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frankiehagg.bsky.social
frankie hagg
@frankiehagg.bsky.social
540 followers 170 following 270 posts
writer of science fiction, essays, book reviews, & more. senior editor @augursociety.bsky.social. translator in my day job. history MA. montreal | tiohtià:ke. they/them. https://frankiehagg.carrd.co/
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frankiehagg.bsky.social
thank you also for the ancient texts. here's a recent from when he was helping me make the bed. yesterday he enjoyed a bit of ahi tuna but would only eat it if we put some pumpkin treat on top. he only wants muffins and kitty mcdonalds
A grey and white tuxedo cat peeps out from under a flat sheet on a bed. Only one eye, a pink nose, and his little white pause are visible.
September 25, 2025 at 5:13 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
air canada's claim that it is "unable" to support either its underpaid employees or its customers is particularly galling given the bonuses they have offered their top executives: www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...
Air Canada, whose stock performance lagged its peers last year, gave its top executives bigger bonuses for 2023 after the company blew past its internal profit targets. Chief executive officer Michael Rousseau received a $2.6-million bonus, up from $2.28-million in 2022. The bonus was part of his overall $12.08-million pay package. That was down from $12.38-million in 2022. Three other top Air Canada executives received bonuses ranging from $576,000 to $816,000 – 30 per cent to 50 per cent higher than their 2022 bonuses. That led to increases in total compensation ranging from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. Air Canada caused a firestorm in 2021 when it revealed it had scrapped its performance-based bonus structure during COVID-19 and replaced it with a plan that paid executives and managers $10-million in “pandemic mitigation bonuses.” The airline made the awards as it negotiated a $5.9-billion federal rescue plan. Ultimately, senior executives gave back $2-million in bonuses.
August 16, 2025 at 8:05 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
for this month's newsletter–blog post, i churned out a treatise of the ways AI will never replace human storytellers by heavily quoting much better writers than me buttondown.com/frankiehagg/...
Screenshot of text from the newsletter: As any student of literature can tell you, the author is dead. And as any sane writer will tell you, this is for the best; to be wholly responsible for how others react to your text is a very effective impetus to never produce another one. But what this sentiment means at its core is not that the author’s intention does not matter; rather, that a text and the society that receives it are in dialogue. To incorporate one’s environment, life, and experiences is fundamental to the task of telling a story, to which readers then respond. Whether or not it makes for interesting art—this is a task an LLM is simply unable to perform.
August 4, 2025 at 1:54 AM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
getting words on the page is difficult! i am trying to write a newsletter per month as part of my attempt to get over this. yesterday's was about THE WORK, writer's block, having a writing-heavy day job—ultimately mustering motivation as a part-time writer. buttondown.com/frankiehagg/...
I think of writing mainly as THE WORK. Lately I have been reading about not-quite-creatures: mushrooms, jellyfish, slimes. The drive to write is a slime within me: alive enough to writhe and occasionally to convert will into words, but for the most part just sitting there telepathically sending me messages about THE WORK. You may be asking what THE WORK looks like for me when I am not doing it. Me as well. The trouble with believing in THE WORK is that it then becomes possible to fail at THE WORK. At the current time, the metrics of failure are entirely my own. I face them every time I sit down even to write one of these wretched little newsletters: the copy is never good enough, it does not do what I want it to, it does not reflect my intention. I wish to sit down on a Saturday night and write one essay, and then I wish to hit send and go to sleep. This is not possible. This is not in keeping with THE WORK. THE WORK demands that I leverage my admittedly [some time here spent hedging and obfuscating what I really want to say; very well, with confidence:] strong writing skills [THRILL! HORROR! SHAME!] and do something that impresses me.
July 6, 2025 at 5:53 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
"stop buying books" haha what?
A bookstack with five books. From top to bottom: This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno; Home by Toni Morrison; Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong; The West Passage by Jared Pacheček; The Hunter by Tana French
June 27, 2025 at 9:54 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
great day of book shopping in mtl 📚 ninefox gambit from @joiedelivresmtl.bsky.social, then hit @dandq.bsky.social on my way home
A bookstack of three books. From top to bottom: Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, a science fiction novel. The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger, a nonfiction book. Hellions by Julia Elliott, a short story collection.
