Rachael Raine Rivers
@rachaelrainerivers.bsky.social
All things books!
Reader, Writer, Librarian, & Harpist
In my cozy fantasy/fairytale era
"too sensitive," "too direct," "too many words," "too earnest," "too much"
https://linktr.ee/rachaelrainerivers
Reader, Writer, Librarian, & Harpist
In my cozy fantasy/fairytale era
"too sensitive," "too direct," "too many words," "too earnest," "too much"
https://linktr.ee/rachaelrainerivers
Week 1, Day 2 of “Butt Back into Music” Challenge. Today we're just doing finger conditioning exercises.
Oh! And speed tuning. Both concert grand and the mini. This, btw, if you are not a harpist, is what we spend A LOT of our time doing. So. Much. Tuning.
#musicsky #harp #tuning #practicechallenge
Oh! And speed tuning. Both concert grand and the mini. This, btw, if you are not a harpist, is what we spend A LOT of our time doing. So. Much. Tuning.
#musicsky #harp #tuning #practicechallenge
February 3, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Week 1, Day 2 of “Butt Back into Music” Challenge. Today we're just doing finger conditioning exercises.
Oh! And speed tuning. Both concert grand and the mini. This, btw, if you are not a harpist, is what we spend A LOT of our time doing. So. Much. Tuning.
#musicsky #harp #tuning #practicechallenge
Oh! And speed tuning. Both concert grand and the mini. This, btw, if you are not a harpist, is what we spend A LOT of our time doing. So. Much. Tuning.
#musicsky #harp #tuning #practicechallenge
Welcome back to a new semester at magic school for writers! Are you ready to use your wordwielding power for social good this month?
open.substack.com/pub/fantasys...
#writersky #writingchallenge #sff #specfiction #fantasy #scifi #hopecore #cozyfantasy #speculativefiction #makemagicforminneapolis
open.substack.com/pub/fantasys...
#writersky #writingchallenge #sff #specfiction #fantasy #scifi #hopecore #cozyfantasy #speculativefiction #makemagicforminneapolis
February 2, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Welcome back to a new semester at magic school for writers! Are you ready to use your wordwielding power for social good this month?
open.substack.com/pub/fantasys...
#writersky #writingchallenge #sff #specfiction #fantasy #scifi #hopecore #cozyfantasy #speculativefiction #makemagicforminneapolis
open.substack.com/pub/fantasys...
#writersky #writingchallenge #sff #specfiction #fantasy #scifi #hopecore #cozyfantasy #speculativefiction #makemagicforminneapolis
New February challenge! Provisionally titled “Rachael Gets Her Butt Back into Music."
The goal is that I at least tune and warm up every single day in February.
And then, like three times per week, I have to record and post myself playing an EASY song on my low-tension small harp.
The goal is that I at least tune and warm up every single day in February.
And then, like three times per week, I have to record and post myself playing an EASY song on my low-tension small harp.
February 2, 2026 at 12:48 AM
New February challenge! Provisionally titled “Rachael Gets Her Butt Back into Music."
The goal is that I at least tune and warm up every single day in February.
And then, like three times per week, I have to record and post myself playing an EASY song on my low-tension small harp.
The goal is that I at least tune and warm up every single day in February.
And then, like three times per week, I have to record and post myself playing an EASY song on my low-tension small harp.
If you zoom in, you can see that the weird little green orb on the tree is actually a kind of fruit from the fairy realm. If I had eaten some, who knows where/when I would have ended up this evening.
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #fairy #walk
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #fairy #walk
February 2, 2026 at 12:04 AM
If you zoom in, you can see that the weird little green orb on the tree is actually a kind of fruit from the fairy realm. If I had eaten some, who knows where/when I would have ended up this evening.
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #fairy #walk
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #fairy #walk
He's mind of hard to see in photos, but I found the teensiest snowman while out and about today.
January 30, 2026 at 11:21 PM
He's mind of hard to see in photos, but I found the teensiest snowman while out and about today.
