iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

A colleague interviewed several students on their AI use. "Torn between their values and their pragmatism, the desire to improve themselves and the fear of being left behind, they're arguing with each other about AI even more than the faculty are." thewalrus.ca/what-if-stud...

thewalrus.ca

Canadian Students Say AI Is Hurting Their Critical Thinking | The Walrus

That isn’t stopping them from using it

211

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Accessibility Awareness @a11yawareness.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

When creating PDFs, avoid using "Print to PDF." A screen reader user may still be able to access the text of PDFs created this way, but heading structure, alternative text, and any other tag structure will be lost. Using "Save As" or "Export" can preserve these tags.

518494

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Guess what I just bought. 👀 Some friends and I read Heartfield's Tapestry of Time last year, and then friends' parents too...looking forward to another book rec cascade!

162

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Mohamed's Siege of Burning Grass messed me up a bit, so I'm really looking forward to Wickhills! If you like books about power, hers will fit the bill. (And I've taught her shorter works to great success!)

011

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Morning listening: The Ruins of Things Unfinished, by Slow Leaves (Winnipeg, Canada). On album release tour soon! youtu.be/A1rxxQOaygQ?...

youtu.be

Tired

YouTube video by Slow Leaves - Topic

100

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

If the collapse of civilization is on your mind lately, let Avery's games break your heart and give you hope. (The Quiet Year/The Deep Forest have also been great in my English classes, especially for de/colonization themes)

010

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Hi! Do you like Jane Austen? We've returned several new books to the Chawton House Library! Read about them here: readingwithaustenblog.com Explore the books on the shelf: www.readingwithausten.com/index.html Explore (download!) the dataset: www.readingwithausten.com/catalogue.html

000

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Johanna Winant @johannawinant.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I'm planning on having students do more in-class writing in both my freshman and upper-level classes. If you are too, let's share prompts? Here are some of mine that I'm tinkering with:

1516943

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

As folks gear up for the new semester, a reminder if anyone needs it, my Ai statement is available for people to make use of in their own materials. It’s downloadable and printable from my site here spinweaveandcut.com/fall-2025-sy...

a snippet of a mini-comic, at top - straight line stretches from point A to B. Immediately below, same dot at A, then becomes a curving, meandering line that winds through the page and ends at a point with rays and a question mark emanating from it. Text reads: "Nothing can do this for you - for that robs you of experience and conflates answers with learning. Rather, it's all the decisions you make along the way, the mistakes, struggles, and surprises! These pathways you create - this is learning.

https://spinweaveandcut.com/fall-2025-syllabi/

11361136

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 09/08/2026

Beyond words: In Nova Scotia, Mi'kmaq work to revive the oldest known writing system in Canada www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

theglobeandmail.com

The oldest known written language in Canada pens a new chapter

In Nova Scotia, Mi’kmaq work to keep Komqwejwi’kasikl alive through music and memory

232286621

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Here are a few of my favourites from this post! Voyageur sounds and images, on CD! The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, a Cornish Man! Edward Gorey toy theatre! Canada’s first speculative fiction novel!

A photo of Murmers of Earth: The Voyageur Interstellar Record, including the box set, CD, and a book.
This published set of laser discs includes the sounds and images sent with the Voyager spacecraft (describing Earth and some of its life and culture), and images returned to Earth from the spacecraft's cameras.

A photo of four volumes, bound in leather, of The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, a Cornish Man. This first edition of Paltock’s lost world adventure is the oldest item in the Merril Collection, dating back to 1751.

Edward Gorey's Dracula: a Toy Theatre. This toy theatre replicates Gorey’s costume and set designs for the 1977 Broadway production of Dracula. In the photo, there is a background and several standing figures, as well as a 3D coffin.

A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder by James De Mille, 1833–1880 (published in London: Chatto & Windus, 1888). The website describes this as "Canada’s first speculative fiction novel, this book tells the story of a lost world located in the Antarctic." On the blue cover, an angry-looking insect-like creature clutches a canister as it emerges out of the water.

062

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Recommended pairing: "We Will Become Silhouettes" by the Postal Service youtu.be/0rKC7ElkTUQ?...

100

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Today, I'm working on an update for Reading with Austen, where you can explore books that Jane Austen had access to in her brother's library. Soon, that highlighted book won't just be a stock image, but a photo, taken centuries later, of the exact book that JA would have seen.

A screenshot from Reading With Austen, showing the centre columns of the west wall of the library. Gostling's Walk in and around the City of Canterbury is highlighted, but still a stock image, as are several other books on the shelves.

131

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I still think about this series often. The world, the characters, the fascism felt both nuanced and sharp. Recommended, esp if you want sff with art deco architecture and vaguely 1920s vibe.

