Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Disco, The Wizard of Oz, and how history helps us survive: An interview with the poet T.S. Leonard about his new collection, ANOTHER ANTHEM OF FABULOUS SURVIVAL. lexipandell.substack.com/p/a-heartbre... 000
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Some people love spoilers. I used to be one of them. I wrote about what we gain from knowing how things will end—and how it can be a useful narrative device. lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-reading... 011
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026This summer, I spoke with a number of writers with phenomenal work, but no idea where to send it. This week’s Substack post is for them. lexipandell.substack.com/p/so-you-don... 011
Reposted by Lexi PandellReyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Fascinating story on AI detection company Pangram -- how it works, what it promises, the gaps in between www.wired.com/story/pangra...wired.comPangram Has Emerged as the Gold Standard of AI Detection. Should You Trust It?Meet the AI police who can make or break careers—in publishing and beyond. 041
Reposted by Lexi PandellLaura Gross Literary Agency @lgliterary.bsky.social · 02/09/2026"Pangram aims to take all the nuances, variables, and unknowns from a piece of communication and return a number. Humans, of course, are far more ambiguous than all that." A fantastic look at the burgeoning AI detection industry from LG Literary's @lpandell.bsky.social. Full story here ⤵️ 022
Reposted by Lexi PandellWIRED @wired.com · 02/09/2026Meet the AI police who can make or break careers—in publishing and beyond. www.wired.com/story/pangra...wired.comPangram Has Emerged as the Gold Standard of AI Detection. Should You Trust It?Meet the AI police who can make or break careers—in publishing and beyond. 24810
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026A wave of AI accusations swept the literary world this year. One small startup was behind them. None of it was an accident. I wrote about it for @wired.com: www.wired.com/story/pangra... 0157
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Journalists, you should ask this about every source: Who is this person? How do they know what they're saying? Is it possible they're biased or wrong? If so, can I back them up with another source? Check out my tips for research and fact-checking: lexipandell.substack.com/p/dont-drown... 000
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Unfortunately, getting fact-checked has become a luxury for writers. Here's how to do it yourself (and keep your research organized along the way): lexipandell.substack.com/p/dont-drown... 010
Reposted by Lexi PandellJon Michael Has Questions @jmhasquestions.bsky.social · 21/08/2026I was mentioned in a @fastcompany.com article as one of the faces of the next generation of skeptics. @lpandell.bsky.social visited CSICon, and her article lists my talk among the conference's most critical. Wild man, just wild 🤯. Link to the article in the next thread #Skepticism #CriticalThinking 012
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026We're all vulnerable to misinformation. With that in mind, the useful question isn't "how do I avoid ever being wrong?" It’s knowing that, sometimes, you will be. I wrote more about this—and what do to about it—for this week's Substack: lexipandell.substack.com/p/were-all-v...lexipandell.substack.comWe're all vulnerable to misinformationWhat matters most is what you do about it. 011
Reposted by Lexi PandellFast Company @fastcompany.com · 10/08/2026Can skeptics survive the misinformation age? f-st.co/VeJ6sgSf-st.coCan skeptics survive the misinformation age?As AI and social media make falsehoods harder to detect, the community devoted to debunking bad information faces an uncertain future. 042
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Between AI, uninformed influencers, and the proliferation of misinformation online, it’s never been harder to know what’s real. In my first piece for @fastcompany.com, I wrote about how skeptics are trying to help us see clearly, right as the fog rolls in: www.fastcompany.com/91581838/can... 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026What do Bigfoot, Bill Nye, and magicians have in common? My first piece for @fastcompany.com, which is all about the skeptical subculture, my time at @center4inquiry.bsky.social's CSICon, and the struggle for logic amid pseudoscience and AI slop: www.fastcompany.com/91581838/can... 032
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Freelance whisperer Elise Craig has bylines with The New York Times, Wired, and many others. This week, she shared all the things that nobody tells you when you start out as a freelancer: lexipandell.substack.com/p/the-advice... 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 03/08/2026I fact-checked professionally for about seven years. And I don't need any hands to count the number of error-free articles I checked, because there were none. We all make mistakes—what matters is whether you catch them in time. Here's an overview of my process: substack.com/home/post/p-... 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 27/07/2026In which I share a recipe for the best pasta salad you'll have all summer: lexipandell.substack.com/p/five-thing... 011
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 20/07/2026You don't want to miss Zach St. George's SNAKE MEN, a romp through the petty world of taxonomy and the two centuries of contrarian, snake-obsessed men who've turned it into a sport. I interviewed him about his wild characters and writing his second book 🐍 lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-writing... 000
