Ben Parzybok's Avatar

Ben Parzybok

@sparkwatson

novelist (COUCH, SHERWOOD NATION), technologist, & maker of things https://levinofearth.com Also: Publisher at https://gumballpoetry.org, a tiny poetry journal out of a capsule machine, and https://plotopolis.com, which I'm not sure where that's going.

430
Followers
976
Following
28
Posts
31.05.2023
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Ben Parzybok @sparkwatson

Favorite Short Fiction of 2025 – acwise.net

Just very thrilled to make it to @acwise.bsky.social excellent list of Favorite Short Fiction of 2025
acwise.net/favorite-sho...

In case you want to read the mentioned story, Idle, Inc is at Bourbon Penn @bourbonpenn.bsky.social
www.bourbonpenn.com/issue/35/idl...

19.12.2025 20:18 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Favorite Short Fiction of 2025 – acwise.net

Hi @acwise.bsky.social - super thrilled to make it to your list for Idle, Inc. Thank you!

That said, I think the link here isn't working. (has an extra -2 on the end).
This worked for me
acwise.net/favorite-sho...

19.12.2025 20:16 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Benjamin Parzybok > Idle, Inc > Bourbon Penn We were having an emergency. One of the time-servers crashed, and the support line was lighting up. And since my boss was on maternity leave, every one of those calls was mine to answer.

Newest issue of Bourbon Penn is an instant classic. If you like reading, like dark stories, and don't know Bourbon Penn, you're losing out.

@bourbonpenn.bsky.social

Check out the opening story, an amazing story from Benjamin Parzybok

www.bourbonpenn.com/issue/35/idl...

#booksky #indiepublishing

12.04.2025 15:19 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks Gavin!

07.11.2025 20:32 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Amazing. I just photographed this rainbow at the elementary school across the street but you were clearly at the right place and in the right mind

25.10.2025 01:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
This Wreckage Courtesy of the Enshittification Administration: Notes On Late-State Trumpism In 2022, the tech critic and privacy advocate Cory Doctorow coined the termΒ enshittificationΒ to describe what's happened on the Internet to a lot of the most widely used platforms: Google, Amazon, Fac...

Enshittification! Not just for tech corporations anymore. My roundup of the shitbomb video, wrecking of the White House, Trump's deterioration, and broader destruction at:

23.10.2025 18:56 πŸ‘ 266 πŸ” 71 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 7
Post image

Astoria, Oregon

18.10.2025 20:32 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

The war zone in Portland is out of control.

18.10.2025 01:09 πŸ‘ 42263 πŸ” 11512 πŸ’¬ 1722 πŸ“Œ 893

Can't go on like this

29.09.2025 15:25 πŸ‘ 241 πŸ” 30 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 2
22.06.2025 03:37 πŸ‘ 23703 πŸ” 8765 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 115
Andry JosΓ© HernΓ‘ndez Romero, in his costume, in his Venezuelan home town’s three king’s day celebration

Andry JosΓ© HernΓ‘ndez Romero, in his costume, in his Venezuelan home town’s three king’s day celebration

Andry JosΓ© HernΓ‘ndez Romero, I remember you, even if I do not know how to articulate my horror, rage, & sorrow at your treatment by my government.

No one has heard from you in 53 days.

As vigil, I’m posting a photo of you every day until you are returned from El Salvador.

07.05.2025 01:02 πŸ‘ 542 πŸ” 132 πŸ’¬ 8 πŸ“Œ 3
Post image Post image

Congratulations to past BTC guests Percival Everett for winning the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction and Danez Smith for being a finalist in Poetry!
ICYMI, here are the conversations with each of them:
Percival: tinhouse.com/podcast/perc...
Danez: tinhouse.com/podcast/dane...
@graywolfpress.bsky.social

05.05.2025 20:12 πŸ‘ 44 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
Post image

History always has a lesson.

19.04.2025 12:45 πŸ‘ 32477 πŸ” 9670 πŸ’¬ 619 πŸ“Œ 407
A drawing of a perfect phone that only has three buttons on it, one of them says IS HE DEAD one of them says AM I BROKE and the other one says RELAXING PUZZLE GAME

A drawing of a perfect phone that only has three buttons on it, one of them says IS HE DEAD one of them says AM I BROKE and the other one says RELAXING PUZZLE GAME

I invented a new phone to help save time in the morning

19.04.2025 13:45 πŸ‘ 34856 πŸ” 6759 πŸ’¬ 390 πŸ“Œ 331

MMR vaccine doesn’t just prevent measles, mumps, and rubella. It also prevents RFK Jr. from showing up at your child’s funeral to exploit your grief at your most vulnerable moment.

07.04.2025 14:57 πŸ‘ 26946 πŸ” 6760 πŸ’¬ 315 πŸ“Œ 176
Portland OR Hands Off Rally

Portland OR Hands Off Rally

Oh wow: Portland Oregon is NOT KIDDING
#handsoff

05.04.2025 20:14 πŸ‘ 80754 πŸ” 15474 πŸ’¬ 1013 πŸ“Œ 797
Video thumbnail

Spectacular view of 100,000 people attending the #HandsOff march in NYC

05.04.2025 20:44 πŸ‘ 78245 πŸ” 17576 πŸ’¬ 1375 πŸ“Œ 1371
Post image

Thousands of protesters gathered at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Portland’s waterfront before they started marching south down Naito Parkway onto the Morrison Bridge.

