beautiful, powerful, dangerous, cold author of PATH OF TOTALITY (2022) and DEAD HORSE (2015). RISK TOLERANCE forthcoming from autofocus books. reviews ed. at zona motel. poet, translator, parent in nc. niinapollari.com https://substack.com/@niinapollarihttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mwhcfkp5622iDo you like poems that ramble about mortality and other human problems but also get a little silly with it? Might be a book 4 u [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Sep 2026 22:09 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwhcfkp5622ihttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mwgr55nv3c2gRisk Tolerance, my forthcoming book with @autofocusbooks.bsky.social, is now available for pre-order. More at link (beautiful cover by Amy Wheaton) https://autofocusbooks.com/store/p/risk-tolerance26 Sep 2026 17:00 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mwgr55nv3c2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mvyef2yf5k2kI merely CONSIDERED signing up for a marathon and my toenail is immediately falling off due to something called "runners toe". What will happen if I actually start training for one in earnest20 Sep 2026 23:35 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvyef2yf5k2khttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mvycztqslc2wIm dipping spicy sweet chili doritos in ranch........ now that is niinovation20 Sep 2026 23:11 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvycztqslc2whttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mvutvl3sj22fOne day you have an infant.... the next day the infant is playing Fortnite. Devouring time, blunt thou the lion's paws19 Sep 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvutvl3sj22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mvn4j6lwdc25We watched Coyote vs Acme with the kids last weekend and when Gossamer showed up, my three-year-old whispered "That guy's just shoulders"16 Sep 2026 12:15 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvn4j6lwdc25https://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mvm3y4umjc2cYou deconstruct a blippi song with your guitar teacher ONE TIME and he will forever remind you when you forget how to play b flat that it's "the blippi chord"16 Sep 2026 02:32 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvm3y4umjc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mvbigsukyk2gMy 3yo upon hearing the opening notes of "Boys Don't Cry": "THIS IS THE OLD SONG FROM HE-MAN!"11 Sep 2026 21:16 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvbigsukyk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mup4booue227Why is everything gummies? Oh here you can't be trusted to eat a fuckin vegetable unless it's bear shaped04 Sep 2026 13:51 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mup4booue227https://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mti4xdpd6k2pI asked Google how to turn off its AI search results because I want to direct traffic to sites instead of being served the summary. Anyway it recommended I not use it20 Aug 2026 01:49 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mti4xdpd6k2phttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mtadyrotak2dFor @tomsnarsky.bsky.social 's #smallpoemsunday this gem from Mark Leidner's new book Elegy for Pangaea16 Aug 2026 23:34 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtadyrotak2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mshfm6324k2hI don't think anyone can beat me in times listened to "Whatever (I Had a Dream)" by Butthole Surfers in the last 24 hrs07 Aug 2026 01:26 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mshfm6324k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mshde4am422hI needed only to hear the concept of Wicker and now I've got a Justin Timberlake voice in my head singing "I'm bringing SexyPack"07 Aug 2026 00:46 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mshde4am422hhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3msgcdt6l2222Growing mushrooms feels a little like dabbling in the dark arts06 Aug 2026 14:55 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3msgcdt6l2222https://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3msetx24j4c23Why do my children decide they need to absolutely chug water at the very moment we turn off the lights at bedtime06 Aug 2026 01:04 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3msetx24j4c23https://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3msdyi3zhzc23Continuing the conversation about book reviews today, jump in the thread if you missed it & want to chat. Yes, the thing C.H. points out is super important-- reviews can stand in for convos, like seeing a movie and then standing around talking with your friends about it! [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 Aug 2026 16:53 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3msdyi3zhzc23https://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3msbot3t63k2hHow it feels to read something seems important. Well well well, it appears existing in a human body is still advantageous for now [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Aug 2026 18:55 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbot3t63k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3msbnxk5ozs2hAdrienne says a lot of good stuff in this thread but I really like the idea of the critic as the draw, the personality, the Style, and I think another sad detriment to the lack of valuing criticism $ wise is that we lose the chance to develop more of these voices [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Aug 2026 18:39 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbnxk5ozs2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3msbn3fo5es2hThis shouldn't seem like too much to ask and yet in the world of low-paid/unpaid criticism it feels that way! [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Aug 2026 18:24 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbn3fo5es2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3msbmoc5em22hI've been asking over at Substack, but want to throw the question out here too: what makes a "good" book review in this day and age? When do you read book reviews (before or after reading the book)? Do you discover books through reviews?04 Aug 2026 18:16 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3msbmoc5em22hhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mrvpgswiik2iShoutout to the musician at the scenic local barbecue place, just absolutely crushing it playing john prine's most depressing songs31 Jul 2026 00:34 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrvpgswiik2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mrpqiflc422xMy pleasure to help edit this -- poets and language nerds go check this interview out asap [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Jul 2026 15:37 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrpqiflc422xhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mro756bgtc25I purchased last minute tickets to one of the NYC Tori Amos shows this past weekend. I'm talking two hours before the show. Someone on r/toriamos sold a very nice seat to me for $50 and sent me the ticket before I even cash apped him. Reddit is the best place on the internet28 Jul 2026 00:54 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mro756bgtc25https://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mrbmv3y3uc2cI enjoy editing for zona motel because our contributors don't just love books, they truly love reading 😊😎23 Jul 2026 00:55 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrbmv3y3uc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mr7d6ec4nc2nI've been posting here less but I also kind of like it still. The sensation of screaming into a nice indifferent tunnel is what poetry is made of. All I LOVE YOU WALLS22 Jul 2026 02:56 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr7d6ec4nc2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mqu635u4d22wSomeone could easily poison me by offering me a baked potato17 Jul 2026 16:25 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqu635u4d22whttps://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mqmu364knk24This is a classic thing a ghost would say FYI14 Jul 2026 18:38 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqmu364knk24https://bsky.app/profile/niina.bsky.social/post/3mq6jhx625c25I reviewed Learning by Courtney Bush, a book that shows you that maybe children are relatable and wise and adults are the silly geese. (Not the psyop) https://open.substack.com/pub/zonamotel/p/review-learning-by-courtney-bush09 Jul 2026 01:51 +0000at://did:plc:dns223cno6rcsbd6pakg7ft4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq6jhx625c25