Melissa Ann Singer

Melissa Ann Singer

@masinger.bsky.social

freelance book editor specializing in genre fiction, former Senior Editor at Tor; loves theater & art; basically a nerd. has a cat she/her demi/ace Jewish NYC, HCHS, SMC (cover image: "59th Street Bridge" by Jeffrey is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.)

3.1K followers793 following10.3K posts

Pinned

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

If you're looking for a freelance editor for novella or novel-length genre fiction for adult readers, check me out here: reedsy.com/melissa-singer Or on Fb, which is pretty moribund but I kept it around for DMs when I left Twitter: www.facebook.com/profile.php?... Or you can DM here on Bluesky.

reedsy.comMelissa Ann Singer - Editor | ReedsyNew York City, NY, USA Editor: Former Senior Editor at Tor/Forge, edited award-winning & bestselling genre fiction for adult readers: sf/f, horror, mystery, thriller, etc.
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

🧵

Abigail Nussbaum@abigailnussbaum.bsky.social

This is a good primer on Israel's political situation going into tomorrow's election. But I'd like to go deeper on something he only touches on, which is that part of the reason for Israel's electoral doldrums (and resulting geopolitical chaos) is its broken political system bsky.app/profile/avis...

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

I am sad. Like many girls my age when TOS first aired, I thought Chekov was cute (tho Spock was my main man). I thought Koenig was brilliant on B5, sharp and collected. I was delighted to learn, later, that he was a huge Batman fan; his in it was palpable. May his memory be a blessing.

Jesse Thorn@jessethorn.bsky.social

My pal Danielle Koenig shared that her father Walter Koenig passed away last night at age 90. A performer whose kindness and warmth shone through the screen. He will be well remembered.

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

Evan Urquhart
@evanurquhart.bsky.social

Replying to @evanurquhart.bsky.social

I do strongly endorse VOTING, however. It's important though it's not the only thing you can do to effect change. Remember, if there's a race where you've decided not to vote for either candidate, that doesn't mean stay home. Leave that line blank, learn about the other races and vote in those.

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

Ben Collins
@bencollins.bsky.social

Check out how easy this is.

BeshearStan@beshearstan.bsky.social

Kansas Dem Sen. nominee Adam Hamilton on trans rights: “I don’t think we should take a small group of people and bully them, pick on them, and hurt them. I understand one thing really clearly when it comes to transgender people, and that is Jesus told me I was to love my neighbor as I love myself”

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

Greg Pak
@gregpak.net

This is garbage. It's very easy to say: "My opponent is a creep who wants to inspect your children's genitalia. I think government should mind its own fucking business." Makes me sick that Turek doesn't have the guts or the interest in fighting for the underdogs here.

Erin Reed@erininthemorning.com

Josh Turek of Iowa, Democrat, comes out with one of the worst anti-trans ads yet. Not only is it an anti-sports ad, it proposes a ban on federal funding for gender affirming care. That would hit all medicaid and medicare patients, and any ACA federally-subsidized plans as well. Horrific.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

My grandmother was widowed relatively young and was hotly pursued by men in her senior community. She told me once that she had no intention of marrying again bc she had done her time looking after men.

This post is unavailable.
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Sometimes, when I look at a Kandinsky, I hear music. This is one of those times. It's hard to describe an abstract, which is what "Blue Painting" is. The blue(s) are mostly the background, which is several shades of blue, darker at the edges, lighter toward the center. The rest is a riot of color

Guggenheim Collection@guggenheim.bsky.social

Blue Painting by Vasily Kandinsky, 1924 https://botfrens.com/collections/212/contents/137152

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Against the blue field, a jumble of shapes--triangles, rectangles, circles, ovals, straight lines, squiggles, and more--dance about, sometimes overlapping (and sometimes changing color when they do), some surrounded by halos of lighter colors.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

I guess this might look like a violent collision to some (not an explosion though), but to me, it looks like the shapes and colors are joyful, dancing, leaping, vibrating, happy.

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

Frank Cifaldi
@frankcifaldi.bsky.social

Part of my literal job is to fly out to physical game studios to rescue and recover historical materials that might be endangered and put them in a permanent archive. @gamehistoryorg.bsky.social is a 501(c)3 publicly funded to do that, my DMs are open, and I'm free for the next couple weeks...

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

If you borrow ebooks & audiobooks through Libby, there are setting that will exclude works with AI from the listings you see. Libraries > Settings > Content Controls Turn off "deep search" at the bottom of the options to have it apply to every library you use.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

I edited two of the books in this stack! (I'm always thrilled when people like books I've worked on.) Zone Stage's _brilliant_ & moving SOMETHING OF A CALLING and THE LIVING DEAD by Romero & Kraus, which was a hell of a ride!

