a stereotype defying queer refugee memoir, and a sweeping work of anti-fascist historical fiction.

Subscribe for exclusive reviews, bright and early, every month on the 10th!

💙📚🌈🌎📚🖋️

estrempler.com/newsletter
Emily Strempler: Newsletter
estrempler.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:37 AM
estrempler.bsky.social
A fascinating glimpse into the quiet proliferation of AI-generated “content” masquerading as journalism
November 25, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
li-isprii.bsky.social
From avant-garde film festival darlings to gritty dramas, stop-motion animation to rom-coms, Red River Metis filmmakers are making movies, TV shows, and miniseries across genres and the diaspora.

#metis #indigenous #film

www.liisprii.ca/magazine/202...
Rows of movie posters line the top and bottom of the image. In the centre, white text on an orange background reads, “[Stylized Li Isprii Logo], Spotlight on Metis Filmmakers”
November 20, 2025 at 8:36 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
Happy Hour tacos, a beer, and a good book ✨👌

#reading 📚💙
A plate of fish tacos, a pale, hazy beer, a plate of fries, and a book held open with a piece of cutlery, rest on a restaurant table. In the background, diners sit at a bar.
November 15, 2025 at 12:09 AM
estrempler.bsky.social
I read “The House of the Spirits” in my last year of high school and it exploded my preconceived notions about what a book could be, and do, and how it could be structured.
runwithskizzers.bsky.social Preeti Chhibber @runwithskizzers.bsky.social · Nov 11
performative reading, lack of reading skills, nobody's reading anymore -- NO!

tell me about a book that changed you

for me? the *extremely* ahistorical novel, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY which I read at 13 and was like, "Oh, art can be *everything* to a maker, for good and bad"
November 12, 2025 at 6:08 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
Very excited about this! We’ve had this interview in the works since before Li Isprii even launched, and I’m so proud of how it turned out. 😊
li-isprii.bsky.social Li Isprii: Red River Metis Arts and Culture Review @li-isprii.bsky.social · Nov 10
Li Isprii presents: an in-depth interview with Haley Bassett, an award-winning Métis interdisciplinary artist. Bassett generously shared stories about her family, her path into the arts, the work she creates, and where she’s going next.

#metis #indigenous #art

www.liisprii.ca/magazine/202...
White text on a dark blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “[Stylized Li Isprii Logo], Conversations, Returning Spirit to a Land in Crisis: A Conversation with Métis Artist Haley Bassett” White text on a dark blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “Haley is an interdisciplinary artist. Her work blends mediums, including beadwork and textiles, cratting sculptures and installations that explore themes of identity, culture, land, heritage, history, labour, and place.” Above the text is a photo of Haley Bassett. She has dark, curly, shoulder length hair, and is wearing a black long sleeve shirt, fringe earrings, and a small smile. She sits in a chair against a beige wall. The bottom edge of a painting in a gilded frame is visible at the top of the image, above her head. A quote in white text on a dark blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “Beading came to me when I needed it most. They say beads have spirit, and negotiating with thousands of little spirits is incredibly challenging and immensely gratifying. - Haley Bassett”
November 10, 2025 at 6:03 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
“When I imagine there having been an internet, social media, or smartphones when I was an adolescent, the future…goes hazy. It's tempting to believe…that I would have prevailed even then…but in truth I suspect I might not have survived at all.” -Girlhood by @melissafebos.bsky.social p83

#reading 📚💙
November 6, 2025 at 12:17 AM
estrempler.bsky.social
There are little maple leaves all over bookstores to signify Canadian authors lately (and, as with groceries, sometimes they’re missing or on the wrong items). But there’s been no easy way to tell at a glance whether or not the publisher is Canadian (trust me I‘ve tried).

I love this.

💙📚🇨🇦
thetyee.ca The Tyee @thetyee.ca · Oct 28
It hasn’t always been obvious when buying a book meant investing in a Canadian business.

