Sign in

Lena Geller

@writingthings.bsky.social
1.5K followers 234 following 83 posts

staff writer @indyweek.bsky.social

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This @writingthings.bsky.social story does a great going below the surface with exploring why lifting really heavy weights resonates with queer people right now (and also motivates me on my subpar deadlifting average)
indyweek.com
At Weight Not Hate, Deadlifting Is for Every Body
Amid an anti-LGBTQ climate and bans against transgender athletes, a deadlifting group in Durham offers queer people a sense of self.
0175
Reposted by Lena Geller
Melody Joy Kramer @mkramer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
obsessed with @writingthings.bsky.social’s food column (and videos) in @indyweek.bsky.social indyweek.com/news/culture...
indyweek.com
Lunch Money: Breakfast for Lunch at Country Junction
Nobody at the Carrboro diner needs a menu, least of all the 87-year-old regular who swears by the bologna sandwich.
2103
Reposted by Lena Geller
Mark Simpson-Vos @simpsonvos.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This right here is why I read IndyWeek and why it is an indispensable local treasure. (Country Junction is, too. IYKYK)
0134
Reposted by Lena Geller
Rikonius.bsky.social @rikonius.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The Snackrooms?
062
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
ate lunch at a liminal spacey diner in Carrboro indyweek.com/news/culture...
216812
Reposted by Lena Geller
Ed Timberlake @trademarksaremagic.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
"If I were a detective who just worked an overnight shift, this is where I would come for breakfast, I think." - @writingthings.bsky.social
163
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
new from me: Duke gave no warning ahead of demolishing a house next to a community garden last week, leaving community members to sus out the fact that the teardown was coming—then scramble, with a crew of Duke's own freshmen, to shield the garden from lead contamination.
indyweek.com
Duke Students Scrambled to Shield a Garden From Demolition Next Door. Behind the Teardown? Their Own University.
A community garden on Swift Avenue has grown hundreds of pounds of fresh food and helped to seed a fragile alliance between Duke and its neighbors. A demolition next door threatened both.
061
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
The wait is over — @writingthings.bsky.social has at last written a Lunch Money column about Cosmic.
0124
Reposted by Lena Geller
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Staff writer @writingthings.bsky.social placed first in Lifestyle Reporting for her account of salvaging luxury items left behind by Duke students departing Durham for the summer. indyweek.com/news/culture...
indyweek.com
I Salvaged $6,000 of Luxury Items Discarded by Duke Students. Why Did It Make Me Feel So Terrible?
At the end of the school year, a lot gets tossed by Duke students at my downtown Durham apartment building. This year I decided to dive in.
141
Reposted by Lena Geller
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
With a submission package that included reporting on a heated lawsuit around nut butter trademark infringement and coverage of a quest to break the Guinness World record for biggest Bloody Mary, staff writer @writingthings.bsky.social's food coverage bagged first place in Beat Feature Reporting.
indyweek.com
Big Spoon v. Smaller Big Spoon
Could two Big Spoons coexist? When Hillsborough’s Big Spoon Roasters alleged trademark infringement against Big Spoon Sauce Co., things got ugly.
152
Reposted by Lena Geller
Brian Gordon @skyoutbriout.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Websites presenting as local news outlets are using AI to create fake North Carolina journalists: www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...
newsobserver.com
The bylines look real. But these prolific NC reporters aren’t.
“Jordan Parker.” “Adrianne Sinclair.” “Carlos Hernandez.” Appearing as news outlets, websites create fake AI journalists in North Carolina.
1710
Reposted by Lena Geller
myf @myfbusters.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Thank you Lena Geller for confirming that the soft pretzels at Bulls games do indeed taste like sand
061
Reposted by Lena Geller
Zetakh @zetakh.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Jacob, this is too American for my European brain to even comprehend. I feel like I've been shoved face-first into the Universe Machine from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
062
Reposted by Lena Geller
Cody, The Rat 🐀 @codytherat.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Excellent stuff.
An excerpt from this article: https://indyweek.com/news/culture/best-durham-bulls-concessions/

With nothing left to taste, Matt, Sarah, and I lay the detritus of our meal on the ground to take a photo, explaining to the intrigued row of college students behind us that we're professional journalists. A minute later, one of them pipes up: She's a rising junior in journalism school, she says, and she's curious if print newspapers are doing OK. We laugh uneasily, and I point to the caloric remnants below us, spread out like roadkill.

