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Elizabeth Porter Birdsall

@epbirdsall.bsky.social

Writer, FR>EN translator, general nerd about town. Same username in various realname-y places.

679 Posts409 Follower180 Folgt
Andrew A.N. Deloucas@aandeloucas.com · 2y ago

Ea-nāṣir is the recipient of the world’s oldest complaint letter. He’s reportedly the worst businessman of the 18th century, a mediocre conman whose actions should have him put out of business. Is this fair? Here’s a thread on the most up-to-date research on this captivating figure.

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Elizabeth Porter Birdsall@epbirdsall.bsky.social · 3w ago

I LOVE Aster Glenn Gray's historical fiction (Briarley and The Sleeping Soldier are probably my favorites but they're all so good!). Interesting romances between three-dimensional individuals who are products of and shaped by their own particular era and background in meticulously researched ways!

Aster Glenn Gray@asterglenngray.bsky.social · 3w ago

I recently discovered that Amazon now lets authors distribute ebooks to libraries and still keep the title in KDP, and now all my m/m books are available in Overdrive and Hoopla (and also various print retailers).

JRho@jrho.bsky.social · 3w ago

The most absolutely massive flex from the state fair exhibit. This quilt is made of 40 years of prize ribbons from various categories at the New Mexico State Fair won by Carol St. Clair Johnson. She also won a prize for this quilt.

Massive quilt made of prize ribbons in blue, red, yellow, and whiteCenter square of quilt made of yellow and red ribbons and yellow rosettesBlock of quilt made of blue, yellow, red, and white ribbons. Ribbons state the year. Some have the prize winning object written on in markerCarol St. Clair Johnson born 1954; resides Albuquerque, NM O Fair New Mexico-41 Fair Years 2023 satin ribbons After unexpectedly winning her first blue ribbon for a sewn cape in 1981, Carol St. Clair Johnson developed an enduring love for the New Mexico State Fair. The quilt Fair New Mexico-41 Fair Years incorporates more than six hundred of the ribbons she won at the fair every subsequent year except 2020 (when the fair was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Johnson earned ribbons for needlework, knitting, crochet, pies, cookies, cakes, canning, jewelry, flowers, vegetables, and potted plants. The title of the quilt is a reference to the state song, and the design places the state's Zia sun symbol at the center. The quilt earned Johnson yet another ribbon: Best in Category (miscellaneous quilt) at the 2023 New Mexico State Fair. Courtesy of Carol St. Clair Johnson
Goodnews@goodnews.computer · 4w ago

Take a break from being depressed that everything you love is being destroyed by slop for a moment and let me tell you about the beautiful symbiotic relationship between graffiti writers, train yard workers, and model train enthusiasts.

A hand holding a model train with a replica of the same graffiti on the full scale train car behind it.A model train with two graffiti pieces on opposite sides.
Elizabeth Porter Birdsall@epbirdsall.bsky.social · last mo.

There's a blog post at the end confirming that the cat came home eventually, for those who will worry, but meanwhile, this art is DELIGHTFUL

Tom Cox@dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · last mo.

THREAD. A while ago my parents' cat Bridget went missing. As the worrying weeks dragged on my dad devised a way to distract himself: he began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time & inhabiting art's most iconic scenes. What he produced (& how quickly) was phenomenal...

The Girl With The Cat Earring, featuring my mum and dad's cat Bridget.
Elizabeth Porter Birdsall@epbirdsall.bsky.social · last mo.

Fascinated because I never thought of this as at all regional, but on the other hand I've lived here for well over 20 years now so I guess I wouldn't! Is this, in fact, a Boston-area thing? (I wouldn't say it's ubiquitous or anything, but it's definitely within the range of common-ish responses.)

Handmaid@handmaid.bsky.social · last mo.

