iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 13h

I mean, maybe he does look like a meerkat. Meerkat at Henry Doorly Zoo in September; other meerkat in my living room yesterday.

A diptych with a photo of an actual meerkat (seated) in the left frame and a photo of a small white dog in the same position, ears back and same facial expression, on the right.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Everybody finished breakfast, so we’re reclining comfortably on the couch.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I can’t get over the fact that the football commentators on one of yesterday’s World Cup games used the words “bewilderment” and “discomfited” (!) in their commentary. Do American sports fans have *that* poor of a vocabulary? Don’t answer that.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Book mail! Really looking forward to @reallaurenhough’s new one! 🐕‍🦺🇺🇸🕶️

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Sitting in a room hearing about new @apstylebook.com guidance and when Editor Anna Jo Brattin mused, “When did we adopt Merriam-Webster as our dictionary; I think it was two years ago …,” multiple audience members chimed in with authority, “Yes, two years ago.” That’s expertise! #ACES2026

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Must-have resource when visiting Arizona.

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Joseph Fasano @josephfasano.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

There are so many ways of being despicable it quite makes one’s head spin. But the way to be really despicable is to be contemptuous of other people’s pain. —James Baldwin

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Kashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 07/04/2026

Armageddon is terrible, but our only other option was diversity trainings at work.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I spend far too much time thinking about the time I saw Lucinda Williams at the Bluebird Theater in Denver and I wanted to buy a "You Took My Joy, I Want It Back" T-shirt, but they only went up to a large that runs small. Ma'am, I'm 5'9" with a bosom. An ouroboros of taken joy.

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Substack tourney recap coming your way this weekend but we wanted to invite you to our HIT REPEAT UNTIL I HATE MUSIC ZOOM book launch TUES 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern. Register: tinyurl.com/hitrepeat

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Joshua Reed Eakle 🗽 @joshuaeakle.com · 03/04/2026

I'm not sure about you, but I think the collapse of US hegemony, a global price spike and recession, and a new ground war in the Middle East are far worse than drag queens reading books at the library.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

What does it take to make the Final Four? On the March Sadness 90s Edition Championship day, a giant THANK YOU to all who supported me & my essay about "You Had Time." As a last token of this tournament, I offer this glimpse into the past 4 months of my life. youtube.com/shorts/BfGN6...

youtube.com

March Sadness 90s edition - What does it take to reach the Final Four?

YouTube video by Susanna Donato

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Melissa Fite Johnson @mfitejohnson.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Happy birthday, Celine Dion! I wrote an essay for @marchxness.bsky.social about how much "My Heart Will Go On" means to me, but you are too famous to probably ever know this, which is itself a sadness this March

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Erin Keane @erinkeane.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

If My Heart Will Go On isn't the saddest March Sadness song in your mind, maybe now it's the most terrifying

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Two songs and essays remain. They've bested all opponents. They've survived close games. (6) Ben Folds Five's "Brick" and @cicilybennion.bsky.social took out (11) Skid Row, (14) Mazzy Star, (7) Sade, (5) Bush, and (13) Ani DiFranco to get here. Now they're up against their toughest opponent.

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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

He makes a persuasive case.

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Sejal Shah @sejalshah.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

So excited for this @marchxness.bsky.social anthology from @splitlippress.com! I will be reading at @fandmcollege.bsky.social as part of their #emergingwritersfestival, which begins tonight, 3/30/26 and HIT REPEAT UNTIL I HATE MUSIC will be there, sold by @pocketbooksshop.bsky.social. 🔥💓🎵

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Two songs and essays remain. They've bested all opponents. They've survived close games. (1) Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" and @mfitejohnson.bsky.social took out (16) Silver Jews, (8) REM, (13) Kristin Hersh, (3) Counting Crows, (1) Guns n' Roses, and now take on (6) Ben Folds Five…

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Ok while we're getting tomorrow's Championship Game ready we just dropped some new merch in the merch store: the I Heart Sad Songs and I Cannot Lie / Final Four shirt (feat. this year's Final Four) + 2 Sadness Mugs (a camping mug and a ceramic one): marchxness.com/merch

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jrmcconvey @jrmcconvey.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Tomorrow's matchup was inevitable. It has always been thus and it was always going to be thus: hammering chests and slow drowning. This is the Dream of Ben and Celine.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

This is such a beautiful cover and beautiful insights into @mfitejohnson.bsky.social 's sensitivity. Re-read her essay before making any judgments about just how sad "My Heart Will Go On" is. Spoiler: It's really sad, and it's a beautiful essay.

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Sejal Shah @sejalshah.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

I had a terrible time deciding. Both essays are sad in the best way. I thought @cicilybennion.bsky.social had me completely and then I re-read @susannadonato.bsky.social's essay on Ani and remembered my first Ani concert in 1994 & being ghosted by people I loved & voted Ani. @marchxness.bsky.social

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

‼️ * Please vote by 9 a.m. PT/12 noon ET! * Ani & I are down by 13 votes! Please go to marchxness.com/final4-folds... THIS MORNING and vote for me & Ani DiFranco! Voting is open until 9 a.m. MT on Saturday, March 28.

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Deirdre Lockwood @deirdrelockwood.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

go vote for Ani and Susanna!