Zoje Stage@zojestage.bsky.social

Thrilled and amazed to see SOMETHING OF A CALLING - plus other of my books - mentioned in this feature about Pittsburgh authors!! pittsburgh.tablemagazine.com/blog/horror-...

pittsburgh.tablemagazine.comHorror and Thriller Books to Read From Pittsburgh AuthorsThis spooky season, pick up one of these horror and thriller books by Pittsburgh authors from adult psychological stories to young adult dark academia.

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

Gavin, Small Beer (closed due to long covid), &c.
@gavingrant.bsky.social

Launched the @bookmoon.bsky.social Indiegogo campaign (began it last December, launched today, everything I do is a little slow these days!) today but missed the actual moment as I was in teen's zoom school class . . . 😂

indiegogo.comWe're Shooting for the Moon by Gavin Grant - IndiegogoWe had a chance to buy the building our bookstore is in and we were on it faster than you can say there's a monster at the end of this book!
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Most of my life, I've lived in a neighborhood bisected by Queens Blvd. Like the "stroad" in this article, it completely divides one side of the neighborhood from another; you could literally grow up without knowing anyone from "across the Blvd."

Omar Wasow@owasow.bsky.social

“American roads are becoming deadlier for walkers. Between 2009 and 2024, pedestrian deaths increased 72% across the U.S., federal data show. Over the same period, such deaths declined in most other developed nations, according to United Nations data. In road safety, the U.S. is an outlier.” 🎁

wsj.comThe Deadly 1.5-Mile Corridor That Shows the Fatal Flaw in America’s Road DesignSix lanes and crosswalks a half-mile apart: How American urban-planning is failing walkers.
View full thread
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

The pattern of the lights was changed too, so that even when cars were turning, you had a chance to get across the street w/out having to dodge in every direction. Bike lanes were added to the local strips, which are now 1 lane instead of 2. It took decades, neighborhood by neighborhood.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Note: roadway changes began in the more affluent neighborhoods, which complained more effectively, & spread from there. It's still a dangerous road but you no longer feel like you're taking your life in your hands every time you need to cross the street.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Most of my life, I've lived in a neighborhood bisected by Queens Blvd. Like the "stroad" in this article, it completely divides one side of the neighborhood from another; you could literally grow up without knowing anyone from "across the Blvd."

Omar Wasow@owasow.bsky.social

“American roads are becoming deadlier for walkers. Between 2009 and 2024, pedestrian deaths increased 72% across the U.S., federal data show. Over the same period, such deaths declined in most other developed nations, according to United Nations data. In road safety, the U.S. is an outlier.” 🎁

wsj.comThe Deadly 1.5-Mile Corridor That Shows the Fatal Flaw in America’s Road DesignSix lanes and crosswalks a half-mile apart: How American urban-planning is failing walkers.
View full thread
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

People crossed between crosswalks all the time, too. Often that felt safer than trying to cross at an intersection where you had 10 or 12 lanes of Blvd traffic, plus traffic from the crossing street (2 or4 lanes), plus cars turning on & off the Blvd. & a short light.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Finally statistics & community outrage moved NYC to act. Metal fences were added to the islands between crosswalks, making it much harder to cross there. Crossings were added between major intersections. (still not every block.) Lights were changed to give pedestrians more time to cross.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Most of my life, I've lived in a neighborhood bisected by Queens Blvd. Like the "stroad" in this article, it completely divides one side of the neighborhood from another; you could literally grow up without knowing anyone from "across the Blvd."

Omar Wasow@owasow.bsky.social

“American roads are becoming deadlier for walkers. Between 2009 and 2024, pedestrian deaths increased 72% across the U.S., federal data show. Over the same period, such deaths declined in most other developed nations, according to United Nations data. In road safety, the U.S. is an outlier.” 🎁

wsj.comThe Deadly 1.5-Mile Corridor That Shows the Fatal Flaw in America’s Road DesignSix lanes and crosswalks a half-mile apart: How American urban-planning is failing walkers.
View full thread
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

You can't cross at every corner; crosswalks are several blocks apart. When I was growing up here & when dd was young, the local part was 2 lanes wide, not just 1. So to cross the Blvd., you had to cross 10 lanes of traffic & 3 islands at a regular crossing or 12 lanes & 3 islands at major crossings

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

It was practically impossible to get all the way across on a single light if you were young/healthy/not carrying or pushing anything, but people tried. They were regularly mown down, day & night. Many parents in the area forbade their children to cross it w/o an adult until they were at least 9.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Most of my life, I've lived in a neighborhood bisected by Queens Blvd. Like the "stroad" in this article, it completely divides one side of the neighborhood from another; you could literally grow up without knowing anyone from "across the Blvd."