Would just like to point out that my author name now has more “R” initials than either J.R.R. Tolkien's or George R.R. Martin's.
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #penname #jrrtolkien #georgerrmartin #sff #specfiction
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #penname #jrrtolkien #georgerrmartin #sff #specfiction
January 27, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Would just like to point out that my author name now has more “R” initials than either J.R.R. Tolkien's or George R.R. Martin's.
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #penname #jrrtolkien #georgerrmartin #sff #specfiction
#writersky #booksky #fantasy #penname #jrrtolkien #georgerrmartin #sff #specfiction
Reposted by Rachael Raine Rivers
Weather so dreich it can stop a dalek.
January 27, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Weather so dreich it can stop a dalek.
Thank you to everyone who voted to help me select my pen name from the Substack intro post below.
I think I am going to try the name Rachael Raine Rivers on for size. 💜
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #penname #pseudonym #intro
I think I am going to try the name Rachael Raine Rivers on for size. 💜
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #penname #pseudonym #intro
"I am Nobody! Who are you?": A Re-Introduction to My Substack, Part 1
Help me pick my pen name?
open.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:07 AM
Thank you to everyone who voted to help me select my pen name from the Substack intro post below.
I think I am going to try the name Rachael Raine Rivers on for size. 💜
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #penname #pseudonym #intro
I think I am going to try the name Rachael Raine Rivers on for size. 💜
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #penname #pseudonym #intro
Reposted by Rachael Raine Rivers
Toad sat and did nothing. Frog sat with him.
January 25, 2026 at 8:37 AM
Toad sat and did nothing. Frog sat with him.
Snow poem for a snow day
#writersky #booksky #poem #poetry #classicliterature #snow #snowstorm #winter
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #poem #poetry #classicliterature #snow #snowstorm #winter
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
"Velvet Shoes" by Elinor Wylie - Magical Poem about Snow from 1921
"Let us walk in the white snow, in a soundless space..."
open.substack.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Snow poem for a snow day
#writersky #booksky #poem #poetry #classicliterature #snow #snowstorm #winter
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #poem #poetry #classicliterature #snow #snowstorm #winter
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
“Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace”
youtu.be/9PvDruDZ6pg?...
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace”
youtu.be/9PvDruDZ6pg?...
Deep Peace
YouTube video by Libana - Topic
youtu.be
January 25, 2026 at 12:46 AM
“Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace”
youtu.be/9PvDruDZ6pg?...
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace”
youtu.be/9PvDruDZ6pg?...
People in the grocery store parking lot today: My face is sOoOo cOLd!
Me, the perpetual freak in the N-95 mask: 👀
Me, the perpetual freak in the N-95 mask: 👀
January 24, 2026 at 9:10 PM
People in the grocery store parking lot today: My face is sOoOo cOLd!
Me, the perpetual freak in the N-95 mask: 👀
Me, the perpetual freak in the N-95 mask: 👀
“When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.”
-Tao Te Ching, Verse 2, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Being and non-being create each other.”
-Tao Te Ching, Verse 2, translated by Stephen Mitchell
January 23, 2026 at 5:35 PM
“When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.”
-Tao Te Ching, Verse 2, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Being and non-being create each other.”
-Tao Te Ching, Verse 2, translated by Stephen Mitchell
"Frankly, we all expected more courage from university leadership, she wrote to the department, which struck you as a misleading use of we."
Academic librarian here, and I am DEAD. Read this immediately.
Academic librarian here, and I am DEAD. Read this immediately.
New story out now from @lightspeedmagazine.com! This one is all about how it feels to work in higher education these days. Spoiler: it feels extremely bad, like “what if your university signed a compact with the actual devil and now there’s an unbreakable curse” levels of bad 🫠
Academic Neutrality - Lightspeed Magazine
When Amy begins to flay herself during office hours, you aren’t quite sure what to do. You hate office hours. You used to enjoy them, actually, back before the flayings started. Sure, it’s hard sharin...
www.lightspeedmagazine.com
January 23, 2026 at 10:36 AM
"Frankly, we all expected more courage from university leadership, she wrote to the department, which struck you as a misleading use of we."