"What does it look like?" I quip.
0442
Reposted by Lena Geller
Jacob Geller @jacobgeller.com · 16/07/2026
My sister reviewed baseball stadium food while a bunch of people were married on the field for some reason
One inning in, the Bulls are down a pair and the first wedding is underway. The officiant leans into his mic.
"A marriage is a lot like a night out with White Claws," he begins, and I promptly tune out, turning my attention instead to a bag of glazed pecans I bought from a local vendor called dinkers®.
1256554
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
In: the state budget, finally, after a yearlong stalemate Also In: @writingthings.bsky.social’s lunch budget column
092
Reposted by Lena Geller
Lee Gans @grumplefish.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
@writingthings.bsky.social and I were interviewed about our investigation of how commercial property tax appeals led to the city's revenue shortfall on @wunc.org's Due South! Thanks Leoneda Inge & Cole del Charco for having us on! www.wunc.org/show/due-sou...
wunc.org
Durham's property tax challenge, and a local "Black queer daddy" goes on RuPaul's Drag Race
Plus, why Charlotte soccer fans think the city should host matches in the 2031 Women's World Cup.
021
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
😍
131
Reposted by Lena Geller
T. Greg Doucette @gregdoucette.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Very thorough reporting here from @writingthings.bsky.social at @indyweek.bsky.social Also a good example of how processes can be tilted in any political environment: Durham is one of the bluest municipalities in NC, but an overly deferential tax appeals board gifted millions to local megacorps
25523
Reposted by Lena Geller
Mark Simpson-Vos @simpsonvos.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Hey Durham neighbors - definitely give this a read. Lena Geller and Lee Gans doing some absolutely top notch community journalism.
2266
Reposted by Lena Geller
Barry Yeoman @barryyeoman.com · 16/06/2026
A meticulous investigation of how Durham NC handed outsized property-tax relief to giant landowners. "A modest bungalow contesting a few thousand dollars was far likelier to walk away empty-handed than a global corporation asking to shed millions." @indyweek.bsky.social @writingthings.bsky.social
indyweek.com
How $4 Billion Came Off Durham’s Tax Rolls Last Year, Mostly Benefiting Corporate Landlords—and Blowing a Hole in the City Budget
Landlords and national companies won billions in property tax reductions. City leadership, banking on the revenue, didn’t know until April.
04426
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Willets @sarahwillets.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
New must read from @indyweek.bsky.social: Lena Geller and Lee Gans spent six weeks looking at property tax appeals in Durham and how they led to a budget shortfall: "All told, big businesses saw their tax bills cut left and right, while the tax burden stayed on the shoulders of ordinary residents."
indyweek.com
How $4 Billion Came Off Durham’s Tax Rolls Last Year, Mostly Benefiting Corporate Landlords—and Blowing a Hole in the City Budget
Landlords and national companies won billions in property tax reductions. City leadership, banking on the revenue, didn’t know until April.
084
Reposted by Lena Geller
Charlie Reece ✅ @charliereece.com · 12/06/2026
Some fantastic reporting and analysis by Lena Geller (@writingthings.bsky.social) and Lee Gans (@grumblefish.bsky.social) on a very troubling trend in these property tax appeals cases. It’s worth your time to read this! 😡😡😡
4177
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
“The BOER’s members are appointed by county commissioners and paid $35 an hour; the current board’s six members are all current or former realtors, developers, and appraisers.”
173
Reposted by Lena Geller
Brighton McConnell @brmcc.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Some truly remarkable and important reporting from Lena. This side of budgeting simply isn't the easiest to explain, but she breaks it down very well. Great visuals help explain the issue as well. As a Durham resident, this is...uh...very concerning to me.
172
Reposted by Lena Geller
Dave Rogers @drogersenergy.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
This is a small example, compared to how corporations are screwing over the public globally, but some incredible reporting by @indyweek.bsky.social on how corporate property owners are avoiding taxes at the expense of the rest of us in Durham. indyweek.com/news/durham-...
indyweek.com
How $4 Billion Came Off Durham’s Tax Rolls Last Year, Mostly Benefiting Corporate Landlords—and Blowing a Hole in the City Budget
Landlords and national companies won billions in property tax reductions. City leadership, banking on the revenue, didn’t know until April.
