Leah Sottile
@leahsottile.bsky.social
Independent journalist. Books: Blazing Eye Sees All, When The Moon Turns To Blood. Podcasts: Hush, Burn Wild, Two Minutes Past Nine, Bundyville. High Country News correspondent. Subscribe to Substack. www.leahsottile.com
Why was 18-year-old Sarah Zuber found dead 400 feet from her front door? And how is it possible, six years later, that no one knows what happened to her?
Hush, Season 2, "Love Thy Neighbor" — my investigation with @ryanjhaas.bsky.social — starts today.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Hush, Season 2, "Love Thy Neighbor" — my investigation with @ryanjhaas.bsky.social — starts today.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
October 8, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Why was 18-year-old Sarah Zuber found dead 400 feet from her front door? And how is it possible, six years later, that no one knows what happened to her?
Hush, Season 2, "Love Thy Neighbor" — my investigation with @ryanjhaas.bsky.social — starts today.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Hush, Season 2, "Love Thy Neighbor" — my investigation with @ryanjhaas.bsky.social — starts today.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Hey Montana friends, this is next week!
Bozeman - Mon 10/6 at the Country Bookshelf w/ @betsygainesquammen.bsky.social
Helena - Tues 10/7 at Montana Book Co. w/ @kemc.bsky.social
Missoula - Wed 10/8 at Fact & Fiction w/ Lee & Jule Banville
Hamilton - Thurs 10/9 at Chapter One w/ Russ Lawrence
Bozeman - Mon 10/6 at the Country Bookshelf w/ @betsygainesquammen.bsky.social
Helena - Tues 10/7 at Montana Book Co. w/ @kemc.bsky.social
Missoula - Wed 10/8 at Fact & Fiction w/ Lee & Jule Banville
Hamilton - Thurs 10/9 at Chapter One w/ Russ Lawrence
September 29, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Hey Montana friends, this is next week!
Bozeman - Mon 10/6 at the Country Bookshelf w/ @betsygainesquammen.bsky.social
Helena - Tues 10/7 at Montana Book Co. w/ @kemc.bsky.social
Missoula - Wed 10/8 at Fact & Fiction w/ Lee & Jule Banville
Hamilton - Thurs 10/9 at Chapter One w/ Russ Lawrence
Bozeman - Mon 10/6 at the Country Bookshelf w/ @betsygainesquammen.bsky.social
Helena - Tues 10/7 at Montana Book Co. w/ @kemc.bsky.social
Missoula - Wed 10/8 at Fact & Fiction w/ Lee & Jule Banville
Hamilton - Thurs 10/9 at Chapter One w/ Russ Lawrence
Oregon Republican Christine Drazan post on Facebook suggests she seems to be in favor of military being sent to Portland.
September 29, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Oregon Republican Christine Drazan post on Facebook suggests she seems to be in favor of military being sent to Portland.
Hello from Portland. No wars here.
September 27, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Hello from Portland. No wars here.
Such an amazing honor to speak about Blazing Eye Sees All at the Library of Congress National Book Festival today, where I was in conversation with Fred Wherry and David Baron, author of The Martians.
September 7, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Such an amazing honor to speak about Blazing Eye Sees All at the Library of Congress National Book Festival today, where I was in conversation with Fred Wherry and David Baron, author of The Martians.
The enraging part is that the narrative of Portland chaos (not real!) will be repeated in big and small ways on all sides of the political spectrum. Just last month it was repeated in a NYT restaurant review of all places - that a 1 block protest a mile away from five years ago is still relevant.
September 6, 2025 at 1:24 AM
The enraging part is that the narrative of Portland chaos (not real!) will be repeated in big and small ways on all sides of the political spectrum. Just last month it was repeated in a NYT restaurant review of all places - that a 1 block protest a mile away from five years ago is still relevant.
Lewis County, Washington commissioner Sean Swope embodies a far-right mentality that has long been at play in Western Washington. His ideas came up while I was reporting on how extremist ideas have long found a home in Centralia and the surrounding areas. www.hcn.org/issues/56-6/...
September 4, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Lewis County, Washington commissioner Sean Swope embodies a far-right mentality that has long been at play in Western Washington. His ideas came up while I was reporting on how extremist ideas have long found a home in Centralia and the surrounding areas. www.hcn.org/issues/56-6/...
Hey MT friends, come on out and let’s talk about woo in October!
September 3, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Hey MT friends, come on out and let’s talk about woo in October!
Can you believe the newspaper budgets of 1996??? The Spokesman-Review sent Bill Morlin all the way out to Elohim City to get a feel for the place.
August 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Can you believe the newspaper budgets of 1996??? The Spokesman-Review sent Bill Morlin all the way out to Elohim City to get a feel for the place.
Why you should listen to reporters like @alexdugganreports.bsky.social: "...Wess Roley might have expressed interest in becoming a firefighter before Sunday’s shootings, Nelson said investigators are now probing a tip that he pursued the career more proactively."
www.spokesman.com/stories/2025...
www.spokesman.com/stories/2025...
July 2, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Why you should listen to reporters like @alexdugganreports.bsky.social: "...Wess Roley might have expressed interest in becoming a firefighter before Sunday’s shootings, Nelson said investigators are now probing a tip that he pursued the career more proactively."
www.spokesman.com/stories/2025...
www.spokesman.com/stories/2025...
If you've read my book, Blazing Eye Sees All, you could probably sense my fascination with the I AM Activity and its founders, OG grifters Guy and Edna Ballard. Today I received a huge package of some of the couple's own documents and materials, and I'm freaking out with happiness. Here's a taste.
