Kio Stark
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kiostark.bsky.social
Kio Stark
@kiostark.bsky.social
430 followers 390 following 210 posts
I talk to strangers. I write stuff. Wallet full of library cards. Here to help.

Books: WHEN STRANGERS MEET (about why you should), FOLLOW ME DOWN, a novel. New novel underway about theater people. Also writing some fucked up folktales.
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kiostark.bsky.social
Kio Stark @kiostark.bsky.social · Jun 30
A brief detour into my weird brain. www.fuckedupfolktales.com/tales/as-a-c...
As a child he asked things like why doesn’t the sea get larger when it rains, since nothing flows out? A perfectly good physics question, he would later learn… — Fucked Up Folktales
The neighbor boy with the murderous golden hair called him a fool. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to touch this boy or tie himself up in the shining strands or steal one and see what happened. He could h...
www.fuckedupfolktales.com
kiostark.bsky.social
Good mail day, @monteiro.bsky.social and Amos Paul Kennedy yay!
IMAGE: Small letterpress sign that says GENERAL STRIKE and a zine with a skull on green background and the title in white on black DON’T BUILD THE TORMENT NEXUS
November 8, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
awalkerinla.bsky.social
*taps sign*
awalkerinla.bsky.social Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · Jun 26
Two years ago I interviewed a 31-year-old NY state assemblymember about a 7-year-old girl killed by an SUV driver in his district. I hung up the phone, astonished that I'd talked to a legislator who so thoughtfully articulated what actually needs to change on our streets.

He'll make a great mayor
In February, 7-year-old Dolma Naadhun was crossing the intersection of Newtown Road and 45th Street in Astoria with her mother and sister when the driver of a 2021 Ford Explorer blew through a stop sign, striking and killing Dolma. One month later, New York City Department of Transportation commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez visited the crash site with other officials, met with community members demanding a traffic signal be installed, and promised to make changes to the street - including "daylighting" the intersection using curb extensions and plastic bollards. State assemblymember Zohran Mamdani also visited the scene that day and realized that something else needed to change. "When you take a step back and think about traffic violence in New York City," he said, "you start to understand that this is a systemic issue that is incentivized by the policies that we have in place with regard to the design of our streets and what kind of vehicles we allow to be on our roads." Whether a driver runs a stop sign or a red light, statistically, certain cars - namely, bigger SUVs and trucks - are more likely to kill a 7-year-old. This is why Mamdani is co- introducing legislation for a weight-based vehicle-registration fee intended to discourage people from purchasing heavier vehicles. "The car industry is pushing the sale of heavier and larger vehicles," he says. "The state has to make it clear that these types of vehicles come with a certain kind of cost." soar above adult shoulders. But there may be another way to disincentivize the purchases of such vehicles, says Edwards. "One other potential idea would be for someone, maybe a city's DOT, to start keeping a list of the different makes and models of vehicles that are killing pedestrians and cyclists, or kids specifically, and post that publicly," he says. "That could bring awareness to which cars are more dangerous and also potentially affect insurance rates, which would possibly convince people not to buy certain cars." There's a bit of accountability in New York's bill, which would require the State DOT to track all fatal crashes by vehicle weight. But the other encouraging aspect of the proposal is that the collected fees stay local, by county, and, after the annual dedications to highway, bridge, and transit trust funds are met, a full 75 percent of the funds raised will go toward safety improvements like bike lanes, bollards, road diets, pedestrianization of streets, and raised crosswalks. This means the neighborhoods most impacted by large vehicles are likely to see the biggest changes. And that might be the most important part of the legislation, says Mamdani. "This is an initiative to make our streets safer for our children," he says. "And we are making sure a significant portion of this funding goes toward creating the very streetscapes that we know will save their lives."
November 5, 2025 at 2:12 AM
kiostark.bsky.social
So, KEXP is always fabulous. They're very on-topic on fire this morning. Pure joy. Listen to the radio. www.kexp.org
KEXP - Where the Music Matters
KEXP is a nonprofit arts organization serving music lovers through in-person, broadcast and online programming.
www.kexp.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
zohrankmamdani.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 2:41 AM
kiostark.bsky.social
OH FUCK YEAH NYC
November 5, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Reposted by Kio Stark
ronhogan.bsky.social
If you’re registered to vote in NYC, and didn’t have an opportunity to participate in early voting, I encourage you to take the time to cast a ballot for @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social tomorrow. Molly has a great explanation for why you should, so I’m just gonna point you to her.
mollycrabapple.bsky.social Molly Crabapple @mollycrabapple.bsky.social · 27d
Over the next day and a half, we have the chance to seize history.

We can show the billionaires an essential truth.

