Jenny Bartoy
@jennybartoy.bsky.social
Writer & Editor | NO CONTACT: WRITERS ON ESTRANGEMENT (Catapult, 2026) | Author profiles, interviews & book reviews | Developmental editing & manuscript critique | Reading lit fiction, mystery, memoir | PNW lefty
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
An awesome anthology relevant to exactly this is dropping this Spring, editor @jennybartoy.bsky.social
bookshop.org/p/books/no-c...
bookshop.org/p/books/no-c...
No Contact: Writers on Estrangement
Writers on Estrangement
bookshop.org
December 17, 2025 at 11:36 PM
An awesome anthology relevant to exactly this is dropping this Spring, editor @jennybartoy.bsky.social
bookshop.org/p/books/no-c...
bookshop.org/p/books/no-c...
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
(Oh look, here's my giant face yet again.) I spoke with @jennybartoy.bsky.social for @therumpus.net about SHE'S UNDER HERE. Just what you wanted to read on Xmas Eve, right?
therumpus.net/2025/12/23/d...
therumpus.net/2025/12/23/d...
Distance from Trauma by Writing the Memoir Self as a Character in a Novel: A Conversation with Karen Palmer - The Rumpus
“The thing about writing a memoir is, if you write yourself into a corner, you can only get out by telling the truth. Making something up to bridge a problem area is not available to you. With a novel...
therumpus.net
December 24, 2025 at 3:45 PM
(Oh look, here's my giant face yet again.) I spoke with @jennybartoy.bsky.social for @therumpus.net about SHE'S UNDER HERE. Just what you wanted to read on Xmas Eve, right?
therumpus.net/2025/12/23/d...
therumpus.net/2025/12/23/d...
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
“It was all bottled up inside for such a long time, and the desire to get it down on paper was overwhelming.”
@jennybartoy.bsky.social interviews @karenpalmer.bsky.social about She's Under Here (@algonquinbooks.bsky.social).
➡️ buff.ly/6VhrcCu
@jennybartoy.bsky.social interviews @karenpalmer.bsky.social about She's Under Here (@algonquinbooks.bsky.social).
➡️ buff.ly/6VhrcCu
December 31, 2025 at 5:01 PM
“It was all bottled up inside for such a long time, and the desire to get it down on paper was overwhelming.”
@jennybartoy.bsky.social interviews @karenpalmer.bsky.social about She's Under Here (@algonquinbooks.bsky.social).
➡️ buff.ly/6VhrcCu
@jennybartoy.bsky.social interviews @karenpalmer.bsky.social about She's Under Here (@algonquinbooks.bsky.social).
➡️ buff.ly/6VhrcCu
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
Delighted that my personal essay was selected as a finalist in the nonfiction category of the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards competition!
This essay is included in No Contact: Writers on Estrangement, edited by @jennybartoy.bsky.social, forthcoming from @catapultbooks.bsky.social.
This essay is included in No Contact: Writers on Estrangement, edited by @jennybartoy.bsky.social, forthcoming from @catapultbooks.bsky.social.
January 2, 2026 at 8:24 PM
Delighted that my personal essay was selected as a finalist in the nonfiction category of the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards competition!
This essay is included in No Contact: Writers on Estrangement, edited by @jennybartoy.bsky.social, forthcoming from @catapultbooks.bsky.social.
This essay is included in No Contact: Writers on Estrangement, edited by @jennybartoy.bsky.social, forthcoming from @catapultbooks.bsky.social.
Estrangement is not a trend. Estrangement has always existed, along with the abuse and toxic families that necessitate it. But we're *talking* about it now — that's the change! Thanks to the internet and the destigmatization of therapy, we now find support in #estrangement. This has/will save lives.
December 10, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Estrangement is not a trend. Estrangement has always existed, along with the abuse and toxic families that necessitate it. But we're *talking* about it now — that's the change! Thanks to the internet and the destigmatization of therapy, we now find support in #estrangement. This has/will save lives.