June 13, 2025 at 12:01 AM
If you've read my book, Blazing Eye Sees All, you could probably sense my fascination with the I AM Activity and its founders, OG grifters Guy and Edna Ballard. Today I received a huge package of some of the couple's own documents and materials, and I'm freaking out with happiness. Here's a taste.
Cletus Safari alert! This time it's the The Washington Post who comes west. In Spokane to cover Jess Walter's new book, which we are all very excited about, the author writes this paragraph ... which as far as I'm concerned, save for Hoopfest, describes all of America?
June 7, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Cletus Safari alert! This time it's the The Washington Post who comes west. In Spokane to cover Jess Walter's new book, which we are all very excited about, the author writes this paragraph ... which as far as I'm concerned, save for Hoopfest, describes all of America?
People who generalize that Idaho and its residents are all hate-mongers have never seen the blocks of Pride flags leading up to the capitol in Boise on a sunny Saturday.
June 7, 2025 at 9:30 PM
People who generalize that Idaho and its residents are all hate-mongers have never seen the blocks of Pride flags leading up to the capitol in Boise on a sunny Saturday.
Hello good people of Boise, I will be doing two readings this weekend in your fine city: Sat June 7 (tomorrow) I'll read from Blazing Eye Sees All @ Common Ground; Sun June 8 I'll be taking part in the "Speculations" themed Campfire Stories @ the Modern Hotel. Come talk to me about your crystals.
June 6, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Hello good people of Boise, I will be doing two readings this weekend in your fine city: Sat June 7 (tomorrow) I'll read from Blazing Eye Sees All @ Common Ground; Sun June 8 I'll be taking part in the "Speculations" themed Campfire Stories @ the Modern Hotel. Come talk to me about your crystals.
What I am describing in this Substack is — what I have now learned from reading @annamerlan.bsky.social's brilliant piece for @flaminghydra.com today — called a Cletus Safari. I am laughing so hard, and I will never be the same.
June 2, 2025 at 8:58 PM
What I am describing in this Substack is — what I have now learned from reading @annamerlan.bsky.social's brilliant piece for @flaminghydra.com today — called a Cletus Safari. I am laughing so hard, and I will never be the same.
Blazing Eye Sees All is #1 in "occult cults and demonism" on Amazon! (Turns up Ozzy in the headphones)
April 24, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Blazing Eye Sees All is #1 in "occult cults and demonism" on Amazon! (Turns up Ozzy in the headphones)
Me trying to maintain a positive attitude
April 17, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Me trying to maintain a positive attitude
My reporting for Blazing Eye Sees All took me down the most interesting rabbit holes, including wild archives of material on the I AM Activity (of which I am obsessed). This image appears more than once in their materials, and I find it so weird and funny.
April 10, 2025 at 10:36 PM
My reporting for Blazing Eye Sees All took me down the most interesting rabbit holes, including wild archives of material on the I AM Activity (of which I am obsessed). This image appears more than once in their materials, and I find it so weird and funny.
What a treat to be in conversation with @emmaepperly.bsky.social at last night's Northwest Passages event in Spokane! Sold out crowd with some of my all-time favorite writers and journalists in the audience. A dream come true. (Photos by Colin Mulvany)
April 3, 2025 at 6:26 PM
What a treat to be in conversation with @emmaepperly.bsky.social at last night's Northwest Passages event in Spokane! Sold out crowd with some of my all-time favorite writers and journalists in the audience. A dream come true. (Photos by Colin Mulvany)
It's a lovely thing to return to Spokane - the scene of my early journalism - and see this wall of my work on display at @auntiesbooks.bsky.social. I'm glad we've all recovered from my early mistakes as a bratty alt-weekly scribe.
April 2, 2025 at 9:33 PM
It's a lovely thing to return to Spokane - the scene of my early journalism - and see this wall of my work on display at @auntiesbooks.bsky.social. I'm glad we've all recovered from my early mistakes as a bratty alt-weekly scribe.
What an event last night @powells.bsky.social! CSPAN was there! Powell's put out every chair! Thank you to everyone reading this book, and who came to hear about space Aryans and lemurs...
Please consider purchasing a copy and reading: www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Please consider purchasing a copy and reading: www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
March 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
What an event last night @powells.bsky.social! CSPAN was there! Powell's put out every chair! Thank you to everyone reading this book, and who came to hear about space Aryans and lemurs...
Please consider purchasing a copy and reading: www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Please consider purchasing a copy and reading: www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Lucky to have people in my life who see the potential for a Dianetics spoof video, make it and send it to me unsolicited.
March 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Lucky to have people in my life who see the potential for a Dianetics spoof video, make it and send it to me unsolicited.
My book doesn’t come out for another week but folks who preordered from Barnes & Noble are sending photos that theirs has already arrived! Here we are.
March 17, 2025 at 12:15 AM
My book doesn’t come out for another week but folks who preordered from Barnes & Noble are sending photos that theirs has already arrived! Here we are.
I was just hate-looking at the Cybertruck website, as one does, and saw this promotional photo. This is the messiest campsite I've ever seen, and I would not camp with these people.
March 11, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I was just hate-looking at the Cybertruck website, as one does, and saw this promotional photo. This is the messiest campsite I've ever seen, and I would not camp with these people.
Just thinking about this sticker I saw in Seattle a few years ago and, yeah, the message largely holds up.
February 26, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Just thinking about this sticker I saw in Seattle a few years ago and, yeah, the message largely holds up.