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Aishatu Ado

@aishatuado.bsky.social
334 followers 297 following 56 posts

AUTHOR. ARTIST. PEACE TECHNOLOGIST. Clarion West '25 | Alumna: Tin House, VONA, Hurston/Wright, RWW, Voodoonauts aishatu.carrd.co Member: Codex & BSFA Co-founding member at Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social

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Plangdi Neple @plangdi.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Pub day! I'm so glad that Nameless Saviors is now available to read at @tractorbeamearth.bsky.social What if you could save a country that would rather kill you than admit its problems? It has government corruption, drunk shenanigans, and final year stress 😌. www.tractorbeam.earth/story/namele...
tractorbeam.earth
Nameless Saviors | Tractor Beam
Uncle, why does our house always smell bad?
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
🤖 What happens when a robot doppelgänger carries the ghosts of your unborn children? My sci-fi horror story is out now in @augursociety.bsky.social Magazine! It explores the next iteration of surrogacy through the West African abíkú folklore. Read it here: augursociety.org/augur-issue-...
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Wole Talabi | Preorder THE FIST OF MEMORY @wtalabi.com · 28/09/2026
Alright folks, this is one of the best stories I've read all year. Its about. Ancestors. Vampirism. Justice. Haunted houses. Storytelling. And so much more. Go check it out y'all. Run, dont walk.
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Why does invisible agency sound absurd to modernity until technology manufactures it? Read my latest piece here: www.aroko.world/the-jinn-are...
aroko.world
The Jinn Are Already Home: A Thresholdography of a Diasporic Childhood
Sometimes the toilet flushed by itself. We would hear the rush of water, then the pipes settling inside the wall. Nobody had gone in. Nobody had come out. "The jinn have used the toilet," someone wou...
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Why does invisible agency sound absurd to modernity until technology manufactures it? Read my latest piece here: www.aroko.world/the-jinn-are...
aroko.world
The Jinn Are Already Home: A Thresholdography of a Diasporic Childhood
Sometimes the toilet flushed by itself. We would hear the rush of water, then the pipes settling inside the wall. Nobody had gone in. Nobody had come out. "The jinn have used the toilet," someone wou...
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Pre-colonial frameworks like jinn and Bori spirits are lessons in shared tenancy, reminding us that home is the first place we learn we aren't alone. Read @aishatuado.bsky.social's piece here: www.aroko.world/the-jinn-are...
aroko.world
The Jinn Are Already Home: A Thresholdography of a Diasporic Childhood
Sometimes the toilet flushed by itself. We would hear the rush of water, then the pipes settling inside the wall. Nobody had gone in. Nobody had come out. "The jinn have used the toilet," someone wou...
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Augur Society | Augur Issue 8.3 is NOW LIVE ! @augursociety.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Augur Issue 9.1 is AVAILABLE NOW! 🎉 Put on your reading socks and join us for… 💃 catharsis & courage through dance 🌿 nurturing humanity in environmental crisis 💗 love represented in intergenerational stories & so much more! + You can find 2 FREE pieces on our site! 🔗 buff.ly/bBotj6s 🧵
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Augur Society | Augur Issue 8.3 is NOW LIVE ! @augursociety.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
In Augur Issue 9.1, you'll find: ✒️"To Carry the Future" by @aishatuado.bsky.social ✒️"The Salmon Carry Constellations" by @kathhealing.bsky.social ✒️"Morning Glories at Dusk" by @emdashliu.bsky.social 🧵 buff.ly/bBotj6s
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Foraging clay, pit fires at Ocean Beach, and turning everyday tables into altars. @kristenstain.bsky.social reflects on their time at the Eames Ranch Residency, exploring Afro-diasporic traditions and the sacred space of the kitchen. Read the full story here: www.aroko.world/raw-earth-li...
aroko.world
Raw Earth & Living Tablescapes: Notes from the Inaugural Eames Residency
Last June (2025) I was in Havana, Cuba for a Lucumi ceremony and celebration. For the two months prior my mind had been swirling with reflections and realizations about this moment in time. All at onc...
