Laurelsbooks
LightNews LightNews
laurelsbooks.bsky.social
Laurelsbooks
@laurelsbooks.bsky.social
740 followers 850 following 1.4K posts
Clambering onto the Bluesky life raft as Twitter sinks to the depths
A maker of miniature books and large oatmeal cookies
Posts Replies Media Videos
laurelsbooks.bsky.social
Listened to a few minutes of Titanic: Ship of Dreams podcast; turned it off, annoyed. Podcast starts w/ a description of J.P. Morgan’s rhinophyma & said this feature was “generally attributed to excessive drinking.”

It also can be triggered by spices, dairy, or sunlight, which went unmentioned. 😠
November 17, 2025 at 3:52 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
sfwa.org
✨ Please join SFWA in celebrating the announcement of our latest Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award: N. K. Jemisin. ✨

Learn more here about @nkjemisin.bsky.social, the Grand Master Award, and how the work goes on after the accolades for all we've already done:
www.sfwa.org/2025/11/16/p...
N. K. Jemisin: SFWA's 42nd Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award recipient.
November 16, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
artofrob.bsky.social
Announcing my “Cats in Windows” bundle print sale! Two prints at 25% off, for a limited time. The titles in this bundle are “3 AM” + “The Yearning for Adventure”. #CatArt #bsnm #Cats #HolidayGifts #ArtSale #GiftsForCatLovers #CatsInWindows #CatsAtNight
www.etsy.com/shop/TheArtOfRobHusberg
It’s 3 AM in suburbia and someone is still awake. A silhouetted cat sits on a windowsill behind open blinds peering out at a mysterious nighttime world. This is her favourite post in the house. From here she can look out over the expansive lawn and clipped hedges. Her humans have long since gone to bed. There is streetlight shining on the house, hedges and lawn. She’s hoping to see something – anything – move about in the shadows. She listens intently for any rustle in the leaves, snap of a twig, or scampering over the grass. For now, all is silent except for the faint rush of a passing car. The night belongs to her. I’ve drawn this in ballpoint pen in a very fine, wispy cross-hatching style trying to achieve that vague, mysterious tonality seen at that hour. I take a lot of walks at night, and this is a home I’ve passed several times, complete with the lit window. I always imagine a cat sitting there, and the beauty is that I can make it so. This is a companion piece of sorts with “The Yearning for Adventure”, also available in my Etsy shop. Hark! What was that?! Our feline friend has heard mysterious noises emanating from out in the garden. Where the sounds an “it” or a “them”? She thinks she sees shadowy shapes dart across the lawn and slither through the shrubbery. The poor cat is trapped indoors. All she wants is to leap through that window into a moonlit landscape of wild curiosity filled with unknown and unseen excitements – and perhaps an exploit or two of good old mischief.
November 17, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
leximcmenamin.com
those of us laid off from Teen Vogue were really fortunate to complete our fundraising goal — the laid-off staffers at VIBE deserve the same support, as Black media outlets and journalists continue to be targeted and discriminated against in “austerity” measures
aiyanaish.bsky.social Aiyana Ishmael @aiyanaish.bsky.social · 3d
It was announced on October 16, 2025 that VIBE was "joining forces" with Rolling Stone. As a result, the majority of VIBE employees were laid off. If you have the means to give, this team could use the support! www.gofundme.com/f/support-vi...
Donate to Support VIBE Staff After Sudden Layoffs, organized by Mya Abraham
It was announced on October 16, 2025 that VIBE was "joining forces" with Rolling S… Mya Abraham needs your support for Support VIBE Staff After Sudden Layoffs
www.gofundme.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
samuelhlowe.bsky.social
“Women these days don’t want to have children.”

Well, we don’t actually know if women in the past wanted to. Nobody asked them, least of all their husbands.
November 15, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
weratedogs.com
WeRateDogs turns 10 years old today! A very silly idea to numerically objectify dogs has become one of the kindest and most powerful online communities ever. Thank you for joining us over the last decade. I never knew what this could be until you all showed me. Here's to many more good dogs ❤️
November 15, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
schooley.bsky.social
Looking for complexity in Trump's motivations is like trying to psychoanalyze a shark.
November 15, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
planetx.bsky.social
THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!

The production of TWELTH NIGHT with Lupita Nyong’o, Junior Nyong’o, Peter Dinklage, Sandra Oh, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Daphne Rubin-Vega is now on the PBS app!!!!

www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/t...
Sandra Oh and Lupita Nyong’o in TWELTH NIGHT
November 15, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
artofrob.bsky.social
“3 AM”

Available as a giclée art print in my Etsy shop.

