I think it has become a tradition, since 2016, for everyone to start their year in review posts with a variation on "wow, this year sucked." And like. It is a tradition because it is literally correct? Current events this year were YIKES. But I also assume that you, as a reader, already know all the ways they were YIKES, so I'm going to not dwell on them here.

Without 100% having intended it at the beginning of the year, 2025 was a bit of a fallow year for me in terms of publishing and newsletters. I'm not doing a "here's what I published," because I didn't publish anything. I'm not doing a "here are my favorite stories/media" because I honestly needed a break from doing that; I'm going to try again in the new year.

In other ways, though, it was quite a busy year. Here's how my 2025 went, in roughly but not entirely chronological order:

• Acquisition & big round of edits for IGNORE

• Trade war??? Elbows up??? Election???

• Strike at my day job (plus two other strikes that were threatened but didn't happen, it was a mess)

• Big promotion at my day job WHILE on strike (don't ask)

• PRIDE!

• Giant new course in critical AI literacy on two months notice (I actually wish we'd done this years ago...)

• Wait how do undergraduate committees work

• Murder mystery party!! (I write these myself, it's a whole production, this year was the first time in a few years)

• Whole bunch of work on two different big, ambitious WIP books - one that's still being drafted, and one that went through some major revisions.

• Whole bunch of therapy

It's been a huge year for me personally. It's been rough in some ways, but I feel I've been pushed to grow up and glow up in ways that were not as open to me before. It’s made me think a lot about individual and collective power. And I'm excited to share some of the fruits of those labors with you in the new year - certainly with IGNORE, and hopefully with more reviews, shorts, essays and other useful things.

Wishing you all a restful holiday season - because what we all need most right now is rest - and success at what matters most to you in the new year.

Best,

Ada