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026I’m thrilled to share this news! Thanks so much to @doricliterary.bsky.social for supporting my story “In the Pits” and nominating it for Best of the Net. Long live the Pit Crew! 122
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 14/07/2026Writers, this is for you. I wrote about my essential toolkit—the pens, notebooks, apps, devices, and desk setup that help me work most efficiently: lexipandell.substack.com/p/letter-of-... 010
Reposted by Lexi PandellDoric Literary @doricliterary.bsky.social · 12/07/2026Sundays are for reading! Read something unique today, something to make you laugh & make you think...you know, a classic that will forever plant in your memory an image of young women braiding each other's armpit hair. "In the Pits" by @lpandell.bsky.social doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...doric-literary.comIn the PitsHowever we entered the world of hair removal, we perfected our techniques over time. We washed our flesh with soap, pressed pink foam into our palms, shaved our pits smooth, and then deodorized the… 096
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026In my latest short story, "In the Pits", a group of high school girls become possessed by the idea of growing their pit hair. But what possessed me to write about pit hair in the first place? I wrote about it on Substack: lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-writing...lexipandell.substack.comOn Writing: What I really wrote about when I wrote about armpit hairTrends, unruly bodies, and other inspiration behind my latest short story, "In the Pits." Plus, a special playlist. 110
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026“In a way it feels like a sacrifice of the truth of memory because, once it’s transformed, I’m remembering what’s on the page maybe more than what happened.” -T Kira Māhealani Madden on writing memoir, 7/1/26 at the Roxie in SF 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 30/06/2026On girlhood fury, rebellion, and armpits. My latest short story is out now with @doricliterary.bsky.social: doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i... Pits de résistance! 032
Reposted by Lexi PandellDoric Literary @doricliterary.bsky.social · 30/06/2026Now online: "In the Pits" by Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social Told in Lexi's unique voice & style, this is a story about rebellion, solidarity, community & challenging cultural norms. Oh, & it's about armpit hair. Enjoy! Laugh, reflect, join the resistance! doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...doric-literary.comIn the PitsHowever we entered the world of hair removal, we perfected our techniques over time. We washed our flesh with soap, pressed pink foam into our palms, shaved our pits smooth, and then deodorized the… 074
Reposted by Lexi PandellTanya Žilinskas @tanyazilinskas.com · 30/06/2026Normalize writing not being healing 0142
Reposted by Lexi PandellDoric Literary @doricliterary.bsky.social · 28/06/2026Coming June 30! The below isn’t a random sentence, specifically extracted to trick you into thinking this story will be about something it isn’t. “In the Pits,” by @lpandell.bsky.social, is entirely about armpit hair: shaving it . . . and NOT shaving it. You’re gonna love it. 053
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 29/06/2026"In therapy, my emotions can be messy. In writing, I clean up the mess and fit the pieces together to find the narrative." On the process of writing a memoir—and what the work has actually asked of me: lexipandell.substack.com/p/no-writing...lexipandell.substack.comNo, writing my memoir isn't catharticAnd I never expected it to be. Here's why. 011
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 22/06/2026Need some music to fuel your Monday? Look no further. I put this together for writers, but it's really for anyone doing high-focus work: open.substack.com/pub/lexipand...open.substack.comMusic recommendations for every kind of writerWhether you listen to classical, techno, lo-fi, or silence, I've got suggestions to expand your listening. 010
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 15/06/2026How do critics decide which books to review? How does the review process work? And how much book mail do they really get? For this week's Substack, I interviewed fantastic book critic (and my former Wired colleague) Chelsea Leu to find out more: lexipandell.substack.com/p/the-other-...lexipandell.substack.comThe Other Side of the Inbox: A Q&A with book critic Chelsea LeuEver wonder how critics choose which books to review...and how much book mail actually gets sent to their home? Chelsea Leu explains it all. 010
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 14/06/2026Alright, Buffalo! I was not familiar with your game. 021
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 08/06/2026The wonderful thing about mid-aughts and 2010s nostalgia is how achievable it is to recreate. You, too, can invite 100 people to a house party, drink warm jungle juice out of a kiddie pool, play Girl Talk from a blown-out speaker, and achieve nirvana. 010
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 06/06/2026In Joshua Tree tonight? Come to S'mores & Stories! We'll have literary readings, free s'mores, limited edition t-shirts, and moooore. And it's FREE to attend! Mas o Menos at 6 pm 🌵 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 01/06/2026As the first weekend of Desert Salon 2026 wraps, I'm sharing my thoughts on nine years of hosting a writing retreat: open.substack.com/pub/lexipand...open.substack.comI started a writing retreat—here's what I've learnedLessons from nine years of running the Desert Salon retreat in Joshua Tree. 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 26/05/2026Real, thorough fact-checking isn't about going down a checklist. It's second-guessing, cross-checking, falling down rabbit holes, and often talking to actual humans. AI can't do any of that. And I can say that with confidence because a fact-checker checked it: www.wired.com/story/fact-c...wired.comAI Just Isn’t RightCan AI do fact-checking? A WIRED fact-checker fact-checks. 073
