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Lauren Cortese

@lacortese.bsky.social
241 followers 637 following 50 posts

Querying my PhD novel about 9/11, January 6th, and the climate crisis as told by a dysfunctional DC family. It's fun, I swear! Current: PhD in Creative Writing@University of East Anglia Past: MFA@College of Charleston, Ed. Assistant@Swamppink

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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Big win? I’d say huge! Seeing results from local organizing and watching businesses listen is a reminder that change can happen and AI/surveillance take over is *not* inevitable in the way so many tech voices say it is. Thank you to these artists for providing hope and an example 👏👏👏
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
As a child during the DC Sniper attacks, indoor recess and parents afraid to stand outside at the gas station was bad, while 100% better than thinking the grown ups didn’t take safety seriously. I am so sad for the kids who have been failed by grown ups, be it lockdowns, vaccines, or gun control.
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
As an ex-pat, telling people I’m from the US can garner mixed responses, but I’m happy to shout from the rooftops that I’m a Marylander with public figures like @libradunn1.bsky.social
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
I cancelled my Prime account this week. Yeah, I should have done it a long time ago, but finally stopped telling myself my one small participation didn’t actually matter. All of our participation, resistance, and votes with our wallets adds up.
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Great take from @kevinmkruse.bsky.social. Long live check out line news media!
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Perfectly worded by @marisakabas.bsky.social. As an American living abroad, the protests and vigils are a beacon of hope as I worry from afar. Thank you for continuing to exercise your First Amendment rights.
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
AOC? More like CVS with receipts this good!!!!! 🥁 *scrambles back to the horror for more dad-joke material and the will to live*
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Sadly, there are too many people who are knowingly, intentionally, and without confusion or stupidity choosing greed, hatred, xenophobia, racism, and violence. They shouldn’t be shamed for being stupid, they should be shamed for being immoral.
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The Belladonna Comedy @belladonnacomedy.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
We’re counting down the best of 2025!
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
Excited to share my first piece with @slate.com! Bringing conversation to a party isn’t just for your good time, but is one of the best things to take a host. Take it from me, the daughter who can’t cook but is in charge of keeping grandparents awake until Thanksgiving lunch. Thanks for reading!
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
I’d like to add some of the best things women have ruined, starting with whooping cough!
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Sheila Liming @seeshespeak.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
Mamdani got a humanities degree. His win helps to illustrate that one of the central forces driving higher ed’s dissolution of the humanities is the fear that teaching people how power works can also lead to their interest in seizing it on behalf of the less powerful.
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Quote with what your WIP book scent would be! Mine is Cupcake Chardonnay, dull airplane coffee, and the smoky tar-like smell of the mystery smog that comes up through the vents of the DC Metro. @emilyhughes.bsky.social you’re up next.
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
An important article and a valuable take from @melissaryan.bsky.social. My mom became a People devotee after I was born in ‘93. She didn’t have time to read a full paper & look after a newborn, but wanted to stay connected to the world. Accessible media takes many forms and all are essential.
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
This was a great listen, including @maris.bsky.social on nuclear apocalypse as a Type 1 diabetic. My T1D mom took comfort post-9/11 from living close enough to DC that she assumed we’d be wiped out and wouldn’t need to hunt for insulin. There’s no wrong survival instinct in unprecedented times 🤷‍♀️
podcasts.apple.com
Samantha Smith vs. the Cold War with Maris Kreizman
Podcast Episode · You're Wrong About · 09/16/2025 · 1h 19m
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
Just added 2,500 new reasons (per year) to my list of why not to use AI for trivial personal use
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
As someone raised on Anne and Abby, they were original AITA discussed around the kitchen table with my mom. These ladies are iconic and @americanhysteria.bsky.social does them justice. Bring back the wet noodle! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a...
podcasts.apple.com
DEAR ABBY AND ANN LANDERS
Podcast Episode · American Hysteria · 08/18/2025 · 1h 13m
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Finally listened to this episode (love the show!!) but I take issue with the idea that the length of the book was padding. Women (Robbins’ core audience) don’t need 200+ pages with examples of “letting them” to understand the theory, rather, the time to sit with the idea and give themselves (cont)
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
Thank you so much to White Wall Review for featuring my short story! This suburban-gothic-satire about writing anxiety was so much fun to write and I hope fun to read. The Lover whitewallreview.com/the-lover/
whitewallreview.com
The Lover – White Wall Review
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
miracle worker @jamieloftus.bsky.social found a way, in the year 2025, to tell a story about the internet that is wholesome!?! she and @liamkylesullivan.bsky.social should be our emperors of the internet
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Lauren Cortese @lacortese.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Me: My sleepy time white noise podcast just added the oddly specific, "Suburban Thunderstorm" sound. How is that different from other rain sounds? BF: Maybe there's people yelling about HOA rules in the background.
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