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Jenny Yacovissi

@jbywrites.bsky.social
747 followers 689 following 230 posts

Author, reader, critic, president of Washington Independent Review of Books (which you should read and follow). I’m all about the freedom to read & learn. Moms Demand Action volunteer. Coming to grips that my “golden years” will be spent in The Opposition.

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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Exercise your franchise—use it or lose it! Every election, every ballot, every contest, every question. (Pro tip: it helps to support the folks who protect and encourage voting, not the villains who try to suppress and subvert it.) @indivisible.org #NoKings #VoteEarly
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Woo hoo! Our tickets to an ongoing democracy have arrived! These beauties are getting marked (every ballot, every contest) and hand-delivered to the nearest ballot drop box lickety split! If we bank our votes early, there’s less opportunity for shenanigans. @indivisible.org #NoKings
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"Lawhon draws from both the Irish folklore that surrounds Grace and the archival documents, primarily from the English point of view, that expound upon the pirate queen’s long and notorious career." A gorgeous and captivating tale of 1500s Ireland from @ariel-lawhon.bsky.social.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Let's get out there, folks, and show these people how it's done. Find an event near you or start one yourself. Saturday, October 17: No Kings--Vote Early. #NoKings
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
We at @wirobooks.bsky.social are thrilled right down to our socks that literary juggernaut Alice McDermott will be in conversation with beloved DC book critic @roncharles.bsky.social for the keynote at the 2027 @dcwriterscon.bsky.social! www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/the...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
The 2027 Washington Writers Conference Presents Alice McDermott | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Hey, @timmiller.bsky.social, @jvl.bsky.social, and @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social, want to just point out that Apple maps still show Gulf of America. (I guess they haven't caught up with Lake America yet.)
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
The joy of getting to hang out with one of your favorite authors is just one of the many reasons to come to @librarycongress.bsky.social #NatBookFest. Thanks, Angie Kim! @penfaulkner.bsky.social @wirobooks.bsky.social
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
The line to get into @penfaulkner.bsky.social Angie Kim’s writing workshop, 40 minutes ahead of time, snakes around the ground floor. #natbookfest attendees making good choices! @librarycongress.bsky.social @wirobooks.bsky.social
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Hanging out with 4000 of my closest book-loving friends to enjoy Kate McKinnon discussing—and acting out—her middle grade books. She thanked us all for skipping the President’s street race today to celebrate reading instead. @librarycongress.bsky.social @wirobooks.bsky.social
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I’m in DC today at the @librarycongress.bsky.social #NationalBookFestival. People who say reading is dead need to come hang out here. We all know better. @wirobooks.bsky.social
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Out today in @wirobooks.bsky.social, my review of THE PROBLEM OF GOD. "It’s entirely worth asking the question, 'What do I believe?' but it’s a fool’s errand to imagine that any of us gets definitive answers in this realm." And is an Infinite Being going to hold us to guessing the "right" answer?
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Seems like today's a good day to repost my @wirobooks.bsky.social review of Dr. Anthony Fauci's memoir, ON CALL. He steered us thru "AIDS, SARS, an influenza pandemic, anthrax, weaponized smallpox, Ebola, Zika, and, of course, covid-19." www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/o...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
On Call | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
First read the powerful review today in @wirobooks.bsky.social and then go get yourself a copy of Sarah Trembath's THIS PAST WAS WAITING FOR ME. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/t...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
This Past Was Waiting for Me: A Chronicle at Quarter Century | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Adding to my tottering TBR stack, given Bob Duffy's sterling review. Authors @scottwstern.bsky.social and @charlesomalley.bsky.social dive into Shakespeare's fascination with "ambitious, adulterous, aggressive" Margaret through 4 plays, giving her more lines than King Lear. @wirobooks.bsky.social
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Sure, Tom Hanks read the audio book of THE DUTCH HOUSE, and Meryl Streep did the same for TOM LAKE, but nothing compares to hearing the author herself read WHISTLER. Find reviews of all three Ann Patchett books at @wirobooks.bsky.social. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/w...
