iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Ben Humeniuk @benhumeniuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I don’t know if it’s still really called “inking” if it’s done digitally, but however you slice it, I’m finally getting some of these pages for @solsticemfa.bsky.social program past the rough draft stage. Very eager to share this thing with y’all-- and possibly even make you feel stuff! 😿

A partially-completed page of comic art where a young woman and her mother interact at a funeral. The first two panels are inked; the remaining seven panels are drawn in rough format, but await polishing.

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Winter/spring '27 deadlines are approaching! Apply by Oct. 26 (Oct. 12 for fellowship consideration). Decisions in as few as 10 biz days if we have your personal statement, writing sample, and 2 recommendation forms. (Transcripts are due Jan. 1 at the latest. More info: buff.ly/zd5lcst

Upcoming MFA Deadlines

Fellowship applications due October 12. General applications due October 26.

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

We recently revealed our January 2027 special guests, including guest faculty, our commencement speaker David Levering Lewis, Writers-in-Residence, and literary agents! Check out their bios on our website: www.lasell.edu/graduate-stu...

Guest faculty Yasmine Ameli, Kristina Marie Darling, Jerel Dye, Yessenia Funes, Beth Cho Little, Kim McLarin, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Dan Tremaglio

Writers-in-Residence Lee Hope & Dzvinia Orlowsky

Literary agents Maggie Cooper and Rebecca Podos

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Freedom to Read Project @freedomreadproject.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Supporting the freedom to read doesn’t have to cost a thing. You don’t need to make a donation or have hours of free time to make a difference. Small actions. Zero dollars. Real impact. The freedom to read belongs to all of us, and protecting it can start with something small today. #FreedomToRead

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Lit Hub @literaryhub.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine, Rachel Aviv’s You Won’t Get Free of It, Sigrid Nunez’s It Will Come Back to You, and David Thompson’s A Sudden Flicker of Light all feature among July’s best reviewed books.

buff.ly

The Best Reviewed Books of the Month

Featuring Colson Whitehead, Rachel Aviv, Sigrid Nunez, David Thompson, and more

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Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

“More than 50 detainees have died during President Trump’s second term, at an average rate of one death every six days.” “Deaths in detention deserve the same scrutiny as high-profile, public killings by immigration agents.”

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Emily St. James @emilystjams.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

If you're a writer early in your career, please pitch us! We don't pay a ton, but we do pay, and we have a great editorial team.

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Ben Humeniuk @benhumeniuk.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Comics for homework? Yes, please. 🙏 Now that I’m a grad student at the @solsticemfa.bsky.social program, I’ll generating 4 new comics stories this fall under the supervision of my mentor, @joshneufeld.bsky.social Excited to apply the techniques that I’ve been learning!

A sequence of comics panels where a confrontation at a flower shop turns into a first meeting between a couple.

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Jedediah Berry @jedediahberry.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

KILL ALL WIZARDS is OUT and reportedly GADDING ABOUT TOWN, sword in hand. If you encounter this knave, consider yourself FOREWARNED: 🫖 Highly caffeinated 💀 The cut direct 📖 Opinionated narrator ⚔️ Fits of barbaric rage Wizards especially should approach with caution. thirdarchive.net#killallwizards

thirdarchive.net

Jedediah Berry

Author of Kill All Wizards, The Naming Song, The Family Arcana, and The Manual of Detection. Co-creator of the Wildendrem tabletop adventure game setting.

