LJ Pemberton
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ljabouttown.bsky.social
LJ Pemberton
@ljabouttown.bsky.social
Writer's writer's writer.

📚 STILL ALIVE (2024), longlisted for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award. https://tinyurl.com/y8mt536j
Pinned
Periodic reminder that if you read my book and messaged me or made a bluesky posting about it, I'm eternally grateful, and would also be really appreciative of a quick review drop on Goodreads, Amazon, or LibraryThing. I wish these things didn't make such a difference, but they do!
there are shitholes everywhere for those with the eyes to see
November 17, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
Fresh Snow
A.J. Casson
1983
November 17, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
Billionaire own media wants you to forget that all they are doing is firing their actual reporters and hiring racist and bigots with no real reporting experience beyond nepotism based fluff pieces
November 17, 2025 at 4:26 PM
"To be an artist or a writer is to be this weird thing — a hand worker in an era of mass production." — Susan Sontag
November 17, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The wretched prose in this book reminds me that most presses publish books that they think will make money. It is the rare press that publishes books that they think are good.

@malarkeybooks.bsky.social is such a press, which is, ironically, why it has a hard time making money.
I was gonna do the entire book on the podcast but I'm sorry, I don't think I can do it.

Also, I know this is petty but I cannot get over the insulting laziness of the book cover
November 17, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
In which our author declares his forthcoming novel "a failure" (did he clear that with our publicist?) but that (luckily) so is "all art". In that case, long live failure!
November 16, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
So many stories spinning out here are ones of men identifying a particular vulnerability and attacking. And, yes, sexual abuse and sexual violence is almost always about power rather than sex. Yes.

But there’s something about the public giddiness about that.

Dunno, man. This isn’t the good place.
November 17, 2025 at 2:04 PM
every single woman and almost all of the men i know have been sexually assaulted or raped

it is a part of american culture and our leaders are its egregious champions
November 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
Autumn Leaves, Franklin Booth, 1911.
November 17, 2025 at 5:31 AM
america’s dad is* television’s peter gallagher

*once was
November 17, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
enthrone them again in the now egotistical sky
November 16, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
November 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
what new insanity will they invent tomorrow
Understatement of the year: “Referring infants and very young children, who clearly cannot pose a threat, risks undermining public confidence in Prevent and may contribute to the marginalisation of innocent communities.”

apple.news/AFGZjAXSsQoS...
Babies and toddlers referred to counterterror scheme hundreds of times — The Independent
Nearly half of referrals for children under the age of 10 were for ‘Islamist’ concerns
apple.news
November 16, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
We have about five tote bags left, don’t know that we’ll ever get more. Snag one while you can!

malarkeybooks.com/store/bag
Tote Bag — Malarkey
A tote bag designed by Adrian Sobol, author of Hair Shirt and The Life of the Party Is Harder to Find Until You’re the Last One Around . Fill it with books! These totes will be printed in Tulsa, O...
malarkeybooks.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
PBS NEWS WEEKEND has been cancelled and 34 jobs will be cut at WETA in Washington D.C.

The NEWS HOUR West Coast bureau will also close and the updated daily West Coast broadcast will end.

“We cannot fully compensate for the scope of the federal funding loss.”

current.org/2025/11/weta... #PBS
WETA to cut staff, cancel ‘PBS News Weekend’ and close News Hour West bureau
The restructuring includes the elimination of 34 positions, following another round of cuts made in September.
current.org
November 16, 2025 at 12:36 AM
henry fonda has the most nebraska accent that has ever accented
November 16, 2025 at 1:18 AM
when there is no trust, blackmail binds
November 16, 2025 at 1:14 AM
the outsiders (1983) is a terrible film
November 15, 2025 at 11:52 PM
damn it today i’m missing texas
November 15, 2025 at 9:39 PM
today’s gender is harry dean stanton, but with tits
November 15, 2025 at 7:56 PM
If your favorite book is one you were assigned in high school, you have the potential to live a more fulfilling life by reading more, currently. Satisfaction is waiting is for you.
November 15, 2025 at 7:13 PM
a friend heard that ross douthat had paul kingsnorth on his podcast and reminded me of what i had to say about alexandria, his wretched novel
November 15, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
any politician that can't name all the players in at least three of the lineups of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers should be barred from holding office
November 15, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
The actual takeaway from Amwerica’s historical experience is that we must not assume directionality in history at all. There is no arc, and there definitely is no ironclad law of the universe that says “We” can’t slide back – or slide forward into a new kind of authoritarianism.
November 15, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by LJ Pemberton
Some inspiring words on cinema in the streaming era from the Pope.

Yes, THAT Pope.
November 15, 2025 at 4:26 PM