Nostr notes by L.J., romantic toiler

I just don't have any desire to use #AI, for anything. It ...

2026-10-14T02:55:28Z

I just don't have any desire to use #AI, for anything. It does not interest me at all.

. . .

None of the #AI tools available to me are anything I have use for. It's all solutions I don't want for problems I don't have.

. . .

PS, to my fellow writers and artists of all stripes: It is a uniquely demoralizing time to be working right now, I know. But please don't stop. Do it for love, or do it for spite, whatever gets you through the day. But do not stop. They don't get to win.

– Becky Chambers, I Do Not Like These Robots https://www.otherscribbles.com/aizine

(Transcript and descriptions in 🧵)

#NoAI #writing #zine

Myths and Legends of the Bantu and other Africans was originally ...

2026-10-08T13:52:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…03xn
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Myths and Legends of the Bantu and other Africans was originally compiled by Alice Werner, and had a number of problems given that provenance. Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) edited and modernized the racism and outdated parts, and his edited volume is available for free as a newsletter subscription magnet. https://www.ododopress.com/non-fiction/myths-and-legends-of-the-bantu-and-other-africans/

It seems that one defense of non-consensual scraping and lack of ...

2026-10-05T04:09:18Z

It seems that one defense of non-consensual scraping and lack of attribution by quote-unquote #AI systems depends on the conflation of copyright and moral rights. Some variation of "copyright should be abolished" might be used to handwave concerns about scraping and lack of credit, and even if we were to grant this position for the sake of argument (which comes with a host of problems of its own, as I will discuss), in many cases it is moral rights rather than — or in addition to — copyright that are at stake when scraping and attribution issues come up.

Therefore, those who cite objections to copyright, or intellectual property in general, as a partial defense for scraping and machine training should consider if they are as willing to say "moral rights should be abolished." They are entitled to their conclusion either way, but they should justify it separately from an anti-copyright stance because copyright and moral rights are not the same thing. 🧵

#copyright #MoralRights #IntellectualProperty

Yeah in many ways I imagine life in the statist-capitalist ...

2026-09-29T02:52:06Z

In reply to nevent1q…p2zg
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Yeah in many ways I imagine life in the statist-capitalist countries would be like ours but escalated, like the food shortage and massacres in Kenya. Speaking of which, poor Kenya seems set up to be the tinderbox of this world, people suffering badly while freedom and plenty are so tantalizingly near with at least two long land borders shared with federation lands (former Uganda and former (Southern?) Tanzania) and access by water as well. The immigration pressure and political polarization must be incredible, hence all the protests and violent repression. I get the sense it's kind of a last stand of capitalism in East Africa, and an open-air prison for many of the people.

One thing I really liked about Blossoming was that the solarpunk ...

2026-09-28T02:04:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…0fwy
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One thing I really liked about Blossoming was that the solarpunk part of the world felt so lived-in and imperfect, which made it more real. It's not a problem-free future by any means because people bring their own problems to any techno-economic arrangement, but it is more livable and sustainable.

The plot also made me curious about what life is like in the U.S., Kenya and other capital-statist parts of the world. These powers' driving determination to steal pito nyonyo and use it for domination and warfare was a reminder that no technology is inherently good and tech won't save us — but we sure can try to use it to save us.

It's particularly telling that the plot solution uses tech that, while not exactly forbidden (since there's no authority to forbid things), was at least frowned upon and pursued clandestinely. Much as in Le Guin's The Dispossessed, anarchy rebels even against anarchist order!

Are there aspects of your culture, heritage, or everyday life ...

2026-09-26T02:37:29Z

Are there aspects of your culture, heritage, or everyday life that seem to be unknown or misunderstood outside your country? Whether it's an amusing misconception or something more serious, what would you like people to get right?

#OpenThread #culture #language

Reasons transfeminine Mulan makes more sense to me in reading the ...

2026-09-23T15:39:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…4pct
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Reasons transfeminine Mulan makes more sense to me in reading the original Ballad of Mulan (see the original text and my translation at https://ljwrites.blog/posts/ballad-of-mulan/ ):

- Mulan does not run away in the dead of night to join the Army like later adaptations portray. She quite sensibly purchases horse and gear on the open market, something that would get back to her family even if she could spend that kind of money on her own (which is unlikely). She also formally takes leave of her parents at dawn, an hour when absolutely everyone is up & about in the ancient countryside. She could not have gone so openly, and her parents would never have let her, if she could not pass for male.

- The length of her deployment is described variously as ten and twelve years, meaning basically a long time ranging to a decade or longer, and given the nature of ancient barracks life this is simply not a length of time a soldier can go without ever being even partially unclothed in front of others, or at least being considered deeply odd and secretive at a time when communal nakedness was routine and not considered sexual. Disney's animated Mulan "solved" this by vastly shrinking the time frame, and even then the disguise fell apart the first time she was injured. The 2009 Mulan: Rise of a Warrior did give her a years-long deployment but handwaved the details, and the greater privacy enjoyed by the character seems to have been explained in part by her rapid rise through the ranks. With transfem Mulan no contortions are necessary and her comrades' total shock at the end is more natural.

- I'll be honest, aside from all logical or logistical arguments, it was the makeover stanza where Mulan takes off her man's clothes and dresses again as a maiden that sold me once and for all. This is one of the only two stanzas (out of 14 total) where the first-person pronoun wǒ 我 is used, and the one that accounts for four out of five instances of 我 in the entire Ballad. The deeply personal and intimate tone is unmistakable: The heroine opening the door of her room, sitting down on her bed, taking off her wartime cloak, putting on her old skirts. Fixing her hair, gluing foil flowers on her forehead. The pleasure she takes in presenting as a woman again after all these years is so evident, I DARE anyone to tell me this whole stanza is not exploding everywhere with gender euphoria. Of course cis as well as trans people can feel gender euphoria, but the various adaptations featuring Mulan as a cis woman are not all that euphoric about womanhood which is associated with discovery, shame, and outright threat to life. In the original Ballad womanhood is pure bliss, and the one time we see Mulan unclothed is on her own terms at a moment when she is in joyous intimacy with her body and identity. It's a major reason I love the Ballad much more than any adaptation.