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Many thanks to Quintin Collins, @aaroncaycedokimura.bsky.social, and David Yoo for closing out our July 2026 Reading Series with a bang! Watch the recording: youtu.be/mdMTZFVV6CM

Three Solstice MFA writers smiling and standing behind of a music stand holding a branded banner and in front of a textured wall with high windows and congrats on 20 years sign

Solstice MFA guest faculty member Aaron Caycedo-Kimura standing behind a music stand with a branded banner while speaking into a microphone and looking off to his right

Solstice MFA faculty member David Yoo standing behind a music stand with a branded banner while speaking into a microphone and looking off to his left

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Hillary Rodham Clinton @hillaryclinton.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Trump's embarrassing rant last night about an election he lost six years ago made two things very clear: 1. He's not focused on making life better for Americans. Not even close. 2. We should act now to counteract any efforts to undermine our elections. www.mobilize.us/indivisible/...

mobilize.us

Hands Off Our Vote in 2026! · Indivisible

**We know that Trump and his Big Lie cronies are plotting to do everything they can to undermine our elections in 2026.** Whether it’s trying to end mail-in voting, targeting registration programs, bl...

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Join us for the final event in our July 2026 Reading Series, featuring alum and Associate Director Quintin Collins, guest faculty member @aaroncaycedokimura.bsky.social, and faculty member David Yoo. Hang with us in person or on the livestream: events.lasell.edu/event/solsti...

Solstice MFA Reading Series, 131 Woodland Road, Auburndale, Massachusetts , 02466 and livestreamed on Zoom

July 17, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern featuring Quintin Collins, Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, David Yoo

Three photos of writers arranged in a grid next to icons of a person speaking at a lectern and people in the audience listening

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Jessamin McSwain, Adi Rule, and @zlikeinzorro.bsky.social absolutely crushed it last night! Check out the recording of their reading here: youtu.be/Jsbtg5nNU0k

Three Solstice MFA writers standing behind a music stand with a branded banner and in front of a textured wall with high windows

Solstice MFA alum and grad assistant giving a reading at a music stand with a branded banner

Solstice MFA faculty member Adi Rule giving a reading at a music stand with a branded banner

Solstice MFA guest faculty member Zoraida Cordova giving a reading at a music stand with a branded banner

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

What a night for the second event in our July 2026 Evening Reading Series! If you missed out hearing @joshneufeld.bsky.social, @megkearney.bsky.social, and @tarabetts.bsky.social, watch the recording now: youtu.be/jUqpQghtNN8

Three smiling Solstice MFA writers standing in front of a textured wall and high windows

Solstice faculty member Josh Neufeld speaking into a microphone while standing behind a music stand with a branded banner

Solstice Founding Director Meg Kearney speaking into a microphone while standing behind a music stand with a branded banner

Solstice faculty member Tara Betts speaking into a microphone while standing behind a music stand with a branded banner

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

We did it! Thanks to your generosity, we met our $2,500 fundraising goal with just over a day left in the campaign. What an awesome way to step into Solstice's 20th anniversary. You can still support our need-based scholarship fund through tomorrow. Donate here: www.givecampus.com/s/pcwb27

$2,886 raised toward our need-based scholarship fund in celebration of our upcoming 20th anniversary!

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Join us for our July 2026 reading series, which runs July 10-17. Readings start at 7:30pm ET (except Jan. 13, which starts at 4:45pm ET) in the Arnow Campus Center 1851 Lounge at Lasell University. Register for in-person or livestream attendance here: events.lasell.edu/event/solsti...

See the link for an accessible version of the schedule

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

For all of our multi-genre writers out there, we introduced our Post-Grad Certificate Program to give you a deep dive into another genre after earning your MFA. Learn more about it here: buff.ly/BSLfay3

2018: Solstice launches the Post-Grad Certificate Program for MFA holders who want to study in a second genre.

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MegKearney.bsky.social @megkearney.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

This supportive & inclusive low-residency MFA in creative writing program celebrates its 20th anniversary in July!

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MegKearney.bsky.social @megkearney.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

While the fellowships deadline has passed, need-based scholarships are still available for a summer/fall start if you apply by MAY 11! Among most affordable MFAs in Creative Writing, Solstice offers academic rigor alongside a friendly, supportive, welcoming community.

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Rebecca Kirk Connors @aprilist.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Come see me next Thursday! As part of the Maynard Book Festival, I will be co-hosting a reading featuring Maynard-area and Lowell poets at 6 PM at Felixology, with a reception at Barrels & Vines at 4:30 PM. Learn more here: maynardpubliclibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/may...