011

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association @csffa.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Only a bit >24 hours left to join CSFFA for 2026 and participate in voting for this year's Aurora Awards! After the membership deadline tomorrow you won't be able to get the voter package. If you D/L the voter package by then you keep the ebooks *forever*! Only $10 at www.csffa.ca/become-a-member/

csffa.ca

Membership: Become a Member (2026) – The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA)

1510

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Ursula K. Le Guin @ursulakleguin.com · 29/06/2026

We're thrilled to present the shortlist for the 2026 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction:

A bouquet of flowers next to a stack of books that includes:

Audition by Pip Adam (Coffee House Press)
Sunward by William Alexander (Saga Press)
Call and Response by Christopher Caldwell (Neon Hemlock)
Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur (Algonquin)
The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes (Tor Books)
Notes from a Regicide by Isaac Fellman (Tor Books)
Mad Sisters of Esi by Tashan Mehta (DAW Books)
One Message Remains by Premee Mohamed (Psychopomp)
Slow Gods by Claire North (Orbit)

242009539

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Edmonton) In 2030 @edmontonin2030.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

It’s Indigenous History Month! Here’s a list of some of our favourites speculative fiction writers from the so-called “Canada” portion of Turtle Island:

12625

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Only 12 hours left - but still plenty of time for other late-night backers like me, or early bird backers tomorrow morn! and you can support @augursociety.bsky.social at some tiers, too! (I'm especially glad to support a Canadian publication! ✨)

062

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

I wish that I was in Toronto for this pulp SFF sale! Alt text: a poster advertising a "Fantastic Pulps Show and Sale" at the Toronto Public Library on Saturday, May 30. The poster shows a skeleton draping a pearl necklace around a woman's neck. More details: tpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/events/6a...

000

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Dan Sinykin @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

I'm super proud of this project. It's designed to help, especially, humanities scholars building datasets. It's a style guide, with tips and guidance for all the many little decisions one makes when making data. Em Nordling did an amazing job writing it. Funded by the NEH until twas terminated!

28836

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Bookmarking for teaching next term!

010

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Hugo shortlist observation: the longest novel last year (Tainted Cup, ~120k words) is still shorter than the shortest novels this year (Shroud and Everlasting, ~121k). The longest novel this year is Raven Scholar, ~210k words. (word estimates from Kobo, ymmv)

181

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

The Women's Print History Project @thewphp.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Fancy some astronomical play? Alicia Mant’s The Study of the Heavens at Midnight During the Winter Solstice, Arranged as a Game of Astronomy, for the Use of Young Students in that Science (1814) represents one of many attempts by women writers to turn scientific learning into fun and games. (1/3)

A 19th century star chart titled "A New Game of Astronomy or the Young Student's Guide to a View of the Heavens at Midnight at the Winter Solstice" showing constellations and celestial lines.

141

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

CSECS/SCEDHS @csecsscedhs.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

We would like to draw your attention to two CSECS fellowships whose deadlines have now been extended to May 15: the Peter Sabor Fellowship and the D.W. Smith Fellowship. We encourage you to share this message with eligible colleagues and students! www.csecs.ca/en/announcem...

csecs.ca

Reminder: CSECS Awards CSECS | Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies

We would like to draw your attention to two fellowships whose deadlines are approaching, and to provide an update on a third award. We encourage you to share this message with eligible colleagues and ...

001

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

You can also get Vols 1-3 for a reduced price, if you want even more Canadian sff on your bookshelf!

032

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Broadview Press @broadviewpress.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

At under $20, the NEW Broadview Edition of Defoe's vivid, first-person pandemic novel is now out for adoption in your 18th century British Literature courses. 📕Journal of the Plague Year, edited by Celia Barnes & Jack Lynch buff.ly/3YC7tXj

buff.ly

Journal of the Plague Year - Broadview Press

Journal of the Plague Year -

0149

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Adam Rogers @jetjocko.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Yeah that’s cool

(See the quoted post for more; it’s a septagonal patch with the astronaut names around the edges and pictures of mythic animals and a stylized bird image at center)

2432511391

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

I can't wait for my pre-order to come in to my local bookstore!

041

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

@phdhurtbrain.bsky.social Have you read "The Concert Party" by Mavis Gallant? Some William Morris content! "I said to myself, O.K., imagine your name is Harry Lapwing. Harry Lapwing. You are a prairie Socialist, a William Morris scholar. All your life this will make you appear boring and dull."

