Tom Nissley
@tomnissley.bsky.social
Owner of Phinney Books in Seattle, author of A Reader’s Book of Days
Pinned
Tom Nissley
@tomnissley.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Fun fact: the most euphonious phrase in the English language is not "cellar door." It is "Lorrie Moore."
Katie wins the vote on Wednesday, Cal 🤞 on Thursday...
Seattle's Bryan Woo finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting, announced Wednesday, topping out at fourth on five of the 30 ballots.
Tigers’ Tarik Skubal wins AL Cy Young again - BBWAA
Left-hander Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers won the American League Cy Young award for the second straight season. Skubal becomes the 23rd pitcher to win multiple Cy Young Awards. The list features...
bbwaa.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Katie wins the vote on Wednesday, Cal 🤞 on Thursday...
Reposted by Tom Nissley
Okay, that's pretty good 😂
November 12, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Okay, that's pretty good 😂
FWIW, this is our exact experience (sometimes!) when importing from (some of!) our usual UK suppliers. With no advance warning of when and how the charges will be applied.
Paid a Colombian tea grower $1,500 for a shipment. Got billed $150 by the Trump administration at the border. *I* got billed. Not the tea growers. Not the Colombian government. Me. The American business owner. I paid the Trump tax.
November 12, 2025 at 12:25 AM
FWIW, this is our exact experience (sometimes!) when importing from (some of!) our usual UK suppliers. With no advance warning of when and how the charges will be applied.
Reposted by Tom Nissley
No Kings includes Angus
King: So I believe that we are closer tonight to a vote on the ACA tax credits than we were this morning. This agreement tonight is a win for the American people.
November 10, 2025 at 2:31 AM
No Kings includes Angus
Reposted by Tom Nissley
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Nothing has validated the critiques of Africana studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, queer studies, postcolonial studies, etc.—and their intersection—more than the last twelve months
November 8, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Nothing has validated the critiques of Africana studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, queer studies, postcolonial studies, etc.—and their intersection—more than the last twelve months
Reposted by Tom Nissley
HAPPY FOUR SEASONS TOTAL LANDSCAPING DAY TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE
November 7, 2025 at 6:44 PM
HAPPY FOUR SEASONS TOTAL LANDSCAPING DAY TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE
Reposted by Tom Nissley
this is a reminder that we dont have to settle for newsom in 2028
November 5, 2025 at 2:44 AM
this is a reminder that we dont have to settle for newsom in 2028
Reposted by Tom Nissley
Schumer always votes using a simple rhyme:
Vote for blue, no matter who
Unless that blue's too left for you
Then you can vote for an independent
Just so long as he's a sex offendant
Vote for blue, no matter who
Unless that blue's too left for you
Then you can vote for an independent
Just so long as he's a sex offendant
Q: It's election day in NYC. Did you vote for Mamdani or Cuomo?
Schumer: "Look, I voted, and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help NYC."
Schumer: "Look, I voted, and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help NYC."
November 4, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Schumer always votes using a simple rhyme:
Vote for blue, no matter who
Unless that blue's too left for you
Then you can vote for an independent
Just so long as he's a sex offendant
Vote for blue, no matter who
Unless that blue's too left for you
Then you can vote for an independent
Just so long as he's a sex offendant
Reposted by Tom Nissley
Dick Cheney had I think the arc of a lot of republican politicians of his age, in that they assumed the foundations of liberal democracy were so rock solid they could be freely fucked with to no great cost. Then woke up one day to realize all those cracks in the foundation they wedged open mattered.
November 4, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Dick Cheney had I think the arc of a lot of republican politicians of his age, in that they assumed the foundations of liberal democracy were so rock solid they could be freely fucked with to no great cost. Then woke up one day to realize all those cracks in the foundation they wedged open mattered.
I mean if all these guys move out of NYC, kind of solves the rent problem, right?
November 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
I mean if all these guys move out of NYC, kind of solves the rent problem, right?
Mamdani seems pretty flipping competent
Both Abigail Spanberger and Zohran Mamdani are younger than their predecessors and stress the issue of affordability. But Spanberger’s campaign is about competence and pragmatism, not guaranteed heart-stirring. http://nyer.cm/UheaUsD
November 4, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Mamdani seems pretty flipping competent
The United States Constitution
Name a sequel that overshadowed the original (can be books, movies, video games etc.)
