iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Sometimes you just have to sit outside and enjoy the clouds.

View looking up from my back deck chair, with brick houses on either side, one of them featuring a green-leaved tree in their small backyard, and a beautiful blue sky with white fluffy clouds drifting by above the houses.

Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Tonight's the night for this fave shirt from my collection (from my visit to greatlakesmuseum.ca in Kingston, Ontario - with tours of the steamship S.S. Keewatin!)

The back of a light grey hoodie with Navy blue lettering saying "Great Lakes: Always Fresh - Sometimes Frozen" surrounding a map silhouette of the lakes with Kingston, Ontario highlighted on the shore of Lake Ontario.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Me as I try to tetris my TBR, remembering this sign from my visit yesterday to the fabulous @bakkaphoenix.bsky.social 🤣 (where I picked up @cornellwriter.bsky.social's new short story collection "The Astronaut Among the Flowers" - it's on top!)

A clapboard sign next to the window of Bakka-Phoenix Books in Toronto says "Keeping IKEA in business since 1972" above a chalkboard figure contemplating a fully stacked bookshelf who is thinking "I need a new shelf"

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Two buns in the backyard at the same time today! Here's one of them doing bun yoga.

A brown bunny is sitting with one leg up scratching itself with its foot on its face. It's a closeup shot through the railings of my back deck. Staying inside so as not to scare the bun away!

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

It's one of those days, so time to share some swans

The Avon River in Stratford, Ontario, where four swans in a row are swimming serenely on a sunny day. In the background across the river are trees with bright green leaves and a house with a bright white wraparound porch.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I'm glad at least the article ends with saying empathy is trending upwards in young people, because I do not want to believe these stats.

A 2010 meta-analysis of 72 such studies of American college-age students by researchers at the University of Michigan showed empathy had declined about 40 per cent between 1979 and 2009. Students were surveyed on their feelings of tender concern for others, whether they tried to imagine how others feel, and how likely they were to identify with the feelings of fictional characters in books or movies.

CBC | 2022 survey finds Canadians are feeling less empathetic due to COVID-19

In Canada, research published by the Canadian Mental Health Association in 2022 said Canadians were feeling less empathetic than they did before the pandemic — only 13 per cent reported feelings of empathy compared to about a quarter of Canadians at the onset of COVID-19.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I am also a madwoman because I like to take other people into account when I make decisions, how dare

Gad Saad is one of those voices critical of empathy as a given common good. He is an author, a popular podcaster and commentator. His upcoming book is called Suicidal Empathy: Dying To Be Kind, an examination of “the descent to madness by highlighting the inability to implement optimal decisions when our emotional system is tricked."

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Yeah, that's me, clearly highjacking "empathy" because *checks notes* the word means what it means.

Empathy is under attack with claims that it can be toxic and dangerous to society.

That’s despite the fact a number of scientific studies have found empathy to be highly beneficial to society and likely innate. The ability to feel what someone else is feeling, can be the impetus for compassion and altruism — an important social glue.

But a growing chorus of mostly conservative writers, podcasters and influencers — mainly in the U.S. but also in Canada — argue empathy is too easily manipulated. They say it’s being hijacked by progressives to justify equity, diversity, abortion, immigration and other progressive causes.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Somehow the second most popular article from CBC radio today. I will never get over this revolting ideology that caring about people is bad. It is depressing AF.

From CBC radio IDEAS afternoon:

How can empathy be dangerous?
'Toxic empathy blinds us to reality and morality,' says Christian conservative podcast host

Pauline Dakin · CBC Radio · Posted: Jan 28, 2026 5:24 PM EST | Last Updated: February 2

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

When I get sad I remember we still have trees and flowers.

A tall tree stretching its limbs wide in the sunshine.

A flower that is such a bright orange and yellow that it reminds me of a beautiful sunset.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

And finally, the musical - Something Rotten! The first time I've seen a standing ovation happen three times throughout a show. Here the audience got to be included in the play as an explicit audience, including participating in a Will Shakespeare rave. And we could play with a prop after. 😀 /5

I'm sticking my head out of Nostradamus' shed from Something Rotten! at the Festival Theatre. It has a pink and purple striped roof reminiscent of a circus tent, and a sign on the front says "Out of Business Due to Unforeseen Circumstances"

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Then there was The Importance of Being Earnest, where timing is everything, and the laughs of the audience spurred the performances - both the line delivery and the pauses in between. They did set changes behind a transparent screen, where the "staff" played other scenes to audience delight. /4

A screening curtain is used during The Importance of Being Earnest at the Avon Theatre. It is covered in a riot of different coloured flowers which match the flower garden at the foot of the stage.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Midsummer Night's Dream had Puck play with the audience during intermission. I'd never seen that. There was a young child sitting in front of me, and later in the show Puck bent to smile and wave at him as he scampered down the aisle to the stage. Adding to the magic. /2

A large round moon hangs above the Tom Patterson stage for the performance of Midsummer Night's Dream. There is a projection on it showing blue and purple light, the effect when live making it seem like the moon is rotating.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Shout out to Fanfare Books in Stratford, Ontario, which had Canadian author sections by genre. Of course I came away with more for my TBR! (I also wanted to walk out with the entire folklore and fairy tales section.)