- Gender ambiguity is baked into Mulan's character in a way that would have less resonance if she were cisfem. I was discussing the first person pronoun before (honestly very fun that the only pronoun I talk about in this transgender meta is the first person, gendered third-person pronouns not even being a thing in this era), and the fifth and last occurrence of 我 is the final line which says, rendered literally, "How can you tell if I am male or female?" I'll admit I put a further slant on it with a double meaning when I translated that line as "Female or male am I, can you decide?" But really, did I stray THAT far from the original? xD

- Also tangential mumblings about how the fifth stanza (marketplace) and twelfth (bedroom) are mirrored in transitioning Mulan's social gender to male and female respectively, and how these are not only aesthetic or practical occasions but spiritual ones that begin by invoking the cardinal directions. It just gave me Thoughts about the strong association between transgender identities/practices and particularly explosive spiritual energies across many different cultures, and how gender can be not just a practicality but a sacrament.

I'd forgotten about this earlier version and the changes ...

2026-09-23T14:29:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…psua
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I'd forgotten about this earlier version and the changes please me greatly, the rhyme scheme and cadence are smoother and I'm proud of how each member of the family got close but not identical rhyming pairs (gate/shade for parents, threads/ahead for sister, met/fête for brother), kind of like how your relationships with your family will have some recurring themes but won't be exactly the same with everyone. The parents' verses gained in emotional clarity while the sister's gained a whole lot of depth showing how close the sisters are without a lot of overt display.

Loving #Ediff comparison for tracking edit history. From A ...

2026-09-23T14:18:47Z

Loving #Ediff comparison for tracking edit history. From A Maiden's War, my narrative poem about transfem Mulan — which I will go to my grave insisting is canon. https://corvidqueen.com/stories/a-maidens-war-lj-lee

#poetry #Git #Emacs #Magit

In sum, the contrived histories of #naturalism that purport to ...

2026-09-21T15:07:17Z

In sum, the contrived histories of #naturalism that purport to show its victory over supernaturalism were fabricated in the 19th century and are simply not consistent with the historical evidence. They are also tainted by a cultural condescension that, in the past at least, descended into outright racism. . . .

History suggests that our regnant modern naturalism is deeply indebted to monotheism, and that its adherents may need to abandon the comforting idea that their naturalistic commitments are licensed by the success of science. As for the idea of the supernatural, ironically this turns out to be far more important for the identity of those who wish to deny its reality than it had ever been for traditional religious believers.

– Peter Harrison, The birth of naturalism https://aeon.co/essays/investigating-the-roots-of-the-natural-supernatural-dichotomy

#religion #atheism #history #racism #HistoryOfIdeas #ScienceHistory

[T]he shared beliefs [in the value of humanity and humanistic ...

2026-09-20T08:40:18Z

[T]he shared beliefs [in the value of humanity and humanistic learning, as well as the revival of ancient learning] are not unique to ‘humanists’. Such beliefs were certainly prevalent during the 8th and 9th centuries when the English scholar Alcuin (c735-804) set about organising teaching in the empire of Charles the Great, as well as in the 12th century when Aristotle and Avicenna [ibn Sīnā] were being translated into Latin. The people of these times had an equal interest in reviving ancient learning. Similar beliefs were present. This way of thinking can also be found in the early Arabic philosophical tradition among the Syriac Christians who translated ancient philosophy into Arabic earlier in the history of philosophy.

– Henrik Lagerlund, What Renaissance? https://aeon.co/essays/there-was-no-such-thing-as-renaissance-philosophy

#philosophy #history #renaissance #europe #syria #medieval

#WordWeavers Sep. 17 – By the end of your story, how many ...

2026-09-17T10:41:50Z

#WordWeavers Sep. 17 – By the end of your story, how many injuries has your MC had?

As of the end of book 1:

Noblewoman MC – Exhaustion and collapse from running and dehydration
Refugee MC – Battered on several occasions, burns on her hands, a period of starvation and exhaustion, prolonged food insecurity

And I defy anyone to say some of these don't count as injuries, they all cause physical damage even if they didn't all draw blood. And I did not even go into the psychological trauma...

Is there like a checklist for each book that includes ...

2026-09-17T10:32:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…svnc
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Is there like a checklist for each book that includes "traumatic injury"

“Brehon” is an ancient Irish term for judge. Over the ...

2026-09-15T05:20:36Z

“Brehon” is an ancient Irish term for judge. Over the centuries the judges accumulated a series of laws which they passed down orally from one generation of judges to the next. To qualify to become any one of the various levels of judges and lawyers (which in all likelihood were offshoots of the poets (filidh) required that the person study at one of the nemed schools. It was a period of study that lasted a number of years in which they learned poetry as well as the laws.

– Kristin Gleeson, Bees and Brehon Law in Medieval Ireland https://the-history-girls.blogspot.com/2026/09/bees-and-brehon-law-in-medieval-ireland.html

#history #Ireland #law #poetry

#WordWeavers Sep 13 – Share a line of dialogue that sounds ...

2026-09-13T13:34:48Z

#WordWeavers Sep 13 – Share a line of dialogue that sounds innocent without context but absolutely isn’t.

“It’ll be just like old times!”

Source: A Very Long Malaise https://alpennia.com/blog/lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-301-very-long-malaise-lj-lee

#WordWeavers Sep. 11 – What does your MC believe about ...

2026-09-12T03:33:47Z

#WordWeavers Sep. 11 – What does your MC believe about themselves at the beginning of the story that turns out to be completely wrong?

Noblewoman MC: That she can save her people with the right marriage alliance and power plays

Refugee MC: That she must take on all hardship and trauma herself and does not deserve help

I guess the Venetian equivalent of Jane Austen, i.e. the fortunes ...

2026-09-09T04:45:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…vyyn
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I guess the Venetian equivalent of Jane Austen, i.e. the fortunes of the unpropertied gentry woman, would have been quite a different genre :blobcat_giggle: Convent, caregiver, or courtesan, what a slate of choices!

The women from the first class of courtesan, the honest ...

