diff --git a/src/blurb/_add.py b/src/blurb/_add.py
index 0c8388f..ce81f9b 100644
--- a/src/blurb/_add.py
+++ b/src/blurb/_add.py
@@ -182,20 +182,14 @@ def _extract_issue_number(issue: str | None, /) -> int | None:
         stripped = issue[3:]
     else:
         stripped = issue.removeprefix('#')
-    try:
-        if stripped.isdecimal():
-            return int(stripped)
-    except ValueError:
-        pass
+    if stripped.isdecimal():
+        return int(stripped)
 
     # Allow GitHub URL with or without the scheme
     stripped = issue.removeprefix('https://')
     stripped = stripped.removeprefix('github.com/python/cpython/issues/')
-    try:
-        if stripped.isdecimal():
-            return int(stripped)
-    except ValueError:
-        pass
+    if stripped.isdecimal():
+        return int(stripped)
 
     raise SystemExit(f'Invalid GitHub issue number: {issue}')
 
diff --git a/src/blurb/_blurb_file.py b/src/blurb/_blurb_file.py
index 48c0899..e943ac0 100644
--- a/src/blurb/_blurb_file.py
+++ b/src/blurb/_blurb_file.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
   * "release date" is the day a particular version of Python was released.
   * "no changes", if present, notes that there were no actual changes
     for this version.  When used, there are two more things that must be
-    true about the the blurb file:
+    true about the blurb file:
       * There should only be one entry inside the blurb file.
       * That entry's gh-issue number must be 0.
 
@@ -144,7 +144,6 @@ def finish_entry() -> None:
             nonlocal body
             nonlocal in_metadata
             nonlocal metadata
-            nonlocal self
 
             if not body:
                 throw("Blurb 'body' text must not be empty!")
@@ -341,7 +340,7 @@ def _extract_next_filename(self) -> str:
                 metadata
             )
         elif int(metadata['bpo']) > 0:
-            # assume it's a GH issue number
+            # legacy bugs.python.org issue number
             path = '{root}/Misc/NEWS.d/next/{section}/{date}.bpo-{bpo}.{nonce}.rst'.format_map(
                 metadata
             )
diff --git a/src/blurb/_cli.py b/src/blurb/_cli.py
index 7fb16e0..0ce6b8f 100644
--- a/src/blurb/_cli.py
+++ b/src/blurb/_cli.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 TYPE_CHECKING = False
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Callable
     from typing import NoReturn
 
 readme_re = re.compile(r'This is \w+ version \d+\.\d+').match
@@ -23,12 +24,9 @@ def prompt(prompt: str, /) -> str:
     return input(f'[{prompt}> ')
 
 
-def require_ok(prompt: str, /) -> str:
-    prompt = f'[{prompt}> '
-    while True:
-        s = input(prompt).strip()
-        if s == 'ok':
-            return s
+def require_ok(message: str, /) -> None:
+    while prompt(message).strip() != 'ok':
+        pass
 
 
 def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
@@ -137,6 +135,14 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> None:
     ns.func(ns)
 
 
+def first_line_matches(filename: str, test: Callable[[str], object]) -> bool:
+    if not os.path.exists(filename):
+        return False
+    with open(filename, encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        lines = file.read().split('\n')
+    return bool(lines and test(lines[0]))
+
+
 def chdir_to_repo_root() -> str:
     # find the root of the local CPython repo
     # note that we can't ask git, because we might
@@ -153,19 +159,9 @@ def chdir_to_repo_root() -> str:
 
         os.chdir(path)
 
-        def test_first_line(filename, test):
-            if not os.path.exists(filename):
-                return False
-            with open(filename, encoding='utf-8') as file:
-                lines = file.read().split('\n')
-                if not (lines and test(lines[0])):
-                    return False
-            return True
-
-        if not test_first_line('README.rst', readme_re):
+        if not first_line_matches('README.rst', readme_re):
             continue
-
-        if not test_first_line('LICENSE', 'A. HISTORY OF THE SOFTWARE'.__eq__):
+        if not first_line_matches('LICENSE', 'A. HISTORY OF THE SOFTWARE'.__eq__):
             continue
         if not os.path.exists('Include/Python.h'):
             continue
diff --git a/src/blurb/_release.py b/src/blurb/_release.py
index 148d56f..b0b1f14 100644
--- a/src/blurb/_release.py
+++ b/src/blurb/_release.py
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
 import os
 import time
 