#HandsOff protest live updates: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

05.04.2025 21:16 πŸ‘ 2170 πŸ” 544 πŸ’¬ 50 πŸ“Œ 56
Post image Post image

Laura made a sign for the protests in Portland

05.04.2025 18:51 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you!

31.03.2025 16:56 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Two of my books and two short stories got eaten by the AI borg.

21.03.2025 18:41 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

My month in Istanbul/Turkey was incredible. Thank you TΓΌrkiye, I’m sad to go! I hope you can navigate the politics and tendencies toward fascism. I know I was taking lessons from it. This was last night at the Metropolitan Municipality Authority. #imamoglu

21.03.2025 10:04 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Benjamin Parzybok > Idle, Inc > Bourbon Penn We were having an emergency. One of the time-servers crashed, and the support line was lighting up. And since my boss was on maternity leave, every one of those calls was mine to answer.

I have a new story in the fantastic journal Bourbon Penn.

β€œat first it was cool i guess, 15 mins extra free time a day, like magic. nap time! But after like 900 crashes i can honestly say this is by far the worst app I have ever used in my entire life bar none”

www.bourbonpenn.com/issue/35/idl...

12.03.2025 06:24 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thrilled to be in this issue of Bourbon Penn.

12.03.2025 06:22 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
KNOW YOUR
RIGHTS
IN CASE OF ICE:
CONOCE TUS DERECHOS
EN CASO DE ENCUENTRO CON ICE:

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS IN CASE OF ICE: CONOCE TUS DERECHOS EN CASO DE ENCUENTRO CON ICE:

DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR.
ICE cannot enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge.
Tell the agents to show you the warrant by sliding it under the door.
NO ABRAS TU PUERTA.
ICE no puede entrar a tu casa sin una orden firmada por un juez. Diles a los agentes que te muestren la orden deslizΓ‘ndola debajo de la puerta.

DO NOT OPEN YOUR DOOR. ICE cannot enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge. Tell the agents to show you the warrant by sliding it under the door. NO ABRAS TU PUERTA. ICE no puede entrar a tu casa sin una orden firmada por un juez. Diles a los agentes que te muestren la orden deslizΓ‘ndola debajo de la puerta.

ASK THEM
TO LEAVE.
If ICE doesn't have a warrant, tell them you do not consent for them to enter your home and ask them to leave. At work, ICE cannot enter employee-only areas without permission.
2
PÍDALES QUE SE VAYAN.
Si ICE no tiene una orden judicial, diles que no das tu consentimiento para que entren a tu casa y pΓ­deles que se vayan. En el trabajo, ICE no puede ingresar a Γ‘reas exclusivas para empleados sin permiso.

ASK THEM TO LEAVE. If ICE doesn't have a warrant, tell them you do not consent for them to enter your home and ask them to leave. At work, ICE cannot enter employee-only areas without permission. 2 PÍDALES QUE SE VAYAN. Si ICE no tiene una orden judicial, diles que no das tu consentimiento para que entren a tu casa y pídeles que se vayan. En el trabajo, ICE no puede ingresar a Ñreas exclusivas para empleados sin permiso.

REMAIN SILENT.
You have the right to remain silent.
If the agents ask you questions, tell them,
"I wish to remain silent."
PERMANECE EN SILENCIO.
Tienes derecho a permanecer en silencio.
Si los agentes te hacen preguntas, diles:
"Deseo permanecer en silencio".

REMAIN SILENT. You have the right to remain silent. If the agents ask you questions, tell them, "I wish to remain silent." PERMANECE EN SILENCIO. Tienes derecho a permanecer en silencio. Si los agentes te hacen preguntas, diles: "Deseo permanecer en silencio".

It is perfectly legal to know your rights and to educate others about them, too.

EVERYONE in the United States, citizen or not, has rights. I will not allow this administration to intimidate us from helping you know about them.

Here’s our shareable guide ⬇️: (pt. 1/2)

14.02.2025 23:47 πŸ‘ 115193 πŸ” 34079 πŸ’¬ 1820 πŸ“Œ 983

Hey! Good to see you on here.
Yes this project is fab. Thanks for donating.

19.12.2024 18:17 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

..your writing. We're talking about your writing.

Current events got you feeling inspired, for better or worse? Yeah. Us too.

We're always looking for #submissions of most any kind (especially zines!), but especially #writing about... (1/3)

13.11.2024 18:09 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 2

I think a lot about this quote from AnaΓ―s Nin’s diary from 1939-1944:

β€œAmerica is in even greater danger because of its cult of toughness, its hatred of sensitivity, and someday it may have to pay a price for this, because atrophy of feeling creates criminals”.

19.12.2024 02:31 πŸ‘ 12905 πŸ” 3629 πŸ’¬ 227 πŸ“Œ 148

And I, for one, welcome our new TikTok overlords

15.12.2024 19:34 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0