iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

A turquoise bridge. Lily pads. The scent of eucalyptus and mint. Sometimes, the smallest details bring someone we love close again. 💗 “When Our Senses Bring Them Back”—my latest reflection on grief, memory, and belonging. bit.ly/4ynxZ9x

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Reposted by Ilene Winokur

12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge @12x12challenge.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

What do agents & editors have to say about today's #picture book market? @emmawaltonhamilton.bsky.social & @katiedavisburps.bsky.social join us to chat about Agent & Editor Panels coming to Picture Book Summit 2026 online on 10/3. Listen: www.12x12challenge.c... #podcast #querytip #kidlit #agents

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

A student can comply, achieve, and appear to thrive without feeling that they belong. And we cannot ask educators to create belonging while they feel unheard or undervalued. My latest Substack centers Belonging as a vital component in education. “From Compliance to Belonging” bit.ly/3VbDJEG

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Sometimes, you can go home again. ❤️ Buffalo is home because family and friends who know my story, share my memories, and welcome me with love. They are my belonging place. bit.ly/465ahCs

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When Friends and Family Are Your Belonging Place

Reflecting on my recent visit to Buffalo

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

What helps us remain grounded when the world feels uncertain? I reflect on spirituality, compassionate boundaries, prayer, and the communities that connect us to something greater than ourselves. Spirituality and Belonging: bit.ly/4q2KIv9

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

What if belonging doesn't begin when someone welcomes us? What if it begins when we welcome ourselves? My latest essay explores how attachment, self-concept, and the stories we tell ourselves shape every relationship we have—from childhood through adulthood. Read it here: bit.ly/4vZyWD4

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

In my latest essay, I reflect on what "It takes a village to raise a child" really means, why many families feel its absence, and how each of us can become part of someone else's village. 📖 Read: bit.ly/4wielL4

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

How do we care deeply without carrying the weight of the world? My latest Substack explores empathy, compassion fatigue, boundaries, and self-belonging—and what being a witness has taught me. Perhaps witnessing is about walking beside others without losing ourselves. bit.ly/44xgyWR

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Can belonging be revoked? When I lost my Kuwaiti citizenship, I found myself asking a deeper question: Who am I when the place I call home no longer recognizes me? This is about identity, home, and discovering what cannot be taken away. Read it here: bit.ly/4w5F5yn

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Legacy isn't only what we leave behind. It's the stories we preserve, the compassion we model, and the sense of belonging we help create for future generations. In this week's Journey to Belonging, I explore why I now see legacy as a quilt stitched across generations. 🧵 bit.ly/4wrKPSY

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Why do we write? My latest post explores writing, storytelling, memory, student agency, and belonging through the lens of Angela Stockman's work and my own journey as a learner, teacher, and author. Read it here: bit.ly/4eG24st

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Do we have to be older and wiser to know ourselves? My latest post explores the lifelong journey of becoming ourselves. Read here: bit.ly/43LAIvU

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

For years, I answered the question “How are you?” with two simple words: “I’m fine.” As I write my memoir, I’m discovering the hidden cost of that response—and how the stories we tell ourselves shape our sense of belonging. My latest post explores that journey. bit.ly/4en1VtU

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

What if peace doesn't begin in governments or treaties—but within us? In my latest Journey to Belonging post, I explore how self-belonging, attachment, and emotional regulation shape the way we relate to others and respond to conflict. Belonging as a Pathway to Peace bit.ly/3RMUSDa

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

I had planned to continue my series on belonging, but today's news from Kuwait changed that. This is a personal reflection on distance, uncertainty, and the ache of loving a place from afar. Between Safety and Home bit.ly/43xCyAB #Belonging #Kuwait #Peace

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

What helps older adults feel they still belong? My latest Substack post, Belonging Across the Lifespan: Aging and Connection, explores loneliness, aging, intergenerational belonging, and the importance of human connection throughout our lives. Read here: bit.ly/3RpLm8P

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

In my newest Substack, I reflect on experiences from banking, schools, and university leadership to explore why belonging matters in the workplace. Belonging isn’t about fitting in. It’s about feeling seen, heard, respected, and safe enough to contribute fully. Read here: bit.ly/4dWzvHS

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Reposted by Ilene Winokur

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 19/05/2026

SIGNED BOOKS ALERT 📚💙 I went to Harvard Books and signed all their copies of The Edge of Space-Time and The Disordered Cosmos, meaning they are the only store in the country with signed copies of my first book! Get them while you can! www.harvard.com/book/9780593... www.harvard.com/book/9781541...

me standing in front of bookshelves pointing to a copy of The Disordered Cosmos

Me standing in front of a bookshelf and pointing to a copy of The Edge of Space-Time

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

My recent Substack focuses on belonging in education throughout our lives. My books, Journey to Belonging and Finding Your Pathway to Belonging, focus on the same but in more detail, including personal stories, research, and practical suggestions for activities and lessons. journeys2belonging.c...