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Summer/fall '26 deadlines are approaching! Apply by May 11 (April 27 for fellowship consideration). Decisions in as few as 10 biz days if we have your personal statement, writing sample, and 2 recommendation forms. (Transcripts are due July 1 at the latest.) More info: buff.ly/9osPRIt

a smartphone graphic showing reminders for materials needed for a Solstice MFA application, including a personal statement, writing sample, transcripts, and 2 recommendations, all due in six weeks

Text that reads Solstice MFA upcoming deadlines: Fellowship consideration on April 27 and general applications on May 11

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Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 23/03/2026

100% agree.

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Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 24/03/2026

Donald Trump is handing nearly a billion dollars in taxpayer money to stop a job-creating, clean power-generating wind farm from being built off the East Coast. He is putting America in reverse and selling us out to his Big Oil donors.

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Applying to our MFA program to start this summer? Check out our Carrie Watson Legacy Fellowship for Young People's Literature. Apply by April 27 to be considered. The selected writer receives a $1,500 discount on first-semester tuition. See more details here: www.lasell.edu/graduate-stu...

pencil, pen, coffee, and notepad with text

CARRIE WATSON LEGACY FELLOWSHIP for Young People's Literature, Apply by April 27

"The Carrie Watson Legacy Fund is a testament to the woman who ignited my love of storytelling: my mother, Carrie Elizabeth Watson. She was my first and greatest supporter. With every grant awarded, her legacy lives on. It is my deepest honor to pass her steadfast encouragement forward to new writers as they pursue their own dreams."

–Renée Watson
Watson Fellowship Underwriter

$1,500 Award

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Join us for our next virtual info session on March 18 at 12 p.m. ET to learn about program start dates, faculty, and more. Register here: applygrad.lasell.edu/register/?id...

Icon graphics of two people sitting at laptops with Q and A in speech bubbles. Solstice MFA Virtual Info Session, March 18 at 12 p.m. Eastern

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Hello #AWP26! We’re in Baltimore and ready to meet you. See you tomorrow in the bookfair at table 1164. We’ve already spotted our Associate Director Quintin Collins and faculty member @jennifermurvin.bsky.social!

Line of people waiting outside an entrance to a building. On the wall of glass windows, a banner reads 2026 AWP Conference and Bookfair

Table featuring branded Solstice MFA signage and paraphernalia

Two smiling Solstice MFA staff and faculty standing together and smiling

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Attending AWP26 in Baltimore next month? Come see us at bookfair table 1164 to learn more about Solstice and earning an MFA in Creative Writing with us. Plus, you can check out on- and off-site events featuring our staff, faculty, and alums below.

SOLSTICE MFA at AWP 2026 in Baltimore: Bookfair Table 1164, Thursday, March 5 12:00pm Incidental Pollen Book Signing featuring Solstice alum Ellen Austin-Li Bookfair Booth 626, Baltimore Convention Center 12:10pm Alternative Nation, or Whatever: Gen X Perspectives on the Writing Life featuring Solstice Faculty Member Tara Betts Room 317, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center 02:00pm All the Possible Bodies Book Signing featuring Solstice Faculty Member Iain Haley Pollock Bookfair Booth #1044, Baltimore Convention Center 04:00pm Adverse Abstraction Offsite Reading featuring Solstice Faculty Member Iain Haley Pollock Meander Art Bar FRIDAY, MARCH 6 09:00am Beauty vs. Fidelity: The Poetry Translator’s Gamble featuring Solstice Writer-in-Residence Dzvinia Orlowsky Room 323, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center 01:45pm Sustaining and Building Robust Literary Partnerships featuring Solstice Faculty Member Gina Chung Room 302, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center Rewriting the Archive: Poetic Voices on Who Defines History featuring Solstice Faculty Member Iain Haley Pollock Ballroom I, Level 400, Baltimore Convention Center 03:20pm Widening the Bridge of Ekphrasis: Writing the Saturation Poem featuring Solstice Faculty Member Jennifer Jean Room 326, Level 300, Baltimore Convention Center

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MegKearney.bsky.social @megkearney.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Hey, aspiring writers & comics creators: TODAY, 6 p.m. Eastern!