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Save the Date! More announcements coming soon about HOMEPLACE, including features on our artists, RSVPs for our programs, and more. We'll see you in October. festival.designphiladelphia.org/events/homeplace Brought to you by Àrokò Cooperative and 1803 Pine Location - Philadelphia
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
🪞 What happens when the mirror is crowded with other people’s eyes? @aishatuado.bsky.social writes about the white gaze, exile from the self, beauty, and reclaiming how we see ourselves. Read here: www.aroko.world/who-put-snow... WHO TAUGHT YOU WHAT BEAUTIFUL MEANS? Tell us in the comments. 👇🏾
aroko.world
Who Put Snow White in My Mirror?
Carrie Mae Weems photographed a Black woman in front of a mirror who asked: “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the finest of them all?” And the mirror answered: “Snow White, you Black Bitch, and do...
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Spec Colorways In Verse @speccolorwaysverse.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Much to shout about coming in August 🥳: the return of prompts, our first creative gathering Aug 21 (7 pm EST/11 UTC), & our first con and panel—Black, Queer, & Speculating In Verse @laworldcon.bsky.social (Virtual, Aug 27 4:30 pm PST/7:30 EST, guide.lacon.org ) www.patreon.com/SpecColorway...
The Return of Prompts! [Next to text: a thought bubble full up with ragged haint, spacecraft-ridin’ antennaed entity departed from a ringed planet, robot dog and qilin ready for play, sparkly spell book and wand-wielding fantastical figure, and scatterings of question marks.]
#1 Releases Aug 7 & #2 Aug 21
12 pm EST/4 UTC

Our FIRST Creative Gathering! [Next to that text and Join Us!: Someone with a determined sticked-out tongue types on their laptop as the chat/livestream pops off.]
Aug 21
7 pm EST/11 pm UTC
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Subscribe to our Patreon at the Sweetgrass Shovel ($4) or Viridian Verse ($5) tier and get exclusive access to this content. [Next to text: https://www.patreon.com/cw/SpecColorwaysInVerse]
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Our FIRST Con!
[LAconV Logo of a winged compass rose]

Black, Queer, & Speculating In Verse (Online Panel Aug 27 4:30 pm PST/7:30 EST)

Official Description: During this panel, poets will delve into poetry to explore meaning with an eye towards utility in speculating with wonder while encouraging community.
(Pitch: During this panel, Lysz and Jeané will responsively, duetishly read a selection of their work. In the course of the ebb, flow, and afterglow, they will delve into their offerings on a distinctive as well as collective level; what it means, what it do to poetically speculate toward wonder for its own sake and calling up present futures of us/our communities fullest living; and talk about the journey thus far jointly cultivating a community space centering queer BIPOC speculative poetry with Spec Colorways In Verse.)
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
One of my favorite things about @mclc.bsky.social's latest piece is how he turns a global sporting event into a conversation about society. Dive into his piece below 👇🏾
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
The World Cup gave us unforgettable moments, but what did it reveal about America? Read @mclc.bsky.social's sharp reflection here: www.aroko.world/ball-is-life...
aroko.world
Ball is Life; F*ck it, We Ball—An American World Cup and its Discontents
Like the light of a month-long flashbulb, the 2026 World Cup still lingers in the corners of our eyes, its flickering afterimage continuing to color our peripheral vision. What a terrible, and terrifi...
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Check out our first ÀROKÒ MUSIC FEATURE: “LA LA” by Jeremy Capps. Is this the whimsy song of the summer? We sure think it is 👀 Read here: www.aroko.world/aroko-music-...
aroko.world
ÀROKÒ MUSIC FEATURE: “LA LA” by Jeremy Capps
Between visiting a sick parent and his daughter's first birthday, Jeremy Capps wrote "La La" for anyone who's ever let a new infatuation take over.
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
What happens when designers, storytellers, artists, publishers, and zinesters gather in one space? We attended the Black Zine Fair and left inspired. Check out @shakeil.bsky.social's reflections in this wonderful piece: www.aroko.world/black-zine-f...
aroko.world
Black Zine Fair Forever
In these times of digital existence, in-person gatherings allow for connections far beyond the confines of a comment section or shop listing.
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Tonya R. Moore @tonyarmoore.com · 20/06/2026
Deliberate ignorance is not a disability. "Big words" are ableist, my ass.