The Certified Canadian Publisher program is a bid to change that. 📚🇨🇦 #TyeePresents #Sponsored
How Certified Canadian Publishers Keep Our Stories Close to Home | The Tyee
A new national program helps readers easily spot and support Canadian-owned book publishers.
thetyee.ca
October 28, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
li-isprii.bsky.social
Jeremy Allard reviews Kohkom's Babushka by Lianna Makuch and Joleen Ballendine. A family-friendly theatrical adaptation of a children's book by the same name, Kohkom's Babushka takes on the challenging subject of Ukrainian-Metis reconciliation.

#metis #theatre

www.liisprii.ca/magazine/202...
White text on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “[Stylized Li Isprii Logo], Running Toward the Storm: A Review of Kohkom's Babushka by Lianna Makuch and Joleen Ballendine” In a white frame a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers the poster image for “Kohkom’s Babushka” appears. The cover features the colourful silhouette of a tied Babushka scarf. Inside the silhouette two girls stand on either side of a large tree. The title appears in bold purple lettering. A quote in white text on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “Makuch and Ballendine became 'real-life best friends' after meeting in junior high in 2001, and their decades long friendship can be felt in every line of dialog. There is a realness to the girls, and their friendship, that gives the play much of its weight and strength.”
October 25, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
baltimorereview.bsky.social
Our fall 2025 issue is live! Includes a micro section this time along with poems, short stories, and creative nonfiction. baltimorereview.org
Picture of Baltimore Review fall 2025 main page with photos of the 20 contributors
October 19, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
li-isprii.bsky.social
Jeremy Allard reviews Beaver Hills Forever, a new "Poetic Novella" by Metis author Conor Kerr, published by @arsenalpulp.bsky.social. Not sure what to expect from a "poetic novella"? Wondering if it's for you? We've got answers.

#metis #indigenous 🌎📚💙

www.liisprii.ca/magazine/202...
White text on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “[Stylized Li Isprii Logo], Book Review, Beaver Hills Forever by Conor Kerr” In a white frame a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers the cover of "Beaver Hills Forever by Conor Kerr" appears. The cover has the look of an ink drawing and features a beaver swimming through a liquid dark enough to be oil with a lit match in its mouth in the foreground, and a city skyline in the background. A quote in white text on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “As poetry, it reminded me more of the popular 'slam' style, with larger-than-life characters baring their hopes and dreams directly to the audience in a way that felt distinctly 'oral, and somehow more real than reality...” White text on a blue-green background decorated with small, white, dot-painted flowers reads, “Read the full review at liisprii.ca”
October 10, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Reposted by Emily Strempler
baltimorereview.bsky.social
This is the third game of TELEPHONE and consists of 1,395 individual, interconnected, and original works by artists from 930 cities in 65 countries. What an amazing gift! Kudos to everyone who made this huge ekphrastic art project possible. telephonegame.art
TELEPHONE
Whispering a message among art forms. Explore the TELEPHONE interactive art exhibition featuring diverse artists and creative expressions.
telephonegame.art
October 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM
estrempler.bsky.social
Solo dinner and a book ✨👌

Ramen from Ramen Arashi. #currentlyreading Queers at the Table: An Illustrated Guide to Queer Food, edited by Alex D Ketchum and Megan J Elias.

#books #reading 🌈📚💙
Foreground, in focus, a bowl of tantan ramen topped with greens, green onion, fried garlic, and two pieces of karaage chicken. In the background, a half-empty glass of water and an open book rest on a dark wood table.
October 10, 2025 at 12:41 AM
estrempler.bsky.social
It’s newsletter time again! This month the emergent themes are travel, exploration, grief, transformation, and escape. Featuring great 🇨🇦 book recommendations you likely won’t find elsewhere.

Sign up to receive it in your inbox, bright and early on the 10th!

#books 🌎📚💙🌈📚✒️

estrempler.com/newsletter
Emily Strempler: Newsletter
estrempler.com
October 9, 2025 at 10:26 PM