Academic librarian here, and I am DEAD. Read this immediately.
Academic librarian here, and I am DEAD. Read this immediately.
Apparently having one of those days where I absolutely don’t want to exist.
January 22, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Apparently having one of those days where I absolutely don’t want to exist.
Reposted by Rachael Raine Rivers
It is important to acknowledge who is standing up and who is just trying to get by. Every day Americans are standing up while the powerful are mostly standing by.
Why aren't law firms standing up and sending lawyers to Minneapolis. Why aren't the corporations speaking out? Why isn't the media?
Why aren't law firms standing up and sending lawyers to Minneapolis. Why aren't the corporations speaking out? Why isn't the media?
January 21, 2026 at 2:37 AM
It is important to acknowledge who is standing up and who is just trying to get by. Every day Americans are standing up while the powerful are mostly standing by.
Why aren't law firms standing up and sending lawyers to Minneapolis. Why aren't the corporations speaking out? Why isn't the media?
Why aren't law firms standing up and sending lawyers to Minneapolis. Why aren't the corporations speaking out? Why isn't the media?
Me, staring down my inbox: "There is no spoon."
January 20, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Me, staring down my inbox: "There is no spoon."
January 20, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Waiting for Godot, but Godot is an acceptance from a literary journal.
#writersky #booksky #literaryjournal
#writersky #booksky #literaryjournal
January 19, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Waiting for Godot, but Godot is an acceptance from a literary journal.
#writersky #booksky #literaryjournal
#writersky #booksky #literaryjournal
I first learned the word “aftermath” around age 10. Whereupon, I immediately sat down to write a (still unfinished) story called “The Aftermath of Math.” I don’t remember what it was about. But I still kind of love that title.
#writersky #booksky #words
#writersky #booksky #words
January 18, 2026 at 5:06 AM
I first learned the word “aftermath” around age 10. Whereupon, I immediately sat down to write a (still unfinished) story called “The Aftermath of Math.” I don’t remember what it was about. But I still kind of love that title.
#writersky #booksky #words
#writersky #booksky #words
Just me having a tiny mental breakdown in fun, listicle format.
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #essay #mydiary #otemporeomores #lifeadvice #humor #satire
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #essay #mydiary #otemporeomores #lifeadvice #humor #satire
Heck if I Know How to Calm Your Heart Rate
A List of Moderately Useless Tips for Surviving ... Such Times
open.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Just me having a tiny mental breakdown in fun, listicle format.
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #essay #mydiary #otemporeomores #lifeadvice #humor #satire
open.substack.com/pub/rachaelr...
#writersky #booksky #essay #mydiary #otemporeomores #lifeadvice #humor #satire
Reposted by Rachael Raine Rivers
every single successful general strike in US history has had union backing through the local AFL-CIO
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
January 16, 2026 at 9:24 PM
every single successful general strike in US history has had union backing through the local AFL-CIO
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
Btw, your elected representatives are basically your new FREE THERAPY hotline. Any time you are in the dumps because something sucks that they should be doing something to fix, call them and gripe.
January 17, 2026 at 12:47 AM
Btw, your elected representatives are basically your new FREE THERAPY hotline. Any time you are in the dumps because something sucks that they should be doing something to fix, call them and gripe.
Reposted by Rachael Raine Rivers
🌹 random rose 🌹
June 25th 2024
June 25th 2024
January 12, 2026 at 6:32 AM
🌹 random rose 🌹
June 25th 2024
June 25th 2024
Reposted by Rachael Raine Rivers
"I'm not in Minnesota -- what can I do to help?"
A list of ideas!
A list of ideas!
January 11, 2026 at 10:33 PM
"I'm not in Minnesota -- what can I do to help?"
A list of ideas!
A list of ideas!