Littsburgh has always been a “nights and weekends” passion project, ever since we started the site back in 2015. We don’t have a staff, we’re not a non-profit. We’re just three people who have day jobs in publishing and who wanted to support our local literary community—from writers and booksellers to librarians and publishers.
And most of all, readers!
We believe books and writing have a power to connect, to bring people together and build empathy and understanding. Since you’re reading this, we’re pretty sure that you feel the same way. And we wouldn’t usually write this kind of post—so earnest, so political!—but if you’ve been following us for more than a few months, you probably know that we write books, too…
And that one of us had a book banned last year, by a tiny school district in Texas.
We’re still not sure why—we suspect the people who banned it never read a single page—but these things have a way of making the news, and (for any undecided or conflicted voters out there) we wanted to share that the fallout from that little banning had an outsized impact on the person who runs this site, a children’s book author who writes adventure stories about kids living through extreme weather events.
One of the (many) issues that we feel strongly about is the freedom to read and write. We couldn’t agree more with Gov. Tim Walz, who said “I see book bans as dangerous. Throughout history, the people who want to ban books have never been on the right side.”
Littsburgh might not be the New York Times or the Post-Gazette, but every voice counts and we’ve got a big swing-state readership, so we’re proud to stand up for the rights of writers and younger readers by sharing our endorsement of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in this year’s presidential race.
We hope you’ll vote on the issues that matter to you, and that you’ll be loud and proud with your support. If you want to forward this message to someone who might need to hear it, that’d be fine with us 🙂
Yours in books,
A Thrilling Lost Chapter of Mob Rule From the Publisher: "Western Pennsylvania’s New Kensington was in the grips of Mafia Read more
"To those of us who have always suspected that our cats understand our words more than they let on, The Read more
From the Publisher: "When her father pulls her out of high school to care for her invalid mother and little Read more
"Have you bookmarked your calendars? The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books returns on May 31, 2025! Join us for a Read more
From the Publisher: "J.New Books proudly presents How to Live Like Li Po in Pittsburgh, the first-ever essay collection by acclaimed Read more
Pittsburgh has been known as a Steel Town, a Sports Town, and an Eds & Meds Town; we believe it's Read more
Join us for a special evening with Emily Wilson, acclaimed translator of The Iliad and The Odyssey, hosted by the International Poetry Forum at Carnegie Read more
"Clary is the Whitman of West Virginia, honoring the laborers, the precious encounters, the deeper wisdoms. He understands intimately that Read more
From the Publisher: "In Watching Sarah Rise, Jenny Briggs shares her experience parenting her daughter Sarah, a feisty girl who Read more
Brockport, PA — The WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® (here and after WCoNA) is pleased to announce its longlist Read more
Most importantly: Where are you located, what are your hours, and do you have a particular focus in terms of the Read more
This just in from our friends at WCoNA: "To provide additional preparation time, we’ve extended the deadline to submit a Read more
About the Author: "Sean Gregory always loved fiction. At an early age he began reading the Hardy Boys and quickly Read more
One of our favorite local authors, Joshua David Bellin (author, most recently, of MYRIAD) just let us know that he's Read more
A lyrical and heartfelt tribute from a parent to their “everything,” their child. From the Publisher: "Following a parent and Read more
Could her Twitter Crush be her Prince Charming? From the Publisher: "A whirlwind romance. A heart-thumping new start. Widowed and Read more
From City Books’ website: "About the Residency The City Books Writer’s Residency offers flexible access to a comfortable, creative space within Read more
Altoona, PA—The WCoNA Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia® (here and after WCoNA) is pleased to announce a call for nominations Read more
love, Pittsburgh is hosting a “Pittsburgh Dog & Frog” coloring contest! Kids, color a page from the children’s book, “Pittsburgh Read more
"Welcome to Christmastime at Port Mariette, where friendship, faith, and second chance romance weave together to transform a small town." Read more
