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Lexi Pandell

@lpandell.bsky.social
408 followers 341 following 197 posts

I am a writer. Also, a human. | Author of HOLY MOTHER! (fall 2027) | Subscribe to the Writer to Writer Substack and get new posts every Monday morning lexipandell.com lexipandell.substack.com

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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Tanya Žilinskas @tanyazilinskas.com · 21h
Bay Area! Join us 10/24, 5-6 pm, at Blondie's for a @litquake.bsky.social Lit Crawl reading feat. Eirinie Carson, @lpandell.bsky.social, Lisa Teasley, Laleh Khadivi, and Samantha Stevens. We’ll tackle our mommy issues with rounds of trivia and prizes between readings. Info at bait.reading.com
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 4m
Thanks so much for reading!
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 2h
San Francisco, have you got mommy issues? Join me and four dynamite readers for a special Lit Crawl reading about bad moms, sad moms, no moms, being a mom, New Age moms, and other matriarchal specters. Bonus: Mother-related trivia and prizes. October 24 at 5 pm at Blondie's!
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Who’s acquiring memoir in 2026? Here are the publishers and agents behind this year’s deals (so far): lexipandell.substack.com/p/ask-the-da... I recommend this if you're querying memoir, are out on submission (or preparing to be), or if you're just curious about the state of nonfiction publishing.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
"A one-cell protozoan, a Venus flytrap, and a human are all susceptible to anesthesia—and two of those things don’t even have a brain." Never skip a medical mystery feature by @sarahzhang.bsky.social: www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
theatlantic.com
When Anesthesia Goes Wrong
A teenage boy went into surgery for a broken arm and emerged with brain damage. His mother was determined to figure out what had happened.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Maybe you've been told that only celebrities get memoir deals. But is that actually true? I looked at the numbers and what I found surprised me. Read more over at Substack—the post is free, per usual: lexipandell.substack.com/p/who-is-get...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Disco, 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Some 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This 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...
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Reyhan Harmanci @harmancipants.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Fascinating story on AI detection company Pangram -- how it works, what it promises, the gaps in between www.wired.com/story/pangra...
wired.com
Pangram 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.
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Laura 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 ⤵️
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
WIRED @wired.com · 02/09/2026
Meet the AI police who can make or break careers—in publishing and beyond. www.wired.com/story/pangra...
wired.com
Pangram 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.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
A 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Journalists, 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Unfortunately, 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...
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Jon Michael Has Questions @jmhasquestions.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
I 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
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
We'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.com
We're all vulnerable to misinformation
What matters most is what you do about it.
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 10/08/2026
Can skeptics survive the misinformation age? f-st.co/VeJ6sgS
f-st.co
Can 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.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Between 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
What 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Freelance 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
I 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-...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
In which I share a recipe for the best pasta salad you'll have all summer: lexipandell.substack.com/p/five-thing...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
You 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...
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
If you haven't spent time with the Crew yet, it's a short read: doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...
doric-literary.com
In the Pits
However 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…
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I’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!
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Writers, 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-...
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Doric Literary @doricliterary.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Sundays 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.com
In the Pits
However 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…
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
You're not wrong! It's also that! (And a number of different things...my armpit story contains multitudes.)
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
If you haven't yet, you can read "In the Pits" at @doricliterary.bsky.social: doric-literary.com/2026/06/30/i...
doric-literary.com
In the Pits
However 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…
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
In 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.com
On Writing: What I really wrote about when I wrote about armpit hair
Trends, unruly bodies, and other inspiration behind my latest short story, "In the Pits." Plus, a special playlist.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
This bolo is TREMENDOUS!
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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
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
🥰
static.klipy.com
Woman Brushing Hair in Mirror
ALT: Woman Brushing Hair in Mirror
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
On 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!
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Doric Literary @doricliterary.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Now 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.com
In the Pits
However 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…
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Tanya Žilinskas @tanyazilinskas.com · 30/06/2026
Normalize writing not being healing
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Reposted by Lexi Pandell
Doric Literary @doricliterary.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Coming 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.
Two Doric Columns frame a quote from the story "In the Pits" by Lexi Pandell.
"However 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 them until they smelled like dreams rather than body parts."
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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.com
No, writing my memoir isn't cathartic
And I never expected it to be. Here's why.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Need 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.com
Music recommendations for every kind of writer
Whether you listen to classical, techno, lo-fi, or silence, I've got suggestions to expand your listening.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
How 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.com
The Other Side of the Inbox: A Q&A with book critic Chelsea Leu
Ever wonder how critics choose which books to review...and how much book mail actually gets sent to their home? Chelsea Leu explains it all.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Alright, Buffalo! I was not familiar with your game.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The 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.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
In 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 🌵
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
As 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.com
I started a writing retreat—here's what I've learned
Lessons from nine years of running the Desert Salon retreat in Joshua Tree.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Real, 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.com
AI Just Isn’t Right
Can AI do fact-checking? A WIRED fact-checker fact-checks.
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Tales from the Edges of California is THIS Saturday at 2 pm at Desert General. You won't want to miss it!
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Banana Boat Light as Air is my preferred body sunscreen. It doesn’t leave a gross residue!
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Lexi Pandell @lpandell.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
When 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.com
Publishers need to wake the f*ck up to AI
The future may feel uncertain, but publishers owe it to writers and readers to get ahead of this mess.
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