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Ready to prioritize your writing life? Join us for our next virtual information session to learn more about what it takes to earn an MFA with Solstice. We're excited to see you on February 11 at 6 p.m. ET. Register here: applygrad.lasell.edu/register/?id...

Solstice MFA Virtual Info Session, February 11 at 6 p.m. Eastern

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 27/01/2026

ICE will accompany the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics in Italy next month, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Tuesday, stoking a backlash among Italians angered by agents' conduct in Minneapolis.

nyti.ms

ICE Agents Will Join Olympics Delegation in Italy. Many Italians are Angry.

The Italian government said it had requested clarification from American diplomats after D.H.S. said that ICE agents would help secure the U.S. Olympic delegation next week in northern Italy.

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Democrats in the Senate must grow a spine. They can rein in this murderous regime next week. Why on Earth would they continue to fund this tyranny? Call your senators now: indivisible.org/campaigns/ho...

indivisible.org

How to Rein in ICE–NOW | Indivisible

Act now with Indivisible to demand Congress rein in ICE, end aggressive enforcement, restrict ICE and Border Patrol funding, and protect communities.

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Mother Jones @motherjones.com · 27/01/2026

Ian Austin, an Army veteran, was arrested for protesting ICE in Minneapolis. But he’s continued protesting. Senior reporter @julialurie.bsky.social spoke to him. “When they say, ‘Why would you be out here?’ How the fuck could I not be out here?” he says. “My nation is under attack."

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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Trump 2.0’s second year may be even worse than the first. So, what can you do? Here are the 10 most important actions you can take in 2026. robertreich.substack.com/p/what-you…

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Join us for our January 2026 reading series, which runs Jan. 9-16. Readings start at 7:30pm ET (except Jan. 13, which starts at 4:30pm ET) in the Arnow Campus Center 1851 Lounge at Lasell University. Register for in-person or livestream attendance here: events.lasell.edu/event/solsti...

Solstice MFA Reading Series

131 Woodland Road, Auburndale, MA 02466
and livestreamed on Zoom

January 9, 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Ellen Austin-Li, Venise Berry, Jennifer Murvin

January 10, 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Ethan Gilsdorf, Meg Kearney, Adi Rule

January 11, 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Quintin Collins, Iain Haley Pollock, Amy Alvarez

January 12 (online only), 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Kathleen Aguero, José Angel Araguz, Beth Cho Little, Nicole Terez Dutton, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Shane Hawk, Uchechi Kalu, Anne-Marie Oomen, Hector Rodriguez III, Arriel Vinson

January 13: Graduating Students, 4:30 p.m. Eastern
Marissa Trunfio, Louis LaCivita, Sr. Allison Regina Gliot, Amjed McDonnell, Patricia Achiro Olwoch, Katie Nelson, Ryan Thomas LaBee

January 14, 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Josh Neufeld, Kassie Rubico

January 15, 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Jennifer Jean, Steven Huff, David Yoo

January 16, 7:30 p.m. Eastern
Laura Williams McCaffrey, Gina Chung, Terrance Hayes

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MegKearney.bsky.social @megkearney.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Amazing line-up of writers! And the live stream has terrific sound. See you in January in Newton, MA, or Zoom!