This city belongs to us.

open.substack.com/pub/mollycra...
We Heart New York
On Zohran Mamdani and loving our city - VOTE
open.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 11:22 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
Trust me.
monteiro.bsky.social Monteiro @monteiro.bsky.social · 26d
Thanks to the amazing generosity of @kennedyprints.bsky.social, if you buy a Torment Nexus zine I’m tossing in a free letterpress print from Amos. While supplies last. It’s honestly irresponsible not to take me up on this. www.mulebooks.com/store/dont-b...
Stupid zine with a stupid cartoon in it and a beautiful letterpress print from Amos Kennedy. It says GENERAL STRIKE over an image of an upside-down American flag. Because woke.
November 4, 2025 at 1:07 AM
kiostark.bsky.social
Good bookstore special order day, yay @mlobelart.bsky.social
Photograph of a book with a Van Gogh landscape of a town on its cover. Title “Van Gogh and the End of Nature” by Michael Lobel.
October 26, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
prisonculture.bsky.social
Good morning everyone. It's me again here to ask NYC residents to please send a letter to your City Council person in support of allocating 0.5% of the city expense budget to our local public libraries. Thank you. It will only take you 90 seconds. This time with the correct link:
City Council, we demand half a percent of the overall city budget for libraries!
In response to the NYC FY2026 Budget, adopted this June, the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Queens Public Library released a joint statement thanking City Leaders for in...
actionnetwork.org
October 26, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
tressiemcphd.bsky.social
For streaming and updates: linktr.ee/historyteachin
October 26, 2025 at 12:45 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
Downballot reminder: You probably have more races to vote on than you realize, especially judicial races, many of which are incredibly influential at the level of individual people's lives. You can go to vote411.org to look up races and candidates and be prepared when you go to the polls.
VOTE411
Election information you need. Brought to you by The League of Women Voters Education Fund.
vote411.org
October 23, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
bkindivisible.bsky.social
Thousands of NYers marching down Canal Street to say #HandsOffNYC! #ICEoutofNY!

@indivisible.org @riseandresist.bsky.social @thenyic.bsky.social @50501newyork.bsky.social @maketheroadny.bsky.social @handsoffnyc.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 11:20 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
New York friends, Oct 25 is the last day to register to vote (on the off chance you are not already registered). Every race is crucial: downballot races are often decided by a handful of votes. elections.ny.gov
New York State Board of Elections
elections.ny.gov
October 22, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
mags.colvett.online
More emergency resources for artists, including other emergency grants: www.nyfa.org/knowledge-ba...
Emergency Resources for Artists | NYFA
Browse the New York Foundation for the Arts Knowledge Base for Emergency Resources. Grants, Assistance, Legal Help, and more. Official Site.
www.nyfa.org
October 22, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
mags.colvett.online
I never know how many people know about this: grants up to $5K for unexpected medical, dental, or mental health costs for people creating work in visual arts, film/video/digital arts, or choreography; based in NY, but open to all US residents. Current app cycle closes 11/4
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants - Nyfa
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants - Nyfa
www.nyfa.org
October 22, 2025 at 1:21 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
Little snippet of electric guitar Star Spangled Banner at the Ossining NY #nokings Several hundred folks showed up to cheer and shout together.
October 18, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
jimray.net
On an iPhone, hold the lock button and either volume button for 3s to force a passcode lock. Easy peasy.
santiagomayer.com Santiago Mayer @santiagomayer.com · Oct 18
Reminder to disable biometrics on your phone before attending any protests. If police ask for the passcode, you do not have to provide it.
October 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
rachaelnevins.bsky.social
Loving this country rn

#NoKings
@indivisible.org
@bkindivisible.bsky.social
Bald eagle puppet holding a sign saying free speech with other signs saying We are the power and hands off NYC to the left
October 18, 2025 at 3:12 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
Easy peasy bsky.app/profile/eva....
October 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
Here is a wonderful thing. I just discovered via @sachajudd.com you can listen to Dial-a-Poem on a website: dial-a-poem.org. It does what it says on the tin. (You can also go oldschool and call 641 793 8122 for the original set started in 1969 or TIL about 917 994 8949 for an updated one)
dial-a-poem
dial-a-poem
dial-a-poem.org
October 2, 2025 at 1:50 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
7am. Daughter: “why am I being subject to this cruel and unusual punishment [school]?” Me: “name the amendment that forbids it and I’ll let you skip.”
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
50501movement.bsky.social
Here’s all the ways you can take action against Disney, ABC, Sinclair, and Nexstar for silencing Jimmy Kimmel and attacking free speech.

Share WIDELY.
#BOYCOTTDISNEYABC
TAKE ACTION AGAINST DISNEY-ABC STOP BENDING TO THE ADMIN
DISNEY-ABC STOP BENDING TO AUTHORITARIAN PRESSURE. ACTION RESOURCE LIST WE HAVE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE On September 17th, Disney-ABC yanked Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air—just hours after the FCC Chair Bre...
docs.google.com
September 18, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Reposted by Kio Stark
wgawest.bsky.social
WGA Statement on ABC’s Decision to Pull Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The right to speak our minds and to disagree with each other - to disturb, even - is at the very heart of what it means to be a free people. It is not to be denied. Not by violence, not by the abuse of governmental power, nor by acts of corporate cowardice. As a Guild, we stand united in opposition to anyone who uses their power and influence to silence the voices of writers, or anyone who speaks in dissent. If free speech applied only to ideas we like, we needn't have bothered to write it into the Constitution. What we have signed on to - painful as it may be at times - is the freeing agreement to disagree. Shame on those in government who forget this founding truth. As for our employers, our words have made you rich. Silencing us impoverishes the whole world. The WA stands with Jimmy Kimmel and his writers.
September 18, 2025 at 2:41 AM
kiostark.bsky.social
Canceling the fucking hell out of Disney+
September 18, 2025 at 3:24 PM
kiostark.bsky.social
Love this question, and @courtneymilan.com’s explanation thread is f’ing fascinating.
swordsjew.bsky.social Tal B. Lavin @swordsjew.bsky.social · Aug 31
what about the Regency era in particular inspires so many romances? it doesnt seem like a particularly interesting time in English history? or is that precisely why
August 31, 2025 at 2:14 PM