Lauren Sandler
@laurensandler.bsky.social
Journalist, author, jaywalker. Books: THIS IS ALL I GOT, ONE AND ONLY, RIGHTEOUS. Next up: AMERICAN PROPHECY. Thought I'd finally join Twitter.
Pinned
Lauren Sandler
@laurensandler.bsky.social
· Nov 26
I just delivered my draft of AMERICAN PROPHECY: ONE FAMILY, TWO NATIONS, AND A WORLD ON FIRE. It's the story of an influential Christian nationalist pastor, his leftist kids, and how we have ended up at this moment in history. A marathon ending (for now) in a sprint, and feeling worth it.
THIS IS ALL I GOT is “an intimately reported story that possesses the narrative urgency of great fiction, fueled both by authentic rage at the brutality of American governing systems–the lack of a safety net for the most vulnerable–and by a novelist’s attunement to character, dialogue, and place.”
My latest column for @janeratcliffe.bsky.social on why some books become huge and others mysteriously do not, and includes a list of favorites that deserve a much wider audience, from @joannahershon.bsky.social & @laurensandler.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/janeratc...
open.substack.com/pub/janeratc...
The Best Books You've Never Read
Why do some books become huge? And others fade away?
open.substack.com
January 22, 2025 at 10:11 AM
THIS IS ALL I GOT is “an intimately reported story that possesses the narrative urgency of great fiction, fueled both by authentic rage at the brutality of American governing systems–the lack of a safety net for the most vulnerable–and by a novelist’s attunement to character, dialogue, and place.”
"They estimated 64,260 deaths due to traumatic injury during this period, about 41% higher than the official Palestinian Health Ministry count. The study said 59.1% were women, children and people over the age of 65. It did not provide an estimate of Palestinian combatants among the dead."
Gaza war toll likely significantly undercounts deaths, says study
An official Palestinian tally of direct deaths in the Israel-Hamas war likely undercounted the number of casualties by 41% through the middle of 2024 as the Gaza Strip's healthcare infrastructure unravelled, according to a study published on Thursday.
www.reuters.com
January 15, 2025 at 5:38 PM
"They estimated 64,260 deaths due to traumatic injury during this period, about 41% higher than the official Palestinian Health Ministry count. The study said 59.1% were women, children and people over the age of 65. It did not provide an estimate of Palestinian combatants among the dead."
Reposted by Lauren Sandler
NEWS: Amid the climate crisis, California has preserved a costly tax loophole for fossil fuel giants as the state faced deficits & cuts to wildfire preparedness — including cuts to LA’’s fire department.
How Big Oil Hindered The Fight Against L.A.’s Wildfires
California’s oil and gas companies avoided paying billions of dollars in taxes that could have been used to fight the inferno.
buff.ly
January 9, 2025 at 4:03 AM
NEWS: Amid the climate crisis, California has preserved a costly tax loophole for fossil fuel giants as the state faced deficits & cuts to wildfire preparedness — including cuts to LA’’s fire department.
Reposted by Lauren Sandler
Incarcerated people make up a third of CA’s firefighting force, earning “between $2.90 and $5 a day … slightly more when actively fighting a fire.”
When compared to professionals: 4x more likely to be injured. 8x more likely to suffer from smoke inhalation.
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-...
When compared to professionals: 4x more likely to be injured. 8x more likely to suffer from smoke inhalation.
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-...
The History of California's Inmate Firefighter Program
The initiative, which finds prisoners working as first responders and rescuers, dates back to the 1940s
www.smithsonianmag.com
January 8, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Incarcerated people make up a third of CA’s firefighting force, earning “between $2.90 and $5 a day … slightly more when actively fighting a fire.”
When compared to professionals: 4x more likely to be injured. 8x more likely to suffer from smoke inhalation.
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-...
When compared to professionals: 4x more likely to be injured. 8x more likely to suffer from smoke inhalation.
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-...
