Melissa Block
@melissablock.bsky.social
Former NPR host and correspondent. Birder, gardener, mom. Also on Instagram: @nprmelissablock.
Reposted by Melissa Block
When I tell you *a lot* went into this story, I mean it.
- Recordings of internal meetings
- Leaked audio from phone calls
- Internal chat logs
- Drafts of secret policy papers
- Interviews with nearly two dozen sources
Thank you for supporting journalism that does this kind of work.
- Recordings of internal meetings
- Leaked audio from phone calls
- Internal chat logs
- Drafts of secret policy papers
- Interviews with nearly two dozen sources
Thank you for supporting journalism that does this kind of work.
November 6, 2025 at 1:09 PM
When I tell you *a lot* went into this story, I mean it.
- Recordings of internal meetings
- Leaked audio from phone calls
- Internal chat logs
- Drafts of secret policy papers
- Interviews with nearly two dozen sources
Thank you for supporting journalism that does this kind of work.
- Recordings of internal meetings
- Leaked audio from phone calls
- Internal chat logs
- Drafts of secret policy papers
- Interviews with nearly two dozen sources
Thank you for supporting journalism that does this kind of work.
Reposted by Melissa Block
BREAKING: Mississippi Democrats have now flipped two state Senate seats—putting them on the verge of breaking the Mississippi GOP's supermajority.
Theresa Gillespie Isom has defeated Republican opponent Charlie Hoots, who she leads in the current vote tally by about 2-1.
Theresa Gillespie Isom has defeated Republican opponent Charlie Hoots, who she leads in the current vote tally by about 2-1.
Democrat Theresa Gillespie Isom Flips GOP-Held Mississippi Senate Seat in North Mississippi
Theresa Gillespie Isom, a North Mississippi Democrat, has won a special election for Mississippi Senate District 2, flipping a GOP-held seat.
www.mississippifreepress.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:03 AM
BREAKING: Mississippi Democrats have now flipped two state Senate seats—putting them on the verge of breaking the Mississippi GOP's supermajority.
Theresa Gillespie Isom has defeated Republican opponent Charlie Hoots, who she leads in the current vote tally by about 2-1.
Theresa Gillespie Isom has defeated Republican opponent Charlie Hoots, who she leads in the current vote tally by about 2-1.
Reposted by Melissa Block
Populist Dems won. Moderate Dems won. We won in blue states. We won in purple states.
Maybe the take is that (a) people think Trump is out of control; and (b) people like Dems when we're taking a stand and fighting for what we believe in - as we have been for the last month.
Maybe the take is that (a) people think Trump is out of control; and (b) people like Dems when we're taking a stand and fighting for what we believe in - as we have been for the last month.
November 5, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Populist Dems won. Moderate Dems won. We won in blue states. We won in purple states.
Maybe the take is that (a) people think Trump is out of control; and (b) people like Dems when we're taking a stand and fighting for what we believe in - as we have been for the last month.
Maybe the take is that (a) people think Trump is out of control; and (b) people like Dems when we're taking a stand and fighting for what we believe in - as we have been for the last month.
Reposted by Melissa Block
An exceedingly cromulent story about defining words. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/u... @groveatlantic.bsky.social @stefanfatsis.bsky.social #booksky
Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:21 PM
An exceedingly cromulent story about defining words. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/u... @groveatlantic.bsky.social @stefanfatsis.bsky.social #booksky
Great reporting on Bezos/Washington Post conflicts of interest, by @npr.org’s media correspondent @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/10/28/n...
www.npr.org/2025/10/28/n...
'Washington Post' editorials omit a key disclosure: Bezos' financial ties
Three times in the past two weeks, editorials at the 'Washington Post' failed to disclose that they focused on matters in which owner Jeff Bezos had a material interest.
www.npr.org
October 28, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Great reporting on Bezos/Washington Post conflicts of interest, by @npr.org’s media correspondent @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social
www.npr.org/2025/10/28/n...
www.npr.org/2025/10/28/n...
Reposted by Melissa Block
Chicagolanders! Tomorrow 10/28 at 7 pm at The Book Cellar I'll be talking about my new book with @jonathaneig.bsky.social. Come ask me about trying to get the farting sense of "Dutch oven" into the dictionary and Jon about winning a Pulitzer Prize www.bookcellarinc.com/stefan-fatsi...
Stefan Fatsis in conversation with Jonathan Eig, "Unabridged" | The Book Cellar
www.bookcellarinc.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Chicagolanders! Tomorrow 10/28 at 7 pm at The Book Cellar I'll be talking about my new book with @jonathaneig.bsky.social. Come ask me about trying to get the farting sense of "Dutch oven" into the dictionary and Jon about winning a Pulitzer Prize www.bookcellarinc.com/stefan-fatsi...
