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Laurie Hertzel

@lhertzel.bsky.social
6.1K followers 1.5K following 1.4K posts

On substack: lauriehertzel.substack.com. Also, book reader, book critic, author "News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist" and "Ghosts of Fourth Street," and teacher at MFA program at UGA-Athens.

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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
kind of a big difference between Hawks and Hawkeyes. one is pro, for instance, and one is college. sheeeeeesh
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Up North for eight days, read four books. (sort of.) Which four? Were they good? Read on.
lauriehertzel.substack.com
Books don’t spoil: Cabin edition
Four books over eight days in the forest. Two rain days helped.
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Ireland against Fascism @irlagainstfascism.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
It appears the loyalists will have to apply to the parade commission to hold another march (legally) on Drumcree Road once midnight passes tonight. The initial permission was given from 8am to 9.30am this morning, any marching after that time would be deemed illegal.
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Laura McAtackney @lauramca.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Drumcree was not just a ‘march’ it was an annual extended period of fear that threatened to destabilize the entire province and resulted in a significant number of deaths. No one should forget that the catalyst for the march being halted was the deaths of the Quinn boys in their firebombed home.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
a lot of terrible things have been done in the name of tradition
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Andrew @hullbhoy.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Sundays are good days usually. So spare some thoughts for the residents of the Garvaghy Road in Portadown who today stood out in the pouring rain to stop some outdated bunch of bigots from disrupting and antagonising their community.
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Mark Reel @markreel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Jon Boutcher, who should resign, has called the conscription of 200 Scottish police officers over to Northern Ireland to potentially batter Catholics off a road "mutual aid"
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chief constable Jon Boutcher says the police operation so far has "helped ensure there has been no violence or disorder".

"I'm unbelievably proud of my officers who, supported by mutual aid colleagues, are managing an exceptionally challenging situation," he says.

"We have an evidence gathering operation in place to detect any offences and will continue to do this throughout today."I appeal to everyone to remain calm and peaceful. I am immensely grateful for all those voices who have already called for calm."

He urges everyone "with influence to encourage people to comply with the law" and says the police are engaging "with all parties".

"It is incumbent on us all to come together at times like this to do all we can to preserve a peaceful Northern Ireland."

