Lexi Pandell
@lpandell.bsky.social
I am a writer. Also, a human. | Author of HOLY MOTHER! (fall 2027)
Non-fiction in Wired, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and others. Fiction in The Pinch, Salt Hill, Puerto del Sol, New Ohio Review, The Normal School, and others. lexipandell.com
Non-fiction in Wired, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and others. Fiction in The Pinch, Salt Hill, Puerto del Sol, New Ohio Review, The Normal School, and others. lexipandell.com
I'm feeling very lucky—some wonderful riding friends sent me a beautiful Lumos pen and some fun extras as a book contract signing gift.
November 14, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I'm feeling very lucky—some wonderful riding friends sent me a beautiful Lumos pen and some fun extras as a book contract signing gift.
Get yourself a friend who will make a mug with your Publishers Marketplace announcement ☕ ❤️
Thank you, @tanyazilinskas.com!
Thank you, @tanyazilinskas.com!
October 31, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Get yourself a friend who will make a mug with your Publishers Marketplace announcement ☕ ❤️
Thank you, @tanyazilinskas.com!
Thank you, @tanyazilinskas.com!
I’m thrilled to announce that my debut memoir, HOLY MOTHER!, will be published in fall 2027 by @chelseagreenbooks.bsky.social. If you love books about spiritual rabbit holes or cults, this is for you.
Endless thanks to my incredible agent @lmscovel.bsky.social, who made this dream a reality.
Endless thanks to my incredible agent @lmscovel.bsky.social, who made this dream a reality.
October 15, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I’m thrilled to announce that my debut memoir, HOLY MOTHER!, will be published in fall 2027 by @chelseagreenbooks.bsky.social. If you love books about spiritual rabbit holes or cults, this is for you.
Endless thanks to my incredible agent @lmscovel.bsky.social, who made this dream a reality.
Endless thanks to my incredible agent @lmscovel.bsky.social, who made this dream a reality.
Grateful to my wonderful editor Jason for a lot, but in particular for his kind words about my feature on chemical intolerance in @wired.com's The Big Story newsletter.
Read the piece here: www.wired.com/story/multip...
Read the piece here: www.wired.com/story/multip...
August 4, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Grateful to my wonderful editor Jason for a lot, but in particular for his kind words about my feature on chemical intolerance in @wired.com's The Big Story newsletter.
Read the piece here: www.wired.com/story/multip...
Read the piece here: www.wired.com/story/multip...
Seeing Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl last night was life changing. I would follow Cynthia Erivo into the dark.
August 3, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Seeing Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl last night was life changing. I would follow Cynthia Erivo into the dark.
Reading this wall at a hotel feels like a complete and utter hallucination.
August 2, 2025 at 4:54 AM
Reading this wall at a hotel feels like a complete and utter hallucination.
@isleofanalia.bsky.social!!!!! Yesss!
I have been lucky enough to read some of these stories and y’all are truly not prepared for how amazing this collection will be.
I have been lucky enough to read some of these stories and y’all are truly not prepared for how amazing this collection will be.
July 17, 2025 at 4:01 AM
@isleofanalia.bsky.social!!!!! Yesss!
I have been lucky enough to read some of these stories and y’all are truly not prepared for how amazing this collection will be.
I have been lucky enough to read some of these stories and y’all are truly not prepared for how amazing this collection will be.
Joshua Tree, come out to S’mores & Stories tomorrow (6/22) at Más o Menos!
The event is free—enjoy literary readings and complimentary Mojave Mallows s’mores. Plus, we’re helping run a fundraiser for the Joshua Tree National Park Association. Join us at 7 pm ❤️
The event is free—enjoy literary readings and complimentary Mojave Mallows s’mores. Plus, we’re helping run a fundraiser for the Joshua Tree National Park Association. Join us at 7 pm ❤️
June 21, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Joshua Tree, come out to S’mores & Stories tomorrow (6/22) at Más o Menos!
