Kelly Caldwell
@kkc212.bsky.social
Writer; dean of faculty @GothamWriters. she/her I live in NYC but still say gapers' block.
Pinned
Kelly Caldwell
@kkc212.bsky.social
· Jun 9
Personal Essays Galore, PLUS Some Great Workshops and Calls for Submissions...
Including: Workshops from Writing Co-Lab, Alexander Chee, Narratively Academy, and Melissa Petro; and calls for submissions from Blaise Allysen Kearsley and Literary Liberation.
open.substack.com
I'm super psyched to say one of my essays is included in this week's @memoirland.bsky.social roundup! Especially given the impressive company I'm in.
Read them all (and especially Robin Pickering's "The Fuckitall." So good.)
open.substack.com/pub/memoirla...
Read them all (and especially Robin Pickering's "The Fuckitall." So good.)
open.substack.com/pub/memoirla...
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
The president always, uniformly, does what’s best for Russia.
January 19, 2026 at 12:55 PM
The president always, uniformly, does what’s best for Russia.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly....
January 19, 2026 at 6:42 PM
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly....
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
Listen: because I am hearing this a lot from folks who are in caregiving roles with disabled, sick, dying folks, elders, or children in their care:
You are not unable to do anything or unable to take action.
Care work IS justice work
You are not unable to do anything or unable to take action.
Care work IS justice work
January 18, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Listen: because I am hearing this a lot from folks who are in caregiving roles with disabled, sick, dying folks, elders, or children in their care:
You are not unable to do anything or unable to take action.
Care work IS justice work
You are not unable to do anything or unable to take action.
Care work IS justice work
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
I'm dying this is the funniest thing I've seen THE LOCAL NEWS do in years.
January 15, 2026 at 3:09 PM
I'm dying this is the funniest thing I've seen THE LOCAL NEWS do in years.
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
I've stared into the futility of writing my entire life. I mean yes, the robots are breaking my heart but so did my creative writing degree
January 16, 2026 at 7:58 PM
I've stared into the futility of writing my entire life. I mean yes, the robots are breaking my heart but so did my creative writing degree
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
If you’re the wife? Get at me. We train 4x a week. And we can plot 6.
January 16, 2026 at 3:43 PM
If you’re the wife? Get at me. We train 4x a week. And we can plot 6.
My stirred-up brain actually slowed down while I read this latest from @mauricenow.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/mauricec...
#WritingCommunity
open.substack.com/pub/mauricec...
#WritingCommunity
You Need to Slow Down and Pay Attention
The Flagship Newsletter
open.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:08 PM
My stirred-up brain actually slowed down while I read this latest from @mauricenow.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/mauricec...
#WritingCommunity
open.substack.com/pub/mauricec...
#WritingCommunity
To paraphrase Jimmy Carter: If you want to broker peace, you forge a connection with even the most detestable dictators, because they're the ones who determine the future of a society.
The sequence of events is:
1) Machado tells Hannity she hasn’t spoken to Trump since October, he asks if she’d give him her Nobel and she says yes. www.mediamatters.org/sean-hannity...
2) Hannity asks Trump if he’d accept her Nobel, he says yes
3)
1) Machado tells Hannity she hasn’t spoken to Trump since October, he asks if she’d give him her Nobel and she says yes. www.mediamatters.org/sean-hannity...
2) Hannity asks Trump if he’d accept her Nobel, he says yes
3)
January 15, 2026 at 10:26 PM
To paraphrase Jimmy Carter: If you want to broker peace, you forge a connection with even the most detestable dictators, because they're the ones who determine the future of a society.
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
A single mother in our Lifewriting family is in need of housing.
Here's her fundraiser:
ko-fi.com/onematrix/go...
Here's her fundraiser:
ko-fi.com/onematrix/go...
Support CaCo
Support CaCo
ko-fi.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:12 PM
A single mother in our Lifewriting family is in need of housing.
