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When it comes to putting out books, sometimes we really are stronger together. City Paper’s Spot LIT columnist Hannah Grieco looks at the process behind putting anthologies together in 2026—at a time when writers and all artists are warding off the impacts of AI—and says that creating them can feel like a miracle in today’s publishing industry.
Grieco rounds up the local publishing houses, from 1455 Books to Neon Hemlock, putting out collections of short pieces from a variety of authors and poets that often focus on a single theme to build something bigger and stronger than the individual components.
“Writers, editors, and small presses are navigating a confusing publishing landscape these days,” writes Grieco. In this economy, some publishers are downsizing and struggling, while some distributors have collapsed, making it harder for authors to get their books out into the world.
Mayor-in-waiting: Janeese Lewis George greets voters at a polling place in Ward 7 this morning. Photo credit: Darrow Montgomery
Election Day is finally here: Remember, we use ranked choice voting now, which has independent Councilmember Elissa Silverman urging voters to rank her first. In D.C. and Maryland, you can vote until 8 p.m. Polls in Virginia close at 7 p.m. If you’re in line by closing time—stay, you can still vote. [Axios, DCBOE, maryland.gov, virginia.gov]
The FBI has “directed all employees stationed in D.C. to avoid polling locations,” according to the Washington Sun. “Agent personnel were advised that the only exception to that prohibition is if there is an active shooter at a particular polling location,” per the FBI’s statement. But across the country, the Department of Justice plans to send about 1,000 election monitors to polls, which Axios says is “far more than in previous elections.” Expect monitors in Prince George’s County and Fairfax County. [Washington Sun, Axios]
Yesterday evening, Councilmember Robert White—D.C.’s presumptive next delegate to Congress—resigned in order to meet the eligibility requirements for him to be elected to the federal office in today’s election. As the councilmember who chairs the housing committee, where 24 bills are currently under consideration, his resignation caused concern that those bills would be left to flounder, but after speaking with Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, White says he’s “confident that many, if not most, of those bills will get passed.” [WJLA, WTOP]
Former Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans says he’s planning to apply for the interim appointment to fill the at-large council seat vacated by White and run in the special election for it. [X]
Court report: On Monday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing lawsuits challenging convicted felon and President Donald Trump’s 250-foot arch, said she must be informed of any decisions made by the National Capital Planning Commission, National Park Service, and the Department of the Interior within an hour. Chutkan says that “any construction or demolition in preparation for construction before the National Park Service issues final agency action authorizing construction or without 14 days’ notice would be a violation of the court’s previous orders.” The National Capital Planning Commission is set to meet on Thursday about the plans. Plus one point for guardrails. +1 [AP News]
Plane silly: Many locals were startled and even scared by Trump’s low flyover last week, including Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who sent a letter to three federal agencies criticizing the display, calling it dangerous and a waste of taxpayer funds. According to flight tracking data, Air Force One’s altitude ranged from about 400 to about 1,000 feet. Duckworth also inquired about whether the Federal Aviation Administration objected to it or weighed its impact on airlines and passengers (there were 200 delays that day). The senator also criticized the FAA and Defense Department for facilitating the flyover despite not having implemented National Transportation Safety Board recommendations issued after the January 2025 plane crash. Plus one point for pushback. +1 [Post]
Ad nauseam: Trump is reportedly using taxpayer money to fund his own social media company. Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, earned $175,000 for running ads about America’s 250th birthday celebrations. The events were overseen by Freedom 250, a project of the National Park Foundation that is supposed to raise money for NPS; Trump Media board member Meredith O’Rourke also sat on Freedom 250’s board. Trump Media reportedly made another $175,000 in “outstanding receivables”—money owed for services already rendered—from the organization. Freedom 250 relies mostly on taxpayer money; Trump owns a 41 percent stake in Trump Media. Minus one point for using our tax dollars as your personal ATM. -1 [New Republic]
Foundation cracks: According to a brief filed Friday by lawyers for Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, Kennedy Center leaders put the institution’s future in jeopardy by tying foundation funding to putting Trump’s name on the building. The so-called “Trump Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Foundation,” which was created to raise money for the center, transferred $17.5 million to the struggling venue. But Trump lawyers said the money was only available if the space was named after Trump, which Judge Christopher Cooper barred six months ago. The center’s CFO said in September that returning the funds would cause immediate layoffs. Minus one point for using foundation funding as leverage. -1 [Post]
The day is finally here: The midterms are happening today! Plus 10 points because governments crack and systems fall. +10
Pro-Animal DC’s campaign director Cady Witt dressed up as Butterworth’s chef (and outspoken foie gras defender) Bart Hutchins force-feeding a duck (her boyfriend) for Halloween. Witt and her boyfriend were not the only ones poking fun at the foie debate over the weekend: Reason reporter BillyBinion dressed up as a duck with a sign reading “My Liver My Choice.” [Washingtonian]
Olivia the Duck was spotted at Hutchins’ MAGA hangout Butterworth’s earlier this month. [Washingtonian]
Adam Gwon’s lyrical score soars, but the musical glides on the feeling of Obama-era LGBTQIA victories and fails to address current troubles.
The Shaw home of historian Carter G. Woodson—the creator of what would become Black History Month—will reopen to the public on Saturday as a museum. The property at 1538 Ninth St. NW, along with two adjacent homes, have undergone a major renovation after the space—that once housed the likes of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston—closed during the pandemic. [Washingtonian]
If you’re voting in Virginia (or Delaware … or any state that has actual representation in Congress), this guide offers insights on the candidates who will continue to support the arts. As someone who spent seven years in Austin, my eyes (and hopes) are on Texas. [Hyperallergic]
In my personal opinion, the honor of being a Kennedy Center honoree diminished sometime around February 2025, but that hasn’t stopped Trump or his center lackeys from sharing this year’s honorees: singers Paul Anka and Barbara Mandrell, composer David Foster, actor Andy Garcia, and writer David Mamet. The 2026 celebration is scheduled to take place not at the Kennedy Center but at Capital One Arena on Dec. 7. [Independent]