The event is free—enjoy literary readings and complimentary Mojave Mallows s’mores. Plus, we’re helping run a fundraiser for the Joshua Tree National Park Association. Join us at 7 pm ❤️
The event is free—enjoy literary readings and complimentary Mojave Mallows s’mores. Plus, we’re helping run a fundraiser for the Joshua Tree National Park Association. Join us at 7 pm ❤️
Late to post about it, but I had a piece in the NYT Kids Section yesterday about the Indy 500 🏎️ Check it out in print!
May 27, 2025 at 12:56 AM
Late to post about it, but I had a piece in the NYT Kids Section yesterday about the Indy 500 🏎️ Check it out in print!
It’s a joy to bring the literary community together through Desert Salon retreats and readings, and this night was definitely a special one!
March 30, 2025 at 5:20 PM
It’s a joy to bring the literary community together through Desert Salon retreats and readings, and this night was definitely a special one!
Thank you to everyone who came out for Tales from the Edges of California at These Days on Thursday night! We had a full house and wonderful readings amid fantastic artwork. Plus, I got to give away a Mojave Mallows s’mores pack, two These Days gift certificates, and an original lithograph.
March 30, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Thank you to everyone who came out for Tales from the Edges of California at These Days on Thursday night! We had a full house and wonderful readings amid fantastic artwork. Plus, I got to give away a Mojave Mallows s’mores pack, two These Days gift certificates, and an original lithograph.
I'm thrilled to be hosting an #AWP25 off-site reading at These Days on March 27! "Tales from the Edges of California" will feature readings from @josephbienkahn.com, Jamaica Cole, Nick Ebeling, Richard Edson, T.S. Leonard, and @tanyazilinskas.com. Enjoy free refreshments, plus a special giveaway 👀
March 7, 2025 at 9:06 PM
I'm thrilled to be hosting an #AWP25 off-site reading at These Days on March 27! "Tales from the Edges of California" will feature readings from @josephbienkahn.com, Jamaica Cole, Nick Ebeling, Richard Edson, T.S. Leonard, and @tanyazilinskas.com. Enjoy free refreshments, plus a special giveaway 👀
Desert Salon, the writing retreat I facilitate in Joshua Tree, is accepting applications for our June session through Feb 2. It's one of the best things I do every year—apply soon!
Our site: desertsalon.com
The application for June: forms.gle/9BumE6VgN5p9...
Our site: desertsalon.com
The application for June: forms.gle/9BumE6VgN5p9...
January 24, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Desert Salon, the writing retreat I facilitate in Joshua Tree, is accepting applications for our June session through Feb 2. It's one of the best things I do every year—apply soon!
Our site: desertsalon.com
The application for June: forms.gle/9BumE6VgN5p9...
Our site: desertsalon.com
The application for June: forms.gle/9BumE6VgN5p9...
It's the happiest time of the year: Book and cookie exchange season! Thanks to my pal Nick Stockton for these folktales and brown butter chocolate shortbread cookies 🍪
I say it every year, but doing a Secret Santa-style treat and read exchange with your writer friends is the best!
I say it every year, but doing a Secret Santa-style treat and read exchange with your writer friends is the best!
January 3, 2025 at 6:36 PM
It's the happiest time of the year: Book and cookie exchange season! Thanks to my pal Nick Stockton for these folktales and brown butter chocolate shortbread cookies 🍪
I say it every year, but doing a Secret Santa-style treat and read exchange with your writer friends is the best!
I say it every year, but doing a Secret Santa-style treat and read exchange with your writer friends is the best!
Breaking news: This photo exists.
November 26, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Breaking news: This photo exists.
They're still working toward disenfranchising themselves and other artists. And they're working for a company that has trained their GenAI on stolen work.
November 19, 2024 at 7:02 PM
They're still working toward disenfranchising themselves and other artists. And they're working for a company that has trained their GenAI on stolen work.
I got an email from an intern at Midjourney, trying to recruit me to train AI for a "study." The language they use here is really deceptive, avoiding the term "AI" and framing their GenAI as "a tool for writerly inspiration." Let's talk about this 🧵
![Email, which reads:
Hi Lexi!
