Minnesota Calls for Aide (Two Requests That Don't Cost Money & Won't Get You Teargassed)
Hello, all I know I emailed you recently, but a lot of people have reached out to me, wanting to help the people here in my home state of Minnesota, and not...
The Receipts
Facts and sources for those trying to spread the truth about ICE’s violent and lawless occupation of MN, organized by which type of person you’re trying to...
If I Die, Don't Let Them Call Me an Activist
The helicopters and vans full of men who cover their badges and faces have arrived in my city, as predicted. They emptied out of Portland and LA and New York...
A Toast to the Archivists
When I was doing the earliest research for Brittle Idols, I got it into my head that I wanted to use a dead mall in an Iowa winter as one of my settings....
Collaborating With History
I was told once, at a convention, that every story of the future is destined to become alternate history. I wish I could remember who told me that. At the...
Storytelling Out Loud
Before we get down to it, I would like to remind you all that I’ll be at Gaylaxicon this coming weekend, here in the Twin Cities. I’ll be speaking on panels...
On Manipulation
Hello, everyone! Happy 5 year anniversary of Shed Letters! Thank you for letting me into your inboxes! Before I get into this month’s subject, I want to...
Domino Effect
Hello, everyone. This month, I watched a documentary miniseries exploring how steam trains impacted so many different industries in Victorian Britain, and...
Shadowing the Double Helix
Hello! Before I get started, my ask this month is still brief and free, but a little bit more personal. It’s still the final day of Pride month, and so I am...
This Unsung but Critical Battleground
Hello, everyone! This month, I actually want to revisit a subject I’ve written about before. If you’ve read Names in Their Blood, you know medical data...
It Takes an Aweful Lot of People in a Room to Outnumber Me
Hello, everyone! Earlier this month I got a great ask on my Tumblr, asking how my training as a therapist shows up in my writing, and whether I think of that...
From the Sidelines of Goodbyes
Wish you were here Hello, dear readers Before I dive in to the main letter’s subject, here’s my super quick action item ask: Join me in continuing to...
Fight! Fight! Fight!
I’ve frequently found that when something doesn’t automatically attract me about writing I tend to over-compensate, assuming that if I don’t deliberately put...
Lost in Translation, Found in the Struggle
Hello, all Well, I’m back. I’ll tell you honestly, after the election results came in, I very seriously thought about giving up on not only the newsletter,...
The Homunculus Among Us
Happy Halloween, everyone! This month I’m excited to talk about a subject that I wanted to include in August’s letter about Carapace and Chrysalis and...
Double Feature! Cult Design & My Stance on AI
This month we have a very special double feature! I had planned and promised to write about cults- what makes a cult, how do they work, etc. But, I’ve also...
Brains and Mecha
Hello! Well, I asked Tumblr what they wanted to hear more about this month, and the response was that people wanted to hear more about Carapace and...
When "the Prison Of the Mind" is too Literal
Hello, all! Before we get into the latest scif-research-adjacent subject that’s got me all riled up, please allow me to remind you that, since you are...
Names in Their Blood- out now!
For the first time in the very nearly 3 years I’ve had this newsletter, I’m going to use it to do the thing author newsletters are supposedly for; I’m going...
Nuclear Waste and the Ray Cat Solution
It may not surprise you all that I, as a person who cares about and seriously thinks about the future, am a fan of carbon-free energy. This includes nuclear...