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 25/05/2026Tales from the Edges of California is THIS Saturday at 2 pm at Desert General. You won't want to miss it! 000
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 22/05/2026When it comes to AI, writers need to be responsible for their own work. But publishers need to step up too. I dropped Monday’s Substack early so we can talk about it: substack.com/home/post/p-...substack.comPublishers need to wake the f*ck up to AIThe future may feel uncertain, but publishers owe it to writers and readers to get ahead of this mess. 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 18/05/2026"There’s an every-day sameness—a lot of standing and waiting—but there’s also an element of surprise. Who will walk in? What will happen today?" I interviewed fellow Berkeley j-schooler Hasan Dudar about his wonderful debut story collection, CARRYOUT: lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-writing...lexipandell.substack.comOn Writing: A Q&A with author Hasan DudarThe debut author of Carryout on place, exile, and why a corner store was a natural home for stories. 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Have you tried a Reject-a-thon? It’s the most fun you’ll have hearing no: open.substack.com/pub/lexipand...open.substack.comOn Rejection: Trust me, you should start a Reject-a-ThonHaving fun with rejection is the best way to start getting acceptances—and enjoy pizza with friends. 021
Reposted by Lexi PandellTanya Žilinskas @tanyazilinskas.com · 05/05/2026Bay Area writers, readers & friends! The next BAIT reading is THIS Friday, May 8 at 6 pm at @sausalitolibrary.bsky.social. Readers are Carvell Wallace, Chia-Chia Lin, Sarah Stone, and Dāshaun Washington. 😍 Free to attend and reading followed by a Q&A. Details and RSVP at baitreading.com 042
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 05/05/2026What is the one thing that nobody told you when you were starting out as a writer? I'll go first: Rejection is a part of the deal, even for talented writers. Like...so much rejection! Success as a writer is all about persistence. 4440844
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 04/05/2026This week on Writer to Writer, I got to take a peek inside the mind of writer/editor @maxuf.bsky.social. Learn about the cliché he always deletes, his favorite publications right now, what makes for a great FastCo pitch, and more: lexipandell.substack.com/p/the-other-...lexipandell.substack.comThe Other Side of the Inbox: A Q&A with FastCo editor Max UfbergA senior editor on shaping stories, killing clichés, and writing in stolen moments. 021
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 01/05/2026I’m very excited to be co-hosting two upcoming reading events through Desert Salon. If you’ll be in the Joshua Tree area on May 30 or June 6, come on through! More details (including reader lineups) coming soon. 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 13/04/2026So much of agenting can feel like a mystery for writers. What's actually selling? What makes an agent pay attention? And what are instant deal breakers? This week, I had the chance to pull back the curtain with my literary agent, @lmscovel.bsky.social: lexipandell.substack.com/p/the-other-...lexipandell.substack.comThe Other Side of the Inbox: A Q&A with literary agent Lauren ScovelOn the most surprising thing about agenting, how many queries she really gets, and how she knows when she's fallen in love with a project. 011
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 06/04/2026How many "nos" does it take to get a "yes"? The answer might surprise you! This post will get you fired up. Thank you to @isleofanalia.bsky.social, @simonestolzoff.bsky.social, @josephbienkahn.com, @tanyazilinskas.com, and Kim Henderson for sharing: lexipandell.substack.com/p/on-rejecti... 023
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 31/03/2026I don’t want to read your AI-written article 🙃 But, if you’re going to do it anyway, the least you can do is edit it so that it isn’t SO obviously written by AI 🙃🙃 001
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 31/03/2026Come for the sassy screenshot, stay for my hot take that books are not to be trusted during research. It was a pleasure talking to my dear pal @tanyazilinskas.com about one of my favorite things: research! 011
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 30/03/2026Today on Substack, the art of selling a book that doesn't exist yet—a.k.a. how to write a book proposal! Plus, why I sold my memoir on proposal: lexipandell.substack.com/p/inside-the...lexipandell.substack.comInside the Pitch: How to write a non-fiction book proposalThe art of selling a book that doesn't exist yet. 010
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 26/03/2026Resurfacing this—I'm still open to hearing from people! 000
Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 23/03/2026On why it took me seven years from sending my first query to getting signed by an agent—and my tips about how to write a successful query letter: lexipandell.substack.com/p/inside-the...lexipandell.substack.comInside the Pitch: How to write a query letterReal talk about the anatomy of a query letter and how to successfully pitch your book. 010