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Children as commodities: Reading @alicestephens.bsky.social's latest review prompted me to re-watch the Frontline episode in which she is featured and which explores the travesties of intercountry adoption. As Alice notes, the Holt Agency is still operating. A link to the episode is in Alice's bio.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
In today's @wirobooks.bsky.social, "we’re thrown into the deep end, challenged to keep up with the matter-of-fact but digressive and often fantastical tale whose riddles are related by a self-admitted unreliable narrator. Just go with it." www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/c...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
Centroeuropa | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Hey! @wirobooks.bsky.social is now paying contributors $100 per published piece! Celebrating 15 years, we're still here filling the big gaps in book coverage (looking at YOU, WaPo). Books, book reviews, & good writing all matter. No paywall! www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/our...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
Our Reviewers Deserve a Raise | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Coming up with an appropriate gift for @wirobooks.bsky.social's 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, Richard Peabody @peabody.bsky.social, was extra-interesting this year--and completely in line with the recipient. Check it out! www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/the...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
The Making of a Lifetime Achievement Award | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
We here at @wirobooks.bsky.social feel this reality (“Literature is the least-supported artistic discipline in the U.S.”) every single day. But we’re still here 15 years on, & will continue to bring you the best in books 7 days a week—while trying not to be jealous of dance, which gets lots more $$
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Exercise the franchise! Every race, every ballot, every election cycle—be an informed, engaged citizen, which is a crucial element of democracy. (I love living in a state that encourages *all* eligible people to vote and makes it easy and accessible.)
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
On today's @thebulwark.com with @timmiller.bsky.social, @warnock.senate.gov reminder to voters, "I walk among the giants of the civil rights movement. I'm gonna fight for you. But you don't get to outsource democracy. All of us have to fight." Amen! An engaged citizenry is how we keep our democracy.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Dennis Drabelle's lovely review is a reminder that it was Frederick Church who gave many Americans their first view into the heart of their own country, as well as a startling gaze into others.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Out today--the founding read you know you need! THE DEMOCRACY WE MUST KEEP, brought to you by everyone's favorite historian of the founders, David O. Stewart. Jon Meacham calls it "an important and timely read." Remind yourself why an engaged citizenry is the key to having and holding a democracy.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
I'm never thrilled to pan a book--there's an author who put in years bringing this project into the world. But there are also readers who only have so many reading hours available to them. "It’s all undeniably interesting, but as a novel, it’s not very compelling." Check out today's full take.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
You BET I was excited to hang out with @ambersparks.bsky.social, as the photo attests. We know how to have a party over here at @wirobooks.bsky.social. You should check us out.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Book people! We see you and we’ve got you. Visit every day—NO paywall.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
I keep hearing about the "New South." Well, I sure hope whoever those folks are get together with their brethren to crush the New Jim Crow. And the rest of us need to raise a ruckus from wherever we are. Get involved. Don't let these racists drag us all backwards. blackpowerwarroom.com/dayofaction/
blackpowerwarroom.com
All Roads Lead to the South — National Day of Action for Voting Rights
The voting rights they marched for are being stripped away right now. We're going back. Are you coming?
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Everyone who’s anyone will be there! Be an anyone and join us!
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
My 1st parade of the election season in Anne Arundel County, MD. Marching with a whole bunch of Democratic candidates (like my good friend Joan Barone Cole, District 31 Delegate) & incumbents. Remember: state and local elections have a *huge* impact on your life. VOTE every ballot, every race.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Folks, this chat is next Wednesday at Sandy Spring Friends School--the latest from @mkn.bsky.social, THE WESTERNERS: MYTHMAKING AND BELONGING ON THE AMERICAN FRONTIER, and Mark F. Ehlers' NAPOLEON IN AMERICA: BONAPARTE AND THE RHETORIC OF US EMPIRE. Join us! www.givecampus.com/schools/Sand...
givecampus.com
SSFS Author Talk
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
In my review, there was no room to fit in commentary on the cover photo: "young Tom watching a NYE party at home (all captured on video), as Lou and his paramour, the mother of Tom’s best friend, locked in an intimate clinch, might as well have had sex there on the family room’s dance floor."
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Every year, we say, “Best conference ever!” because it’s true every year. But no time to rest on our laurels—we’ve got a daily publication to get out to you! (Many thanks to @aranshetterly.bsky.social, @margotleeshetterly.bsky.social, and Eric Dezenhall for a brilliant keynote discussion!)
