Erin Raeburn

@erinraeburn

Scribbler of stories, bookworm, nocturnal hermit, nature & whimsy lover, ME/CFS & fibromyalgia+, vaxxed/masked, socially-minded lefty on Wolastoqiyik territory. (New Brunswick, Canada) She/her.

511 Folgt981 Follower1.967 Posts

YouTube YouTube Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir erinraeburn.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jul 13

I'm watching "I Will Find You," the latest Harlan Coben adaptation on Netflix, and Madeleine Stowe is on it, so I keep laughing every time she's onscreen because all I can think of is this lol:

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jul 9

The first that comes to mind is Death and Life by Gustav Klimt. This one kicked me in the gut the first time I saw it and has haunted me ever since. A memento mori that's also beautiful, despite the suggestion of inevitable and possibly imminent heartbreak. (more thoughts in alt text)

Death and Life by Gustav Klimt. On the left is a skeleton with a club, representing Death. He's wearing a robe ornamented in black crosses and he's grinning in a malevolent manner toward a group of nine people on the right. The people are tangled in a cocooned form and most are nude, suggesting vulnerability. Two, a man and woman, appear to be a couple. One is an old woman. Another two are mother and child. They are all painted in bright, warm colours, as opposed to Death, who is painted in dark, cool colours. There is an air of intimacy and unsuspecting solitude about the people, which makes the threat of Death all the more menacing and creates a sense of dread, yet the humanity of it is also beautiful.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jun 26

Just my initial opinion and I'll for sure watch it eventually. I might even love it.🤷🏻‍♀️ They've got a tough act to follow though.

Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon carrying Marianne, played by Kate Winslet, in the 1995 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. They're both drenched from the rain and the grass is very green. It's an incredibly romantic and iconic scene.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 29

Not at all surprised by this decision but that doesn't make it any less disheartening. We're rapidly sliding even farther downhill on health & the environment when both were already in crisis, not just in NB but all over Canada. Pretty grim. Reposted with alt text:

Today's decision to move forward with the Tantramar gas/diesel RIGS project is deeply disappointing and represents a missed opportunity for cleaner, healthier energy development in New Brunswick.

Burning fossil fuels produces air pollutants linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness, while also generating greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. These harms are not theoretical. More than 17,000 people die prematurely from air pollution in Canada each year (Health Canada, 2024). At a time when 1 in 5 New Brunswickers already live with lung disease, when COPD exacerbations are the 2nd leading cause of hospital admissions, and when the New Brunswick Health Council (2024) reports a staggering 67.4% of New Brunswickers living with at least one chronic health condition, adopting new fossil fuel development can exacerbate this reality.

Embracing the RIGS project means locking New Brunswick into 30+ more years of fossil fuel dependence: disappointing when cleaner, safer alternatives are already widely available. Wind and solar are proven clean energy technologies, which when backed by battery storage - can strengthen NB's energy reliability without increasing pollution or compromising public health.

Communities across New Brunswick deserve energy solutions that prioritise health, sustainability, and long-term resilience. While today's announcement is discouraging, it also underscores the importance of continuing to advocate for cleaner energy choices and stronger protections for the health of current and future generations.

We will continue pushing for policies and investments that move New Brunswick toward a cleaner, healthier energy future.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 28

And of course it's bestsellers that get modernized. How much of this is really about kids and how much is about money? Sounds like publishers just don't want to give up their cash cows, so they release revised editions for the next generation instead of risking marketing dollars on new authors.

How are books chosen?

The likeliest candidates are perennial best sellers or entries in popular, long-running series, which publishers often reissue with new covers around anniversaries or timed to adaptations. Interior edits sometimes follow, if publishers believe changes to cultural references may help a book reach new audiences.

Not everyone agrees on where to draw the line.

Levithan, who has edited Ann M. Martin's "The Baby-Sitters Club" for more than 30 years, said the choice to update or preserve a book is "completely subjective,” decided on a case-by-case basis and made with the author's approval.

For him, the key consideration is whether a series is still actively finding new readers.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 28

Encountering unfamiliar things in books is literally how you learn. Replacing dated terms underestimates kids, undermines their ability to learn & robs them of valuable historical context. It's the same mindset that says kids need to use AI instead of learning & doing the work for themselves.

Is everyone on board?

Not quite. Leah Phillips, a children's and Y.A. literature researcher at Plymouth Marjon University, sees the push to modernize as "inherently not trusting younger readers."

"It's saying, 'We don't think you can handle this," she said, adding that eighth graders routinely study Shakespeare. "We teach them to read it. Surely, they can apply those same skills beyond the classroom."

"There's no single, universal idea of what kids want," said Jennifer Buehler, a Y.A. literature scholar at Saint Louis University. "You can't assume all kids will be turned off when they sense the adult behind the book."

