Seattle author Nisi Shawl announced the winners of the Seattle Public Library's Octavia Butler-themed flash fiction contest. The winners are MB Austin, Steve Arntson, and Geetanjali Dighe. You can read all their stories, and all the honorable mention stories, for free on Seattle Public Library's website.

Hugo House Executive Director Tree Swenson is a judge in the poetry category for the 2016 National Book Awards. The Capitol Hill Times interviewed her about the honor.

Speaking of Hugo House, they're still looking for writers in residence. This will be for the term when Hugo House is sharing space with the Frye Art Museum, so technically, you'd be the writer-in-temporary-residence, which is kind of a cool distinction. Deadline for that is April 30.

And while we're at it, poets should be advised that the Red Lineage Hackathon is coming up on April 23rd at the Hugo House. It "gives poets an opportunity to create web-based poems for Red Lineage, a global collaborative poetry project created by local poet and conceptual artist, Natasha Marin," using whatever technology is available to them. To learn more about Red Lineage, visit their website.

Last summer's hot mess, Rachel Dolezal, is apparently going to write a book about her controversial statements that she identifies as black. Let me remind you right now that you don't have to buy this book when it comes out. In fact, it would probably be better for everyone if we all agreed to not buy this damn book.

Some 90 Mississippi authors — including bestsellers like John Grisham, Donna Tartt, and Kathryn Stockett— have signed a petition protesting their state's new anti-gay law. You never see authors signing petitions in favor of anti-gay laws; that's part of the reason why books are so terrific.