Here's her fundraiser:
ko-fi.com/onematrix/go...
Here's her fundraiser:
ko-fi.com/onematrix/go...
"#Iran’s rulers use torture to silence dissent and instill fear...but the Iranian people will never give up fighting for their rights and freedoms." — @nasrin-2.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#iranprotests #amwriting
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#iranprotests #amwriting
I know the terrible cost of speaking out in Iran – and I beg the world to stand with those speaking out now | Nasrin Parvaz
Survivors of the regime like me are reliving our nightmares as brave Iranians fight for their freedom. They say they have nothing to lose but their chains, says women’s rights activist and torture sur...
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 6:31 PM
"#Iran’s rulers use torture to silence dissent and instill fear...but the Iranian people will never give up fighting for their rights and freedoms." — @nasrin-2.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#iranprotests #amwriting
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#iranprotests #amwriting
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
Local police should investigate it for what it is and make an arrest. Small acts of righteousness in the face of oppression can make a difference.
So much wrong with this but…they sold his phone?!? Like, for profit?? Now ICE can just confiscate and pawn your property???
This is 10th-grader Arnoldo Bazan.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
January 14, 2026 at 2:57 AM
Local police should investigate it for what it is and make an arrest. Small acts of righteousness in the face of oppression can make a difference.
Sighting TWO toucans at the @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social Panama Fruit Feeder today, y'all.
This is not a drill!
www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/panama-...
#birds #birding
This is not a drill!
www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/panama-...
#birds #birding
Panama Fruit Feeders
Watch the Panama Fruit Feeder cam
www.allaboutbirds.org
January 13, 2026 at 5:40 PM
Sighting TWO toucans at the @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social Panama Fruit Feeder today, y'all.
This is not a drill!
www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/panama-...
#birds #birding
This is not a drill!
www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/panama-...
#birds #birding
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
Hey internet, let’s make this worthless nazi trash famous.
What a bunch of worthless pieces of shit
This momentum is going fast if it doesn’t stop soon it’s not going to without collateral damage on both sides
This momentum is going fast if it doesn’t stop soon it’s not going to without collateral damage on both sides
January 9, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Hey internet, let’s make this worthless nazi trash famous.
I so needed this from @lyz.bsky.social today:
"Being an ICE agent is the perfect job for people not good enough at business to be human traffickers or drug dealers, but just a bit too evil to be Baptist ministers."
www.patreon.com/posts/dingus...
"Being an ICE agent is the perfect job for people not good enough at business to be human traffickers or drug dealers, but just a bit too evil to be Baptist ministers."
www.patreon.com/posts/dingus...
Dingus of the Week: Marco Rubio | Men Yell at Me by Lyz Lenz
Get more from Men Yell at Me by Lyz Lenz on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:09 PM
I so needed this from @lyz.bsky.social today:
"Being an ICE agent is the perfect job for people not good enough at business to be human traffickers or drug dealers, but just a bit too evil to be Baptist ministers."
www.patreon.com/posts/dingus...
"Being an ICE agent is the perfect job for people not good enough at business to be human traffickers or drug dealers, but just a bit too evil to be Baptist ministers."
www.patreon.com/posts/dingus...
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
Come on, people, I thought right-wingers were against participation trophies
January 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Come on, people, I thought right-wingers were against participation trophies
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
Star Tribune identifies ICE agent who fatally shot woman in Minneapolis
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
January 8, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Star Tribune identifies ICE agent who fatally shot woman in Minneapolis
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
We forget how hard Cuomo fought to deny de Blasio any victory, big or small. Cuomo even contradicted de Blasio after the mayor (truthfully!) answered questions about the looming covid shutdown in March 2020.
Mamdani won't face that kind of relentless, petty resistance, and it'll matter.
Mamdani won't face that kind of relentless, petty resistance, and it'll matter.
This is really big. de Blasio had to fight Cuomo tooth and nail to fund universal pre-K. Hochul is committing to funding not just pre-K and 3K in NYC but 2s as well.