Reposted by Melissa Block
Smart, thoughtful @nytimes.com review of UNABRIDGED by Dan Piepenbring, which also mentions my efforts to get the farting sense of "Dutch oven" into the dictionary
Wut? It’s in the Dictionary. A New Book Explains How.
www.nytimes.com
October 22, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Smart, thoughtful @nytimes.com review of UNABRIDGED by Dan Piepenbring, which also mentions my efforts to get the farting sense of "Dutch oven" into the dictionary
Reposted by Melissa Block
#GRAMMY-Nominated Musician Paul Burch discusses his new novel MERIDAN RISING about Country Music Legend Jimmie Rodgers with @melissablock.bsky.social on Friday, get your tickets now:
Readin’ & Rockin’ Featuring GRAMMY-Nominated Musician Paul Burch in Conversation with former NPR host Melissa Block. – Hill Center DC
Burch Discusses his new Novel Meridian Rising about Country Music Legend Jimmie Rodgers and Sings a Few Songs Too! "Jimmie Rodgers comes a-yodelin' out of Paul Burch's novel as if he were with us today. This is a tour de force of musical imagination." —Roy Blount Jr., author of Save Room for Pie
f.mtr.cool
October 21, 2025 at 2:04 PM
#GRAMMY-Nominated Musician Paul Burch discusses his new novel MERIDAN RISING about Country Music Legend Jimmie Rodgers with @melissablock.bsky.social on Friday, get your tickets now:
Some of the thousands who marched at today’s #nokings rally in #Nashville.
October 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Some of the thousands who marched at today’s #nokings rally in #Nashville.
Reposted by Melissa Block
My new book, UNABRIDGED, published by @groveatlantic.bsky.social, is out! It took a long time to report and write and I'm proud of it and would be grateful if you bought it and would love to see people when I'm traveling to promote it. Consider this an official book thread
October 10, 2025 at 9:36 PM
My new book, UNABRIDGED, published by @groveatlantic.bsky.social, is out! It took a long time to report and write and I'm proud of it and would be grateful if you bought it and would love to see people when I'm traveling to promote it. Consider this an official book thread
Reposted by Melissa Block
The first excerpt/adaptation from my new book, UNABRIDGED, is out, in the @theatlantic.com. Read, share, preorder (the book, that is). www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Is This the End of the Dictionary?
Obsolete (adj.): no longer in use or no longer useful
www.theatlantic.com
September 15, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The first excerpt/adaptation from my new book, UNABRIDGED, is out, in the @theatlantic.com. Read, share, preorder (the book, that is). www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
I’m thrilled to be in conversation this Friday, 9/12, with the brilliant photographer Sally Mann at @politicsprose.bsky.social. Her terrific new book “Art Work” is all about the creative process: its pitfalls, temptations & rewards. As she writes on p. 1: “This is a book about how to get shit done.”
September 9, 2025 at 8:09 PM
I’m thrilled to be in conversation this Friday, 9/12, with the brilliant photographer Sally Mann at @politicsprose.bsky.social. Her terrific new book “Art Work” is all about the creative process: its pitfalls, temptations & rewards. As she writes on p. 1: “This is a book about how to get shit done.”
After Congress stripped away funding for @npr.org and @pbs.org, a lot of us are wondering how we can best support the most vulnerable stations. My former NPR colleague Alex Curley created this "Adopt A Station" website to help you find (and donate to) the stations most at risk. adoptastation.org
Adopt A Station - Rescue Public Media
Help preserve independent journalism and community programming across America by adopting a public media station. Congress has voted to rescind public media's funding.
adoptastation.org
July 22, 2025 at 7:43 PM
After Congress stripped away funding for @npr.org and @pbs.org, a lot of us are wondering how we can best support the most vulnerable stations. My former NPR colleague Alex Curley created this "Adopt A Station" website to help you find (and donate to) the stations most at risk. adoptastation.org
Thoughtful analysis of how we got here, from @npr.org’s @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social.
www.npr.org/2025/07/18/n...
www.npr.org/2025/07/18/n...
How bipartisan support for public media unraveled in the Trump era
"It will test every single shred of creativity we have to continue to try to serve our mission," says one public media executive, as Congress ends federal funding for public broadcasting.
www.npr.org
July 18, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Thoughtful analysis of how we got here, from @npr.org’s @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social.
www.npr.org/2025/07/18/n...
www.npr.org/2025/07/18/n...
Reposted by Melissa Block
Make no mistake: Many, many women have powered #podcasting, then and now. I know this because I am one of them (I worked with Roman and Ira, too). The filmmaker didn't know or didn't care.
Much of my audio work counters historical erasure. It's wild to see it here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW06...
Much of my audio work counters historical erasure. It's wild to see it here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW06...
Age of Audio Official Festival Trailer - 2025
YouTube video by AGE OF AUDIO
www.youtube.com
July 16, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Make no mistake: Many, many women have powered #podcasting, then and now. I know this because I am one of them (I worked with Roman and Ira, too). The filmmaker didn't know or didn't care.