2026-09-09T03:59:52Z

The women from the first class of courtesan, the honest courtesan, were often born into patrician or merchant family they were raised as educated and cultured women. But in a society that dictated exorbitant dowries that could often bankrupt a family, extra daughters were often given no opportunity to marry. They could go into a convent and become a nun, but that still required a dowry, though not as large. They could remain in the household an ageing spinster tending to family member, forever dependent and submissive perhaps to a new mistress of the household if it should pass to a brother and his wife. Or circumstances, like poverty from funding a dowry to an older sister, or failed commercial activities could encourage a young woman to consider the life of a courtesan. Often, in these situations, a courtesan could end up being the sole support of their family.

– Kristin Gleeson, Veronica Franco and the Courtesans of Renaissance #Venice https://the-history-girls.blogspot.com/2026/08/veronica-franco-and-courtesans-of.html

#history #SexWork #courtesan

Oh that's sad :/ it was likely a not-uncommon yearning and ...

2026-09-02T03:58:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…4dzz
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Oh that's sad :/ it was likely a not-uncommon yearning and dilemma for that age, kinda like if a 60-year-old wanted to learn coding I imagine except likely worse.

Just took another peek at a short story of mine after seeing a ...

2026-09-01T01:36:11Z

Just took another peek at a short story of mine after seeing a reference to the historical event, and I can happily report that this ending still wrecks me (italics in original converted to caps):

❝
And long after these buildings and this courtyard will be burned down almost three cycles of sixty years hence, with the enslaved shouting BURN THE SLAVE PAPERS while invaders march North toward the Capital; after the stately pillars and airy roof tiles spout flames leaving naught but cooling ashes for the Japanese to take—her answer will live on, indestructible, as memory shall outlast mere might and all our little lives.
❞

#LjWrites #HistoricalFiction

#WordWeavers Aug. 31 – What's one thing you hope readers ...

2026-08-31T14:19:13Z

#WordWeavers Aug. 31 – What's one thing you hope readers remember long after they finish your story?

AKQAB (all kings & queens are bastards)

Took my first walk with the kid since the day it ended with ...

2026-08-29T08:13:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…rxmq
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Took my first walk with the kid since the day it ended with muscle cramps and pain pills, and look Ma, no cramping even though it was a much longer walk than the previous ones that triggered relapses! I was careful about several things:

- Reduced tension and strain in my general posture and walk. I noticed I had slight back strain mid-back when I walked, which may be a precursor to more focused cramping on one side or the other when my posture is more unbalanced. I also have a habit of throwing my shoulders way back when I stand or walk as though I'm trying to hold my strides in. In response I consciously relaxed more, letting my shoulders slide down and pushing my tailbone forward.

- I didn't try to get “more of the sweaty work in” before I showered, I just went ahead and washed up. Also avoided showering in cold water, tempting as it was.

- Also avoided any direct blasts from the AC which could also be a cramping risk right after coming in from the heat. I have the window open in a different part of the house and a small electric fan going instead, which are more than enough in the late afternoon in a northwest-facing room especially when I'm cool from the shower.

- More stretching and warm-ups in general, and more relaxation. I'm noticing all these small and big tensions over my body and stretching them out. I've also let my backrest recline way back and am bisexually typing with my knees up and lying back at a 45° angle, which helps!

Well what do you know... I lowered my main monitor by about 5 cm ...

2026-08-29T01:48:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…u7zx
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Well what do you know... I lowered my main monitor by about 5 cm (or 2 inches for the imperial subjects out there) and it doesn't even feel low, just normal. Looks like I really was straining to look at a monitor set too high for me, let's see if this is an improvement. I'm already feeling more relaxed as my chin gets tucked closer to my neck.

* For perspective, my main monitor is a 50” monitor across the room so a 5 cm difference in height is not as drastic as it would be for a desktop monitor.

So I wake up from an evening of bed rest and a full night's ...

2026-08-29T01:40:56Z

So I wake up from an evening of bed rest and a full night's sleep with a mild cramp in my side — my RIGHT side???!!! Wtf is going on :blobcat_table_flip: I've been feeling it for a couple days now but it definitely seems like there's some problem/too much tension in my posture and it showed up first in my left side, and as I favor that side because of the pain the right side took up the slack and is now feeling the strain.

I think I'll start with something I've been thinking for a while, lowering my main monitor. It's been feeling a little high compared to my otherwise relaxed posture (keyboard halves hovering just over lap, upper arms straight down and elbows at about 90° angle) and I suspect the need to raise my eyes higher than where they want to go is straining my neck and torso.

Some combination of the meds and a really good night's sleep ...

2026-08-26T22:30:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…wguw
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Some combination of the meds and a really good night's sleep (like 9 hours, sweet) worked its magic and the pain is gone! 💚 It's such a relief and I've learned a thing or two about overexerting myself in the heat and then plunging into the cold — as in, don't. Also, I think I'll start doing warming-up and cooling-off stretches before and after walks.

Got a cramp in my side the likes of which I have never known, I ...

2026-08-26T11:56:56Z

Got a cramp in my side the likes of which I have never known, I guess I overdid it today by taking a walk in daytime heat, then coming home to sweep the home office floor and taking a cold shower before I lay down in a cold air-conditioned room. Then at some point it started to feel like my lower back was going to detach from my hipbone. I'd never had back pain so bad I wasn't sure I could sit up, so that was scary. Did I mention I'm under my 🌜moon spell 💫 which already tends to bring out backache, so all of this was ill-considered and I regret everything.

The pain eventually localized to my lower left side and I was able to move around a little and help with dinner prep, but it grew so bad afterward I popped some pain pills and am now in bed before 9 hoping to sleep off both the pain and the pills. The pain's a little dulled but it still feels like there's a wrecking ball at work below my ribs (just a smaller one).

It does seem to be a muscle rather than an internal organs issue because the symptoms of, say, kidney disease such as fever are absent, and flex exercises help a little. Will be watching the way this turns and decide whether I need to see a doctor. More middle-aged things, I guess, where your body does unprecedented things but instead of being exciting it's kinda pathetic and uncomfortable.

DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30 (opens September 1): The Working Class ...

