This tweet hit nearly 70k likes. I feel like the responses were an excellent case in point of pre-Nov. Twitter's good and bad points.

On one hand, it got others sharing unlikely but true stories from Japanese and world history. On the other hand, I had people doing everything from accusing me of lying and belittling the Revolutions of 1848, to going "lol, still boring," to calling me slurs.

I'm not gonna miss the way the site was built to drive rage and the worst instincts of its users

I had the pleasure of being interviewed with @jpderboghossian
of the Queer Armenian Library for #7MinutesInBookHeaven, in which we talked #Confluence, writing, and the worst advice I've ever been given. Please give it a listen! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-minutes-in-book-heaven-with-dr-nyri-bakkalian/id1613404149

Hard on the heels of Confluence's launch, it's Queer for the New Year! My story "Hatsumōde," which is a sort of postlude to #Confluence, is one of the stories that are appearing within. Preorders open soon-- meanwhile, here's the Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63324563-queer-for-the-new-year

Thanks for your support, and please spread the word! #newbooks

For all its flaws, Barnes and Noble was the bookstore I first got to know after moving back to the US in the mid-1990s. I tried, and failed, to write a novel then, in the hopes it would reach B&N's shelves.

I wish I could go back in time and show young Nyri that she did it.

There are eleven days until launch for my #cyberpunk novel, #Confluence! Read on below to see where you can get yourself a copy.

Three centuries, two lifetimes, one couple's continuing battle for abolition and union. Check out my novel #GreyDawn, a 2021 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite, at bit.ly/greydawnpaperback or in ebook form at bit.ly/greydawnebook Spot it in your travels? Tag me so I can see!

My 2nd novel, #Confluence: A Person-Shaped Story, is now up for preorder ahead of launch on the 18th of November! You can find it at tinyurl.com/confluencepaperback or on Kindle at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLB74XDD/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_DSPJ2F7G3P8W0RF1ZR4Z

I never imagined I'd become a journalist-- my doctoral degree is in Japanese history, and I wanted to be a professor. But what could be a more important job for a historian than to contextualize current events?

My childhood hero Hagop Baronian likewise began as a teacher and became a journalist, doing the work that needed doing in shedding light on current events with an eye toward edifying the general public.

So I think I am in good company.