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P.C. Verrone @pcverrone.com · 18/06/2026
Had a blast speaking with Amani about folktales, Black feminist theory, haunted houses, Never Whistle at Night Part II, queer characters exploring their sexuality, & everything else RABBIT, FOX, TAR on @americanbookseller.bsky.social’s BookED podcast!
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
I’m OBSESSED with this piece by @nellynkettles.bsky.social at ÀROKÒ.WORLD. If you love deep readings of Black cinema, Yoruba cosmology, Hoodoo, and the spiritual worlds that connect them, this one is for you: www.aroko.world/is-god-is-an...
aroko.world
"Is God Is" and "Sinners": An offering to the Ibeji Twins
What if “Sinners” and “Is God Is” belong to the same spiritual universe? Reading the films through the Yoruba Ibeji twins reveals a meditation on ancestry, protection, Hoodoo, and Black futurity, wher...
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Check out this new piece by @nellynkettles.bsky.social exploring what happens when "Sinners" and "Is God Is" are read through the Yoruba Ibeji twins, revealing a meditation on ancestry, protection, Hoodoo, and Black futurity. Read here: www.aroko.world/is-god-is-an...
aroko.world
"Is God Is" and "Sinners": An offering to the Ibeji Twins
What if “Sinners” and “Is God Is” belong to the same spiritual universe? Reading the films through the Yoruba Ibeji twins reveals a meditation on ancestry, protection, Hoodoo, and Black futurity, wher...
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Erin Brown @babblewocky.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Congrats to all of my ToC sibs in the “Best Weird Fiction of the Year Vol 2”!!!!!
A picture of a rotting apple cross section. The words “The Night Market: a once bustling village market serves a new kind of clientele, who lives high in a castle and only comes out at night. What shoes she shop for? Our narrator is loathe to disclose…
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Spec Colorways In Verse @speccolorwaysverse.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
📯Announcing our '26 lineup📯 @carolinehung.bsky.social @gailguerrero.bsky.social "Moko" by Dkéama Alexis will be available to all subscribers. (Onward, paid tiers [$3–5] & $4-post-purchasers will have access to poems—digital broadsides & audio recordings.) patreon.com/SpecColorway...
On the back of a stylistic deck of cards, Spec Colorways In Verse's logo of clay-brown fist clutching a rainbow over stars above text '26 Lineup Edition with QR in upper corner linking to Patreon (https://patreon.com/SpecColorwaysInVerse).
Surrounding cards on tabletop: June = “MOKO” by Dkéama Alexis with tagline Liberation Rhythm Callin’ (✊🏾 in corner); July = “love note from my guardian angel” by Caroline Hung with tagline Hungry for God (🫦 in corners); September = “The Song of the Interdimensional Traveller” by Nilā with tagline Experience the Pluriverse (♾️ in corner); and November = “Fungal Avocation” by Abigail Guerrero with tagline Decomposition of Life (🍄‍🟫 in corners).
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TDr. Linda Maepa (born at 325ppm) @lmaepa.blacksky.app · 11/06/2026
Ancestors 🙌🏾 I was literally talking about these concepts yesterday. Clearly I need to get tight with these works. Pre-ordered! 🤎
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Naseem Jamnia (they/them) THE GLADE IS AN IGNYTE FINALIST! @jamsternazzy.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
I am SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!! of my former student Aishatu who has been absolutely KILLING IT!!!!!!!
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
If you've read "What Grows Back" in @nightmare-magazine.com and wondered about all the teeth, how the story became a critique of the 3-act structure (and much more) check out my Author Spotlight interview with @clayvermulm.bsky.social Read it here: www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/a...
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Some stories leave scars. This one grows teeth. Super excited to share: My new short story "What Grows Back" is now live in @nightmare-magazine.com edited by @wnwagner.bsky.social 🥹 Read it here: www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/what...
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P.C. Verrone @pcverrone.com · 05/06/2026
Discovering Afro-surrealism helped me locate my writing within a legacy of uncanny and magical Black fiction. I am so glad I had a chance to recommend these absolutely wonderful books with @literaryhub.bsky.social!
