iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Bracken Magazine @brackenmagazine.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

"bivalves cracked at the spine plucked from seabed stripped for pearl’s iridescent light" Enjoy Leusa Lloyd's poem "I am oyster" in the current issue of Bracken: www.brackenmagazine.com/issue-xiv/i-...

brackenmagazine.com

I am oyster by Leusa Lloyd — Bracken

pried open, shucked bivalves cracked at the spine

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Bracken Magazine @brackenmagazine.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

"We know you have collected rainstorms in soup bowls, coaxed hummingbirds to your bed-pillow." From @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social's "Forgetting the Constellations," one of two gorgeous poems featured in the current issue of Bracken: www.brackenmagazine.com/issue-xiv/tw...

brackenmagazine.com

Two Poems by Anya Kirshbaum — Bracken

Something in you breaks, then it breaks down. Night someplace —you comb the engine of stars, aching

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Bracken Magazine @brackenmagazine.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Going to AWP? Please join Bracken for our offsite reading with Passager on Friday, 3/6, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Pratt Street Ale House across from the Convention Center. Readers: Sarah Browning, Julie Choffel, Julia Lisella, Diana Whitney, @karigunterseymour.bsky.social, and @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social.

Lake at dusk surrounded by dried reeds and cattails. The water reflects a wintry sky and bare cottonwood trees. Photo by Jed Meyers.

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West Trade Review @westtradereview.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

“How I dug and dug for them, their sharp-dirt scent. How much I craved holding those shrunken moons.” Excerpt of “Want of a Child” by @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social. It appeared in the Winter 2025 collection of Online Exclusives. buff.ly/t1Vwzn2 #writingcommunity

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West Trade Review @westtradereview.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

“A kind of wanting, written onto the rungs of my vertebrae— ancient, unsung.” Excerpt from “Want of a Child” by @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social. It appeared in the Winter 2025 collection of Online Exclusives. Read the full poem at the link below: buff.ly/UQN13dN #writingcommunity

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West Trade Review @westtradereview.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

We’re excited to present the Winter 2025 collection of Online Exclusives. It features poetry by Nathan Erwin, @ritamookerjee.bsky.social, @ewenglass.bsky.social, and @andhow.bsky.social among others; fiction by Janine A. Willis; CNF by @hillbillypilgrim.bsky.social Read it here:

buff.ly

West Trade Review Online Exclusives Winter 2025

West Trade Review: Fearless. Crafted. Authentically Human.

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Anya Kirshbaum @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

How wonderful that my poem found a home in @oneart.bsky.social, a journal I have loved for a long time!

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George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 02/04/2025

Direct evidence of criminal election bribery under Wis. Stat. §12.11: “‘My name’s Ekaterina Deistler,’ she said in a video posted Monday morning. ‘I did exactly what Elon Musk told everyone to do: sign the petition, refer friends and family, vote, and now I have a million dollars.’”

jsonline.com

Bice: Elon Musk group removes video from $1M winner after she says she got money to 'vote'

Elon Musk's super PAC removed an X video from a $1M giveaway winner in which she said she received the money, in part, to 'vote.'

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Anya Kirshbaum @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

Absolutely, how could one not, much to feel sad about.

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Anya Kirshbaum @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

So excited to have a poem in this beautiful issue!

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Celeste Ng @pronounced-ing.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Call this morning. 👇 A shutdown is better than caving.

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Tara Skurtu @taraskurtu.bsky.social · 14/03/2025

Poem by Sean Thomas Dougherty.

Why Bother?
Because right now, there is
someone
out there with
a wound
in the exact shape
of your words.

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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

some helpful reminders: -not all jews support israel -criticizing israel is not the same as being antisemitic -being pro-palestine does not equal being pro-hamas -arresting someone for being pro-palestine is a violation of the first amendment -violating someone’s first amendment rights is bad

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Brigid Alverson @brigidalverson.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

Gonna stick this up over my desk and make it a daily affirmation.

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Litbowl @litbowl.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

From Sam Sax's book, Pig: bookshop.org/a/862/978166... #poem #poetry #books #writing

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Alejandro Alvarez @aletakesphotos.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Big, growing crowd just west of the U.S. Capitol protesting Trump, Musk and DOGE on President’s Day. “Hey Congress, grow a spine,” they shout, gathering for a rally around the reflecting pool.

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Anya Kirshbaum @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

That seems like fake news. We are not happy.

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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Hi that was a coup last night in case no one mentioned that to you. The executive branch seized the power of the purse the Constitution gave to Congress, which is a pretty authoritarian / illegal consolidation of powers move. Time to go yell at your reps, the media, etc.

Hey friends! We're seeing a lot of terrible things. We're not able to cover all of them, but we felt this latest one is a really big deal and needs much more awareness.

Our summary is this: It's an administrative coup. Trump has ordered tens of billions (maybe up to $3 trillion) of budget halted indefinitely in a blatantly illegal move. He's claiming power to halt and potentially redirect funding that's already been authorized by Congress — a classic authoritarian move.

Here's what we know. And we're doing our best to catch up with this story, because it's moving fast.

There's a memo from Matthew Vaeth, the acting head of the Office of Management and Budget. (That's the same government entity who set-up the DEI "snitch" line, that's now been spammed by tens of thousands of our fellow residents.)

In typical Trump-style, the memo gets its facts wrong. It claims in FY2024 the US government spent $10 trillion (actually it was $6.8 trillion). It says money should be used for the administration's priorities — "The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve." (Again, it's very fact deficient.)

The memo says a pause will begin at 5pm on January 28th where, "Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal."

Anyone promised federal grants might have their money at risk, even states. This is Congressional directed spending and Trump is ordering people to not do it. This funding includes universities for education and research programs, nonprofits, local and tribal governments, disaster relief aid, e…

So what can we do?

It's been a lot. And the shock approach of this administration is to overwhelm us with nonsense and a state of paralysis. We continue to believe the best thing is to stay grounded and keep yourself sane amidst insanity.

At this juncture, three actions we suggest that make sense to us:

1) Urge media to cover this story properly

This is not "possibly illegal" — it's "patently illegal." You can read notes on that here.

It's not "temporary" — it's "indefinite." There's no timetable for ending it.

It's not just a memo — it's an administrative coup.

2) Urge your Representatives to act like this is a big deal

If you know us, this isn't a knee-jerk action we suggest. We think this is a strategic because it's Congress that's being violated — their power is being directly undermined.

3) Continue to support ACLU and Democracy Forward

These groups have been preparing litigation for some time. Unless Trump revokes this, this will certainly make its way through the courts. Our read is even the biased courts will have trouble swallowing this — so it may end up being shut down.

Keep breathing. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again," Nelson Mandela.

Warmly,

- Choose Democracy

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The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 21/01/2025

From “Bargaining with the Palisades Fire, I Buy a Pack of Edible Flowers,” by Anna Journey. Read it in full: nyer.cm/E1juqln

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Anya Kirshbaum @anyakirshbaum.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Thanks so much to @sarah-salcedo.com for all her extraordinary work on my beautiful new website! It was a great experience collaborating with her!

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