On Friday evening, the PSNI said it had activated "mutual aid arrangements", with it being understood 200 officers were arriving from Scotland to help with policing this morning.
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febca 🇨🇦 @febca.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Are humans always destined to make the same mistakes over and over again? This is such a step backwards for Northern Ireland. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Loyalist parade in Northern Ireland given go-ahead as almost 30-year ban overturned
Orange Order march along Garvaghy Road scheduled to take place for first time in 28 years after injunction dismissed on appeal
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
there's such a thing as LindellTV? and they replaced CNN on air force one?
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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 23/09/2026
Paxton won’t agree to debate Talarico, and we all know why. He doesn’t want to answer these questions: “Why did you give an Epstein-style sweetheart deal to an admitted child predator? Why were you impeached… by your own party? Why do you own 15 homes on a government salary?” James Talarico
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
A family mystery, solved fifty years later.... and the fragility of memory. lauriehertzel.substack.com/p/the-luther...
lauriehertzel.substack.com
The Luther photo
It was a mystery, who the man was and how the photo ended up in our house. And now I find that my memory does not fit exactly with the facts.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The publication that blew the lid off of Clarence Thomas' grift and Susan Collins' bribes is doing a membership drive. Money incredibly well spent! I have no affiliation with @propublica.org other than great admiration. Donate if you can. give.propublica.org/campaign/749...
give.propublica.org
Donate to ProPublica
Donate today to support ProPublica's singular mission: to produce deep-dive, well-researched, nonpartisan journalism that spurs real-world change.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
But I don’t even like mysteries! And yet----here are four I greatly enjoyed, all new. (One so new it isn't even out yet.) Read on. lauriehertzel.substack.com/p/but-i-dont...
lauriehertzel.substack.com
But I don’t even like mysteries!
Or do I? I’ve apparently been reading them all summer.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I see people griping here all the time, asking WHERE ARE THE REPORTERS? Why aren't they covering Mitch McConnell, Epstein probe, etc. etc. They are being laid off, that's where they are. If you don't subscribe to at least 2 papers you have no right to ask that question. The Miami Herald just 1/2
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This book is going to be amazing
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
found another baby caterpillar on my parsley! but the previous three (which have trotted off to pupate) ate almost all the parsley. WILL HE STARVE. so....husband comes back from the grocery store with a big bunch of parsley for the caterpillar. he's a man who loves the natural world.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Woke up to the deep voice of Paul Robeson singing "Joe Hill." My husband is playing labor movement songs all morning. Happy Labor Day, everyone. Never forget who came before.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
A long time ago, I wrote fiction, including this short story that I wrote while on Fellowship at Duke University. A friend asked to read it so I have posted it on Substack.
lauriehertzel.substack.com
‘Snapshots’
Yes, at one time I wrote fiction.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Saw somebody on Substack referred to JD Vance as, “a fish in a pan.“ Instead of a “flash in the pan.” But I kind of love it. 
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Aaron Parnas @aaronparnas.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
NEWS: The Trump Administration is ending 3 federal research projects responsible for researching and fighting cyclospora amid the largest ever outbreak of cyclospora.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
If it’s not one dog, it’s another lauriehertzel.substack.com/p/if-its-not...
lauriehertzel.substack.com
If it’s not one dog, it’s another
Angus has had a pretty mellow summer. So Rosie said, “It’s too quiet. I’m gonna shake things up.”
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Katie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
NEW: A Florida grand jury finds the DeSantis Administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer funds when it diverted the money to the Casey DeSantis’-related nonprofit, Hope Florida Foundation. I track the money flow in this outrageous corruption and grift! youtu.be/JDOh1GUZrfs?...
youtu.be
DeSantis CAUGHT By Grand Jury FUNNELING MILLIONS Away From Floridians!?
YouTube video by Katie Phang
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Laura Sell @laurasell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Great resource for authors on self-promotion!
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
So you've written a book. Now what? How do you let the world know? Some tips from my recent book launch.
lauriehertzel.substack.com
On the road, again and again
How do you get the word out about your book when there are almost no more newspaper reviews?
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CNN @cnn.com · 25/08/2026
A US airman who was arrested twice, once on the steps of the US Capitol while calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, was officially criminally charged Monday for his comments, according to a charging document his attorney shared with CNN. cnn.it/3SmqErb
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Fighting with my hair lauriehertzel.substack.com/p/fighting-w...
lauriehertzel.substack.com
Fighting with my hair
I have never in my life--not when I was young, not when I was middle aged, not now--known how to cope with my hair.
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Katie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
ICE agent, Christian Castro, shot a MN resident, fled the state, & was caught in TX. @ag.state.mn.us sued Gov. Abbott for ignoring his extradition demand. He joins me on the case & updates us on the investigations into the murders of Alex Pretti & Renée Nicole Good. youtu.be/Asvit5TMFhU?...
youtu.be
Yikes! Texas FACES LEGAL NIGHTMARE as Minnesota SUES Over ICE Agent!?!
YouTube video by Katie Phang
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The older I get, the smaller I get. Or, that is, the smaller I look. I am now at caterpillar level. Here's today's Substack.
lauriehertzel.substack.com
Getting small
In a big noisy world, I find that more and more I pay attention to what is close to home. Like, ten feet from my back door.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
My goofy dog decided to roll in the grass. He was at the top of a hill. Yes, he ended up rolling down the hill like a little kid. I have never seen him look so surprised. 1/2
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
