iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I often assign "Indigenous Wonderworks" by Daniel Heath Justice, which offers a different view of fantasy genres -https://www.apexbookcompany.com/blogs/apex-magazine/indigenous-wonderworks-and-the-settler-colonial-imaginary

apexbookcompany.com

Indigenous Wonderworks and the Settler-Colonial Imaginary

Indigenous and other minoritized writers have often had to take on the task of challenging stereotypes and misrepresentations, to offer our stories as ima...

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

I see the following sentiment often, especially since in QC colleges, students are always ranked against each other (R score). "The experience shook her faith in education. “The system is made so that all that matters is your grades, not what you love to learn, not what you work hard for.”"

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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

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I'm so excited to read this! Waiting for library copy to come in! (I'm loving all your reading posts, btw!)

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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.

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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!

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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!)

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

"Could've Been Something" is a slower favourite, about the melancholy of being in the moment and aging. I love the setting of this performance, too.

youtu.be

Slow Leaves - Could've Been Something (Fairy Ring Session)

YouTube video by Slow Leaves

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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

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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)

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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

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

That's super normal! My main recommendation is actually not even classroom related, but: keep snacks around - ymmv, but I was so caught up in things my first term that I'd sometimes forget to eat actual meals! Trail mix saved me, ha

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I hope that it's so much fun! ✨ (Be ready for the crash that will come later today, ha!)

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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:

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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/

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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

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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.

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

I often tear up at this story, specifically because of the dog... You can find Bradbury's story, and the Teasdale poem, online with a quick search. Add some salt to your morning routine!

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

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

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

Anyway, I'm proud of this project, especially because I've worked on so many behind-the-scenes and public elements! And I'm excited for it to continue to grow, book by book.

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

We also worked with a local artist to reimagine the library, based on descriptions of the library and the rest of the house and contemporary architecture and aesthetics. This was back in 2018 - now, @jessicairenejoyce.bsky.social is pursuing her PhD and continuing her practice.

A screenshot of the homepage of Reading with Austen, depicting Jessica Irene Joyce's painting of how the library may have looked based descriptions of the library, of other parts of the house, and of the architecture and aesthetics of the time period. The painting shows some tables, the bookshelves, fire places with paintings over them, and Jane Austen sitting at a desk and chair, reading. At the bottom, the text says "I am now alone in the library, Mistress of all I survey", a quotation from Austen.

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

You can explore the library and find out more at the link. There's even an ongoing project to try to find the remaining copies of these "lost sheep"!

readingwithausten.com

Reading With Austen | About

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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.

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

You might enjoy listening to her interview on the Coode Street podcast! She talks about the time travel experience of young women finding her work, esp the stories she wrote when she was younger!

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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.

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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)

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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)

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

I was initially thinking of Premee Mohamed's And What Can We Offer You Tonight (on my tbr), but internet tells me it is more sf? Kushiel's Dart focuses on sex work/ers, but only partially set in brothels, iirc.

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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:

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I missed the book deal! Even bigger congrats!!! 🥳

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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! ✨)

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Haven't started, but it is at the top of my stack as soon as I finish Greenwood by Michael Christie (which I'm enjoying!)

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

I just got this from the library last week!

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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...

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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!

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

Bookmarking for teaching next term!

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

I track the word counts because the students in my Hugos course vote on which novel to read, so I have to be ready to adjust the course schedule. (When voting, students see covers and the blurb, but not word count - they've admitted they'd pick the shortest instead of interest!)

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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)

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Yes, by AT! There are some interstitials narrated by the aliens that slowly reveal it. And his Children of Ruin also had a collective consciousness, now that I think about it...anyway! Looking forward to when yours is published! :)

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

I read Shroud recently and appreciated its representation, especially how different communities develop when separate, but then reconnect

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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.

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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 ...

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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!

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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 -

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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)

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Catherine Nygren @broomgrass.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Have you read Amal El-Mohtar's essay on Travel Light by Naomi Mitchison? I think about it often. "I wonder: Where might I have gone if, instead of a middle-aged Hobbit enamored of his pantry, I had embraced a girl who lost three homes before choosing the open road?" www.npr.org/2014/01/01/2...

npr.org

Crossroads And Coins: Naomi Mitchison's 'Travel Light'

Travel Light is an unjustly forgotten fairy tale about a wandering princess who goes from bears and dragons to the real world of medieval Constantinople — and back again. Writer Amal El-Mohtar says sh...

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

This reminded me of this idea on Reddit that has stuck with me, about setting up profiles for different content such as science, history, etc! Honestly, seemed practical for adults to, ha www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromo...

reddit.com

ILoveFckingMattDamon's comment on "Raising boys in a red state is soul crushing"

Explore this conversation and more from the TwoXChromosomes community

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

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

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