Tonight’s movie: THE NEVERENDING STORY. Because apparently I haven’t cried enough lately. Christ. Now I need to hydrate.

Every time I watch this movie (which is not often, because it’s Too Much), it feels more like it explains everything about me. Mother loss. Depression. Fantasy. All of it.

It's INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY! Here's where you can buy The Actual Star (and anything else) at my favorite indie bookshops.

Pick a number from 1 through 10 and GO:

1. Letters Bookshop, Durham, NC at @LettersBookshop
bookshop.org/p/books/the-ac… 2. Golden Fig Books, Durham, NC at @goldenfigbooks
goldenfigbooks.com/book/978006300…

Hi all. We just learned that Deborah Chasman, editor of Boston Review, is publishing a piece explaining her decision to retain Junot Diaz. It's been rejected by multiple other outlets over the last few years. Now @chronicle is publishing it.

Here’s a history of that piece: In late September 2020, Chasman contacted us—not to interview us or even ask for comment—but to inform us that a fact checker from the New York Times Magazine would be in touch for an upcoming piece.

We told the fact checkers that we would not cooperate with them.

Tonight’s movie: LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER, starring Emma Corrin, who was so dang good as Diana in The Crown S4. Time to crack open a pomegranate… Also look!! It’s our fave Faye Marsay again @jerkread! 😍

Tonight’s movie: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. I haven’t seen it in a long time, and I had a hankering. Honestly, of all the glorious line readings in this movie, this one might be my favorite

Please read this thread by Zinzi Clemmons, the person who originally came forward about Junot Diaz, about her experience with reporter Ben Smith this past weekend.

It was not good.

https://twitter.com/zinziclemmons/status/1597651201901723648

Full disclosure: I also spoke to Ben Smith on background for the piece, but only after he informed us that he was going to publish it even though we refused to work with him. Because--as many have pointed out--he hadn't earned our trust.

BOOM 2,039 words today. They’re messy as hell, but they’ll do. Hard to over-emphasize to beginning fiction writers how messy a first draft is. Mine are just pure clay-vomit. I judge nothing. Everything comes out. Clichés and all. Just hit that word quota.

I have bittersweet news.

I’m moving out of Durham at summer’s end, staying near family this fall, then selling my car, then flying abroad. I don’t have any immediate plans to come back to the U.S. (1/13) There are many reasons. High on the list are Republican fascism, Democrats’ inaction, affordable housing, the abandonment of public health, the admin’s choice of corporate profit over human life, and wanting to not be in constant fear of street harassment and gun violence. (2/13)

men try to advise me If you disagree with this man that talking about living in a female body isn’t a good way to promote my book, feel free to buy it from anywhere on this page 🤗monicabyrne.org/the-actual-star

I have discovered the glory that is the Mister Global Pageant national costumes

I will not be taking questions at this time Um EXCUSE ME

(Misters Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Peru, and Ecuador)

In honor of THE ACTUAL STAR coming out, I asked my Black-owned local indie bookstore @rofhiwabooks if they’d feature books by Black authors who influenced my work, and they graciously agreed. Here they are—with links to buy: First, Pleasure Activism by @adriennemaree. A radical, collectively-sourced reimagining of what activism can look like, especially for Black women, but important for all to understand: rofhiwabooks.com/products/pleas…

Welp. I was solicited again on my morning walk. I guess because to some men, any woman existing outdoors is a potential sex worker. Here’s the thing, though: I believe in safe and legal sex work. And in this case, I did the “right” thing (immediately doubled back and snapped his license plate, to signal I was documenting in case the situation escalated)....

In ONE HOUR: I'm speaking to @space10_journal about utopia, science fiction, and the importance of imagination. Anyone can join in the call! Sign up here: space10.com/event/space10-… That was SO FUN. Thank you all for coming, and for your incredible energy, questions, and answers! Here's the "starter list" of science fiction I always give to people when asked. Only #1, #2, and maybe #5 are "utopian," but these are all damn good reads. cc @space10_journal

Here’s what the Joe Biden thing reminds me of:

My Dad was a college professor. As I was growing up, many of his friends who came over to the house were fellow faculty.

(1/x) One of them was an English poetry professor. He was known for being a womanizer, and though Dad was friends with him, he also resented this guy basically inviting himself over to drink and talk for hours on end, especially during holidays.

(2/x)

So let’s talk about @MIT’s decision to retain Junot Díaz as a professor after two women publicly described how he sexually assaulted them. First I need to post this. This landmark @nature study just came out. It confirmed everything I’ve experienced in terms of how institutions fail when dealing with the sexual harassers and abusers they employ.
nature.com/articles/d4158…