New: Gov. Hochul is set to propose an expansion of universal pre-K statewide, funding for Mayor Mamdani's 2-Care program and pilots of additional child care expansions in select parts of the state. The pair will be in BK this morning with more details www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/...
January 8, 2026 at 4:32 PM
We forget how hard Cuomo fought to deny de Blasio any victory, big or small. Cuomo even contradicted de Blasio after the mayor (truthfully!) answered questions about the looming covid shutdown in March 2020.
Mamdani won't face that kind of relentless, petty resistance, and it'll matter.
Mamdani won't face that kind of relentless, petty resistance, and it'll matter.
Please take a moment today to read the poem that won Renée Nicole Good the @poetsorg.bsky.social's Academy of American Poets Prize.
She is more than the latest victim of ICE, more than a martyred mother. My god, could she write.
poets.org/2020-on-lear...
#writingcommunity
She is more than the latest victim of ICE, more than a martyred mother. My god, could she write.
poets.org/2020-on-lear...
#writingcommunity
2020 Academy of American Poets Prize
On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs by Renée Nicole Macklin
poets.org
January 8, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Please take a moment today to read the poem that won Renée Nicole Good the @poetsorg.bsky.social's Academy of American Poets Prize.
She is more than the latest victim of ICE, more than a martyred mother. My god, could she write.
poets.org/2020-on-lear...
#writingcommunity
She is more than the latest victim of ICE, more than a martyred mother. My god, could she write.
poets.org/2020-on-lear...
#writingcommunity
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
404 Media has obtained material that explains how two surveillance systems ICE recently purchased, work. One can track phones without a warrant and follow their owners home or to their employer. @evystadium.bsky.social has more.
Scoop by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
Scoop by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
January 8, 2026 at 2:55 PM
404 Media has obtained material that explains how two surveillance systems ICE recently purchased, work. One can track phones without a warrant and follow their owners home or to their employer. @evystadium.bsky.social has more.
Scoop by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
Scoop by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
This is music to my ears, since I usually do almost everything Roger Rosenblatt tells me to anyway...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/o...
#WritingCommunity
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/o...
#WritingCommunity
Opinion | Before You Toss That Book …
www.nytimes.com
January 6, 2026 at 5:15 PM
This is music to my ears, since I usually do almost everything Roger Rosenblatt tells me to anyway...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/o...
#WritingCommunity
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/o...
#WritingCommunity
Related: I am begging EVERYONE to please PLEASE write a will. A simple one from LegalZoom isn't very expensive. Even just something you scrawl on a notepad and get notarized is better than nothing. The number of horrible things that happen to survivors when someone dies intestate is incalculable.
A really sad follow-up to this story — Alexis Erlinmeyer, one of the trans federal intelligence workers who was fired, has died of a pulmonary embolism. She was 31. Her family is burying her under her deadname, so friends are fundraising for an accurate memorial: www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-...
NEW—In late Feb, Chris Rufo published leaked chats between queer/trans employees at US intel agencies. Then Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said she’d fire all involved.
I spoke to chat members who were fired, are on admin leave, and who kept their jobs about the new lavender scare:
I spoke to chat members who were fired, are on admin leave, and who kept their jobs about the new lavender scare:
January 5, 2026 at 7:25 PM
Related: I am begging EVERYONE to please PLEASE write a will. A simple one from LegalZoom isn't very expensive. Even just something you scrawl on a notepad and get notarized is better than nothing. The number of horrible things that happen to survivors when someone dies intestate is incalculable.
Everyone traveling near Rockefeller Center tonight around 5p check your traffic reports and be prepared to find an alternate route.
ignoring the real news for this instead xoxo
January 5, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Everyone traveling near Rockefeller Center tonight around 5p check your traffic reports and be prepared to find an alternate route.
Reposted by Kelly Caldwell
January 5, 2026 at 6:35 PM