2026-08-25T01:46:13Z

DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 30 (opens September 1): The Working Class Writers Grant will be awarding $1,000 USD grants to working-class writers of speculative fiction anywhere in the world. Submissions must include a cover letter of ~750 words and a writing sample of ~10 pages/5,000 words. Check https://speculativeliterature.org/grants-3/the-slf-working-class-grant/ for details and to submit once the application opens.

#fantasy #scienceFiction #horror #CallForSubmssions #WritingGrants

I didn't entirely slack on my reading, though — I finished ...

2026-07-27T12:49:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…mwj8
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I didn't entirely slack on my reading, though — I finished Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) 's Blossoming of the Big Tree, which is a fun and thoughtful steampunk sci-fi with high stakes and an unforgettable protagonist. My copy was an ARC and didn't have a cover yet, but the book is out now in its final form! https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/

Me buying a discounted book here, splurging on a bulk sale there, ...

2026-07-27T12:45:08Z

Me buying a discounted book here, splurging on a bulk sale there, all in the touching hope that someday I'll have time to read them all.

#bookstodon #amReading #somedayISwear

Can highly recommend, I read an earlier version of Blossoming and ...

2026-07-27T05:35:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…zysu
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Can highly recommend, I read an earlier version of Blossoming and the story was fun, the worldbuilding vivid without being preachy!

can't help but think the colonial powers have historically ...

2026-07-26T05:47:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…x3dw
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can't help but think the colonial powers have historically dragged their feet on climate change precisely because they thought it would mostly hurt Africa and Latin America and they'd be somehow okay. How's that internalized externality feel, bitches? :blobcat_giggle:

Congratulations! The book looks really cute.

2026-07-11T11:18:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…rms5
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Congratulations! The book looks really cute.

#WritersCoffeeClub Jun. 26 – Have you ever included subtle (or ...

2026-06-28T14:39:48Z

#WritersCoffeeClub Jun. 26 – Have you ever included subtle (or unsubtle!) homage? Tell us about it.

The title of my upcoming short story, Between One Word and the Next, is a homage to the philosophy behind the phonetics of #Hangul, the writing of the Korean language. The Explication of Letter Formation (制字解) begins, translation very idiosyncratically mine:

天地之道，一陰陽五行而已。坤復之間爲太極，而動靜之後爲陰陽。

“The way of Heaven and Earth is but the Yin-Yang and Wuxing. Between silence and sound the Profound Polarity is born; and after movement and stillness Yin and Yang arise.”

For maximal chaos, King Sejong the founder of Hangul is in fact in the story (the events take place 7 years before the promulgation of Hangul) but not as a hero or main character; the mains are illiterate enslaved women in love with each other because of course.

#HistoricalFiction #linguistics #philosophy #Korea #queerFiction

JULY 1–14, 2026: “The Orange & Bee is looking for ...

2026-06-11T09:40:03Z

JULY 1–14, 2026: “The Orange & Bee is looking for original work that engages meaningfully with fairy tales and folklore while pushing beyond simple retellings. Editors are interested in stories, essays, poems, and hybrid works that challenge, expand, and rethink fairy-tale traditions. They welcome work from diverse voices and cultures, especially pieces that offer fresh perspectives on familiar motifs, myths, and storytelling practices. Experimental and cross-genre approaches are encouraged.” https://horrortree.com/taking-submissions-the-orange-bee-july-2026-window/

PAYMENT (USD): $50/poem; $80/flash piece; $0.08/word short fiction or nonfiction

#CallForSubmissions #publishing #folklore #mythology #FairyTale

good taste 👍 does she make it herself?

2026-06-11T07:28:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…a4ay
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good taste 👍 does she make it herself?

Yum!

2026-06-11T01:36:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…47t7
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Yum!

What heaven is complete without nips?

2026-05-27T14:50:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…yhyf
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What heaven is complete without nips?

revolutionary special interest

2026-05-24T09:14:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…x6rc
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revolutionary special interest

It is to be hoped Mrs. Rundkvist has no immediate plans to ...

2026-05-22T08:17:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…p4tw
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It is to be hoped Mrs. Rundkvist has no immediate plans to abandon you? xD

It's not often that audiences get two timelines in the same ...

2026-05-18T11:04:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…wtt2
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It's not often that audiences get two timelines in the same setting, sounds like a treat! xD

Is this the same timeline as The Blossoming of the Big Tree? ...

2026-05-18T09:41:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…w29f
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Is this the same timeline as The Blossoming of the Big Tree? (I'm almost done reading and enjoying it!)

Whoa! So like a special session for his character?

2026-05-16T11:25:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…638h
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Whoa! So like a special session for his character?

Ah so they're all about the meat but chickens about chicken, ...

2026-05-13T11:27:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…ean0
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Ah so they're all about the meat but chickens about chicken, such man so masculinity wow

I hope it helps your finances and will be fulfilling!

2026-05-12T13:38:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…z23p
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I hope it helps your finances and will be fulfilling!

I'm willing to believe it's better than my nonexistent ...

2026-05-08T19:21:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…z47p
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I'm willing to believe it's better than my nonexistent skills! xD Also something about the discipline of archaeology seems suitable to fermented foods...

Congrats! 🎉

2026-05-08T14:15:25Z

In reply to nevent1q…2dx6
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Congrats! 🎉

¶US Navy ships had arrived in Kinshansha and a drone battle had ...

2026-05-07T00:20:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…xn9e
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¶US Navy ships had arrived in Kinshansha and a drone battle had broken out.

I'm guessing this is modern-day Kinshasa because the invasion is headed by Kenya and the US, so Kinshasa is a port city in this future? Maybe because of rising sea levels, urban expansion, or both? 🤔

It's even more endearing that Adita knows Acen won't ...

2026-05-07T00:11:55Z

In reply to nevent1q…j9tp
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It's even more endearing that Adita knows Acen won't actually do the manual (or pedial, one might say) labor because as a programmer Acen can easily do a skill exchange. Also I'd imagine people would simply do her the favor on principle, as Acen grew up in the village and is currently pregnant to boot. Adita could have asked for a favor or exchange herself, as she knew from the start, she just has fewer social graces than a drunken elephant and ended up outsourcing the social exchange from what I can see xD

Acen and Adita's interaction is such mother-daughter feels, ...