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
📵 COVER ANNOUNCEMENT 📵 We are so excited to share the cover of NO CONTACT: Writers on Estrangement, edited by Jenny Bartoy! Cover design by the fabulous Nicole Caputo ⭐
NO CONTACT will hit bookstores on April 28th and is available to preorder now:
books.catapult.co/books/no-con...
NO CONTACT will hit bookstores on April 28th and is available to preorder now:
books.catapult.co/books/no-con...
October 1, 2025 at 4:29 PM
📵 COVER ANNOUNCEMENT 📵 We are so excited to share the cover of NO CONTACT: Writers on Estrangement, edited by Jenny Bartoy! Cover design by the fabulous Nicole Caputo ⭐
NO CONTACT will hit bookstores on April 28th and is available to preorder now:
books.catapult.co/books/no-con...
NO CONTACT will hit bookstores on April 28th and is available to preorder now:
books.catapult.co/books/no-con...
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
"I’m endlessly curious about how people reconstruct and anchor their lives after a devastating and radical change."
@jennybartoy.bsky.social's interview with Ivonne Lamazares on her new book “The Tilting House” (@catapultbooks.bsky.social) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2025/07/24/s...
@jennybartoy.bsky.social's interview with Ivonne Lamazares on her new book “The Tilting House” (@catapultbooks.bsky.social) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2025/07/24/s...
Sisterly Strife in Scarred Cuba: An Interview with Ivonne Lamazares - Chicago Review of Books
A conversation with Ivonne Lamazares on her new novel, "The Tilting House"
chireviewofbooks.com
July 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
"I’m endlessly curious about how people reconstruct and anchor their lives after a devastating and radical change."
@jennybartoy.bsky.social's interview with Ivonne Lamazares on her new book “The Tilting House” (@catapultbooks.bsky.social) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2025/07/24/s...
@jennybartoy.bsky.social's interview with Ivonne Lamazares on her new book “The Tilting House” (@catapultbooks.bsky.social) is out now.
chireviewofbooks.com/2025/07/24/s...
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
i firmly believe one of the main messages we should be telling our students about this whole thing is that generative ‘AI’ by definition will *never* have an original idea,
and if you use it, neither will *you*
and if you use it, neither will *you*
February 26, 2025 at 7:26 AM
i firmly believe one of the main messages we should be telling our students about this whole thing is that generative ‘AI’ by definition will *never* have an original idea,
and if you use it, neither will *you*
and if you use it, neither will *you*
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
The reason there's no working class representation in publishing is because publishing and writing currently pay so badly only people who are already financially stable can afford to do it.
The problem is always, always money.
The problem is always, always money.
My problem with things like these is that working-class writing ends up being literary stories about how dreary it is being working class. They're not interested in examining the working class through the lens of fantasy, for example.
UK-wide initiative launched to tackle marginalisation of working-class writers
May 5, 2025 at 10:53 AM
The reason there's no working class representation in publishing is because publishing and writing currently pay so badly only people who are already financially stable can afford to do it.
The problem is always, always money.
The problem is always, always money.
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
Taking a break from mental health to focus on social media. Just really looking to be as unstable as possible with everything going on right now, thx for understanding.
March 14, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Taking a break from mental health to focus on social media. Just really looking to be as unstable as possible with everything going on right now, thx for understanding.
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
Literacy is activism.
Reading is a political act.
Books are tools for liberation.
Reading is a political act.
Books are tools for liberation.
February 22, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Literacy is activism.
Reading is a political act.
Books are tools for liberation.
Reading is a political act.
Books are tools for liberation.
Reposted by Jenny Bartoy
Are you estranged from family? Do you have a story to tell about it?
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
January 31, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Are you estranged from family? Do you have a story to tell about it?
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
Are you estranged from family? Do you have a story to tell about it?
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
January 31, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Are you estranged from family? Do you have a story to tell about it?
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.
Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.
I adored this book, and my conversation with the author. Climate dystopia, beyond relevant for our times, written with deep humanity and gorgeous prose — highly recommend.
@eirencaffall.bsky.social @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
@eirencaffall.bsky.social @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
"The politics in [this book] were based on what I think are core human principles: that everyone deserves to survive and that the planet deserves to be stewarded."