11010
Reposted by Lena Geller
Lee Gans @grumplefish.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
So proud of the work I did with @writingthings.bsky.social to produce this reporting!
062
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
I've spent weeks working with @grumplefish.bsky.social to figure out how $4 billion came off Durham's tax rolls and blew a hole in the city's budget. The gist: in a murky saga, a county board handed corporations tax cuts left & right while the burden stayed on the shoulders of ordinary residents.
indyweek.com
How $4 Billion Came Off Durham’s Tax Rolls Last Year, Mostly Benefiting Corporate Landlords—and Blowing a Hole in the City Budget
Landlords and national companies won billions in property tax reductions. City leadership, banking on the revenue, didn’t know until April.
2184
Reposted by Lena Geller
Matt Hartman @themhartman.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
incredible work from @writingthings.bsky.social here indyweek.com/news/durham-...
indyweek.com
How $4 Billion Came Off Durham’s Tax Rolls Last Year, Mostly Benefiting Corporate Landlords—and Blowing a Hole in the City Budget
Landlords and national companies won billions in property tax appeals. City leadership, banking on the revenue, didn’t know until April.
265
Reposted by Lena Geller
Jacob Geller @jacobgeller.com · 29/05/2026
Proud to be part of this article's origin -- my wife randomly picked a streaming romcom to watch, only for us to realize it was explicitly and comprehensively set in our town.
437618
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
spoke with Mary Hill, the Amazon worker who told off Jeff Bezos from the side of his own penthouse last week
indyweek.com
To Protest the Met Gala, Activists Beamed a Raleigh Amazon Worker's Face onto Jeff Bezos’ Penthouse
72-year-old Mary Hill has spent years organizing Amazon’s RDU1 warehouse in Garner. Her now-viral message lit up Fifth Avenue during the Met Gala.
1169
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
@writingthings.bsky.social interviewed Mary Hill - read!
095
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
i went to a deli in Raleigh and ordered a chopped cheese the ocky way and the cashier laughed at me indyweek.com/news/culture...
indyweek.com
Lunch Money: A Chopped Cheese, the Ocky Way, at Grill & Go Deli
A special chopped cheese sandwich order and two visits to a Grill & Go Deli, a New York City-style deli in Raleigh.
0133
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Last fall, Duke bought a duplex that housed a pro-Palestinian community space. A few months later, it was gone, as was the longtime tenant next door. I looked into what happened:
indyweek.com
Duke Bought a Duplex That Housed a Thriving Community Space. Within Months, It Was Gone. Was That a Coincidence?
The closure of The Living Room is resurfacing questions about what growth costs Durham.
02510
Reposted by Lena Geller
m @micdwy.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
essential reading, essential reporting by Lena @writingthings.bsky.social
1159
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Alert! Our Lunch Money column by @writingthings.bsky.social is back, this time with a stop at Cum Park Grill.
indyweek.com
Lunch Money: Double Takes at a Burlington Steak House
A lunch special with a baked potato, hush puppies, and sweet tea at Western Charcoal Steak House in Burlington.
054
Reposted by Lena Geller
INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
"According to the owner of The Fruit (who apparently interned for the INDY 30 years ago!), there are no election-themed drinks tonight. There is, however, a puppet show rehearsal going on in the basement."
281
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
BREAKING: Fresh off losing a reelection bid last month, former Durham city councilor DeDreana Freeman has filed to challenge state senator Sophia Chitlik for the District 22 seat
indyweek.com
Fresh Off Defeat, Freeman Challenges Chitlik for State Senate Seat
Former city council member DeDreana Freeman, who lost her reelection bid last month, filed Wednesday to challenge first-term Sen. Sophia Chitlik for the District 22 seat.
163
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
An activist who interrupted a swearing-in ceremony in Durham has been banned from city hall for two years, which may be unprecedented:
indyweek.com
Activist Banned from Durham City Hall After Disrupting Swearing-In
Durham resident Amanda Wallace faces a two-year ban from city hall after interrupting council member Matt Kopac’s oath of office.