2026-05-07T00:04:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…5tne
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Acen and Adita's interaction is such mother-daughter feels, I'm cackling. Also it's worth noting that Adita is threatening to beat up her heavily pregnant daughter here... xD (I mean she wouldn't, I think. And it's pretty clear that even pregnant Acen can run circles around her septuagenarian mom.) “Rwot” means a village leader, more or less.

❝
“Eish!” Acen said. “You called me to dig your garden?”

“She forgot to charge her tractor,” Ogen said. “You’ll have to pedal.”

“Noooo!” Acen shrieked. “I won’t dig for a rwot!”

“To you, I’m not a rwot,” Adita said. “I’m your mother, and if I don’t find my garden ready, eish, just remember I can still use my slipper.”
❞

From @npub1faz…vc22 's The Blossoming of the Big Tree: ...

2026-05-06T23:54:12Z

From Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) 's The Blossoming of the Big Tree:

❝Her ornithopter was blue,with orange wings and tail, and white geometric designs that seemed to glow, creating the illusion of a futuristic craft. Acen’s hair was blue, with white beads on her cornrows imitating the designs on the bruka. Her jumpsuit had the same colour and patterns. She taught programming at her village’s high school and was one of the three thousand engineers who maintained Yat Madit, but she dreamed of the stars and so led a project to build spaceships.❞

She's so cool, I love her 😍

#Solarpunk #Afropunk #amReading #ScienceFiction

#WritersCoffeeClub May 6 – Talk about something you've ...

2026-05-06T07:04:11Z

#WritersCoffeeClub May 6 – Talk about something you've written which you expected would (or expect will) divide readers.

Oh, where to start? I have an upcoming podcast story based on an early Joseon-era historical record about a Crown Princess Consort's "affair" with an enslaved woman, Sossang. Sossang claimed the Princess sexually assaulted her. Sossang was dating another enslaved woman, Danji, and the Princess is alleged to have stalked the couple to keep them apart. I have translated and analyzed the record here: https://ljwrites.blog/posts/sossang-danji/

You know how this record is interpreted, right? Yeah, people generally handwave the sexual assault and stalking parts to make the Princess out to be a queer heroine 🙄 Like I get it, princesses are appealing and it's very easy to see her as a victim of character assassination by the patriarchy (which was very real and violently oppressive). Still. Why do we feel for princesses and disbelieve enslaved servants? What if Sossang spoke the truth?

That's the premise of my story, that the record is true, that maybe, just maybe, the victim wasn't lying. What a thought! And I didn't even try to write it in Korean because I know people won't like it, as with many of my stories about Korean history xD

#history #historicalFiction

Let's face it, he probably knows an Ugandan grandma or 20 and ...

2026-05-05T17:45:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…w9xx
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Let's face it, he probably knows an Ugandan grandma or 20 and drew on good references. Then again, what the excuse of the 20,000 other young writers (or old, for that matter) who write like they have never met anyone over 60 in their entire existence...

Not sure how old Dilman is, he seems to be a fairly young man but ...

2026-05-05T16:37:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…amfl
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Not sure how old Dilman is, he seems to be a fairly young man but from my perspective as a woman coming up on 50 I didn't find the portrayal objectionable so far. Adita is cranky and odd by neurotypical standards (and all too aware of it!) and not as physically fit as she used to be which is an inconvenience early on, but she's also energetic, active, and practical. Her husband predeceased her but she doesn't spend a whole lot of time dwelling on it, she has grown children and grandchildren, her own issues, and a looming war to think of. Writing Books (npub1hpf…4urc)

Oh, I meant something a little more specific in this case, as in ...

2026-05-05T13:35:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…0u3e
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Oh, I meant something a little more specific in this case, as in elderly characters' memories of the past helping them kind of take the readers' part because their own world is strange to them, despite also being deeply familiar. Maybe the second post in the thread will help clarify that part. https://writeout.ink/@ljwrites/116521823869909149

Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) Writing Books (npub1hpf…4urc)

Hurray! 🎉 As an author once said about writing for ...

2026-05-05T12:17:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…xw0m
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Hurray! 🎉 As an author once said about writing for specialists, if you're writing a book for 10 people send them an email.

As in, The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? I've read ...

2026-05-05T11:56:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…nrx7
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As in, The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? I've read all 3 books cover to cover and neither of what might be called elderly character PoV parts (Alabaster and Schaffa) involves the effect I talked about. Can you elaborate? Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) Writing Books (npub1hpf…4urc) Bookstodon Group (npub1q60…kp90)

What I find fascinating about an older character PoV in spec fic ...

2026-05-05T11:52:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…5g4y
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What I find fascinating about an older character PoV in spec fic is that an elderly character is both a fish out of and very much in the water at the same time: They've been around a while and have seen more of the world than a lot of younger characters, but the world they're so familiar with can also seem strange because so much has changed since their own youth. In that sense all older characters who have lived through rapid social and material change are science-fiction protagonists, like older people in the real world. This push and pull between the familiar and unfamiliar puts older characters in a unique situation as both worldbuilding vectors and as characters, and is particularly powerful when they're in protagonist roles able to act from that combination of familiarity and "otherworldly" disorientation.

Writing Books (npub1hpf…4urc)

I'm reading a draft of @npub1faz…vc22 's THE BLOSSOMING ...

2026-05-05T11:36:20Z

I'm reading a draft of Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) 's THE BLOSSOMING OF THE BIG TREE where an autistic grandma must coordinate the defense of her #solarpunk utopian federation from colonialist invaders, and one thing I find really interesting is the "old person PoV" as a counterpart — with both similarities and contrasts — to "fish out of water" (think Luke Skywalker, Bilbo Baggins, and many many mostly young sword-and-sorcery or isekai/rebirth protagonists) for exposition. An older character's PoV can be a very effective way to worldbuild from the perspective of a character who has lived through upheaval and change, and can be particularly effective in near-future #scienceFiction like Blossoming where the distance between our time and the time of the story can be bridged with the PoV character's lived experience, as in this passing thought from the protagonist Adita:

¶The caller . . . was two thousand miles away in what used to be southern Tanzania. Even after all these years, she oriented herself by placing people in their old countries.