The cyclospora outbreak has reached 13,895 cases across 47 states. The FDA has recalled 1.6 million eggs due to salmonella contamination. Screwworm cases continue to rise. And we’ve just surpassed 2,500 measles cases — breaking 2025’s record. “Make America Healthy Again.”
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Folks with Reactive Dog might want to read this. It’s part two of the story of Angus‘s great collapse. https://lauriehertzel.substack.com/p/the-great-collapse-part-2?r=18u9y&utm_medium=ios
lauriehertzel.substack.com
The great collapse, part 2
Angus suffered a physical and emotional collapse in October 2024 after an overly busy trip Up North. The trigger stacking, coupled with his severe allergies, sent him over the edge.
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Jon Collins @jcollins.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
John Boehler of ACLU MN said the government didn't seem to find much evidence of wrongdoing during the operations: “Sure, they were there in meetings and they infiltrated, but what they heard was neighbors discussing patrols and whistles and grocery deliveries.” (5) www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
mprnews.org
Community groups involved in anti-ICE protests disturbed by scope of federal surveillance
Legal experts say the operations outlined in the court documents mark a departure from how federal law enforcement investigations are traditionally conducted.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Voting with my mom Remember voting booths? Remember when life was simpler? Remember those blue curtains, and those red levers?
lauriehertzel.substack.com
Voting with my mom
Yesterday was primary Election Day here in Minnesota. When I filled out those little squares next to my candidates' names, I thought about what it used to be like in a much less complicated world.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Wrote a book review for a newspaper in Europe. Got paid electronically--it was a short review, so I got only $85, but then my bank took out a $20 "transfer fee" and I am livid. #highwayrobbery
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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
They're calling it the bravest thing a President has done since Washington crossed the Delaware in a sack of cornmeal.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The world is overwhelming. Look small. lauriehertzel.substack.com/p/paying-att...
lauriehertzel.substack.com
Paying attention to the things that matter
Yes, the primaries are important and what's happening in our government is important, but it can also overwhelm us. Let's focus on the important things that are right in front of us.
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Tracy Jan @tracyjan.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
His conviction was thrown out after a prosecutor admitted he had failed to turn over key fingerprint evidence. Eligible for up to $480K in state compensation, he hasn't received a cent. The Louisiana attorney general has opposed 22 of 23 compensation claims by wrongfully convicted people.
propublica.org
He’s Eligible for Up to $480,000 After Being Wrongly Imprisoned for 42 Years. The State Says No.
Elvis Brooks’ case was an egregious example of a wrongful conviction, civil rights attorneys said. But Louisiana’s attorney general maintains that Brooks and other exonerees are guilty — and therefore...
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madi mcvan @madisonmcvan.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Chris Madel, former GOP candidate for governor and the attorney representing St. Paul police in their sexual harassment allegations against Mayor Kaohly Her, sent this text to Star Tribune columnist Rochelle Olsen after her column questioning the motivation of the allegations:
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Tina Smith @smith.senate.gov · 03/08/2026
He defended the insurrection and the President’s hush-money payments. He has been and will always be a Trump loyalist. He’ll put the President’s interests over the interests of the nation and should not be confirmed.
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Tina Smith @smith.senate.gov · 03/08/2026
Pretty clear Todd Blanche is just another yes-man who will sign off on the President’s worst ideas. Why would we trust someone who demonstrates he can’t stand up for what’s right?
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 03/08/2026
UPDATE: I just received responsive documents pursuant to my FOIA request www.muellershewrote.com/p/breaking-e...
muellershewrote.com
BREAKING: EXCLUSIVE: ICE Seized Drawings from Children in Detention. I Sued, and Today I Got Them.
Five months ago, I filed a Freedom of Information Act Request for papers seized from children at the Dilley ICE Detention Center. Today, I got a heartbreaking response.
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 18/02/2026
NEW: ICE has raided dormitories at the Dilley concentration camp to confiscate letters from children per @pabloreports.bsky.social. I have filed a FOIA request for them. @joaquincastrotx.bsky.social: the second we get anything, we will send it to you. 1/ www.muellershewrote.com/p/new-ice-co...
muellershewrote.com
NEW: ICE Confiscates Children's Letters at Dilley Concentration Camp. I've filed a FOIA Request to Get Them
ProPublica recently published heart-wrenching letters from children at Dilley. ICE then raided the dormitories to confiscate and destroy those letters. I've filed a Freedom of Information Act Request.
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Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 03/08/2026
BREAKING: EXCLUSIVE: Five months ago, we learned that ICE seized drawings and letters from children in the Dilley ICE concentration camp. I sued under the Freedom of Information Act. Today, I got responsive documents. www.muellershewrote.com/p/breaking-e...
muellershewrote.com
BREAKING: EXCLUSIVE: ICE Seized Drawings from Children in Detention. I Sued, and Today I Got Them.
Five months ago, I filed a Freedom of Information Act Request for papers seized from children at the Dilley ICE Detention Center. Today, I got a heartbreaking response.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
This story makes it hard for me to breathe.
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Have you ever noticed that as your dog ages, it becomes more human? open.substack.com/pub/lauriehe...
open.substack.com
90 percent human, 10 percent dog
As dogs age, they become more like us, don't you think?
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The Irish Times @irishtimes.com · 30/07/2026
Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead: Violence, humour and sharp social criticism
irishtimes.com
Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead: Violence, humour and sharp social criticism
Final novel in two-time Pulitzer winner’s Harlem Trilogy traces evolution of its ageing crook characters and of New York itself
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Laurie Hertzel @lhertzel.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
yes. read this. it's great.
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