First of all, if you are outside Minnesota and still looking for ways to help, you can find a myriad of options at: https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

Second: call your reps (again) and remind them to abolish ICE. Can you believe it only took a year for our worst president to send masked shock troops to terrorize American cities in defiance of the Constitution, community, and basic human decency? Yet here we are. It was both entirely predictable and horrifying on a bone-deep level, the classic paradox of our era. I hope you’re finding ways to take care of yourself and others — shoveling snow, checking in with neighbors, sending a nice note to someone, looking at a cool bird if you happen to spot one.

We push, we rest, we repeat. The days will slowly gain more light in them. Keep at it.

Linkery

• I wrote an essay for the Rumpus on Heated Rivalry, Letterkenny, Shoresy, and Pride and Prejudice. Yes, all at once. Key quote: “Tierney went full butch Merchant Ivory.”: Mouth and Muscle

• For a daily puzzle break, this lovely little logic puzzle is always a brain-bender: Clues By Sam

• See also: Enclose Horse

Crafty

Violet’s fern shawl pattern is undergoing edits! And some substantial rewriting! And … well … pattern-making is hard, I knew it was hard, but knowing doesn’t solve difficulties so I’m still wrestling with some of it. The pattern will be released here and on Ravelry (hopefully), completely for free, by the time Nobody’s Baby releases on March 10!

Also, Romancing the Vote is coming up again this July, so get your donations ready and your bidding fingers trained and let’s show them what romance can do when we’re all pulling together!

Reading recs

I’ve taken to posting every month’s NYT column on Bluesky, so you can click through to each book that tickles your fancy (and also easily skim past columns using the hashtag, it’s quite nice). This month I reviwed a brilliant Arthurian-inspired romantasy by Alix E. Harrow, a romcom about a dom (HR would shit), and a very thoughtful Black hockey romance that knows what everyone is really into regarding the Olympics: behind-the-scenes drama and large event infrastructure.

You’ll be hearing a bit more from me this coming month as some books go on sale, and there are a few other essays and interviews I will be delighted to share as we approach release day. It’s lovely to have something lovely to look forward to, isn’t it?

Until then,
Olivia