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mjbackus.bsky.social
Writer (a novel, The Vanishing Point; a memoir, The Heart is Meat: An 80s Memoir, coming out in May 2025 on Headpress/Oil on Water press out of England), teacher of writing (Gotham Writer's Workshop), film nut, book lover, NBA fan.
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Outside Left is a magazine that pushes books they like; they liked my memoir, out on May 1. Got to love the line, "raciest paciest creative non-fiction." Thanks to Lamontpaul. outsideleft.com/main.php?upd...

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

Holy shit, in the world of terrible appointments, Trump's Patel appt might be the worst. This NY Times article lays out the bullshit he was peddling and how it was wrong. F.B.I. Pick Pushed False and Misleading Claims About Trump Investigations www.nytimes.com/2025/01/23/u...

submitted 29 days ago • 0 comments

I've written a lot of short film reviews over the years and being new to Blue Sky, I thought I'd post a few screen shots as a way of hooking into whatever film culture there is here. This is a quick take on two Gary Cooper films, one at the beginning and one at the end of his career.

submitted 95 days ago • 0 comments

wapo.st/4fMMdHw Once again showing how Citizens United was disastrous. The way out of this is federal funding of all elections, every candidate that qualifies gets the same amount, but impossible to ever see that happening.

submitted 100 days ago • 0 comments

Polydactyl cat always find the heating pad, especially in cool weather, but she doesn't like it too hot. Setting #2 seems just right.

submitted 101 days ago • 0 comments

www.michaeljbackus.com/recordings I recorded six short readings from my memoir of 80s NYC The Heart is Meat (out everywhere in May); you can access any of them here, I'd suggest starting with Pig Knuckles, which gives a good sense of the tone and style of the book.

submitted 103 days ago • 0 comments

www.southwestwriters.com/author-updat... Here's a link to an interview with me; it's about my memoir of working and living in NYC in the early 80s and is available now directly from the publisher. On May 1, 2025, it will have a wide release to bookstores and sites like Amazon and BN.

submitted 145 days ago • 0 comments

A short memoir piece in Cutleaf Journal about the ways the present can change how you think about the past. cutleafjournal.com/nonfiction/l...

submitted 148 days ago • 0 comments

My memoir about working in the meatpacking district in NYC in the early 1980s will be in bookstores and online on May 1, 2025, but you can order it directly from the publisher (Oil on Water press) here: oilonwaterpress.com/product/the-...

submitted 150 days ago • 0 comments