@jennybartoy.bsky.social talks with @eirencaffall.bsky.social about "All the Water in the World"
@jennybartoy.bsky.social talks with @eirencaffall.bsky.social about "All the Water in the World"
Wading Through Life, Loss, and Ecological Catastrophe: An Interview with Eiren Caffall - Chicago Review of Books
What happens to New York City when the glaciers melt? Eiren Caffall explores the all-too-real possibilities in her debut novel All the Water in the World. In this urgent and captivating story, young…
buff.ly
January 17, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I adored this book, and my conversation with the author. Climate dystopia, beyond relevant for our times, written with deep humanity and gorgeous prose — highly recommend.
@eirencaffall.bsky.social @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
@eirencaffall.bsky.social @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social
Fantastic piece about estrangement.
“When one person steps away, it is easy to cast them as the breaker of the family, when in fact the family was broken already.”
@huffpost.com
“When one person steps away, it is easy to cast them as the breaker of the family, when in fact the family was broken already.”
@huffpost.com
After I Cut Off Contact From My Mother, I Was Shocked By The Brutal Move My Sisters Made
“I do not forgive my sisters, but I do not blame them, either. It took me 50 years to see that my mother was manipulating us all.”
www.huffpost.com
January 3, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Fantastic piece about estrangement.
“When one person steps away, it is easy to cast them as the breaker of the family, when in fact the family was broken already.”
@huffpost.com
“When one person steps away, it is easy to cast them as the breaker of the family, when in fact the family was broken already.”
@huffpost.com
A historical mystery set in 1920s French-colonial Vietnam, THOSE OPULENT DAYS is the elegant debut of Vietnamese-Australian author Jacquie Pham. My interview with Pham for @crimereads.bsky.social was my last publication of 2024. You can read this deep and compelling conversation at the link below.
Jacquie Pham On Historical Fiction, Colonialism, and “the Many Imbalances that Wealth, Gender, and Power Wield.”
A historical mystery set in 1920s French-colonial Vietnam, Those Opulent Days is the debut of Vietnamese-Australian author Jacquie Pham. The novel opens with a death, and the prophecy that foretold…
crimereads.com
December 29, 2024 at 12:30 AM
A historical mystery set in 1920s French-colonial Vietnam, THOSE OPULENT DAYS is the elegant debut of Vietnamese-Australian author Jacquie Pham. My interview with Pham for @crimereads.bsky.social was my last publication of 2024. You can read this deep and compelling conversation at the link below.
Deal announcement! BROKEN FREE: WRITERS ON #ESTRANGEMENT will be published in 2026. I’m thrilled to work with @catapultbooks.bsky.social on this important book, with an amazing list of contributors. So grateful to my agent @mlwyd.bsky.social and everyone who has supported this project. 1/
December 20, 2024 at 5:56 PM
Deal announcement! BROKEN FREE: WRITERS ON #ESTRANGEMENT will be published in 2026. I’m thrilled to work with @catapultbooks.bsky.social on this important book, with an amazing list of contributors. So grateful to my agent @mlwyd.bsky.social and everyone who has supported this project. 1/
I so enjoyed my conversation with Paula Hawkins for CrimeReads. Her new psychological thriller, THE BLUE HOUR, tackles themes both complex and universal, including feminism, art, violence, and obsession. Ingeniously layered like paint strokes across canvas, this novel thrilled me and made me think.
Paula Hawkins Talks Art, Feminism, and the Evolution of Her Thrillers
With The Blue Hour, Paula Hawkins delivers a different kind of thrill than the propulsive The Girl on the Train which put her on the map as a bestselling author. This new novel, a dark deep dive in…
crimereads.com
December 2, 2024 at 5:58 PM
I so enjoyed my conversation with Paula Hawkins for CrimeReads. Her new psychological thriller, THE BLUE HOUR, tackles themes both complex and universal, including feminism, art, violence, and obsession. Ingeniously layered like paint strokes across canvas, this novel thrilled me and made me think.
The must-read equivalent of a deep breath. I found this Substack article very helpful.
