Colin Hamilton
@colinhamilton.bsky.social
Occasional writer (The Discarded, The Thirteenth Month, A Life of Letters). Collector of imaginary books, library lore, and other miscellany. Sucker for the spurious glamor of certain voids. Practicing dyslexic.
O’Connor was asked if, with all those freaks, hogs, preachers, chickens, and southernisms, she was a regional writer. Her answered: The distinction that matters isn’t knowledge of the world but knowledge of the self. The price of self-knowledge is being an exile everywhere, even if frozen in place.
Gerard Beirne@gerardbeirne.bsky.social · 2mo ago“Fiction is about everything human and we are made out of dust, and if you scorn getting yourself dusty, then you shouldn’t try to write fiction. It’s not a grand enough job for you.” Flannery O’Connor
Reading Andre Alexis' Fifteen Dogs. A rough read at times, but ... incredible too. What happens when culture changes, when new ideas disrupt a pack. An impressive feat, and another tribute to small presses (Coach House Books). #booksky
This has a particular Sunday afternoon in May vibe. apnews.com/photo-galler...
Sleep takes center stage at Seoul's Han River Nap Competition, in photos
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Participants lie down and take part in the Han River Nap Competition in Seoul, South Korea, organized by the city government to promote the importance of sleep in the bustlin...
apnews.com
@debolinunferth.bsky.social What a bold and expansive vision. And it all ends with a few fireflies, as it should.
I think I might have missed my calling. Would have made a good marine iguana.
Luca@lucagalletti.bsky.social · 3mo agoGalapagos marine iguana is the only lizard species on Earth that has adapted to forage for food exclusively in the ocean. These "mini Godzillas" can freedive to depths of up to 30 meters (100 ft) and hold their breath for up to one hour. IG: matiasvargas12 marine biologist
I don't know why this makes me so happy. Perhaps because I was a child at the time and managed to survive all three despite the odds?
Helen Macdonald @hjm.bsky.social · 3mo agoJust read a commenter explaining that British children's top three fears in the early eighties were: rabies, quicksand and the Bermuda Triangle. This is TRUE.
Worth a gander. The unseen world around us. www.barrywebbimages.co.uk/Images/Macro...
Slime Moulds (Myxomycetes) - Barry Webb Images
I discovered my first Slime Mould in October 2019. Neither fungi nor plant, they are Myxomycetes. These organisms go through different stages. At one stage in their life cycle they are single cell am...
barrywebbimages.co.uk
Beavers hate the sound of running water. My education continues.
Caroline Casey@cacasey.bsky.social · 4mo ago“I cannot imagine anything more ignominious than watching ‘Hamnet,’” Ms. Riley said. This alone is reason to read The Palm House (also it's NYRB not NYRB Classics, ugh)
True History of the Kelly Gang & My Brilliant Friend. Two books in which the ownership of a pair of shoes/boots takes on an unexpected level of dramatic significance. #booksinconversation #ferrante #petercarey
Going through hundreds of letters received in the late 80s, early 90s; everything stops by 1997 with email. Amazed by the effort we made to reach each other, to say something, to stay connected across countries and oceans. Lots of people I've since lost, but not all. Grateful for having a past.
“There is a period when it is clear that you have gone wrong but you continue. Sometimes there is a luxurious amount of time before anything bad happens.” - Jenny Holzer Sums up being a kid of the 1970s and 80s.
Always a pleasure when Trump accidentally speaks the truth, like naming Vance "Fraud Czar". Exactly.
Today I learned that 17th century causes of death in London included "blasted," "teeth," "dead in street," "eaten by lice," "King's Evil," and "wolf." Not much changes.
If all money looked like this, I would work harder.
Carausius@carausius286.bsky.social · 5mo agoThis silver coin was likely struck in Syracuse in the 460s BC. Its depiction of a highly realistic octopus shows the incredible skill of the artist and the city’s close relationship with the sea. A mini-masterpiece. #AncientBlueSky 🏺
Reading this article about Walter Benjamin in the NYer by Anahid Nersessian...and thinking about the videos that the White House has been putting out.
A book I hadn't thought about in a long time, but Gioia makes me wonder -- as he often does -- if I should pay more attention. Strange to me that I didn't know this was written in my Minneapolis. We don't claim it ... www.honest-broker.com/p/the-real-s...
The Real Story Behind 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'
How this book was written is as strange as the novel itself
honest-broker.com
At his occasional best, he saw with remarkable clarity.
Jerad Walker@jeradwalker.bsky.social · 5mo agoFrom Hunter S. Thompson’s ESPN page 2 column one week after 9/11.
Not over in Minnesota: www.startribune.com/white-house-...
White House to pause $259M in Minnesota Medicaid dollars in fraud crackdown
It’s the latest in a growing list of fraud-focused threats and probes from the Trump administration.
startribune.com
The Bulwark@thebulwark.com · 5mo ago"You now live in a country where volunteers deliver babies at home, in secret, off the books, because mothers fear that if they go to the hospital, they will be abducted by masked, armed agents of the state while giving birth. This is not a hypothetical."
A worthwhile read about the choices we control, and how to resist the world-weary pleasure knowing and describing defeat. aeon.co/essays/what-...
aeon.co