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Belonging is not just for early childhood. We need it throughout our lives as learners and educators. New post: belonging in K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning. bit.ly/3Ra1hrB #Belonging #Education

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Belonging begins in childhood. In small moments. In how we respond to big feelings. And how a bagel with cream cheese for dinner can bring on big feelings. New post: Why Belonging Matters: Childhood bit.ly/4whOX8W

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Reposted by Ilene Winokur

12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge @12x12challenge.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

NEW PODCAST ALERT! Newbery Award-Winning Rajani LaRocca shares personal insights into her writing, including how joy fuels her creative endeavors—from picture books to middle grade to her upcoming YA novel! 12x12challenge.com/p... #writersofinstagram #podcast #author #kidlit #picturebook

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

A single taste took me back 60 years. Back to my childhood kitchen. Back to belonging. This week, I reflect on how our senses carry memory—and how food connects generations. What food brings you home? 👉 Read more: bit.ly/4de30Vh #Belonging #Memory #FoodStories

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

What if self-belonging is the key to every other kind of belonging? A reflection on identity, relationships, and growth. 🔗 bit.ly/3QpjLUC

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

What if bridging the divide starts with listening—not reacting? In my latest piece, Bridging the Divide, I reflect on belonging in education and the workplace. What it means to truly “witness” others. Read here: bit.ly/421sxdX #Belonging #Witness #ListenToUnderstand

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Today’s reflection: leaving Kuwait, crossing borders, and arriving in Copenhagen—exhausted, uncertain, and somehow exactly where I was meant to be. This is also what it means for me to witness. Read it here: bit.ly/4sm23if #JourneyToBelonging #Witness #Belonging

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

I turned 70 this week. In the middle of uncertainty and a difficult decision to leave Kuwait, I realized something unexpected: I’ve learned how to stay calm…even when everything around me isn’t. A reflection on life, love, and what 70 is teaching me. bit.ly/3NWugha

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

During Ramadan, I joined a creative challenge. Then the sirens began. What began as a space for creative expression became something more. A reflection on how community helps us find our way back, even in uncertainty. 🔗 bit.ly/4t16oI3 #JourneyToBelonging #Creativity #Community #Belonging

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

In moments of crisis, the question often feels simple: Stay or leave? Over the past 40 years living in Kuwait, I’ve faced that decision many times—during war, pandemic, and uncertainty. Looking back, I realized my choices were guided by something deeper: belonging. New post: bit.ly/3PpPkgt

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

The siren blares. Beep. Beep. Beep. My body freezes. Living through uncertainty reminds me how powerful community is. In my new Substack post, I reflect on: • fear • co-regulation • WhatsApp communities • the lifeline of belonging Read it here: 🔗 bit.ly/40mtcG9

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Witnessing isn’t passive. It’s refusing to let fear erase our humanity. New Substack post on mattering and belonging in times of conflict. 🔗 bit.ly/4cjbgDu

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Reposted by Ilene Winokur

Leslie Zampetti @literarylesliez.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

#MSWL Day is here! I'm seeking more narrative nonfiction for children and adults. Think THE MONA LISA VANISHES (Day) or Candace Fleming's books for kids. More like THE ART THIEF (Finkel) or NO HUMAN INVOLVED (Neely) for adults. Also seeking nonfiction that really brings setting to life!

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Sarah LaPolla @sarahlapolla.com · 26/02/2026

Writers! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 (Follow @manuscriptwishlist.bsky.social, read the guidelines for #MSWL Day, & go forth and query smartly!

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Michelle Witte @michellewitte.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

#kidlitchat For those who haven't heard, there will be an official #MSWL day on Thursday this week. If you're currently in the query trenches or will be soon, it's a great resource and may put some wonderful agents on your radar based on what they're looking for.

