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After Octavian

@afteroctavian.bsky.social

Sintesa. Bibliophile. Lieder Enthusiast. Operavore. Balletomane. Gourmand. Oenophile. Eavesdropper Extraordinaire. She/Her They/Them

4235 Posts915 Follower1204 Folgt
Louie Stowell@louiestowell.bsky.social · 4d ago

There are a lot of people I follow on here for politics/social commentary but from time to time I feel like I've missed some huge political story, because they're posting about people I've never heard of. Then I realise they're talking about sport and I can relax.

Musa Okwonga@okwonga.bsky.social · 5d ago

From this review- “Think of all the diligent, decent black academics who have been lumbered with the embarrassment of having Arday as a figurehead” - no, think of *why* black academics are held collectively responsible in ways that white academics are not

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 5d ago

I think functionally all of the post-resignation coverage that was about him rather than Cambridge was excessive (e.g. this poisonous review of a book nobody is going to buy - why)

Paul Bernal@paulbernal.bsky.social · 5d ago

There will be lots of handwringing and sorrowful pronouncements until the next time. Then it’ll be the same again. Whether it’s misogyny or racism, or homophobia or transphobia, the usual suspects will be back on their bullying high horses.

After Octavian@afteroctavian.bsky.social · 5d ago

So...umm... #WITMonth I've actually read a few books so far and decided not to talk about them because they were failures in one way or another and this is a celebratory hashtage. But! my last three WIT books were successes and I like them very much. So, with no further ado...

Joshua Kosman@joshuakosman.bsky.social · 6d ago

Every couple weeks the Atlantic or the NYT publishes some op-ed of surpassing stupidity and then I have to ignore a lot of my Bluesky feed while people get it out of their system because I'll be fucked if I'm going to learn what "Woke 1" denotes or what Ross Douthat thinks about literally anything

The Kimono Gallery@roger1952.bsky.social · last wk.

This haori showcases a striking design featuring an elegant interplay of chrysanthemums and Japanese maple leaves rendered through the sophisticated yuzen painting technique, complemented by embroidery and foil highlights. 1930-1935, Japan

This haori showcases a striking design featuring an elegant interplay of chrysanthemums and Japanese maple leaves rendered through the sophisticated yuzen painting technique, complemented by embroidery and foil highlights. The color palette is particularly dramatic, employing a bold combination of emerald green and deep purple borders that create wave-like or dripping patterns against a cream-colored ground, reminiscent of the flowing, organic lines that would later characterize Art Nouveau in the West. The arrangement of the floral elements, particularly the chrysanthemums, demonstrates the Japanese aesthetic principle of asymmetrical balance, while their stylized rendering shows sophistication in the yuzen technique. The addition of foil highlights adds a luxurious, luminous quality to the design, creating subtle plays of light that enhance the piece's visual depth. The use of bold, contrasting colors and the dynamic, almost abstract quality of the dripping pattern borders shows an aesthetic sensibility that seems to presage elements of Art Deco, particularly in its embrace of dramatic color contrasts and geometric patterns integrated with natural forms. However, this design remains fundamentally Japanese in its execution and spiritual approach to nature, exemplifying how Japanese textile arts often embraced bold, modern-looking design elements while remaining true to traditional techniques and aesthetic principles. The overall composition achieves a remarkable balance between dramatic visual impact and refined artistic execution, demonstrating the sophisticated design sensibilities of Japanese textile arts.
David Roberts@volts.wtf · 2w ago

Not to beat up on Douthat even more, but I'll just say: it has never, in all of post-war American history, been more crystal clear exactly who your enemy should be. Never. If it's not obvious to you, you are morally & intellectually defective.

Nicholas Grossman@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 2w ago

In dishonor of Ross Douthat's last NYT column, I'm breaking my self-imposed ban on reading him—smug bad faith, whiny victimization, and steadfast refusal to let evidence affect opinion—and will screenshot and comment. This is the column if you want to read it yourself (I don't recommend it). 1/x

The Kimono Gallery@roger1952.bsky.social · 2w ago

Created by master dyer Yoshimizu Akito (由水煌人) for the 42nd Traditional Kaga-Yuzen Crafts Exhibition in 2020, this exquisite hōmongi (visiting dress) is titled "Karasuuri" (烏瓜 / Japanese Snake Gourd)

The garment showcases the sublime painterly realism and meticulous paste-resist line work (itome-zome) that define Kanazawa’s premier dyeing tradition. The ground silk features a multi-tiered, vertical bokashi (gradient technique) that transitions seamlessly down the length of the kimono. Commencing at the shoulders in a fresh, light pistachio green, the color melts into a warm apricot-ocher across the waist, softens into a dusty blush-pink, and grounds itself in a rich kodai-murasaki (ancient purple) at the hem. This chromatic progression draws directly from the classical Kaga Gosai—the five foundational hues of Kaga Yuzen: crimson, indigo, ocher, dark green, and royal purple—while imbuing the garment with the glowing ambience of late-autumn twilight. Across this radiant background, Akito composes the climbing vines and tendrils of the karasuuri with remarkable spatial depth: Soto-bokashi (Outer Shading): Unlike Kyoto Yuzen's penchant for inner shading, the dyer applies soft gradation from the outer edges of the serrated leaves inward toward the central veins, giving the foliage a lush, sculpted realism. Mushikui (Insect-Eaten Details): Tiny, hand-rendered imperfections and nibbled leaf edges honor the seasonal decay and quiet imperfection (wabi-sabi) of natural botanicals. Atmospheric Recession: Behind the vivid bottle-green foliage and ripening orange-pink gourds in the foreground, Akito dyes a delicate phantom layer of silver-grey vines, creating an extraordinary illusion of shadow, air, and three-dimensional field depth. While his legendary father, Yoshimizu Toku I, was celebrated for nostalgic figurative depictions of playful children (warabe), Akito has forged a distinct identity centered on dynamic, rhythmically balanced flora. By allowing the slender tendrils of the snake gourd to tumble gracefully across the formal eba seams (where pattern elements align continuously across panels), the design transforms silk into a living, fluid visual narrative.
The Piano Files@thepianofiles.bsky.social · 2w ago

August 5 this year marked 76 years since the tragic death of Rosa Tamarkina at the age of 30. The first wife of Emil Gilels was an extraordinary pianist, a range of solo, chamber, concerto, and filmed performances revealing her glorious pianism. Link to all of these in comments. What an artist!

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Elizabeth Spiers@espiers.bsky.social · 2w ago

As anyone in publishing will tell you, women do not resist reading books by men, but men will often dismiss books by women. This is not a publishing problem or a failure to target men. It's a misogyny problem.

Karen K. Ho@karenho.bsky.social · 2w ago

it's always odd when "you should expose yourself to more diverse ideas" always means a certain kind of conservatism instead of like, Indigenous art, new fusion foods, math paradoxes, or the Dvorak keyboard layout

s. e. smith@sesmith.lol · 2w ago

What if instead of starting substacks in twenty-fucking-twenty-six people learned to give one iota of a fuck about whether they want to associate themselves with nazis.