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P.C. Verrone @pcverrone.com · 06/06/2026
Love to hear RABBIT, FOX, TAR mentioned on @nytimes.com Book Review podcast!
nytimes.com
A Summer Book Recommendation Bonanza
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P.C. Verrone @pcverrone.com · 01/06/2026
Woah! Beautiful words about RABBIT, FOX, TAR in @nytimes.com!!! 🐇
nytimes.com
This Modern Fable Uses ‘Uncle Remus’ to Reclaim Black History
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Space Cowboy Books @spacecowboybooks.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Simultaneous Times episode 99 has launched. This ep features stories by @jamesmachell.bsky.social & @tonyarmoore.com with music by TSG & Phog Masheeen spacecowboybooks.bandcamp.com
Simultaneous Times episode 99 flier. The Simultaneous Times logo (an oil painting of an astronaut watching a supernova) with author headshots.
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Tonya R. Moore @tonyarmoore.com · 30/05/2026
The co-editors of the Cookout anthology @tco-anthology.bsky.social were intervied on this podcast: justkeepwriting.podbean.com/e/episode-19...
justkeepwriting.podbean.com
Episode 194 - Invitation to The Cook Out: Chat with the Editors of a Black Anthology | Just Keep Writing
This week, the crew chats with Erin Brown, Tonya R. Moore, and Emmalia Harrington about editing a Black Anthology called: The Cook Out. Links mentioned during the show: Tonya R. Moore Emmalia Harringt...
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OTHERSIDE @othersidespec.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
HAPPY PRIDE, ISSUE 2 IS OUT NOW FOR SUBSCRIBERS!!! Check your email! 🪐🗡️🌈 Issue 2 will be free online on June 15th—but if you'd like to support a queer magazine AND read Issue 2 without waiting, you can snag a copy now! Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/s/3e872a158d Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/others... (1/2)
OTHERSIDE Issue 2 cover on the left, with text on the right that says ISSUE 2: nine stories, six poems, one essay, original art by queer creators available now for subscribers. www.othersidespec.com
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Raw Dog Screaming Press @rdspress.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Congratulations to @nytebird45.bsky.social and Jamal Hodge whose poetry collection EVERYTHING ENDLESS won the Stoker award for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection last night. It was such a proud moment for us to see this amazing collaboration between two incredible poets recognized.
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Spec Colorways In Verse @speccolorwaysverse.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Update 6/5/26. Lessons from first batch: 1) Reading y'alls work affirms the work we're doing 😌 2) We sure won't complain of more 📥☄️
Spec Colorways In Verse
Open call for QUEER BIPOC speculative poetry
2–3 poems, each new poem begins on a new page (6 pages max); if your heart, or energy, determines you have a single masterpiece, we’ll read it.
We’re open to any form: traditional, free, experimental, and/or hybrid.
We also encourage those living with (dis)abilities*/chronic illnesses and rooted in or of diasporas from Africa, Asia, SWANA, Central/South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and First Nations to submit work engaging with the cultures and stories of their communities—but it is not a requirement, we want whatever is forged from the depth of your creativity and wonder.
Simul sub, so long as you let us know in cover and contact us if accepted after submitting.
Poems selected during this window will receive hold offer for publication start of 2027—WE WILL CLOSE WHEN WE'VE FILLED JANUARY, MARCH, & MAY (OR 50 CAP).
*Full guidelines and how to submit:
https://speccolorwaysinverse.carrd.co/#guidelines
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Some stories leave scars. This one grows teeth. Super excited to share: My new short story "What Grows Back" is now live in @nightmare-magazine.com edited by @wnwagner.bsky.social 🥹 Read it here: www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/what...
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Plangdi Neple @plangdi.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
"What Grows Back" by @aishatuado.bsky.social is one of the most important things you will read this year. And the Author Spotlight only adds to the experience and meaning of this piece www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/what...
nightmare-magazine.com
What Grows Back - Nightmare Magazine
I have told this story before, and I will tell it again, and each telling grows more teeth. Sometimes thirty-four, thirty-six. Sometimes they multiply faster than your science allows, like every word ...
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Wendy N. Wagner 🎃 @wnwagner.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
You know what you need today? A story about ancestors, injustice, and the power of biting racists. DO NOT MISS OUT on "What Grows Back" by @aishatuado.bsky.social!!! www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/what...
nightmare-magazine.com
What Grows Back - Nightmare Magazine
I have told this story before, and I will tell it again, and each telling grows more teeth. Sometimes thirty-four, thirty-six. Sometimes they multiply faster than your science allows, like every word ...