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 28

When I was a kid most of my books were old. They came from used bookstores & secondhand sales. New books were a rare treat. I grew up on Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, etc & understood them just fine. So is "modernization" just for kids who can afford new books? Libraries with big budgets?

Why do publishers modernize books?

A dated reference can break the spell a book casts on readers, said Elana Roth Parker, an agent specializing in children's and Y.A. fiction at Laura Dail Literary Agency. When a reference misses the mark, she explained, it can pull young readers out of the story.

"Kids don't want to feel the adult behind the book," Roth Parker said.

Modernization is an attempt to avoid that.

"If we want readers to fall in love with the same story we fell in love with as teenagers, the best way to do that is to reach them where they are," Sutherland said.

With middle-grade fiction, the main concern is comprehension. "If a fourth grader comes across a phrase they don't understand, it can stop them in their tracks," said David Levithan, the editorial director at Scholastic. "You still want to challenge readers, but you don't want to have unnecessary hurdles."

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 27

Here's the TL;DR, but I encourage you to read the whole article because the details are alarming and every Canadian should be concerned about this, regardless of what party you vote for.

Key points

Bill C-22 could align Canada's surveillance laws more closely with the US

A CLOUD Act agreement could let US agencies conduct surveillance in Canada without Canadian oversight

Ottawa has not been transparent about the bill's implications for privacy

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 27

On Bill C-22 and the CLOUD Act deal:

If the deal goes ahead, US surveillance activities covered by the agreement would no longer require oversight from Canadian authorities or judges, thus relinquishing a core element of Canada's sovereignty under international law. At a moment when Ottawa says it is rethinking the country's dependence on American infrastructure and institutions, Bill C-22 risks binding Canada even more tightly to Trump's surveillance state.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 27

All Canadians should be educating themselves on what Bill C-22 involves and why it's dangerous. How is this not a huge step toward becoming a surveillance state? It removes our right to privacy and leaves us vulnerable to harm by both the Canadian & US gov'ts, tech companies, and law enforcement.

Its scope could mean requiring companies to install spy tools into mobile devices, social media and messaging apps, cloud-storage services, video game platforms, smart home devices, live video camera networks, or health and fitness trackers-to name a few examples. The bill would also dilute privacy protections for other digital information, like the identity information behind anonymous social media accounts or IP addresses (often referred to as subscriber information).

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 10

Still researching candidates for the Saint John election and this was at the end of one candidate's Facebook post. Uh...is this a joke? Is this real? I can't tell. But if you admit to using AI, you lost my vote.🤨

#VoteHooley
*This post was edited for GRAMMER and Punction through AI.
Grammar and Punctuation are spelled wrong.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· May 6

My son just sent me this. What a brat.😂

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Apr 28

Just finished S3 of The Law According to Lidia Poët and I'm sad the series is done. The costumes, the setting in Turin, the colour palette--all gorgeous. Satisfied with the ending and I'll miss these characters.

Ad for The Law According to Lidia Poët featuring Lidia, a young woman in Victorian clothing, with three male characters in the background and an ominous shadow of a man in a top hat behind them.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Apr 23

This article credits the work of Rick Westhead from TSN. I kicked off the year reading his book WE BREED LIONS, a deep dive into toxic hockey culture. Not much shocks me anymore, but there were, unfortunately, things in his book that did. A difficult but necessary read for hockey fans.

Cover of We Breed Lions: Confronting Canada's Troubled Hockey Culture by Rick Westhead. It depicts a shadowy image of a young male hockey player sitting on a locker room bench.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Mar 16

And here's the show description:

Max Webster directs a joyful and flamboyant reimagining of Oscar Wilde's most celebrated comedy. Olivier Award-winner
Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa and Hugh Skinner in this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance.

While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his
friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a
web of lies they must carefully navigate.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 17

Karma's a bitch.

The score for tonight's Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes game. Florida lost 9-1.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 2

Ok this feels like the Universe is taunting me right after I told my son I'm afraid to be hopeful about this year lol. A bit cliché out of all the words I could've gotten, but I'm going into 2026 with 2 new meds to try, so it's fitting and I'm grateful my hope hasn't run out yet despite everything.

A screenshot of my Merriam-Webster 2026 word. It says "hopeful" on a green background that fades to yellow at the bottom.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 1

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Just stunning in every way: prose that compels you to savour every single sentence, a non-linear storyline that messes with time, complicated characters that defy romantic stereotypes, simultaneously beautiful, gritty, and heartbreaking. Alix Harrow's best yet imo.

Absolutely gorgeous cover for The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. It depicts a cross-like sword with the reflection of a lady knight in the blade and flowers and vines curling all around it. At the top is written "A Legend. A Lie. A Love Story."

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 1

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree This one *might* be my favourite in the series. Still plenty of cozy vibes but with more adventure & a perilous journey. I loved Fern, the salty-tongued ratkin and all her relatable doubts & self-reflection, but I ADORED Zyll the weird little chaos goblin.