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jenna newman phd @jennanewman.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

“When participants used ChatGPT to draft essays, brain scans revealed a 47% drop in neural connectivity across regions associated with memory, language, & critical reasoning. Their brains worked less, but they felt just as engaged—a kind of metacognitive mirage.”🧪

“When participants used ChatGPT to draft essays, brain scans revealed a 47 percent drop in neural connectivity across regions associated with memory, language, and critical reasoning. Their brains worked less, but they felt just as engaged—a kind of metacognitive mirage. Eighty-three percent of heavy Al users couldn't recall key points from what they'd "written, compared to only 10 percent of those who composed unaided.
Neutral reviewers described the Al-assisted writing as "soulless, empty, lacking individuality." Most alarmingly, after four months of reliance on Chat GPT, participants wrote worse once it was removed than those who had never used it at all.
The study warns that when writing is
delegated to Al, the way people learn fundamentally changes.”

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PEN America @penamerica.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Today, PEN America introduces the Incarcerated Writers Bureau, a digital resource for professionals seeking to work with writers and journalists in US prisons. The website features a database of best practices, a submission hub, and writer profiles. Read more here: pen.org/press-releas...

pen.org

New Digital Resource to Help Publishers, Journalists and Literary Agents Work Directly with Incarcerated Writers

The Prison and Justice Writing Program at PEN America launches Incarcerated Writers Bureau, a digital resource that will help make professional and creative opportunities more accessible to writers in...

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 04/12/2025

The New York Times is interested in hearing how President Trump’s sweeping changes — for example, on immigration, education, health and the economy — are affecting communities all over the U.S. Are these changes making your life in America better or worse? Tell us in the form below.

nyti.ms

How Is America Changing Under President Trump? We Want to Hear From You.

A New York Times reporter wants to hear from you about changes you are seeing in your community since Mr. Trump took office.

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

Congrats to our spring 2026 fellowship winners! Incoming students Darren Black and Millie Sullivan and incoming certificate program student Patricia Achiro Olwoch each receive $1,500 awards.

Crumpled paper background with a photo of Darren Black in a torn paper frame with accompanying text: Darren Black, Recipient of the Doug & Betsy Sholl Poetry Fellowship, $1,500 award. The quote from Darren reads: “I am deeply honored to receive the 2026 Sholl Poetry Fellowship, a validation of dedication to the creative life. It is a distinction I will carry with joy, gratitude, and literary purpose throughout my Solstice MFA journey.”

Crumpled paper background with a photo of Millie Sullivan in a torn paper frame with accompanying text: Millie Sullivan, Recipient of the Dennis Lehane Fiction Fellowship, $1,500 award. The quote from Millie reads: “I am so very happy and honored to have been awarded this fellowship. It’s given me encouragement that my decision to follow my heart and pursue an MFA was the right choice, and I am hopeful that it will mark the beginning of a long career.”

Crumpled paper background with a photo of Patricia Achiro Olwoch in a torn paper frame with accompanying text: Patricia Achiro Olwoch, Recipient of the Michael Steinberg Nonfiction Fellowship, $1,500 award. The quote from Patricia reads: “Receiving the Michael Steinberg Fellowship is a profound affirmation of my voice. It allows me to continue writing the stories of exile and resilience that I feel called to bring into the world.”

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Lambda Literary @lambdaliterary.org · 20/11/2025

💌Great news: Lammy Awards submission deadline extended! If it's been a busy fall, you've got an additional week to get your Lambda Literary Awards book submissions in! Submissions are now open until 11:59pm ET on December 7th. Submit here: lambdaliterary.org/awards/lammy... #LammyAwards #Lammys2026

Text reads: 2026 Lammy Awards Submission Deadline Extended: December 7. Background is lilac, a large Lambda Literary Awards golden seal is in the center, surrounded by brightly colored, flat icons of encouragement: Well done, good luck, and an hour glass and laptop icons in the same style.

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solsticemfa.bsky.social @solsticemfa.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

We're more than 96% funded toward our goal! As of this post, we've raised more than $4,830, meaning we have less than $200 left until our target. We're so close to $5,000 with six more weeks left in the campaign. Gift a $25, $50, or $100 gift today to bring us over the line.

givecampus.com

Writers Helping Writers: Solstice MFA Scholarships

Join me and make a gift to Writers Helping Writers: Solstice MFA Scholarships

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