Find it here:
theartofrobhusberg.etsy.com/listing/7703...
“3 AM” giclée art print It’s 3 AM in suburbia and someone is still awake. A silhouetted cat sits on a windowsill behind open blinds peering out at a mysterious nighttime world. This is her favourite post in the house. From here she can look out over the expansive lawn and clipped hedges. Her humans have long since gone to bed. There is streetlight shinning on the house, hedges and lawn. She’s hoping to see something - anything - move about in the shadows. She listens intently for any rustle in the leaves, snap of a twig, or scampering over the grass. For now, all is silent except for the faint rush of a passing car. The night belongs to her. I've drawn this in ballpoint pen in a very fine, wispy cross-hatching style trying to achieve that vague, mysterious tonality seen at that hour. I take a lot of walks late at night, and this is a home l've passed several times, complete with the lit window. I always imagine a cat sitting there, and the beauty is that I can make it so. This is a companion piece of sorts with “The Yearning for Adventure”, also available in my Etsy shop.
November 14, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
sculptedreef.com
A little sneaky peek at a new work!

🪸🐙 Caribbean Reef Octopus & Coral Sculpture

#ArtYear #Art #ArtGallery #Sculpture #Octopus #CoralReef #MarineLife #ArtSale #BSNM #Invertebrates 🦑🐡
Close up of a new mixed media artwork featuring hand sculpted Caribbean Reef Octopus and corals patiently crafted from tiny glass beads.
November 13, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
artofrob.bsky.social
I’m having a “Cats and Crescent Moons” bundle print sale! Two square prints at 25% off, for a limited time. The titles in this bundle are “Mise en Scène pour la Nuit” + “Within a Galaxy of Leaves”. #CatArt #bsnm #Cats #HolidayGifts #GiftForReaders #ArtSale

www.etsy.com/shop/TheArtOfRobHusberg
A mysterious night scene with a black cat, crescent moon, and glowing lamppost. The title is "Mise en Scène pour la Nuit". The stage has been set for the night's events. The characters involved have assembled. (Yes, I consider the crescent moon, park bench, trimmed hedge, and the lamppost all as players in my 'production'.) What might transpire tonight in this hidden, lonely corner of the old park? Are they waiting for another, as-yet-unseen participant to join them? In a clearing, a noble white cat sits mesmerized by the open volume at her feet. Is it a favorite book revisited, or something new? She reads by the generous light of the crescent moon, which has kindly lowered itself from the night sky to provide illumination. The scene is framed by swaying grasses in the foreground and a mysterious white column. Behind her is a curtain of flowing, swirling leaves, forming constellations of churning galaxies à la van Gogh. Below the leaves, in the background, a shadowy figure lurks. Is all this actually happening, or is it the dreamlike imagining of the cat as she reads her book?
November 7, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
artofrob.bsky.social
“Allée of the Ancients”

When was the last time you thought about your ancestors?

Available as a giclée art print in my Etsy shop.

Find it here:
theartofrobhusberg.etsy.com/listing/7794...
“Allée of the Ancients” *giclée art print This is a fanciful scene of a small cat looking up at tall, weathered, vine-covered statues of his ancient ancestors in a winding, dark alley of overgrown trees and hedges. It is an atmospheric, mysterious, yet whimsical scene. The idea for this piece came when, on one of my walks, I spied a cat sitting in a garden, looking up an old wooden pedestal at a large, weather-worn ceramic cat perched on top. I had just received my DNA results from Ancestry.com a couple days prior. The two things instantly blended together in my mind. This piece was rendered with dip pen and ink and Paynes Grey watercolour.
November 11, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
chembarathi.bsky.social
Some hats and scarves are available in my Ko-Fi shop. Shipping will be done through Indian Postal Service for orders outside of India. Please help in spreading the word?

ko-fi.com/s/2c874d2fa1

#bsnm #smallbusiness 🧶 #nightmarket
Celtic Cable Scarf - Chembu's Ko-fi Shop
Celtic cables have stood the test of time and it is for those who like classy clothing! Made out of imported wool and acrylic blend. Width 7.5 inches...
ko-fi.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
chaosbria.com
Just a reminder that it'll 1) take a while for the gov to get running again (benefits etc) and for backpay checks to hit bank accounts and 2) contractors don't get back pay which includes many who are far lower paid so if you've got a little extra cash, food banks could still use it to help folks.
chaosbria.com Bria LaVorgna @chaosbria.com · 21d
Hi folks: if anyone's got some extra cash and wants to donate to a good cause, I'll recommend the Capital Area Food Bank which serves the DC metro area. People here are getting hit pretty hard right now and could use the help.