See how Adita, located in present-day #Uganda, thinks like us in terms of nation-states while living in a future where many of those states are gone, helping the readers in turn orient themselves geographically with the information? And it's such a particular effect that our mode of nation-centric thought, shared with this elderly character, is a faintly embarrassing throwback in the book's timeline.

And yet the book isn't ageist about this: Adita isn't just some grognard who can't get with future but very much at home with the new technology and reality, a resourceful, adaptive figure who's poised to play a central role in the survival of her community almost in spite of herself. I find this interweave of technique, character, and story fascinating and am eager to read on.

You can pre-order Dilman Dila's THE BLOSSOMING OF THE BIG TREE here https://www.ododopress.com/novellas/the-blossoming-of-the-big-tree/ or grab an ARC of the current draft with a BookSirens account! https://booksirens.com/book/BUG035E/WXLHD4W

#amReading Writing Books (npub1hpf…4urc) Bookstodon Group (npub1q60…kp90)

out on an afternoon walk with the kiddo, will be working on a ...

2026-05-05T09:53:34Z

In reply to nevent1q…cj8v
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out on an afternoon walk with the kiddo, will be working on a translation job (synchronicity!) in the evening in between reading a mufo's book, going through my feeds and playing my usual vocabulary web game. Might submit a short story or two to magazines. Will you be discussing what went on at the panel? I'm curious!

#WritersCoffeeClub April 27: Share a possibly unpopular opinion. ...

2026-04-27T05:46:02Z

#WritersCoffeeClub April 27: Share a possibly unpopular opinion. 👀 (Be kind!)

I was just on this the other night: Peter Thiel and J.R.R. Tolkien are two sides of the same white supremacy coin, the choice between the creepy racist supervillain with a hard-on for world domination and the well-meaning artistic nerd who'll fight Nazis but not the Empire in his head. At least you can punch the supervillain, but tiptoeing around your liberal white friend's feelings can be a full-time job. (No, I will not be kind.)

Also here's my recent mini-rant on the subject, in case anyone wants to rise out of the bushes to splain to me about that time Tolkien said fuck Hitler. https://writeout.ink/@ljwrites/116472719361354673 I assure you, as a lifelong fangirl I know my Tolkien lore. I will not name every Elf, and you'd have to specify which branch of the Eldar anyway.

As a longtime Tolkien reader it's Not Great that fascists are ...

2026-04-26T19:44:16Z

As a longtime Tolkien reader it's Not Great that fascists are using his lovingly-crafted names in his invented languages for their stinky supervillain plot vehicles... but also Tolkien arguably brought it on himself with all that good white Western people vs. evil swarthy Eastern/Southern people stuff. Yes, I know he wanted nothing to do with Nazis and wrote a strongly worded letter. Yes, I know about the scene with the Dead Fantasy Indian, I mean man of Harad, and how this Proves dark-skinned people were totally humans to Tolkien, at least in death (what a high bar to clear!). That's all and well, the professor gets all the liberal progressive headpats. Doesn't change the fact that his Middle Earth is still steeped in the racist symbolism and structures that defined and continue to define British and European civilization, and that makes it catnip to the fash 🤷‍♀️ People are entitled to their own feelings about it, but it's hardly incongruous or unexpected.

Highly recommending this no-strings-attached download of ...

2026-04-26T05:05:25Z

Highly recommending this no-strings-attached download of Sue is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 (npub1f5n…2tcs) 's A Recipe for Marketing Indie Books. https://dl.bookfunnel.com/mymy5izu1p It's focused on indie publishing of fiction book series and she speaks on the subject with the detail and authority someone who has Done That Shit.

It's distinct from a lot of other advice I've seen (sharp divide between KU/wide strategies, recommendation against click-through ads, total lack of reliance on social media as a marketing tool), the down-dirty nitty-gritty delivered in no-nonsense, rapid-fire style that makes for a brief but packed read. It's quite current with a revision date of January 2026, I definitely recommend a look.

Writing Books (npub1hpf…4urc)

#publishing #indieAuthor #LjFeeds #writing #WritingCommunity

Lol I find that charming but somewhat inconvenient xD

2026-04-23T06:46:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…7jx5
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Lol I find that charming but somewhat inconvenient xD

Tbf I'm not sure anyone could sell The Name of the Rose to a ...

2026-04-21T13:23:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…l4dk
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Tbf I'm not sure anyone could sell The Name of the Rose to a traditional large publishing house in today's market — I think, in the Anglophone market, an agent or editor would want it to be rewritten in parallel timeline so a modern researcher or descendant undergoes their own exploration plot in the modern day. (Or the researcher and descendant have sex while uncovering the past, I guess.) On the other hand it might have a better chance with small and self-publishing, which is where I'm seeing the most interesting historical fiction nowadays. Not sure what indie publishing looks like in Sweden, though.

Ooh, good luck! 🤞

2026-04-21T11:49:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…5t2a
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Ooh, good luck! 🤞

I've heard of writing novels or short stories on commission, ...

2026-04-21T09:23:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…cg4e
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I've heard of writing novels or short stories on commission, but not about writing a chapter of a novel before! Will different authors be writing different chapters of the book? I hope it's both financially rewarding and fun for you :D

Oh my goodness! CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉

2026-04-21T09:20:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…cec5
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Oh my goodness! CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉

Yeah, implementations are imperfect especially across platforms! ...

2026-04-20T00:49:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…y934
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Yeah, implementations are imperfect especially across platforms! I just found it both funny and unfortunate that this, of all posts, didn't have alt text xD Thank you for updating, I have now boosted it.

Alt text: A colorful illustration of the front of a library with ...

2026-04-19T22:00:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…c3q9
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Alt text: A colorful illustration of the front of a library with a librarian waving to community members outside. A banner over the library reads "FIND YOUR JOY!" Logos for ALA and Library Champions in top right. Text below the illustration reads "Celebrate NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, April 19-25, 2026"

Other social media network algorithms: Outrage bait, porn, war... ...