-import blurb._blurb_file
-from blurb._blurb_file import Blurbs
+from blurb import _blurb_file
 from blurb._cli import error
 from blurb._git import (
     flush_git_add_files,
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ def release(version: str) -> None:
     if version == '.':
         # harvest version number from dirname of repo
         # I remind you, we're in the Misc subdir right now
-        version = os.path.basename(blurb._blurb_file.root)
+        version = os.path.basename(_blurb_file.root)
 
     existing_filenames = glob_blurbs(version)
     if existing_filenames:
@@ -34,7 +33,8 @@ def release(version: str) -> None:
 
     output = f'Misc/NEWS.d/{version}.rst'
     filenames = glob_blurbs('next')
-    blurbs = Blurbs()
+    count = len(filenames)
+    blurbs = _blurb_file.Blurbs()
     date = current_date()
 
     if not filenames:
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@ def release(version: str) -> None:
         }
         blurbs.append((metadata, body))
     else:
-        count = len(filenames)
         print(f'Merging {count} blurbs to "{output}".')
 
         for filename in filenames:
@@ -66,13 +65,12 @@ def release(version: str) -> None:
     git_add_files.append(output)
     flush_git_add_files()
 
-    how_many = len(filenames)
-    print(f"Removing {how_many} 'next' files from git.")
+    print(f"Removing {count} 'next' files from git.")
     git_rm_files.extend(filenames)
     flush_git_rm_files()
 
     # sanity check: ensuring that saving/reloading the merged blurb file works.
-    blurbs2 = Blurbs()
+    blurbs2 = _blurb_file.Blurbs()
     blurbs2.load(output)
     assert blurbs2 == blurbs, f"Reloading {output} isn't reproducible?!"
 
diff --git a/src/blurb/_template.py b/src/blurb/_template.py
index f4e9618..cf3e869 100644
--- a/src/blurb/_template.py
+++ b/src/blurb/_template.py
@@ -60,12 +60,7 @@
     'Unsupported platforms': 'Unsupported_platforms',
 }
 
-_unsanitize_section = {
-    'C_API': 'C API',
-    'Core_and_Builtins': 'Core and Builtins',
-    'Tools-Demos': 'Tools/Demos',
-    'Unsupported_platforms': 'Unsupported platforms',
-}
+_unsanitize_section = {v: k for k, v in _sanitize_section.items()}
 
 
 def sanitize_section(section: str, /) -> str:
diff --git a/src/blurb/_utils/text.py b/src/blurb/_utils/text.py
index 39c0399..661481d 100644
--- a/src/blurb/_utils/text.py
+++ b/src/blurb/_utils/text.py
@@ -26,10 +26,7 @@ def textwrap_body(body: str | Iterable[str], *, subsequent_indent: str = '') ->
 
     # step 1: remove trailing whitespace from individual lines
     #   (this means that empty lines will just have \n, no invisible whitespace)
-    lines = []
-    for line in text.split('\n'):
-        lines.append(line.rstrip())
-    text = '\n'.join(lines)
+    text = '\n'.join(line.rstrip() for line in text.split('\n'))
     # step 2: break into paragraphs and wrap those
     paragraphs = text.split('\n\n')
     paragraphs2 = []
diff --git a/src/blurb/_versions.py b/src/blurb/_versions.py
index e4d326e..bd6680e 100644
--- a/src/blurb/_versions.py
+++ b/src/blurb/_versions.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ def glob_versions() -> list[str]:
 
 
 def version_key(element: str, /) -> str:
-    fields = list(element.split('.'))
+    fields = element.split('.')
     if len(fields) == 1:
         return element