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
I’m a bit behind on @newyorker.com, but finally read @ronanfarrow.bsky.social and Andrew Marantz’s recent article. Honestly, does Sam Altman remember a single conversation he’s ever had? Perhaps he is himself a stateless program, buffering no memory of any sentence he has uttered before.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
These are the two boats I built with Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD, a campus of Maine's Wooden Boat School. "Eat The Peach" is the sliding seat wherry and "Joy Finder" is the skiff, which now has a little Torqeedo electric motor. (I can't take credit for the gorgeous finish work, though.)
Two wooden boats: a slate blue skiff and a turquoise and white sliding seat wherry.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Why did it take me so long to notice that @hcrichardson.bsky.social is wearing a Wooden Boat hat? My powers of observation are obviously failing me. Excellent choice in fashion accessories, Heather!
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
See, this is why you support @wirobooks.bsky.social--for content like Peggy Kurkowski's review of Harry Sidebottom's THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE. Chunky, not hunky: "Despite flesh wounds, these big brawlers could continue the fight." www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/t...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
Those Who Are About to Die: A Day in the Life of a Roman Gladiator | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Folks - Last call to sign up for the best writing conference in the DMV! Pitch three agents your fiction manuscript or nonfiction proposal, learn from publishing pros, & chat up some of your favorite local authors. @dcwriterscon.bsky.social www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/page/the-202...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
The 2026 Washington Writers Conference | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
My review today: "Wherever [Rosner] mentions a federal program in the U.S. that had been successfully maintaining corridors or addressing climate change, readers can safely assume it no longer exists under the current administration. Elections have consequences that extend beyond the price of eggs."
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Hey, happy Easter to all who celebrate this most sacred day of the Christian calendar. Just a helpful reminder that 1) bombing civilian infrastructure is a war crime (especially important for US military to keep in mind), and 2) your president is insane and needs to be removed.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Personally, I’m on this panel to get to learn from @aleliabundles.bsky.social, and hoping you’ll all join me there—it should be a fun and engaging conversation!
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
So NOW we’re officially early 30s Nazi Germany.
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Reposted by Jenny Yacovissi
Washington Independent Review of Books @wirobooks.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
In honor of March Madness, a look back at the late John McNamara's affectionate ode to DC-area hoops. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/t... @cbrennansports.bsky.social @jbywrites.bsky.social #booksky
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
The Capital of Basketball: A History of DC Area High School Hoops | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
In her latest Considering the Classics blog, "The Assault on Meaning," Dorothy Reno revisits Orwell's 1984. This felt especially resonant after Saturday's #NoKings protests that many continue to dismiss as meaningless. @wirobooks.bsky.social www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/the...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
The Assault on Meaning | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Hanging out with a few hundred thou of my best friends in Washington, DC--just a day's work in building to 3.5% of the population in committed opposition! #NoKings @momsdemandaction.org @indivisible.org
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
My latest review, out today in @wirobooks.bsky.social: "who among us hasn’t at some point gaped at our beloved and thought, “How is it that I’m even WITH you?” before once more remembering the how and the why." A thought-provoking memoir-in-essays from Lynette D'Amico.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
It's a rave review from @raimalarter.bsky.social for Andrew Krivak's MULE BOY: "Told in a single, poetic sentence — with no full-stop periods anywhere — it could’ve been a challenge to read. Yet I was swept up by the deep and beautiful language . . . " Check it out! @wirobooks.bsky.social
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Jonquils are pushing up thru the leaves, the weather is warming (between snowstorms & tornadoes), & birds are singing--so it must be time for @wirobooks.bsky.social's spring preview! We've got large, small, & university presses on our list. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/sne...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
Sneak Preview: Spring 2026 | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
If Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's DREAM COUNT is still sitting in your TBR stack, here's a reminder that you might want to move it to the top. Your friends at @wirobooks.bsky.social and I highly recommend. www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/d...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
Dream Count | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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Jenny Yacovissi @jbywrites.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
I love a good filet, but know how destructive meat is to the planet's health (let alone to poor Bessie). Take a read through @hsmithwrites.bsky.social's Q&A with author @brucefriedrich.bsky.social on a better way. @wirobooks.bsky.social www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/an-...
washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com
An Interview with Bruce Friedrich | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
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