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Big news 🎊 My chapbook BLACK BOX FLIGHT RECORDER is now available for pre-order after winning the 2025 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest out of 1,000+ submissions. 🏆 Interested in experimental poetry, Afrofuturism? Pre-order here and share the link with your network: buttonpoetry.com/product/blac...
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
We want off this Gen Z hate train, and @zariah-cam.bsky.social helps derail us with the real facts. Take a peek here and see what she has to say on the topic as an older Gen Zer. www.aroko.world/4-truths-to-...
aroko.world
4 Truths to Derail the GenZ Hate Train ✋🏽
There have been several Gen Z articles and social media think pieces released over the past few weeks about what people think of Gen Z, and clearly, we’ve amassed a large enough fan base to have peopl...
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
“Work that shapes how people see themselves in the world should move at the speed of trust.” Check out our latest roundtable on the defense of slow craft: www.aroko.world/aroko-monthl...
aroko.world
Àrokò Monthly Roundtable #03
In a world of fast outputs, not everything is meant to last. This roundtable begins with a simple question: what is actually worth our time, our care, and our attention?
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
We sat down to talk about speed, craft, and quality. The question that kept returning: what deserves care? Read our roundtable discussion on the defense of slow craft here: www.aroko.world/aroko-monthl...
aroko.world
Àrokò Monthly Roundtable #03
In a world of fast outputs, not everything is meant to last. This roundtable begins with a simple question: what is actually worth our time, our care, and our attention?
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Check out @zariah-cam.bsky.social 's latest short story on the grief of going no-contact and the healing power of chosen family. A tender reminder that even in loss you’re not alone. Read here: www.aroko.world/grieving-the...
aroko.world
Grieving the Living
A reflection on the quiet grief of letting go of people who are still alive, navigating loss and healing without avoidance. For folks carrying this unseen weight, may these words offer comfort and a g...
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B. Sharise @bsharise.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Stay Tuned for a new Speculative Poetry Prompt each day at noon EDT! @fiyahlitmag.bsky.social @shakeemasmalls.bsky.social
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Mimi Wong @mimiwong.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
This effort is ongoing @theoffingmag.bsky.social! You can read more about what REFUSAL means here: theoffingmag.com/refusal/boar...
theoffingmag.com
A note on REFUSAL - The Offing
REFUSAL - The Offing Magazine
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FIYAH Literary Magazine @fiyahlitmag.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
FIYAH Poetry Editor @bsharise.bsky.social has you covered for National Poetry Month!!! We bouta eat goooood. ♥️♥️♥️ #30FIYAHPOEMS
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Shakeil @shakeil.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
@nellynkettles.bsky.social hating to the max
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
They’ve seen enough, they’ve heard enough, and their loved ones have heard enough (of them). Following the Best Picture win for 'One Battle After Another', @nellynkettles.bsky.social offers us a chance to reconsider all the praise Paul Thomas Anderson receives. www.aroko.world/paul-thomas-...
aroko.world
Paul Thomas Anderson Hate Study
I’ve seen enough. I’ve heard enough. My loved ones have heard enough (of me). It’s time to bring it to the roundtable.
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Àrokò Cooperative @aroko.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
"My voice is both my weapon and my healing." Read the full interview on how Kym Dominique-Ferguson built a home for spoken word in Montréal: www.aroko.world/interview-wi...
aroko.world
Building a Home for Spoken Word: An Interview with Kym Dominique-Ferguson
In conversation with ÀROKÒ.WORLD, Kym Dominique-Ferguson reflects on identity, the roots of his work, and the responsibility he feels toward the artists who come after him.
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Aishatu Ado @aishatuado.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
One woman has lived in a witch camp for 45 years. She arrived at 40. Her husband died. His co-wife's children blamed her. She is 85 now. The accusation was never revisited. Never withdrawn. The word that expelled her has never expired. aroko.world/the-political-economy-of-witchcraft-accusations
aroko.world
When a Word Becomes a Sentence: The Political Economy Of Witchcraft Accusations
Across northern Ghana, hundreds of women live in "witch camps," exiled after accusations that follow death, inheritance disputes, or success. Beneath the language of the supernatural lies a familiar p...
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