June 21, 2025 at 7:28 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
my partner sent me this as some kind of personal call-out? joke's on him I am putting this on my resume and then collating our tax documents hard-drive.net/hd/report-yo...
A screenshot of the parody website Hard Drive shows the headline, "Report: Your Roommate Who Played 'Return of the Obra Dinn' Also Really Enjoys Filing Taxes." A stock photo of a white man with thick glasses grinning at a sheet of paper in front of his laptop is also shown.
January 28, 2025 at 4:11 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
my treat (8 books for $60) arrived. (outtake of villain trying to eat my props) (villain was not permitted to eat a leaf and plant was swiftly returned out of reach)
A stack of eight books is shown sitting on a wooden surface. The books are, from bottom to top: Black Reconstruction in America (Dubois); Rakesfall (Chandrasekera); The Saint of Bright Doors (Chandrasekera); Lost Ark Dreaming (Okungbowa); Flights (Tokarczuk); The Echo Wife (Gailey); Follow Me to Ground (Rainsford); and The Writing Life (Dillard). Beside the book stack is a plant with wide, broad leaves in a blue pot. The same book stack and plant are shown, but the shot is wider to show a very large grey and white tuxedo plant gnawing gently, passionately, on one of the plant's leaves. The skeeter's messy living room is also shown in the background.
January 14, 2025 at 7:27 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
had a fantastic time seeing jeff vandermeer in conversation with the wonderful chris bergeron in montreal this evening. there's incredible energy in a sold-out literary chat 🐊
A photo taken of a stage from three rows back; a sea of heads lines the bottom of the photo. On stage, Jeff Vandermeer, a bespectacled man with a white goatee, sits at a table and reads from his new book, Absolution. Beside him, author Chris Bergeron, a woman with long dark hair, listens with interest. The stage is awash in pink and purple lighting. There are two posters, one advertising Pulp Bookshop in Montreal and the other showing Absolution's cover, on either side of the table. A photo of an alligator in reeds, taken by Vandermeer, is displayed against the back wall behind the speakers.
November 19, 2024 at 2:19 AM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
ICYMI, I and a handful of our other editors talked about the collaborative pitch process at @augurmag.bsky.social! Watching the team expand and strengthen is one of my fav things about working with Augur 💪 www.kickstarter.com/projects/aug...
Over a dark orange background, a quote in white text reads: “As an ex–humanities academic, our pitch process fills a huge void in my life: It’s just a big book club full of genre literature nerds! Even for pieces that don’t necessarily resonate with me, I love hearing other people’s takeaways.” The quote is attributed to Frankie Hagg, Senior Editor, Augur Society. At the bottom of the photo is a emerald green banner that reads: "On Kickstarter until Oct 31, back us now” in white text. Over an emerald green background, a quote in white text reads: “In pitch, we discuss each work with so much admiration and care, that I wish those conversations could be shared with the writer.” The quote is attributed to Melissa Ren, Editor, Augur society. At the bottom of the photo is an eggplant purple banner that reads: “On Kickstarter until Oct 31, back us now." Over an orange background, a quote in white text reads: "I love that the diverse perspectives of our team allow us all to actively bring up questions (and, when relevant, concerns) about different pieces.” The quote is attributed to Sri Prasad, Assistant Editor, Augur Society. At the bottom of the photo is a emerald green banner that reads: “On Kickstarter until Oct 31, back us now." Over a mauve background, a quote in white text reads: “There are so many things to appreciate about the work shared with us that I miss in my limited subjectivity, so it’s truly the team effort that makes curating the year’s publications so magical." The quote is attributed to Toria Liao, Chief Operating Officer, Augur Society. At the bottom of the photo is an eggplant purple banner that reads: “On Kickstarter until Oct 31, back us now."
October 26, 2024 at 8:39 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
only this one
a grey-and-white tuxedo cat lies sphinx-like on a dark red ottoman. he is abnormally large for a cat and very pleasant-looking. several plants sit on a bookshelf behind him.