Omar Wasow@owasow.bsky.social

“American roads are becoming deadlier for walkers. Between 2009 and 2024, pedestrian deaths increased 72% across the U.S., federal data show. Over the same period, such deaths declined in most other developed nations, according to United Nations data. In road safety, the U.S. is an outlier.” 🎁

wsj.comThe Deadly 1.5-Mile Corridor That Shows the Fatal Flaw in America’s Road DesignSix lanes and crosswalks a half-mile apart: How American urban-planning is failing walkers.
View full thread
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

The other 2 separate the outer-edge, single-lane "local" roads from the central, "express" strips. Parking is permitted on the local lanes. Because it's a commercial street, there's a fair amount of double-parking as well, completely clogging the local lanes.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

There are 1-way cut-throughs on the same-direction islands, allowing cars to pass from local to express or vice-versa. Drivers reguarly try to make them 2-way, which is not impossible, but it's difficult. The central roads also have turning lanes at major intersections, going from 3 lanes to 4.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Most of my life, I've lived in a neighborhood bisected by Queens Blvd. Like the "stroad" in this article, it completely divides one side of the neighborhood from another; you could literally grow up without knowing anyone from "across the Blvd."

Omar Wasow@owasow.bsky.social

“American roads are becoming deadlier for walkers. Between 2009 and 2024, pedestrian deaths increased 72% across the U.S., federal data show. Over the same period, such deaths declined in most other developed nations, according to United Nations data. In road safety, the U.S. is an outlier.” 🎁

wsj.comThe Deadly 1.5-Mile Corridor That Shows the Fatal Flaw in America’s Road DesignSix lanes and crosswalks a half-mile apart: How American urban-planning is failing walkers.
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

For many years, Queens Blvd. was known as "the boulevard of death." People were regularly killed while crossing, especially at the major intersections. "The Boulevard," as it's known, is a divided roadway. There are 3 islands/strips: 1 separates the 2 central sections--3 lanes in each direction.

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

Maurice Broaddus
@mauricebroaddus.bsky.social

1) I'm on the board of the Ray Bradbury Center 2) I am co-editing a new anthology (with Carrie Cooper, Assistant Director of the Ray Bradbury Center and public humanities scholar).

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

Shepherd
@neolithicsheep.bsky.social

Hey y'all. So normally I am a reasonably private person despite appearances which makes this sort of humiliating. My life is more or less in the process of burning down. There's a family wedding coming up in 3 weeks. I'd like to go.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

In case you haven't been paying attention, this is the same thing as people asking Jews if they support the Netanyahu government. It comes from the same place, the idea that we have divided loyalties. That we are not Americans first.

Abdul El-Sayed@abdulelsayed.bsky.social

This is Tommy. Tommy had a question about my allegiances. Listen to the end to hear about his.

Melissa Ann Singer reposted

John Scalzi
@scalzi.com

I see we're having a debate about whether it's okay to go back to "X," the site owned by a trillionaire fascist who is currently bankrolling the GOP's midterm, throttled Ukraine's war effort, and still winkingly allows vast amounts of CSAM on his service Answer: No, what the fuck is wrong with you

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

ya know, I play the recorder. I have played it on and off since since childhood. started with soprano, now play alto. I stink at it. I love that I have to work hard to sound good. when I sound good, when I play something recognizable, I'm so fucking proud of myself. I DID THAT! I MADE MUSIC!

Tressie McMillan Cottom@tressiemcphd.bsky.social

They think accessible means make it easy/frictionless. Making noise together is plenty accessible. It just takes talent and effort to make that noise sound like music — and that’s what they take issue with. Which I know y’all know. I’m just annoyed. By everything.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

In 2024 my cat needed virtually all her teeth pulled. It cost me $5,000 US. I saved for months to be able to afford it and still had to tap savings and is one of the reasons I don't do much of anything "fun" even 2 years later (not without saving up first). But I had the savings to draw on.

This post is unavailable.
Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

Peri is fine and even went back to eating kibble within a couple of months, which the vet didn't think would happen (she doesn't like wet food). But it was a scary time.

Melissa Ann Singer
@masinger.bsky.social

I read EQMM and Hitchcock's regularly for years. But not since MRM took them over. (Haven't read the others either.)

Arendse@arend.se

In any discussion of what Must Read Magazines is doing, we need to ensure that we're also continuing to talk about Alfred Hitchcock and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazines. It's five magazines that are affected under MRM. Don't leave them out. Rising tides, and all that!