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

The @marchxness.bsky.social tournament has been fun. But what brought me in was sadness: the grief and self-recrimination of Ani DiFranco's achingly beautiful song. Here's one more dive, this time with feeling. Hope you'll vote for me, but if not, I'll go out singing. youtu.be/IGK-JBgBwNg

youtu.be

March Sadness 90s Edition cover of “You Had Time” by Ani DiFranco

YouTube video by Susanna Donato

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Jen Borkowski @jenmaicha.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Two good, sad songs today. Two skillful essays. Two contrasting sadnesses. Oof.

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

ONE MORE TIME

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Erin Keane @erinkeane.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

I was never cool enough to be on a first-name basis with Ani, but listening to "You Had Time," I feel like had this been my intro to her, I would have been. She has my vote now.

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Tipping off our other Final Four matchup NOW: (6) Ben Folds Five, Brick vs (13) Ani DiFranco, You Had Time. Read, listen, and vote by noon eastern time Saturday to send the sadder of the two to the Championship: marchxness.com#/final4-fold...

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

IT’S HAPPENING! Time to vote again ... Let's push Ani through to the Championship! @marchxness.bsky.social marchxness.com/final4-folds...

marchxness.com

3/27, Final 4: (6) Ben Folds Five vs (13) Ani DiFranco — March Sadness 90s Edition

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Melissa Fite Johnson @mfitejohnson.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

I love this. I had Ani going out in the first round only because I chose by songs that I had nostalgia for and loved. But I vote on essays—and I love yours.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Fun fact: My seed (13) is lower than all the other seeds in the Final Four combined (1+1+6)! Voting starts at 9 PT/12 ET TODAY! #CinderellaStory

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Yesterday's email from @marchxness.bsky.social said two brackets have Ani taking it all, and I want to say THANK YOU! ❤️You had more faith in me than I had in myself -- my goal was to make it through Round 1. 🙏✒️🙏🎸

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

It's FINAL FOUR March Sadness 90s Edition Gameday! Battle of the 1-seeds: (1) Celine Dion, My Heart Will Go On vs (1) GnR, November Rain. @mfitejohnson.bsky.social vs @erinkeane.bsky.social. Listen, read, vote by 9am AZ time FRIDAY 3/27: marchxness.com/finalfour-di...

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Erin Keane @erinkeane.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Forty years ago today, Guns N’ Roses signed to Geffen Records. Today, “November Rain” faces the formidable Queen Celine in a March Sadness #1 seed match. In this face-off between 2 epic divas, vote Axl! marchxness.com#/finalfour-d...

Check for advance to the members of GN’R from Geffen

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Melissa Fite Johnson @mfitejohnson.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Final Four @marchxness.bsky.social voting is open now through Friday, March 27, at noon Eastern/9 a.m. Pacific! Please consider voting to send Celine and me (and my dog Jazzy, pictured here) to the championship game!

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March Xmas 2026 @marchxness.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

MARCH SADNESS 90S EDITION ELITE 8 DAY 2 FINAL SCORES Brick 301, Glycerine 300 (!!) You Had Time 217, The World I Know 201 We congratulate the winners. What a wild ride these games were. We'll see Ben Folds / Cicily Bennion and Ani DiFranco / @susannadonato.bsky.social in the FINAL FOUR!

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Jason Thayer @thejasonthayer.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

"Brick" surged through the night and now "Glycerine" is down bad. If you've got ANY more votes in you, please help Bush beat the beast. Here's proof of Gavin Rossdale's impact on 10-year-old Jason, drawn at school under "I want to be..." marchxness.com#/elite8-fold...

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

This one is a nailbiter! You have 59 minutes to help YOU HAD TIME stay alive and make it to the Final Four of @marchxness.bsky.social! Please vote for me & Ani DiFranco! marchxness.com/elite8-colle...

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Behind the Music, @marchxness.bsky.social edition. A few hours remain to vote for me and Ani DiFranco’s “You Had Time” in March Sadness ‘90s Edition! marchxness.com#/elite8-coll...

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

I can’t say I support @jamcharlesworth.bsky.social ‘s bid for votes, because I’m his opponent and I want you to vote for me, but respect to this charming cover of “The World I Know” and his excellent essay, plus the fact that he actually knows how to play the guitar! May the saddest song win.

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Just getting around to last Thursday’s NYT crossword …

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Melissa Faliveno @mlfaliveno.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

More delightful cover action! Ani but make it flute is a genius move. Also I feel like we might actually be able to field an Xness marching band?

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Jen Borkowski @jenmaicha.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

"The World I Know" vs "You Had Time": a wrenching decision, having to choose between these two sadnesses.

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Chloe N. Clark @pintsncupcakes.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

A reminder to authors: yell about your books! And often! I follow several authors, who I adore, and had no idea they had books up for preorder!

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Susanna Donato @susannadonato.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

As I put together my Elite 8 March Sadness ‘90s Edition cover version, I couldn’t read the sheet music fast enough to play it on the flute. So I wondered if AI could convert the sheet music into simple letter names. Reader, it could not. But I, a human, certainly could. @marchxness.bsky.social

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Melissa Fite Johnson @mfitejohnson.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

This is beautiful! I love it very much. Also, I can’t get enough of these flute covers! They put me right back in my high school band room, the room that held my best memories of those years ❤️

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Allison Renner @allisonwrites.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

We're getting a band together for sure!! THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!

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