November 4, 2025 at 1:01 AM
The United States Constitution
I could listen to Martin Scorsese talking (and people talking about Marty) for hours, and in fact I am
![Frame from Mr. Scorsese with Rick Danko on guitar. Caption: [Scorsese] I made The Last Waltz for no money. Nothing.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:g73sgnfkrzsmo2ke7qlemdsw/bafkreicvj2zsvueztjrcfqxuxtafcvc4smgiuv575qinb4awwmbprulsay@jpeg)
![Frame from Mr. Scorsese with Danko singing. Caption: [Scorsese] No amount of money could have compensated me](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:g73sgnfkrzsmo2ke7qlemdsw/bafkreig37xp4j7cs5rrlpqxc33qyr3redpeyu2lkrdwwja7celnwqrtk5m@jpeg)
November 3, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I could listen to Martin Scorsese talking (and people talking about Marty) for hours, and in fact I am
Reposted by Tom Nissley
This right here, this exact sentence, is THE problem in American political journalism.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
November 1, 2025 at 12:13 PM
This right here, this exact sentence, is THE problem in American political journalism.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
The IRA *was* cheap energy and good jobs! That was the whole bill! Democrats did precisely what political pundits are telling them to do and the pundits just ignore it.
Reposted by Tom Nissley
When I worked in WaPo Opinions in 2017-2018, senior editors specifically told junior editors not to factcheck Marc Thiessen and other MAGA columnists, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to publish anything by them at all, and “we need them for intellectual diversity.”
It’s very telling that opening your publication to MAGA “thought” requires a massive downgrade in quality control.
October 30, 2025 at 10:38 PM
When I worked in WaPo Opinions in 2017-2018, senior editors specifically told junior editors not to factcheck Marc Thiessen and other MAGA columnists, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to publish anything by them at all, and “we need them for intellectual diversity.”
Reposted by Tom Nissley
IMO democracy becomes impossible in the absence of any social or political norms against lying.
Kristi Noem: "No American citizens have been arrested or detained. We focus on those who are here illegally. And anything you would hear or report that would be different than that is simply not true and false reporting."
October 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
IMO democracy becomes impossible in the absence of any social or political norms against lying.
Reposted by Tom Nissley
Here’s the thing about the Civil Rights Movement people don’t realize, shit was messy.
October 23, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Here’s the thing about the Civil Rights Movement people don’t realize, shit was messy.
Reposted by Tom Nissley
REMINDER: THIS SUNDAY @ 6pm. EP Release Show. Note: Venue change. We'll be at the bike shop cafe inside Chophouse Row. Promo Singles here: collapseofahouseparty.bandcamp.com?fbclid=PAZXh...
October 22, 2025 at 11:27 PM
REMINDER: THIS SUNDAY @ 6pm. EP Release Show. Note: Venue change. We'll be at the bike shop cafe inside Chophouse Row. Promo Singles here: collapseofahouseparty.bandcamp.com?fbclid=PAZXh...
I mean, it's a little on the nose to lose to Canadians* on the same day the White House is getting wrecked for the first time since the War of 1812.
*I love Canadians** and will root for them in the next round.
**My favorite Canadian is Josh Naylor.
*I love Canadians** and will root for them in the next round.
**My favorite Canadian is Josh Naylor.
October 21, 2025 at 3:52 AM
I mean, it's a little on the nose to lose to Canadians* on the same day the White House is getting wrecked for the first time since the War of 1812.
*I love Canadians** and will root for them in the next round.
**My favorite Canadian is Josh Naylor.
*I love Canadians** and will root for them in the next round.
**My favorite Canadian is Josh Naylor.
Reposted by Tom Nissley
Welp. That one’s gonna hurt for a while.
Love love love this team, though. Bring back Naylor and let’s run this shit back.
Love love love this team, though. Bring back Naylor and let’s run this shit back.
October 21, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Welp. That one’s gonna hurt for a while.
Love love love this team, though. Bring back Naylor and let’s run this shit back.
Love love love this team, though. Bring back Naylor and let’s run this shit back.
Reposted by Tom Nissley
the last six weeks or so of m's baseball has been some of the most fun baseball i've seen in my life
October 21, 2025 at 3:03 AM
the last six weeks or so of m's baseball has been some of the most fun baseball i've seen in my life
Reposted by Tom Nissley
I call it “joyful rigor” when I explain this effort to my students. I don’t believe in or rather, I’m not a “suffering poet.” I’m a writer who enjoys writing. The work works on me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to delve into the process at my own pace and to be changed by it.
That’s the other thing that baffles me about AI and creative writing, actually.
The work IS the joy for me. I don’t want to be able to snap my fingers and have a completed “product.” I want to be transformed by the process. I’m an author but I do this because I enjoy the rigor of being a writer.
The work IS the joy for me. I don’t want to be able to snap my fingers and have a completed “product.” I want to be transformed by the process. I’m an author but I do this because I enjoy the rigor of being a writer.
In terms of process, I enjoy writing but revising????? Oh, that’s my real kink. A second or third draft???? A fourth???? Making tweaks on my desktop AND my phone???? *moans* I’m a WHORE for revision.
October 20, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I call it “joyful rigor” when I explain this effort to my students. I don’t believe in or rather, I’m not a “suffering poet.” I’m a writer who enjoys writing. The work works on me and I’m grateful for the opportunity to delve into the process at my own pace and to be changed by it.
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So: general strike?
October 20, 2025 at 12:19 AM
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