October 10, 2024 at 9:32 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
the tool that most helps me with this "scratching out 10 mins at a time" system is scrivener's sibling program, scapple. i use it for worldbuilding: i dump my thoughts in there helter skelter when i don't have time, and follow them to their natural conclusions when i do. (text deliberately hidden)
A screenshot of a whiteboard program displaying a mind map. In the middle of the mindmap is "Old World" written in caps. Smaller headings branch off from there, including "Ecology," "Technology," and "Sociopolitical." Yet smaller branches extend from there, many overlapping and connected by dotted lines.
October 4, 2024 at 9:24 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
day 2: work event in a picturesque locale
a solo rower rows a white skulls boat during golden hour. deciduous trees line the opposite shore. pylons mark lanes in the strait. a business complex can be seen through the trees in the far distance, a pink and white building.
September 13, 2024 at 11:37 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
stress levels are not what I'd call "manageable" these days so I am making a point of it to go for a walk after work every day and take a little picture. there are 110 (or so) days left in 2024 and if I take a picture on 100 of them I will be happy. today's small gratitude: smell of basil
a photo taken in near proximity of a pink flowering bush, genus unknown. the flowers have four petals and they face down; the leaves are long and oval, perhaps related to a philodendron. the pink of the flowers is just rosier than cooked salmon. the light hints at a sun thinking of setting.
September 13, 2024 at 12:54 AM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
I wrote on how it took me rereading Le Guin's Steering the Craft to really understand its lessons about voice, sound, and other sundry: buttondown.email/frankiehagg/...
Excerpt from the link: "Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft is a great argument for reading books twice. It seemed to me on first read that there was little in the way of concrete advice for what she calls the “serious writer.” Returning to my highlighted volume as a reference text rather than a nonfiction read, I see this was mainly reader error. What I failed to pick up on in my first read was Le Guin’s central thesis: that writing’s voice and its sound are the same concern, and that learning how to convey this to the reader formed the bedrock of her writing process. Again, my error: this is very plainly rendered. On all of page two, Le Guin writes: “An awareness of what your own writing sounds like is an essential skill for a writer." This thesis of the book recurs throughout. The next chapter, on punctuation, makes an analogy to music—that punctuation is to a sentence as a rest note is to a bar of music (12)."
February 10, 2024 at 9:26 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
I read 13 books in January! Faves include I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane; Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo; Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason. I review all 13 here: buttondown.email/frankiehagg/...
A graphic showing the covers of all 13 books I read in January. The covers are arranged on a cherry-red background, with illustrated book spines arranged at the top and the bottom of the graphic.
February 3, 2024 at 8:46 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
of the 58-60 books i read (or will have read) in 2023, i wrote about the 6 that were my favourites! i hope to talk more about the books i'm reading in this format—why a book might or might not work for someone, with comps, rather than rating them—through 2024. buttondown.email/frankiehagg/...
A graphic showing the covers of six of my favourite books overlaid upon a picture of black bookshelves chock full of books. The six covers of the favourite books are: Kindred by Octavia Butler; The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw; Devil House by John Darnielle; Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese; Trust by Hernan Diaz; and Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson.
December 30, 2023 at 9:42 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
my wonderful, large epileptic cat turned 10 this week!! his condition is unusually well managed by a low dose of medication and he hasn't had a seizure in years, but I am still so proud he's made it to 10. here he is in his favourite box that he has slept in, and chewed on, for half his life
A grey and white tuxedo cat lounges balefully in a cardboard box by a sunny window. his feet are sticking over the edge of the box, because he is slightly too big for it. Pink toe beans are showing. One edge of the box has been chewed to the dickens.
December 21, 2023 at 4:55 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
i am starting an irregular newsletter on writing, reading, craft, and other sundries! (i miss blogs!) my first post is about my difficult quest to set a non-quantitative writing goal for 2024, after a long writing hibernation: buttondown.email/frankiehagg/...