Much of my audio work counters historical erasure. It's wild to see it here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW06...
Much of my audio work counters historical erasure. It's wild to see it here.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW06...
Reposted by Melissa Block
Shooting our videos is a little bit different now.
July 8, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Shooting our videos is a little bit different now.
Friends in the DMV: I’ll be chatting w/ @samkean.bsky.social about Dinner with King Tut: his eye-opening new book on (and immersion in) the world of experiential archeology. Mummification, alchemy, trepanation, trebuchets, and more! Tues. 7/8, 7 pm @politicsprose.bsky.social Conn. Ave. Join us!
July 6, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Friends in the DMV: I’ll be chatting w/ @samkean.bsky.social about Dinner with King Tut: his eye-opening new book on (and immersion in) the world of experiential archeology. Mummification, alchemy, trepanation, trebuchets, and more! Tues. 7/8, 7 pm @politicsprose.bsky.social Conn. Ave. Join us!
Reposted by Melissa Block
Trump spoke of “shylocks,” which is one of the most recognizable antisemitic terms in modern English. Watch who tries to explain this away.
July 4, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Trump spoke of “shylocks,” which is one of the most recognizable antisemitic terms in modern English. Watch who tries to explain this away.
Reposted by Melissa Block
No, he knows
Trump says he wasn’t aware term ‘Shylock’ viewed as antisemitic after using it at rally | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump said early Friday that he wasn’t aware that some people view the word “Shylock” as antisemitic after using the term during a rally to decry amoral money lenders.
www.cnn.com
July 4, 2025 at 12:31 PM
No, he knows
Reposted by Melissa Block
Hey, DC - I'm speaking about my new book, Dinner with King Tut, @politicsprose.bsky.social a week from tomorrow, July 8th, at 7pm. Joining me is the wonderful @melissablock.bsky.social! Hope to see you there...
politics-prose.com/sam-kean
politics-prose.com/sam-kean
Sam Kean — Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists Are Recreating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations - with Melissa Block — at Conn Ave
politics-prose.com
June 30, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Hey, DC - I'm speaking about my new book, Dinner with King Tut, @politicsprose.bsky.social a week from tomorrow, July 8th, at 7pm. Joining me is the wonderful @melissablock.bsky.social! Hope to see you there...
politics-prose.com/sam-kean
politics-prose.com/sam-kean
Reposted by Melissa Block
“No right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates.” –Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
One of the most chilling sentences I have ever read.
One of the most chilling sentences I have ever read.
June 27, 2025 at 2:06 PM
“No right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates.” –Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
One of the most chilling sentences I have ever read.
One of the most chilling sentences I have ever read.
I’m always happy to visit public radio stations. KCAW/Raven Radio in Sitka, Alaska is a great example of how vital public radio stations are, especially in small, rural communities. Visiting on a day when the House clawed back its appropriation of public media funding, felt especially meaningful.
June 13, 2025 at 3:09 AM
I’m always happy to visit public radio stations. KCAW/Raven Radio in Sitka, Alaska is a great example of how vital public radio stations are, especially in small, rural communities. Visiting on a day when the House clawed back its appropriation of public media funding, felt especially meaningful.
Reposted by Melissa Block
They let me blurb this excellent book by @stefanfatsis.bsky.social, and I know you're going to love it, so consider giving it a preorder, eh?
Unabridged | Grove Atlantic
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Word Freak, a vibrant, lively, and illuminating journey through the exotic world of Merriam-Webster, dictionaries, and language, at...
groveatlantic.com
June 10, 2025 at 1:43 AM
They let me blurb this excellent book by @stefanfatsis.bsky.social, and I know you're going to love it, so consider giving it a preorder, eh?
Reposted by Melissa Block
ICE arrested former Afghan Nat'l Army soldier—our ally against Taliban—at his home in TX.
He entered legally and atty says he has no criminal record. Was applying for asylum. Appears to be casualty of Trump decision de-documenting legal Afghan immigrants
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...
He entered legally and atty says he has no criminal record. Was applying for asylum. Appears to be casualty of Trump decision de-documenting legal Afghan immigrants
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...
Former Afghan soldier arrested at Houston-area home by ICE, stripped of asylum protections, attorney says | Houston Public Media
The soldier is one of at least 20,000 Afghans seeking asylum nationwide, having fled Afghanistan after aiding the U.S. military during the two-decades-long war there.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org
June 7, 2025 at 5:38 PM
ICE arrested former Afghan Nat'l Army soldier—our ally against Taliban—at his home in TX.
He entered legally and atty says he has no criminal record. Was applying for asylum. Appears to be casualty of Trump decision de-documenting legal Afghan immigrants
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...
He entered legally and atty says he has no criminal record. Was applying for asylum. Appears to be casualty of Trump decision de-documenting legal Afghan immigrants
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...