2026-04-12T08:26:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…cld9
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Other social media network algorithms: Outrage bait, porn, war...
Organic fedi algorithm: Nothing but octopi fucking 🐙

Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22)

#WritersCoffeeClub Apr. 12 – How does being a writer influence ...

2026-04-12T07:54:45Z

#WritersCoffeeClub Apr. 12 – How does being a writer influence your life outside of the work?

Occasionally throwing out pithy phrases and observations that make people stop and go "hunh 🤔" or double over in helpless laughter, maybe. But that quality may well be a cause rather than result of being a writer — or is there a feedback loop? Idk.

Also, having such a drive for creative writing arguably changed the course of my life because I have pretty much zero interest in power or prestige and would far rather have time & freedom than money, given the choice. Which is a long way of saying I'm a disappointment to my parents, setting high expectations with my brains and then systematically knocking them down with my temperament xD

Omg that's so exciting! It's a really evocative piece ...

2026-04-04T07:18:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…5ksl
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Omg that's so exciting! It's a really evocative piece that uses the convention of the form for something unexpected yet understated, keeping fingers crossed for you 🤞

It says something about how miserable working with Windows and MS ...

2026-03-26T06:12:10Z

It says something about how miserable working with Windows and MS Word is for me that I chose to work around a bug that SHOULD make #LibreOffice under #Linux impossible for my work rather than resort to the functional Windows 11 computer that sits 60 cm to my left.

Specifically, any typing in Korean input while tracking changes in Linux/LibreOffice Writer causes LO to crash, meaning I really can't and shouldn't use it for my current assignment which involves adding tracked changes in Korean. However, it's such a nightmare to use Windows/Word, which is theoretically fine for this work, I chose violence — specifically, to copy-and-paste text into LO with track changes on. Need to add just a single character? Can't type it directly into the document, need to go through the text editor and copy-paste. How could this be happening? Will it ever be fixed? Fuck if I know, I hate everything at this point but it seems I hate Microsoft products a tiny bit more than everything else.

This list of 42 publishers that accept direct submissions of ...

2026-03-24T06:04:47Z

This list of 42 publishers that accept direct submissions of speculative fiction (not all are currently open) may be helpful to those who publish in #fantasy, #scienceFiction, #horror, or intersections of such genres. https://authorspublish.com/42-publishers-that-accept-direct-submissions-of-speculative-fiction/

#publishing

buncha geopolitical wanking, I don't think it's supposed ...

2026-03-16T01:08:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…47e4
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buncha geopolitical wanking, I don't think it's supposed to make any sense at all

#WritersCoffeeClub Mar. 14 – Do you think readers want new ...

2026-03-14T07:57:56Z

#WritersCoffeeClub Mar. 14 – Do you think readers want new experiences in structure or narrative, or do they prefer what's familiar?

Yes, please! There's space and markets for both. On the one hand readers want the comfort of the familiar, even formulaic, but other readers, or sometimes the same readers at different times, like to mix things up a little. Heck, I've sold BOTH to the same market, one story with a very standard linear narrative, and two years later a more experimental one with non-linear narrative using oral storytelling conventions (arguably making it traditional as well as experimental). The editor loved the way the latter story was structured and I'm very grateful to her for taking a chance on it. Looking forward to reader responses, whether hell yeah or what the hell, when it comes out!

#WordWeavers Mar. 6 – If you have several stories, which one ...

2026-03-08T04:59:27Z

#WordWeavers Mar. 6 – If you have several stories, which one should a new reader start with?

A Very Long Malaise is as good a starting point as any for those who would like to read about premodern working-class lesbians in Asia, especially since it also comes in audio. https://alpennia.com/blog/lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-301-very-long-malaise-lj-lee A spiritual prequel, Between One Word and the Next, is also upcoming this year, based on a historical record of enslaved women in love with each other.

Those who like transfeminine heroines in antiquity and classical narrative poetry might enjoy A Maiden's War, a trans Mulan retelling. https://corvidqueen.com/stories/a-maidens-war-lj-lee I put "temporary detransition" in content notes, but per excellent content on my timeline this telling actually makes her TRIPLE TRANSGENDER.

#HistoricalFiction #Mulan #poetry

Curious whether the number of tags in a post affects people's ...

2026-02-28T01:09:36Z

Curious whether the number of tags in a post affects people's willingness to boost. Is there a point where you think a tag has too many posts for you to comfortably boost it? :boost_ok: #accessibility

Per Wikipedia, the palantíri "are used in some climactic ...

2026-02-28T00:25:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…lzj6
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Per Wikipedia, the palantíri "are used in some climactic scenes by major characters: Sauron, Saruman, Denethor the Steward of Gondor, and two members of the Company of the Ring: Aragorn and Pippin." That list isn't exactly a ringing endorsement, my guys: Big Bad, midgame boss, abusive dad, hero who possessed the "great strength of will and of mind" to use a palantír safely, schmuck who endangered himself and unwittingly tripped up the Big Bad. I guess Thiel & c. imagine they are Aragorn, but the whole point of the books is that EVERYONE who uses one of these objects of power thinks they're an Aragorn and they're usually Saruman at best, and a few are Sauron level to be destroyed by their own hubris. But first they'll destroy and harm a lot of good folks and beauty in this world that can never come back, and that will be their only true legacy.

As a #Tolkien fan it still boggles my mind that ...

2026-02-28T00:01:24Z

As a #Tolkien fan it still boggles my mind that "Palantir" is a real company that exists and is being unironically used by corporations and governments. Are they proud to be the baddies here? #fantasy

expressions like "moralism" and "moral ...

2026-02-24T00:34:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…apsk
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expressions like "moralism" and "moral absolutism" are right there, and exactly fit what Doctorow was criticizing. There was no need to reach out and take a term survivors of a very specific abuse are using, farther confusing the issue.

mosquito and wailing cat--two of the most annoying sounds ...

2026-02-19T05:37:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…3qlk
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mosquito and wailing cat--two of the most annoying sounds I'll bet.

#Mastodon / #feditip: Please don't use URL shorteners, they ...