An excerpt from the linked post: "What I am looking for—what I abandoned when I tried to professionalize my writing in the first place—is the joy involved in curating a manuscript. A lot of the joy in writing for me comes out of editing my earlier drafts: removing words, sometimes entire chapters, rewriting them to make a better version of what was there before; workshopping. Like sitting at a pottery wheel and caressing a lump of clay into a new shape slowly, a bit at a time. That is the sort of ritual I most miss."
December 16, 2023 at 5:15 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
two five-star reads this week. with this i broke my goal of reading 52 books in 2023! definitely an improvement on my fiction reading the last time i was a full-time student, ha
The cover of Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese is shown. It is a cover in four quadrants: at the top left, a snow-covered tree is shaded in blue. In the top right, snowy footprints are shaded in grey. In the bottom two quadrants, one red and one green, a young boy is skating far ahead of the six boys skating after him. The cover of Devil House by John Darnielle is shown. The cover is split horizontally between a white background (on the bottom) and black background (on the top). Above the dividing line, a manor/castle is pictured in black and white. Reflected below the dividing line is the manor in a red outline; it is styled to look like a demon.
December 14, 2023 at 7:08 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
waiting patiently to talk to you about augur magazine. mac I've been dying to talk to you about augur magazine all day
A screenshot of Charlie Kelly from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: a white man with sticking-up brown hair stands in front of a red-string board, looking very stressed and smoking a cigarette, wearing a light blue collared t-shirt and brown-and-yellow striped tie. The screenshot has been edited so that, where in the original screenshot "PEPE SILVIA" was scribbled in black marker over the myriad papers pinned to the wall, the text now reads "AUGUR MAGAZINE."
December 12, 2023 at 11:21 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
montreal thousands strong in solidarity with palestine again today at place des arts. u here mtl???
a photo of a crowd of thousands in place des arts in montreal, many holding palestinian flags aloft.
November 4, 2023 at 7:06 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
we were thousands strong in support of a free palestine in montreal today. please contact your representatives and remind them of their moral and professional duty to condemn the ongoing attacks against palestinian civilians
A panoramic photo of a crowd of thousands of people gathered in Montreal. Many are holding Palestinian flags aloft. The sky is blue; green and orange trees bespeckle the landscape on either side of the crowd.
October 28, 2023 at 10:25 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
20 minute break to finish the last few pages of Shirley Jackson's HANGSAMAN (book 44 of 2023) - an odd little book but ultimately satisfying, and I think one that would reward a reread. my, the prose.
An excerpt from Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson. It reads: "The trees were waiting in the darkness ahead, quietly expectant. A tree is not a human thing, with it's feet in the ground and its hard back against the sky; it cannot tolerate the small human tenderness moving beneath, and, not obeying the whims of moveable creatures, can hardly have more pity for a Natalie than for a field mouse or pheasant, moving with private pride but falling easily."
October 26, 2023 at 12:13 PM
frankiehagg.bsky.social
four 4.5-star honourable mentions from this year: THE SECRET LIVES OF CHURCH LADIES by Deesha Philyaw (literary, short stories), FOE by Ian Reid (sci-fi / weird fiction), TRUST by Hernán Diaz (literary, same story told 4 times), and CATCH AND KILL by Ronan Farrow (nonfiction). a variety!!
The cover of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw: a Black woman sits on a turquoise sofa looking unhappily into the distance. She is wearing a white button-up with black polka-dots, buttoned to the neck; she is also wearing a red bow-tie and vibrant red lipstick. The cover of Foe by Iain Reid. A wooden barn sits in the distance on the horizon; there is a squat white grain silo in the middle of the cover. Both are quite small in the frame; above, outer space expands above, and the ground is black below. The cover of Trust by Hernan Diaz. A skyscraper sits in the middle of the frame with a seafoam-green background; it is covered in a protective glass dome. Both disappear into clouds near the bottom of the cover. The cover of Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow: On a black background, the cover text is in white. Also in off-white is a pair of lips, which is being zippered shut by a disembodied red-hand from off-frame.
October 6, 2023 at 5:14 PM