I want to talk about writing and words. But first things first.

As I write this, it’s a frigid morning. Snow is piled in huge drifts outside the window. Periodically the sky darkens and flakes fill the air like static. And yet right now, the sun is shining. In the middle of winter, a ray of sunshine is no small thing.

Like many of us, I’ve been trying to find the rays of sunshine in a world—and specifically in a country—that seems to have devolved into darkness. Mostly, I’ve been finding it in community, in people stepping up to help each other: sending out whistles and zines, delivering food to neighbors, checking in via text and phone. Forming literal chains of linked arms.

With that said, I’m running a raffle as a fundraising action for community aid. If you’ve ever read my author bio, you know that I like to knit tiny pocket-sized creatures. Maybe you’ve asked yourself, “How might I obtain one of those Wee Knitted Guys?” You now have a chance to win one, and do good for your community at the same time! (US only, I’m afraid; shipping costs outside of the US are beyond my budget. If you are outside of the US, my writer friend KS Walker is running a similar fundraising action, only they’re raffling off short story critiques; if you’ve read any of KS’s fiction, you know exactly how valuable those are. Check out their raffle by subscribing to their newsletter here.)

If you want to enter, respond to this email sending me a screenshot of a donation to an immigrant rights organization, an organization providing community aid (food, housing, rent money, legal help, etc.), or a mutual aid ask. (This is a good list of Minnesota-specific ones, but you can donate locally, too.) $10 per entry—if you donate $20 that gets you two entries, etc. I’ll be accepting entries from now through February 13. I will have at least two little knitted guys to give out; I’ll let you know if you’ve won one.

And now onto the words!

If you are in the Rochester NY area, I’ll be teaching a 4-week class at Writers & Books this March called Flash Futures: Speculative Methods for Writing Very Short Stories. Come join me if you’re able; we’ll read excellent stories, geek out about language, and write flash fiction.

Speaking of Writers & Books, I’ll be giving a reading there on February 28 alongside Kristina Ten, David DeGraff, and Cassandra Scherr — and this one you can attend either in-person or via livestream!

I had a poem come out in December in Strange Horizons: “The World To Come.” It’s an incredibly personal poem, one I’ve been trying to write in various ways for years. It’s about being an American Jew and struggling against the idea of Israel as an ancestral homeland; it’s also about death, and what lies beyond death. In some ways it’s about zombies being Biblical canon. I’m very proud of how it turned out. If you enjoy it, I’d be honored if you considered it for the Hugos or the Nebulas, both of which have an award for poetry this year.

I’d also be honored if you considered any of the short stories I wrote in 2025 for awards (or just, you know, to read for pleasure), including:

“Written on the Subway Walls”: resistance in the face of systemic oppression, from the pov of the old Erie Canal bed in Rochester NY.

“Echo Syndrome”: motherhood, the fracturing of identity, and existential horror--in flash form!

“The Last Time Gladys Howled At the Moon”: Aging! Lady! Werewolf! Awoooooo!!!

“Holding Patterns”: Art as resistance, teens being stupid, and hope. Also knitting…IN SPAAAAACE!

Other news: My story “The Colonists” made the shortlist for the Brave New Weird anthology, and my story “The Last Time Gladys Howled at the Moon” made the longlist for the British Science Fiction Association Awards! It’s my first time on either of these lists, and I’m just delighted.

And now it’s snowing again. The world is both gray and beautiful at the same time. I appreciate each and every one of you for being here with me. Community is a wonderful thing; thank you for being part of mine.