And I just ordered Sheehan’s What Does the Constitution Actually Say? from @bookshop-org.bsky.social 🤩
@bensheehan.bsky.social
And I just ordered Sheehan’s What Does the Constitution Actually Say? from @bookshop-org.bsky.social 🤩
@bensheehan.bsky.social
The Path Forward
It's going to be okay.
substack.com
November 22, 2024 at 5:17 PM
The must-read equivalent of a deep breath. I found this Substack article very helpful.
And I just ordered Sheehan’s What Does the Constitution Actually Say? from @bookshop-org.bsky.social 🤩
@bensheehan.bsky.social
And I just ordered Sheehan’s What Does the Constitution Actually Say? from @bookshop-org.bsky.social 🤩
@bensheehan.bsky.social
I still grapple with this, many years into family estrangement, but the more I let go, the healthier and more authentic I feel.
Whitney Goodman LMFT (@sitwithwhit on most socials) produces amazing content about #estrangement. I recommend giving her newsletter and podcast a follow.
Whitney Goodman LMFT (@sitwithwhit on most socials) produces amazing content about #estrangement. I recommend giving her newsletter and podcast a follow.
November 22, 2024 at 5:03 PM
I still grapple with this, many years into family estrangement, but the more I let go, the healthier and more authentic I feel.
Whitney Goodman LMFT (@sitwithwhit on most socials) produces amazing content about #estrangement. I recommend giving her newsletter and podcast a follow.
Whitney Goodman LMFT (@sitwithwhit on most socials) produces amazing content about #estrangement. I recommend giving her newsletter and podcast a follow.
(From October 2024) My interview with the incomparable Louise Erdrich appeared in the Seattle Times. THE MIGHTY RED is her best novel yet and I so enjoyed getting to pick her brilliant brain about it.
Louise Erdrich discusses new novel’s inspiration, writing teenagers
Erdrich connected with The Seattle Times over email to answer a few questions about her new book, "The Mighty Red," ahead of a Town Hall appearance.
www.seattletimes.com
November 21, 2024 at 5:48 PM
(From October 2024) My interview with the incomparable Louise Erdrich appeared in the Seattle Times. THE MIGHTY RED is her best novel yet and I so enjoyed getting to pick her brilliant brain about it.
This is a fantastic explanation of dysfunctional family dynamics. Gossip-fueled drama (and assorted lies) is exactly why I cut ties with my father and subsequently became #estranged from the siblings who maintain a relationship with him. Gossip makes healthy relationships unsustainable.
November 21, 2024 at 5:45 PM
This is a fantastic explanation of dysfunctional family dynamics. Gossip-fueled drama (and assorted lies) is exactly why I cut ties with my father and subsequently became #estranged from the siblings who maintain a relationship with him. Gossip makes healthy relationships unsustainable.
All 5 points are true for me. I think the last one was the most instrumental in my #estrangement from my father. This seems especially relevant in the context of widespread post-election cutting of ties. Accountability matters.
November 21, 2024 at 4:40 PM
All 5 points are true for me. I think the last one was the most instrumental in my #estrangement from my father. This seems especially relevant in the context of widespread post-election cutting of ties. Accountability matters.
(From August 2024) I had the privilege of interviewing @lizmoorebooks.bsky.social about her riveting THE GOD OF THE WOODS for @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social . A double mystery set in the 1950-70s, this novel delves into class, gender, survivalism, and more in the majestic Adirondack Mountains.
On Self-Reliance and Chosen Family: An Interview with Liz Moore - Chicago Review of Books
Cracking the spine of a new Liz Moore novel feels like opening a gift from your most thoughtful friend: you may have no clue what the box contains, but it’s sure to delight. Each of Moore’s books thus...
chireviewofbooks.com
November 21, 2024 at 4:36 PM
(From August 2024) I had the privilege of interviewing @lizmoorebooks.bsky.social about her riveting THE GOD OF THE WOODS for @chicagorevbooks.bsky.social . A double mystery set in the 1950-70s, this novel delves into class, gender, survivalism, and more in the majestic Adirondack Mountains.