Cover for Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree, which depicts four travelling companions around a campfire with a boiling pot: a ratkin writing with a quill pen, a white-haired elf with a sword, a horse, and a green goblin with a wide sharp-toothed grin, a patchwork coat, and orange hair. There's a chicken-like creature on the goblin's head. The scene is at night and there's a snowy mountain peak in the background. There's a quote from author Nicholas Eames that pronounces the book "Hilarious, heartwarming, and wholesome as heck." A spot-on assessment in my opinion.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 1

Witchmark by C.L. Polk I'm late to the party with this one, but it was worth the wait. Another WWI inspired fantasy (oddly I read a few of those this year) with an excellent plot, a sweet romance, and a world I definitely want to revisit in the sequels. Made me sigh with contentment at the end.

Cover for Witchmark by C.L. Polk in shades of blue, showing a silhouette of a man in old-fashioned garb, including a derby, riding a bicycle in the centre of a cobbled street. There are trees and twinkles from magic or stars in the background, and beneath the bicycle are the upside-down silhouetted reflections of a man and a woman. The book has a label that designates it the "Winner of the world fantasy award" and the New York Times calls it "Thoroughly charming."

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 1

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G Parry This dark academia is set in an alternate, magical England after WWI. It has shades of The Secret History only with faerie lore. Haunting & atmospheric with an ever-present sense of danger lurking about a complicated group of friends. Loved it.

Cover for The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry. It's dark with gold fountain pens and arcane symbols forming a border and a strange curling design beneath the title indicative of magic. The comment at the top is by Alison Saft and says, "Easily my favourite read of the year. An unputdownable, bittersweet tale."

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 1

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett This is #3 in a fantastic trilogy I now count among my favourites. If you like faerie stories with a practical, no-nonsense lady professor, told through the lens of academics, with a dollop of romance and adventure, this series is for you.

Cover for Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett with the title in pink Art Nouveau letters. Weird branches growing eyeballs twist in a border and there are small details from nature like mushrooms, a snail, a bumblebee, etc against a teal background.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Jan 1

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar If you read and loved This Is How You Lose the Time War as much as I did, you know you're in for a treat with this one. Beautiful, lyrical prose. A fairytale brimming with romance but also devoted love between sisters. Completely enchanting.

The cover of The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar which has flowers in shades of orange, pink, and lavender growing through a gilded design that resembles a river weaving back and forth. Above the author's name it says "New York Times bestselling co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War."

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Dec 14

"Jove Decadent" by Ramon Casas (1899). I have it framed on my wall. I think she's actually supposed to be bored and possibly hungover from partying the night before, but she looks how I feel every day, so I just pretend she has ME/CFS instead.

Oil painting of a red-haired woman in a black dress, flopped back on a bright green sofa like she's tired.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Dec 4

And entangling us further with the fascist regime that threatened our sovereignty (and is committing horrible human rights violations) is exactly the opposite of what most of us voted for. Carney's whole "Elbows Up" schtick was a farce to get elected.

"What we've seen from this government over the past few months is a deep commitment to build both foreign policy and economic policy for Canada based almost entirely on ever-increasing militarization and warmongering in lockstep with the U.S.," said Small.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Nov 14

Hoo boy, time to get this one out again because the news is just...yeah.

A round frog sitting in a tiny frying pan. His pink tongue is sticking out so it looks like he's gagging. The caption reads: violent gag.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Oct 20

I was curious so I looked up the etymology and the process is integral to the origin of the word "art." "skill as a result of learning or practice" "WORK of art" You're not learning, practicing, or working by using AI to spit out a stolen, cobbled-together Frankenstein of a picture.

Origin and history of art

art (n.)

early 13c., "skill as a result of learning or practice," from Old French art (10c.) and directly from Latin artem (nominative ars) "work of art; practical skill; a business, craft," from PIE *ar(ə)-ti- (source also of Sanskrit rtih "manner, mode;" Greek artizein "to prepare"), suffixed form of root *ar- "to fit together." Etymologically it is akin to Latin arma "weapons" (see arm (n.2)).

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Sep 30

Reflecting this National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on the tragedy of residential schools, remembering the children who never returned home, those who survived, and their families, and recognizing that the effects of that loss and trauma continue today.

An orange flag that says "Every Child Matters" beside two black and white feathers. It's unfurled against a blue sky. Photo credit: Chris Robert (Unsplash).

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Sep 27

Yesterday I posted that Canada needs to follow the example of other countries in reinventing our postal service, and the question came up: Does the union want this? Yes! They do! Please check out CUPW's plan. The site is brief, user-friendly, and their vision is inspiring.

Reimagining Canada Post with services to support every community.

Erin Raeburn@erinraeburn· Sep 25

Borrowed this from someone else's post and I'm posting with Alt text because it's too good not to share. Did a search, and I *think* the artist is Jean-Michel Tixier. Want to give credit where it's due, if possible.