2026-02-12T16:50:12Z

#Mastodon / #feditip: Please don't use URL shorteners, they don't help with saving on character count because web addresses are counted as 23 characters. Many users won't boost or click on shortened URLs because links whose destinations you can't check are considered security risks, and are hostile to screen readers. Transparent and informative URLs are right there in the address bar for your use, there's no need to go through an opaque and potentially insecure shortening service.

“There are many more average or poor working people in the ...

2026-02-08T05:36:29Z

“There are many more average or poor working people in the world than society or wealthy traveled ones. Books with normal characters are more intriguing.”

- M.K. Tod, Ten quotes from Readers https://awriterofhistory.com/2025/06/10/ten-quotes-from-readers/

#HistoricalFiction #WritingCommunity

I'd also do a preface making note of the general direction of ...

2026-02-06T08:41:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…hfej
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I'd also do a preface making note of the general direction of the editorial work, in addition to other information on history, context, and editions.

Yes to 1) as far as I know--you don't own the original work, ...

2026-02-06T08:17:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…9eq6
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Yes to 1) as far as I know--you don't own the original work, but you have rights to your editorial work. I don't think 2) is a problem if you make note of your changes.

Another Pratchett non-getter! I don't think I'm his ...

2026-01-31T03:00:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…udgf
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Another Pratchett non-getter! I don't think I'm his audience, either. I tried several of the early Discworld books before I decided they weren't for me, and the quotes his fans love just aren't very gripping to me outside of context--interesting subject matter and positions I tend to agree with, but too abstract and on the nose. I respect Pratchett as a person and author, am happy for the many who found amazing resonance in his work, and leave it at that. Maybe I just don't get a certain style of British humor, since Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy left me cold as well.

world's most effective alarm clock

2026-01-27T07:14:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…kmx9
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world's most effective alarm clock

We have been born once and there can be no second birth. For all ...

2026-01-23T04:01:09Z

We have been born once and there can be no second birth. For all eternity we shall no longer be. But you, although you are not master of tomorrow, are postponing your happiness. We waste away our lives in delaying, and each of us dies without having enjoyed leisure

– #Epicurus, Sententiae Vaticanae 14 via Following Hadrian https://followinghadrian.com/2021/03/21/early-ad-121-plotina-writes-to-hadrian-on-behalf-of-the-epicurean-school-in-athens-hadrian1900/?ref=pasts-imperfect.ghost.io#:~:text=We%20have%20been%20born%20once%20and%20there,you%2C%20although%20you%20are%20not%20master%20of #philosophy #quote

I remember someone in India discussing how he could only start ...

2026-01-20T16:14:07Z

In reply to nevent1q…n5ax
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I remember someone in India discussing how he could only start using Ubuntu Linux (in the 90s I think?) because he requested and got the installation CD by mail. I guess a contemporary equivalent would be a thumb drive?

omg what a mixup! xD I'm glad you still connected lol.

2026-01-13T18:03:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…ajs4
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omg what a mixup! xD I'm glad you still connected lol.

Yeah it turns up an error for me, too!

2026-01-10T06:29:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…4f6l
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Yeah it turns up an error for me, too!

I would love to read and review your book on BookSirens ...

2026-01-10T06:15:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…cdpj
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I would love to read and review your book on BookSirens Dilman Dila (npub1faz…vc22) , I'm pleased with my experience there as a reader/reviewer and the service seems solid at driving reviews on crucial sites like GoodReads. I hope you'll publicize on here as well if you get your ARC on there, since I might not see it on my rather specific personal feed! Robert Kingett (npub159p…dhu3) Bookstodon Group (npub1q60…kp90)

Oh I think you'll like BookSirens @npub159p…dhu3 , lots of ...

2026-01-10T06:10:29Z

In reply to nevent1q…p95y
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Oh I think you'll like BookSirens Robert Kingett (npub159p…dhu3) , lots of queer romance though I generally splash around the nonfiction and occasionally poetry pool. Not as sure about romance with disabled protagonists, but they might be there if you really get into the romance feed which I'm sure is a firehose.

NetGalley could be worth it, I understand there's a big ...

2026-01-10T06:01:16Z

In reply to nevent1q…szay
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NetGalley could be worth it, I understand there's a big audience there though it's not for me. My go-to is BookSirens https://booksirens.com/ which is very indie-friendly and has personalized feeds (something else NG lacks), but there are more choices out there!

DRM was a big part of the reason I gave up on NetGalley for ARCs, ...

2026-01-10T05:56:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…cklm
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DRM was a big part of the reason I gave up on NetGalley for ARCs, it was just too restricting to be able to read only through their phone app.

Start a #blog. Start one because the practice of writing at ...

2026-01-05T11:41:37Z

Start a #blog. Start one because the practice of writing at length, for an audience you respect, about things that matter to you, is itself valuable. Start one because owning your own platform is a form of independence that becomes more important as centralized platforms become less trustworthy. Start one because the format shapes the thought, and this format is good for thinking.

The blog won't save us. But it's one of the tools we'll need if we're going to save ourselves.

- Joan Westenberg, The Case for Blogging in the Ruins https://www.joanwestenberg.com/the-case-for-blogging-in-the-ruins/ #IndieWeb

And maybe the hidden dwellers inside your walls who keep adding ...

2025-12-22T15:34:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…htnx
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And maybe the hidden dwellers inside your walls who keep adding to your pile of dirty dishes will watch with you! xD

Parasite (2019)

2025-12-22T11:42:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…unmt
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Parasite (2019)

Oh, so it really was possible for a Ugandan university student ...

2025-12-20T11:43:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…nj9e
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Oh, so it really was possible for a Ugandan university student not to have heard of Karl Marx? That sounds like a fascinatingly different intellectual and social atmosphere than the ones I'm used to, I stand corrected! Of course he had good reason to play naïve with the FBI man since the feds were fishing for a reason to paint the Civil Rights movement as a Communist plot, but given how he maintains his ignorance at the time decades after the need for it was gone there's little basis to disbelieve him.

What awes me is that Mamdani was later made actually stateless when Milton Obote's government stripped them of citizenship for his dissent, but he went back AGAIN after Obote was disposed. Like there was nothing that could stop this Ugandan man from being Ugandan and he persisted despite two different regimes' attempts to get rid of him, you gotta love that xD