I saw your writing in Salt Hll Journal and thought you would be a good fit for a study on a new creative writing interface that we are running.
I am a [redacted], doing an internship at Midjourney. This paid two week study is for a creative writing interface which we are calling ‘Phraselette’. Phraselette is designed as a ‘smart thesaurus’, a tool for writerly inspiration. Some things it can do:
search for many alternate word choices given the text context
search over potential phrase choices based on your choice of constraints; ie part of speech, phonetics, and connotation
emulate different diction styles (“James Joyce writing for Finnegan’s wake”, “a surrealist’s journal”), and provide feedback on phrasings in emulation of a given role or character (“a stern scientist”)
This tool is meant to support a poet’s creativity rather than automate it (I myself am a creative writer). I think of it as a thesaurus in the lineage of dadaist writing, in which it helps to produce textual material, for purposes of inspiration, integration, and defamiliarization.
Study Details
The study will last roughly 2 weeks, beginning the week of December 2. It will ask that you use the system for 6 or more 30 minute sessions over those two weeks (3 hours). It will have you join a Discord community of other poets and creative writers using the tool.
We will ask that you experiment with the tool to discover if and how it might fit into your own creative practice (or how you will create a new form of practice).
What you will get
We are treating this study something like a commission - for which we will pay you $250. On completion of the study.
You will retain all rights to work created with the tool. We encourage you to experiment with it in your current or ongoing projects.
Also, it should be a fun opportunity to peek at a new writing interface and experiment with your style and form!
Requirements
That you be a published poet or creative writer (you a…](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:3hrcr3djv2hpgbfo6v4tifxn/bafkreifei5lfztpd3yc7r6cboatq3bqccgj52556mlgt6cjtoyb3lnyql4@jpeg)
November 19, 2024 at 7:02 PM
I got an email from an intern at Midjourney, trying to recruit me to train AI for a "study." The language they use here is really deceptive, avoiding the term "AI" and framing their GenAI as "a tool for writerly inspiration." Let's talk about this 🧵
Just a little Pinch @pinchjournal.bsky.social 🤏🦀 My short story “The Flat Earth Company” is out in the spring 2024 issue. @libertyoneill.bsky.social called it “weirdly wonderful,” which is simply the best.
I’m also obsessed with these other story titles. Comment with which is your favorite.
I’m also obsessed with these other story titles. Comment with which is your favorite.
February 22, 2024 at 2:25 AM
Just a little Pinch @pinchjournal.bsky.social 🤏🦀 My short story “The Flat Earth Company” is out in the spring 2024 issue. @libertyoneill.bsky.social called it “weirdly wonderful,” which is simply the best.
I’m also obsessed with these other story titles. Comment with which is your favorite.
I’m also obsessed with these other story titles. Comment with which is your favorite.
It was worth braving the storm for this delightful, engaging conversation between @vanjchan.bsky.social and @jemmawei.bsky.social at Book Passage!
Naturally, I had to load up on Dandelion hot chocolate and Acme bread after.
Naturally, I had to load up on Dandelion hot chocolate and Acme bread after.
February 18, 2024 at 11:56 PM
It was worth braving the storm for this delightful, engaging conversation between @vanjchan.bsky.social and @jemmawei.bsky.social at Book Passage!
Naturally, I had to load up on Dandelion hot chocolate and Acme bread after.
Naturally, I had to load up on Dandelion hot chocolate and Acme bread after.
Over the moon about this news! Thank you so much to Salt Hill Journal for nominating "Big Thumb" for a Pushcart Prize.
Can't wait to share my strange little story about competitive nail art with all of you soon 💅🧂
Can't wait to share my strange little story about competitive nail art with all of you soon 💅🧂
November 30, 2023 at 4:44 PM
Over the moon about this news! Thank you so much to Salt Hill Journal for nominating "Big Thumb" for a Pushcart Prize.
Can't wait to share my strange little story about competitive nail art with all of you soon 💅🧂
Can't wait to share my strange little story about competitive nail art with all of you soon 💅🧂