051
Reposted by Lena Geller
The Assembly @theassemblync.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Scenes of panic, paranoia, and solidarity unfolded across Durham on Tuesday as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents descended on the Triangle. www.theassemblync.com/news/politic...
Employees closed down La Superior grocery store following reports federal agents were coming. (Lena Geller for INDY)
01711
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
BREAKING: Federal agents detained at least three people in Durham on Tuesday, chasing them through a shopping center parking lot as stores locked down and shoppers fled.
indyweek.com
“They’re Just Kind Of Grabbing People”: Fear Grips Durham As Federal Agents Arrive
Federal agents detained at least three people as volunteers mobilized to track the agents through Durham.
020080
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
If you think the origins of a pipe cannot make for compelling investigative reporting, boy do I have a story for you
indyweek.com
A Stormwater Pipe Is Destroying Her Home. Who’s Responsible?
Mandy McGhee bought her Walltown home through a program designed to help low-income buyers build generational wealth. But a stormwater pipe that’s been eroding her foundation for years is putting that...
26222
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
A Durham woman’s foundation is collapsing after 28 years of erosion from a stormwater pipe. The city shares ownership of the pipe. A local nonprofit sold her the house. Who’s responsible? (for @indyweek.bsky.social)
indyweek.com
A Stormwater Pipe Is Destroying Her Home. Who’s Responsible?
Mandy McGhee bought her Walltown home through a program designed to help low-income buyers build generational wealth. But a stormwater pipe that’s been eroding her foundation for years is putting that...
1135
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
spent a week digging through Durham candidates' campaign finance reports. some hadn't filed reports until I asked:
indyweek.com
Digging Through Durham Candidates’ Campaign Finance Reports
Missing data, top donors, how candidates are spending their money, and more.
181
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Following the INDY's investigation into Yes for Durham, all four candidates the group endorsed have publicly rejected its support
indyweek.com
Candidates Distance Themselves from Yes for Durham Following INDY Report
Candidates endorsed by Yes for Durham committed to not accept any money from the group, which has yet to disclose its leadership.
1112
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
Scoop: A brand new nonprofit endorsing Durham candidates hasn’t disclosed its leadership—but initially listed an endorsed candidate’s husband’s property as its address, and mirrors her campaign messaging
indyweek.com
Anonymous Durham Political Group Has Ties to Candidate It Endorsed
Yes for Durham made candidate endorsements. But the group, which hasn’t disclosed its leadership, has ties to one endorsed candidate.
1125
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
the East Durham glory hole/Jesus banner mystery has been solved
indyweek.com
Who's Coming to This East Durham Storefront? At Last, an Answer About an Eye-Catching Banner
After 15 years in downtown Durham, Dame’s Chicken & Waffles is relocating to 455 South Driver Street in East Durham.
1357
Lena Geller @writingthings.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
I spent time with Chapel Hill residents whose home flooded during Tropical Storm Chantal. They're trapped in a house no one will buy, watching luxury apartments rise upstream while their land erodes beneath them.
indyweek.com
They Can’t Sell. They Can’t Stay. From a Chapel Hill Floodway, the Future Looks Grim.
For Lou Horton and her husband, Chantal was a singular catastrophe and the yearslong culmination of watching their situation grow more precarious.
415645
Reposted by Lena Geller
neilst.bsky.social @neilst.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
This is an area near us. In America now, make one serious mistake and unless you have wealth or a needed skill you are done. Happily we are higher than them; and about the highest house on our street. FEMA, I think, has bought endangered houses and destroyed them; no more.
indyweek.com
They Can’t Sell. They Can’t Stay. From a Chapel Hill Floodway, The Future Looks Grim.
For Lou Horton and her husband, Chantal was a singular catastrophe and the yearslong culmination of watching their situation grow more precarious.
066
Reposted by Lena Geller
Sarah Edwards @eddysarah.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
Read this story! (by @writingthings.bsky.social)
indyweek.com
They Can’t Sell. They Can’t Stay. From a Chapel Hill Floodway, The Future Looks Grim.
For Lou Horton and her husband, Chantal was a singular catastrophe and the yearslong culmination of watching their situation grow more precarious.
01612