110

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I hope science fiction folks pay attention to Solari, the new podcast from @worldsbeyondnumber.bsky.social! Their previous long-form fantasy series was excellent. SF scholars, authors, readers...I'll read your hot takes and Discourse! worlds-beyond-number.simplecast.com/episodes/sol...

worlds-beyond-number.simplecast.com

Solari: Episode 1 - Paarlor Games | Worlds Beyond Number

The era of seclusion is over. The 40 Suns reconnect and reunite and find themselves valuable. As borders are drawn across occupied space, the great powers of the galaxy begin their sweep of its dusty ...

0185

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

I finally went to the History is Painted by the Victors exhibit, and if you have the chance to see Monkman's work - do it! The most moving painting for me was "Going Away Song," a large piece putting the viewer in the direct gaze of Indigenous children during the 1885 hangings at Battleford.

A painting of Indigenous children and nuns in a prairie landscape, staring past RCMP officers to look at the viewer. The viewer is standing under a wooden scaffold, which the piece's informational plaque reveals to be the wooden scaffold during the 1885 hangings of Indigenous men at Battleford.

101

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy Association @csffa.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

The nomination period for the 2026 Aurora Awards is officially open! All CSFFA members can log into the website at www.csffa.ca and submit up to five works in each our ten categories. Please only nominate what you're familiar with. Nominations close 11:59pm EST on April 4th, 2026. #AuroraAwards2026

csffa.ca

The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA) – Home of the Prix Aurora Awards and CSFFA Hall of Fame

02413

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Ursula K. Le Guin @ursulakleguin.com · 01/03/2026

It's time! Nominations are now open for the 2026 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction, which will be given to a work of imaginative fiction, published in 2025, that reflects the concepts and ideas that were central to Ursula’s own work.

ursulakleguin.com

Ursula K. Le Guin — Nominate a Book for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction

3594256

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Recommended reading: "Readymade Bodhisattva", the short story by Park Seongwhan, translated in the Kaya Anthology of South Korean Science Fiction.

010

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Gretchen McCulloch @gretchenmcculloch.com · 18/02/2026

I just got my annual Public Lending Right cheque for Because Internet from the Canada Council for the Arts, so permit me a thread about what the public lending right is and why you should request books you love from public libraries!

6327110

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Thinking about an Indigenous colleague's observation that starting a resolution in the depths of winter is counterintuitive. Wait until nature wakes up, friends; it's okay to rest and reflect while the nights are still long.

020

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Melanie Walsh @mellymeldubs.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Very happy to introduce a new tool, BookReconciler! You can take spreadsheets with book data and add subject headings, descriptions, ISBNs, HathiTrust IDs, & more. You can also cluster editions & variations of the same "Work." Led by @thisismattmiller.com and supported by @post45data.bsky.social.

Diagram illustrating the BookReconciler workflow. On the left, a book cover of The Book of Salt by Monique Truong appears alongside “Minimal Metadata,” listing Author: Truong, Monique and Title: The Book of Salt. An arrow points to a box labeled “BookReconciler” with book and diamond icons. A downward arrow leads to “Enriched + Clustered Metadata,” showing multiple editions of the book cover and expanded metadata, including several ISBNs, subject headings (e.g., Vietnamese–France fiction, women authors, household employees, gay men, cooking), and an author VIAF identifier.

712256

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Beware: your to-read list shall grow, quite a lot!

000

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Melanie Walsh @mellymeldubs.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Here are the top 10 most popular post-1945 American authors at the Seattle Public Library over the last 20 years.

A table that shows the top 10 most popular authors at the Seattle Public LIbrary. Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia E. Butler, Louise Erdich, N.K. Jemisin, Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, George Saunders, Philip K. Dick, Sherman Alexie, James Baldwin

13522112

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

I told my SFF students that I'd give them "a few" recs for holiday reading. Reader, I gave 17. 😂

070

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Glad to see @worldsbeyondnumber.bsky.social on this list - it's doing some of the best fantasy storytelling of the past few years, imo. "54 episodes of pure gold," indeed. Excited for their upcoming turn to SF!

0506

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Janet Hill @saskajanet.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

It started on the weekend. Ice pancakes form and travel down river toward my bridge 🌿

1629434

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Maryn McKenna @marynmck.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

You really have to read this thread. The genius of Tom Stoppard, the fragility of memory, the magic of theatre — and the glorious stubbornness of a researcher who would not stop.

320090

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Alyssa Harad @alyssaharad.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.

6995703840

Reposted by Catherine Nygren

Jason Haslam @jasonhaslam.ca · 24/11/2025

Some more details on my new #ScienceFiction anthology, including one inclusion that I’m especially happy about (thanks in large part to Brooks Hefner’s terrific work in *Black Pulp*)

0108

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

If you're interested in poetry and AI, can I recommend Toward Eternity by Anton Hur? There's an AI, and later, multiple AIs, who are, as they say, "built on poetry," who think that "Poetry, not your body, is the true vehicle of your soul."

120