"Living the dream" a frequent sarcastic response to "How're you doing?" In Boston. Is this idiom unique to Greater Boston, Mass, New England? Seems like its local but what do I know?

thene@thene.bsky.social · 2mo ago

out it goes: my long post about Rachel Hope Cleves's claim that Tillie Walden plagiarised her book. It's long because Cleves's claim is much, much more bizarre than it looked on first reading. I'm not going to bury the lede here. Cleves's claim does not hold up. buttondown.com/thene/archiv...

stick a pin in this metaphor …because these covers are a microcosm of the entire conflict; Walden's book is mostly built on writing and other objects left by Sylvia Drake, Charity Bryant, and others. Her work includes many elements from these records that Cleves does not refer to in her book, and many of her interpretations of those records are different from Cleves's interpretations, often intentionally so. In addition to her historical basis, Walden's book includes fictional dialogue and story elements that are original to her work, some of which are inspired by Walden's own life.
thene@thene.bsky.social · 2mo ago

i am working on a very, very long blog post that could really have fit into a skeet: When someone posts that "this website/journal article/etc proves my dramatic claim!!!" and then does not link to the website, journal article, etc, it is because it does not in fact prove their dramatic claim.

Elizabeth Porter Birdsall@epbirdsall.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This is today! Stop by this afternoon -- hear some music, see art vendors, celebrate rat mitigation efforts, say hi! A preview of a couple pots I'll be selling:

a metallic bronze pot with pointy scallops along the top like a crown. it features a hand-painted, semi-realistic rat wearing a little crown, in an oval of unglazed clay on the front.a ceramic cup featuring a hand-painted, cartoony plague doctor in an oval of unglazed clay. this clay has speckles showing through the paint, and the glaze is glossy black below with mottled blacks, blues, and whites flowing together at the top.
Elizabeth Porter Birdsall@epbirdsall.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Bostonian folks, fyi that I'll be selling my pottery (first time vending!!) at www.ratcityartsfestival.com in Brighton this Saturday, 8/1, 3pm to somewhere in the 9-10pm range at the Charles River Speedway. It looks like it's gonna be a really cool festival!

Asakiyume/Morinotsuma@asakiyume.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Surprise! It's meeee. ... And a novel following on LAGOONFIRE will be coming out within the next 12 months so--yeah!

Author J. Scott Coatsworth@jscottcoatsworth.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Check out Francesca Forrest Fantasy Francesca Forrest is the author of Pen Pal (2013), a hard-to-classify novel from the margins, and The Inconvenient God and Lagoonfire (Annorlunda Books, 2018 and 2021), as well several stand-alone short ... www.limfic.com/mbm-book-aut... #AuthorSpotlight

Kate Elliott@kateelliottsff.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#AICouldNever Next in a three part series on the song "Hawai'i 78". After the beautiful collective performance below, here is likely the most famous version of "Hawai'i 78" by the great Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Braddah IZ) and his pure voice. www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBUz...

OFFICIAL Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole - Hawaiʻi '78

YouTube video by Mountain Apple Company Inc

youtube.com

Kate Elliott@kateelliottsff.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#AICouldNever One of the most moving songs I know, in a performance sung, played, and danced across the islands www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVuv...

ariella@agbouskila.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Well, I've been affected by the Bungie layoffs, and I guess I'm now looking for work. I'm a senior narrative designer on Destiny 2. I'm going to thread a little list of stuff I've done on the game; normally I go out of my way to avoid attention, but today I'd appreciate reposts.

Elizabeth Porter Birdsall@epbirdsall.bsky.social · 3mo ago

#uspolitics This is a win! Hell yeah! Also an important reminder (incl. to me) that when the administration says they're gonna do [awful thing] that doesn't mean it'll inevitably happen. They have done & will do horrific damage on many fronts but pushing back often works, & doesn't get trumpeted.

Marlo Garnsworthy@icebird.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Filed under FUCK YEAH A win for ocean monitoring is a win for all living things on Earth. #OceanDevotion