www.capitalareafoodbank.org
Food Bank for the Washington, DC, Region | Capital Area Food Bank
The Capital Area Food serves the entire Washington, DC, metropolitan region, providing meals to thousands of people a day while also addressing the root causes of hunger.
www.capitalareafoodbank.org
November 13, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
ianarchie.bsky.social
Late Afternoon Light In The Garden St Margarets: acrylic on canvas
November 11, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
clairewillett.bsky.social
so far this seems to be the only thing that has happened where the GOP had to give up something they wanted

I tend to think this was more of a 2026 dry run and not just about the Epstein files but either way it is EXTREMELY good news that Mike blinked first
meidastouch.com MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 6d
BIG NEWS: Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva will finally be sworn in as a member of Congress tomorrow.

She is likely to be the 218th vote on the Epstein discharge petition, which would force a full vote to release the Epstein files in their entirety.
November 12, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
annesmien.bsky.social
Watercolour painting of a kitten called Holly! One of my favourite paintings. She looks so vulnerable.
#kittens #cats #catsofbluesky #petportraits #tunatuesday #art #watercolours #paintings
November 11, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
erikaleesears.bsky.social
Grapefruit 😇 #art #oilpainting
November 12, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
sarahmackattack.bsky.social
It's a dark time for artists. Many are struggling!

It's easy to buy gifts online. When you buy from *artists*, you're supporting working people, instead of making rich jerks richer.

This fall, send your present $$ to an artist's shop!

Artists! Drop your shop links!

& check out SquidFacts.net 😘
Sarah holds up a calendar page showing an anglerfish that says "light up the darkness
November 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM
laurelsbooks.bsky.social
Unpacking after a trip. I really need to assemble a go-bag of essentials, so that I don’t miss any next time: shower cap, back scratcher (really!), compass, antihistamines, etc.

Biggest packing success this time: Teva sandals. Arch support, cool, comfortable: love ‘em.

www.teva.com/women-sandal...
www.teva.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
indyfromspace.bsky.social
Bluesky suspended Sarah Kendzior today for no reason whatsoever. She just shared excerpts of her articles, which were as always incisive and not offensive at all. Hey @pfrazee.com this is super not OK. I know her- we've interacted a fair bit via chats and her work is essential.
November 11, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
amysiskind.com
To be clear: the deal they voted on to move forward last night still needs to be formally voted on in the Senate and House. If the eight are your senators, they should be hearing from you this morning!
November 10, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
bogchickens.bsky.social
I understand the impulse to negotiate with terrorists, but what the hell are you supposed to do when all they really want is to shoot the hostages?
November 10, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
bgrueskin.bsky.social
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.

He is a computer safety researcher.

And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.

In under 1600 words.

aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
I Want You to Understand Chicago Politics Chicago 2025-11-08 I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time. Every day my phone buzzes. It is a neighborhood group: four people were kidnapped at the corner drugstore. A friend a mile away sends a Slack message: she was at the scene when masked men assaulted and abducted two people on the street. A plumber working on my pipes is distraught, and I find out that two of his employees were kidnapped that morning. A week later it happens again. An email arrives. Agents with guns have chased a teacher into the school where she works. They did not have a warrant. They dragged her away, ignoring her and her colleagues’ pleas to show proof of her documentation. That evening I stand a few feet from the parents of Rayito de Sol and listen to them describe, with anguish, how good Ms. Diana was to their children. What it is like to have strangers with guns traumatize your kids. For a teacher to hide a three-year-old child for fear they might be killed. How their relatives will no longer leave the house. I hear the pain and fury in their voices, and I wonder who will be next. Understand what it is to pray in Chicago. On September 19th, Reverend David Black, lead pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, was praying outside the ICE detention center in Broadview when a DHS agent shot him in the head with pepper balls. Pepper balls are never supposed to be fired at the head because they can seriously injure, or even kill. “We could hear them laughing as they were shooting us from the roof,” Black recalled. He is not the only member of the clergy ICE has assaulted. Methodist pastor Hannah Kardon was violently arrested on October 17th, and Baptist pastor Michael Woolf was shot with pepper balls on November 1st. Understand what it is to sleep in Chicago. On the night of September 30th, federal agents rappelled from a Black Hawk helicopter to execute a raid on an apartment building on the South Sho…
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Laurelsbooks
schooley.bsky.social
And also, maybe try a new minority leader already.
November 10, 2025 at 4:14 AM