Literary Death Match

4 writers. 3 judges. 2 finalists. 1 champion. Now in 73 cities around the world.

[Imani @youdoingtoomuch]

Bring back rich oligarchs who were true patrons of the arts. The Medicis were useful. These tech billionaires are parasites.

[Joyce Carol Oates @JoyceCarolOates]

So curious that such a wealthy man never posts anything that indicates that he enjoys or is even aware of what virtually everyone appreciates— scenes from nature, pet dog or cat, praise for a movie, music, a book (but doubt that he reads); pride in a friend’s or relative’s accomplishment; condolences for someone who has died; pleasure in sports, acclaim for a favorite team; references to history. In fact he seems totally uneducated , uncultured. The poorest persons on Twitter may have access to more beauty & meaning in life than the “most wealthy person in the world.”

[Joyce Carol Oates @JoyceCarolOates]

"wherever he goes, he wants to leave"-- that's because when he gets there, he has brought his own self along; & whatever club he's invited to join has been devalued by the invitation.

[Mikel Jollett @Mikel_Jollett]

I’m sorry for the long post but a lot of you have followed me for a long time, since 2016 when I was one of the first to repeatedly call out Trump for being a Russian asset.

I don’t know how else to say this, as a person who has studied cults (wrote a bestseller about it) and totalitarian states. I’ve been attacked on Fox News, berated by the VP and others and like many of you, I’ve gotten death threats.

So please believe me when I say this. Things have changed.

ICE is going to be the vehicle for fascism in this country. The extra-judicial practices (no warrants, no ID), the masks (anonymity leads to horrors again and again throughout history), the dehumanization of immigrants and Democrats (dehumanization precedes arrests, torture, murder, again and again).

No we are not going to be Nazi Germany because nothing in history matches Nazi Germany.

But fascism has arrived in America. Here is how it is going to happen:

ICE will be the vehicle, the gestapo empowered by the President, to enforce his will, first among vulnerable undocumented people, then among legal immigrants, then among political rivals, then among citizens who speak out against the Trump grift.

This is not a hypothetical. It’s happening.

That Big Dumb Racist bill gives $170 billion dollars for an organization which has no respect for the constitution, no oversight, nothing but marching orders from a couple racist, power-hungry madmen.

$170 billion to build hidden prisons with no oversight. To put this in perspective, this is 62% larger than the entire federal prison system.

$170 billion to drag people out of their places of work, parks, homes. $170 billion to hire racist little man babies who hide their faces as they assault children, old people, pregnant women.

How do you think this goes? How has this ever gone in history? We are entering a dark period.

Our only hope is to draw the line now. To stick up for our friends and neighbors, our co-workers and loved ones, who are undocumented and being hunted.

If morality or empathy for them is not enough to motivate you, fine. Then let this be your motivation: if you don’t draw this line, you are next.

Do you think Trump will grow a conscience? Do you think Stephen Miller will have any trouble going from, “these people are criminals” (them) to “these people are helping criminals?” (You, by being against Trump). To “we must arrest the traitors opposing our efforts to arrest criminals?” (You or anyone you care about who publicly opposes Trump.)

Do you think republican congressman are going to care? To lift onefinger to protect you? To do anything which gets in the way of Trump’s agenda?

A person who has no problem letting children with cancer die in order to put a few dollars in the pockets of rich men will have no problem with letting Democrats and activists rot in jail for trying to stop it.

This has happened again and again throughout the world. And now it’s happening here.

I wish I had concrete plans. I don’t. Not now. All I know is the first step for change is identifying the gravity of the truth.

And the truth is fascism has arrived in America.

And we must stop it in its tracks or it will swallow all of us.

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

We’re based in LA again. Should we do a shit-hot show at #AWP2025 in support of the firefighters who saved LA?

And who wants to help put it together?

[Simone Biles @Simone_Biles]

Mr Biden,
I need you to stand up, straighten your back and make some things shake before your departure

xoxo the women in america 💙

[Lauren Groff @legroff]

If you’ve ever known or loved a woman, I’m asking you to please vote for Kamala Harris.

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

Concur.

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

Vote like the books you love depend on it.

[Irish Literary Times @IrishLitTimes]

from "The Cure at Troy" by Seamus Heaney

[Ben Phillips @benphillips76]

the guy who just mansplained The Handmaid’s Tale to the author of The Handmaid’s Tale

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

@mrkocnnll Nailed it.

[Don Van Natta Jr. @DVNJr]

The greatest New Yorker cartoon of all time.

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

@petridishes forever!

[Alexandra Petri @petridishes]

It has fallen to me, the humor columnist, to endorse Harris for president https://t.co/SEp8OnLVGl

[Dylan O'Sullivan @DylanoA4]

I just found out that Bill Watterson (the genius behind Calvin and Hobbes) gave a commencement speech in 1990 and it's incredible

1/2

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

We’re doing two shows in two nights…

Tonight: Odessa, TX
Tomorrow: Calgary

We hope to see you at BOTH shows!

[Jemele Hill @jemelehill]

Keep that same energy when Black athletes use their voices to speak on politics

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

Our return to Calgary's extraordinary @WordfestTweets has SOLD OUT! No surprise at all if you look at this wall-to-wall genius lineup!

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

Whatever it takes, people!

[Mike Drucker @MikeDrucker]

People forget we were aggressively bribed to read and it actually worked

[Literary Death Match @litdeathmatch]

Damn.

[r❦ @rachreeads]

i have never read such an accurate description of rooney's writing. THIS is exactly how i feel. happy intermezzo day 💌