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

New Substack post: Witnessing Belonging: Healing, Mattering, and Becoming in Real Life A shift from framework to practice. From telling to witnessing. 🔗 bit.ly/4aRoaq5

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

This week’s Substack completes my series on the heroine’s journey through the lens of my mother’s life. She lived her life with courage, contradiction, grief, joy, and ultimately, balance. 🕊️ Integration: The Final Phase of the Heroine’s Journey 🔗 Link in bio or here: bit.ly/4kHMtev

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Some healing isn’t loud. It arrives quietly—through movement, connection, and letting go of control. This week’s Substack explores healing the wounded masculine through my mother’s heroine’s journey. Read it here: bit.ly/4a7cRee

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Manuscript Wish List® @manuscriptwishlist.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Hello Writing Community! We are delighted to announce our Second Official Bluesky *** #MSWL Day *** February 26, 2026. 🎉🎉🎉 Agents + editors can post what they ✨wish✨ they had in their inboxes; writers can find their next best fit for querying. Learn more: manuscriptwishlist.com/2025/01/the-...

manuscriptwishlist.com

The Next Official #MSWL Day: February 26, 2026 – The Official Manuscript Wish List Website

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

“Love and large-hearted giving… can leave deep marks.” — O. Henry I keep returning to this line as I think about the mother–daughter split—and how love can be fierce, generous, and still wounding. If this resonates, I wrote more about this stage of the heroine’s journey on Substack. ✨ Link in bio.

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

New Substack post in my series The Heroine’s Journey to Belonging. This one explores one of the hardest stages: healing the mother–daughter split, where generational wounds surface, and healing means holding complexity rather than erasing the past. Read here: bit.ly/4arWXuM

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Robin Stevenson @robinstevenson.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Story Studio and Canadian Authors and Illustrators Against Book Bans are teaming up to launch a national youth writing contest on the theme of freedom to read! Please share! @caiabb.bsky.social y.social #FreedomToRead #ftrw2026 #writingcontest #bookbans #caiabb #bced #abed #onted

Story Studio and CAIABB present Words Without Walls writing contest. What happens when a story is silenced? Who decides what we get to read? We invite writers age 12 to 18 across Canada to share their voices in defense of intellectual freedom. Whether it's fiction, poetry, or a personal essay, tell us why the freedom to read matters to you. Free to enter, one entry per person. Submissions open February 1 to February 28th, 2026. Length 500 to 1500 words. Winners and runners up will be published in an anthology. Learn more at storystudio.ca.

Words Without Walls writing contest. Open to youth (ages 12 to 18) across Canada. Deadline 1159 p.m. pst on February 28th, 2026. Length: 500 to 1500 words. What happens when a story is silenced? Who decides what we get to read? Whether it's fiction, poetry, or a personal essay, tell us why freedom to read matters to you. Submit and learn more at storystudio.ca. Read freely, write boldly.

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

New Substack post in my series The Heroine’s Journey to Belonging. This one explores a quieter stage—yearning for the feminine—when success no longer satisfies, and a woman begins to miss parts of herself she left behind. Read it here: bit.ly/3Zx2rhH #belonging #heroinesjourney

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Nawal Qarooni / NQC Literacy @nqcliteracy.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Friends! Thrilled to be in convo tmrw for an Instagram Live on Sat 1/24 at 2pm EST with the wonderful author educator @torreymaldonado.bsky.social to discuss his new picture book, Just Right. Join us to hear about Torrey’s process. This is one of my new faves for sure. Tune in at @nqarooni on IG.

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

New Substack post in my series The Heroine’s Journey to Belonging. This one sits at the threshold—after voice and success, before the inward descent. "There’s More to Life than Achievements" bit.ly/4jNha1n

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

⭐️New Substack post in my series, The Heroine’s Journey to Belonging, is live. This one explores what happens after a woman finds her voice—when success, leadership, and visibility still don’t bring the belonging she expected. #Belonging #LifeJourneys #Wellbeing bit.ly/4qMi7Jx

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Ilene Winokur @ilenew.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Check out the latest in my series The Heroine’s Journey to Belonging! 🌟 Explore a transformative moment as a young mother finds her voice live on radio. This story challenges the idea that success guarantees belonging. Read here: bit.ly/4bhzIo4 Leave a comment👇 #belonging #lifejourney

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