Reposted by Lauren Sandler
Jimmy Carter, a visionary on ending fossil fuels, put solar panels on the White House. Big Oil-backed Ronald Reagan ousted Carter in 1980 and ripped them out
Tonight, as Carter lies in in state in the Capitol, a climate-fueled wildfire is destroying Reagan's former hometown of Pacific Palisades
Tonight, as Carter lies in in state in the Capitol, a climate-fueled wildfire is destroying Reagan's former hometown of Pacific Palisades
January 8, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Jimmy Carter, a visionary on ending fossil fuels, put solar panels on the White House. Big Oil-backed Ronald Reagan ousted Carter in 1980 and ripped them out
Tonight, as Carter lies in in state in the Capitol, a climate-fueled wildfire is destroying Reagan's former hometown of Pacific Palisades
Tonight, as Carter lies in in state in the Capitol, a climate-fueled wildfire is destroying Reagan's former hometown of Pacific Palisades
Reposted by Lauren Sandler
Musk’s wealth in 2012: $2 Billion
Musk’s wealth in 2024: $447 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2012: $18 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2024: $249 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2012: $44 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2024: $224 Billion
Minimum wage in 2012: $7.25
Minimum wage in 2024: $7.25
Musk’s wealth in 2024: $447 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2012: $18 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2024: $249 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2012: $44 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2024: $224 Billion
Minimum wage in 2012: $7.25
Minimum wage in 2024: $7.25
December 19, 2024 at 11:19 PM
Musk’s wealth in 2012: $2 Billion
Musk’s wealth in 2024: $447 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2012: $18 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2024: $249 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2012: $44 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2024: $224 Billion
Minimum wage in 2012: $7.25
Minimum wage in 2024: $7.25
Musk’s wealth in 2024: $447 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2012: $18 Billion
Bezos’s wealth in 2024: $249 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2012: $44 Billion
Zuckerberg’s wealth in 2024: $224 Billion
Minimum wage in 2012: $7.25
Minimum wage in 2024: $7.25
“Dissidents are born out of this choice: either assert their authentic selves or accept the authoritarian’s mafioso bargain, safety and protection…. “a blend of boldness and despair in the same mind and the same person.””
@galbeckerman.bsky.social wrote exactly what I’ve needed for 2025.
@galbeckerman.bsky.social wrote exactly what I’ve needed for 2025.
December 13, 2024 at 4:28 PM
“Dissidents are born out of this choice: either assert their authentic selves or accept the authoritarian’s mafioso bargain, safety and protection…. “a blend of boldness and despair in the same mind and the same person.””
@galbeckerman.bsky.social wrote exactly what I’ve needed for 2025.
@galbeckerman.bsky.social wrote exactly what I’ve needed for 2025.
Went to Sunset Blvd. last night for my 50th (belated), to find that in this 2024 production, washed-up, forgotten Norma Desmond is now... 40.
December 12, 2024 at 1:06 PM
Went to Sunset Blvd. last night for my 50th (belated), to find that in this 2024 production, washed-up, forgotten Norma Desmond is now... 40.
Reposted by Lauren Sandler
Rest in Power Nikki Giovanni. Here is her iconic conversation with James Baldwin in full.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4OP...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4OP...
James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni "A Conversation". Full Broadcast Video
YouTube video by LoVetta Jenkins (Chatty Passenger)
www.youtube.com
December 10, 2024 at 11:21 AM
Rest in Power Nikki Giovanni. Here is her iconic conversation with James Baldwin in full.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4OP...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4OP...
"Officers were ordered to take Mangione alive."
December 9, 2024 at 11:27 PM
"Officers were ordered to take Mangione alive."
It’s a weird day for me on this site as an ardent supporter of trans rights — and Jesse Singal’s cousin.
December 7, 2024 at 7:41 PM
It’s a weird day for me on this site as an ardent supporter of trans rights — and Jesse Singal’s cousin.
That Emma Goldman aphorism about revolution? THIS IS IT.
Trans folks held a dance party in the Capitol bathroom to protest the bathroom ban on there.
December 5, 2024 at 4:25 PM
That Emma Goldman aphorism about revolution? THIS IS IT.
Cosign.
If somehow you follow me and don't care about trans issues, please understand that trans issues are at the heart of how we think about gender & sexuality in this country and the horrid attacks on our trans siblings directly relate to the war on reproductive rights, LGB identities, and feminism
December 4, 2024 at 7:50 PM
Cosign.
Undoubtedly the soundtrack to my new book.
December 4, 2024 at 7:39 PM
Undoubtedly the soundtrack to my new book.
You can't understand vociferous Christian support for Israel unless you understand its role in the last days. Preparing the Kingdom for Jesus drives education policy. Climate change events prove the end is nigh. I cannot emphasize enough how much end-times thinking is driving US politics.
When asked if Jesus “will return to Earth someday,” more than half of all U.S. adults (55%), including three-quarters of Christians, say this will happen.
About four-in-ten U.S. adults believe humanity is ‘living in the end times’
58% of U.S. adults say they do not believe “we are living in the end times” – the destruction of the world as we know it.
www.pewresearch.org
December 4, 2024 at 12:34 AM
You can't understand vociferous Christian support for Israel unless you understand its role in the last days. Preparing the Kingdom for Jesus drives education policy. Climate change events prove the end is nigh. I cannot emphasize enough how much end-times thinking is driving US politics.