Two books surround a bookmark from Fanfare Books in Stratford, Ontario: Love Among Thieves by Katrina Kwan and As the Earth Dreams: Black Canadian Speculative Stories edited by Terese Mason Pierre.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Spotted a surprise guest while strolling through the Shakespearean Gardens in Stratford. #Bloomscrolling

A monarch butterfly with its wings slightly spread is perched in the middle of a cluster of bright pink coneflowers. The orande-brown centres of the flowers match the monarch's wings.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Third time attempting an Art. Doing brushstrokes was a little easier this time! I'm loving the whole experience of painting - so nice to gently poke my brain to do something visual, which is much harder for me than wordcrafting. Now to do it more often!

Acrylic painting of pink hibiscus flowers scattered around like giant cheerful jellyfish against a royal blue sky and surrounded by green palm fronds with gleaming yellow tips.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Found some matches while cleaning out a relative's house and Hold the phone everyone Did you know you can book your travels using this amazing new technology? 👀

A battered black matchbook with white and neon pink text saying "Take advantage of Holiday Inns' exclusive Holidex System for fast, free, advance reservations by computer."

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Aaand of course her cover did not display because internet, so here it is in all its gorgeousness I mean Wow

Cover of Fortune's Shadow by Sue Archer. It features a young dark-haired woman playing a guitar with purple mist swirling around her, while a mysterious red-haired woman hovers behind her against the starry night above a darkened street.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Random flower for my timeline. I appreciate you folks! Thanks for listening to me babble about a book festival for like three weeks straight😂

A cluster of bright red tulips. Their leaves are bright green and the tulips are glistening with moisture after the rain. Gorgeous thin dark swirls in the petals, too.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

To my poor beleaguered timeline: eventually I will stop talking about Canada Fiction Fest. But today is Canada Day 🇨🇦, so if you haven't heard about this new online festival yet... 😀 #BookSky #WeReadCanadian #HappyCanadaDay Fictionfest.ca

A fox says "Mystery, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and more! Check out our all-Canadian online fiction festival!" Fictionfest.ca June 21 to July 4

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Went on a Kobo spree this morning, as one does. 😀 #FictionFest Also picked up Gravity's Daughter from @kittensyay.bsky.social yesterday!

List of 4 books from a Kobo cart: The Whisperer in White by Y.R. Liu, City of Stars and Shadows by Will J Fawley, The Redemption of Jarek by Dylan Madeley, and Stealing from Wizards by R.A. Consell

A list of 4 books from a Kobo cart: Keeper of Shadows by Scarlett Kol, Shoeshine Boy and Cigarette Girl by P.A. Cornell, Kintsugi by Jennifer Rahn, and Venue 13 by David Jon Fuller

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦 Browsing through the Canada Fiction Fest showcase today to pick up some great books by Canadian authors from across the country. Many are on sale - please share! fictionfest.ca/showcase/ You can also catch reading replays on the channel 📖 m.youtube.com/@CanadaFicti...

A blue square image with a photograph of a chickadee in the foreground. A cartoon-style talk bubble has the bird saying: "The world needs more Canadian books!"

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

I'm up at 1:30 Eastern today with @davidjonfuller.bsky.social @yrliu.bsky.social and J.F. Garrard! See you on the stream! 😀

Poster of four fantasy authors, Sue Archer, J.F. Garrard, Y.R. Liu, and David Jon Fuller, announcing author readings at Canada Fiction Fest on June 27th at 1:30 p.m. EDT, hosted by N.P. Thompson.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Finally picked the scene I'm going to share on Saturday for Canada Fiction Fest! I love reading out loud. This is going to be a blast. Hope you can join - registration is free, and there are lots of other panels and readings from Canadian authors going on right now! #BookSky fictionfest.ca/events/

Poster for Canada Fiction Fest Fantasy Author Readings on June 27th at 1:30 p.m. EDT featuring Sue Archer, J.F. Garrard, Y.R. Liu, and David Jon Fuller

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Solstice sunset is pulling out all the stops.

There are two shadowed houses in the foreground, and in between the sky is orange and pink blending to purple above. The light is bouncing off of the clouds which are strewn evenly across the sky like a quilted mattress. Beautiful.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Now this is a dedication I can get behind

The text under "Dedication" says "To all our critical inner voices - please take the day off. Actually, take the whole damn year."

From the book Love Lessons by Sarina Bowen

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

I love going to sessions like the ones happening at @canadafictionfest.bsky.social over the next two weeks - I come away inspired to write and read and be creative, and that's something super important for me right now. A shout out to everyone who read from their books today - your words matter!

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Unseasonably hot weather so of course my A/C is out. Enjoy this lone flower defying the hot sun from my early #StetWalk!

A solitary white daffodil with a yellow centre surrounded by an empty garden bed with grasses at the edge.

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

A good day for a #StetWalk. Blooms are out and my favourite (tulips) are everywhere. 🥰

A cluster of over a dozen tulips with varying mix levels of pink and white. Bright and jaunty!

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Sue Archer 🍁 @suearcher.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

The FOLD (Festival of Literary Diversity) has the best shirts! (And it's on now virtually, coincidentally, in case anyone wants to catch it!) This one's my favourite, with me wearing it for a video. 🎶 Strike a book pose 🎶 Thefoldcanada.org