For obvious reasons, it’s the perfect day to watch @brettstory.bsky.social’s UNION, a character-driven, suspenseful David and Goliath film about NY workers organizing at Amazon. Streaming through Tuesday only. Up for a Gotham award. See if it changes how you shop.
November 29, 2024 at 12:07 PM
For obvious reasons, it’s the perfect day to watch @brettstory.bsky.social’s UNION, a character-driven, suspenseful David and Goliath film about NY workers organizing at Amazon. Streaming through Tuesday only. Up for a Gotham award. See if it changes how you shop.
Reposted by Lauren Sandler
Texas’ maternal mortality committee will skip over analyzing deaths from 2022 and 2023. Those just so happen to be the first two years after the state passed a total abortion ban. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Texas committee won’t examine maternal deaths in first years after abortion ban
The largest state with an abortion ban, Texas can offer broader insight into the impact of abortion laws than any other state in the country.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 27, 2024 at 10:51 AM
Texas’ maternal mortality committee will skip over analyzing deaths from 2022 and 2023. Those just so happen to be the first two years after the state passed a total abortion ban. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
When I started reporting on the Christian Right 25 years ago, this rhetoric existed at the fringes. Now it's in charge of the US Dept. of Defense.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation dives deep into the Christian dominionist language in Trump's Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth's book "American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free." He represents everything they've been fighting against for ~20 years:
www.dailykos.com/stories/2024...
www.dailykos.com/stories/2024...
No, SECDEF pick Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump is no George Washington
To say that Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, has a serious man crush on his potential future boss would be a gross understatement. The Fox News host poised to lead the most lethal ...
www.dailykos.com
November 26, 2024 at 7:06 PM
When I started reporting on the Christian Right 25 years ago, this rhetoric existed at the fringes. Now it's in charge of the US Dept. of Defense.
I've been waiting for this one.
Really truly delighted by the brilliant writers, critics, and historians who took the time to read WE TELL OURSELVES STORIES and offer a few words of praise and recommendation. Out March 11, pre-order if you’re so inclined — so much more to come!
November 26, 2024 at 6:24 PM
I've been waiting for this one.
I just delivered my draft of AMERICAN PROPHECY: ONE FAMILY, TWO NATIONS, AND A WORLD ON FIRE. It's the story of an influential Christian nationalist pastor, his leftist kids, and how we have ended up at this moment in history. A marathon ending (for now) in a sprint, and feeling worth it.
November 26, 2024 at 5:49 PM
I just delivered my draft of AMERICAN PROPHECY: ONE FAMILY, TWO NATIONS, AND A WORLD ON FIRE. It's the story of an influential Christian nationalist pastor, his leftist kids, and how we have ended up at this moment in history. A marathon ending (for now) in a sprint, and feeling worth it.
Nothing quite like silencing Jews for our views on Israel and Palestine, especially when Germany does it.
Nan Goldin Challenges Germany on What Artists Can Say About Israel
A speech by the artist at an exhibition of her work was followed by protests from her supporters and an uproar in the news media.
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2024 at 11:17 PM
Nothing quite like silencing Jews for our views on Israel and Palestine, especially when Germany does it.
I've been thinking a lot in the wake of the election about this remarkable @nybooks.com essay by Marilynne Robinson, about what Democrats and liberals miss when we disregard veterans and military families in the political discourse. A missing piece in so much *what happened* hand-wringing.
Agreeing to Our Harm | Marilynne Robinson
We ignore at our peril the rage that animates Trump voters and threatens Biden’s chances this fall.
www.nybooks.com
November 25, 2024 at 4:14 PM
I've been thinking a lot in the wake of the election about this remarkable @nybooks.com essay by Marilynne Robinson, about what Democrats and liberals miss when we disregard veterans and military families in the political discourse. A missing piece in so much *what happened* hand-wringing.
This weekend I moderated a conversation with Lana Wilson about her nuanced and humane film AFTER TILLER. It's a model of a different way to tell stories about abortion and the people committed to providing it -- and it made me want to go to medical school. You can watch it for free on Tubi.
After Tiller (2013)
After Tiller intimately explores the highly controversial subject of third-trimester abortions in the wake of the 2009 assassination of practitioner Dr. George Tiller. The procedure is now performed b...
tubitv.com
November 25, 2024 at 4:10 PM
This weekend I moderated a conversation with Lana Wilson about her nuanced and humane film AFTER TILLER. It's a model of a different way to tell stories about abortion and the people committed to providing it -- and it made me want to go to medical school. You can watch it for free on Tubi.
Instantly regret not choosing the handle Frau Blüchsky.
November 19, 2024 at 8:24 AM
Instantly regret not choosing the handle Frau Blüchsky.