Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Jo Walton

The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 15h

Sowing Man, a 1927 engraving by Dutch artist Bernard Essers.

One of 900+ prints available to buy from our online shop: https://publicdomainreview.org/product/sowing-man/

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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 1d

My colleagues & I have taken a huge gamble to set up @thenerve.news We’re trying to build a new independent publication from the ground up. Social media is our only distribution for now.

Sharing this article in your networks would make a huge difference. Thank you! 🙏🙏🙏

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: The British politician, his Russian intelligence handler & a Kremlin plot against the US & Ukraine.

My new piece about Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage for @thenerve_news in which we ask:

Why, even now, is no-one asking questions?

t.co/BUTtpK9C4S

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Jo Walton @bluejo.bsky.social · 16h

"The person from Porlock is the dog that ate the homework of literature"

Julie Phillips @julie-phillips.com · 20h

It's that day again.

4columns.org/phillips-jul...

A Porlock Day Manifesto

4columns.org

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Jo Walton @bluejo.bsky.social · 16h

With these fragments have I shored up my ruins.

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Rachel Maddow @maddow.msnbc.com · 1d

“With your patient and rigorous work, you can act as a barrier against those who, through the ancient art of lying, seek to create divisions in order to rule by dividing,” he said. “You can be a bulwark of civility against the quicksand of approximation and post-truth...”

apnews.com/article/pope...

Pope urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truths

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the “ancient art of lying” and manipulation.

apnews.com

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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 1d

People never believe this fresco is real, but it is!

Shelly Kraicer @shellyk.bsky.social · 1d

Top funny thing from @adapalmer.bsky.social ‘s INVENTING THE RENAISSANCE: “Filippino Lippi’s Saint Thomas Aquinas Interrupts the Annunciation to Introduce the Virgin Mary to Cardinal Carafa who paid for the painting, while patient Archangel Gabriel just has to wait.”

www.wga.hu/support/view...

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Jo Walton @bluejo.bsky.social · 1d

Last sonnet of this set. I hope! www.patreon.com/posts/141003...

More Sonnet | Jo Walton

Get more from Jo Walton on Patreon

www.patreon.com

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Lillian Hochwender (a.k.a. Lillie) @ligerlillie.bsky.social · 1d

Papa Smurf wears a Phrygian cap, most often associated with the French Revolution, indicating Smurf Village had a monarchy it has since overthrown. This makes Papa Smurf, de facto head of state post-revolution, akin to Robespierre. In this essay I will —

An image of Papa Smurf, a small blue man with a white beard. He’s wearing red trousers that lead into shoes and a red cap that slouches forward.

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Merchant Adventurers’ Hall @merchantshallyork.org · 1d

As you will no doubt know, we love a 17th century wainscot chair.

They're not very bottom friendly but they're lovely to look at.

So today we present not one, not two but three oaktastic (and a bit of ash) chairs.

Let's take a closer look...

We are looking at a black and white photo showing a gate key table with three wainscot chairs positioned around it. Ceramic and pewter vessels sit on the table.

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Daniel Bellingradt @dbellingradt.bsky.social · 1d

Combining direct lighting - as Mark the Evangelist is demonstrating by using the illuminating dove - is great for targeted tasks and emphasizing details at your desk, while indirect lighting - see the open window - creates a warm and inviting environment. Bonus: your cat will like it. #catcontent

Mark the Evangelist working at a desk, and his lion is present. The lightning dove is flying above him. This image is also part of the 1530 bible print: https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/0011/bsb00113027/images/index.html?fip=193.174.98.30&seite=89&pdfseitex=

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Westland Books @westlandbooks.bsky.social · 1d

Best news to start the week! 🎉

We are elated to announce that @gautambhatia88.bsky.social’s brilliant book The Sentence won the @theignyteawards.bsky.social for Best Novel - Adult.

Congratulations to Gautam and a big thank you to our readers!

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Jo Walton @bluejo.bsky.social · 1d

Last sonnet of this set. I hope! www.patreon.com/posts/141003...

More Sonnet | Jo Walton

Get more from Jo Walton on Patreon

www.patreon.com

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Theodora Goss @theodoragoss.bsky.social · 1d

Totally thrilled that Letters from an Imaginary Country got a starred review from Library Journal. :)

"VERDICT: Goss’s writing begs to be savored, blending wonder and heartache in perfect proportions and sprinkling in literature, science, and folklore."

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Jo Walton @bluejo.bsky.social · 1d

Kickstarter for a great new anthology of fantasy stories using Welsh folklore in the present day

www.kickstarter.com/projects/191...

They Are Still Here (Maen Nhw Yma O Hyd)

An anthology of contemporary fantasy stories featuring creatures and characters from Welsh mythology and folklore

www.kickstarter.com

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Callmeike @callmeike.bsky.social · 1d

If I manage to keep any kind of hope over the next 3 years, it will be because of @adapalmer.bsky.social. "Inventing the Renaissance" is, perhaps, the most mind-bending book I've read since Godel, Escher, Bach and SO optimistic. You must read it!

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Jo Walton @bluejo.bsky.social · 1d

Just reminded of this great podcast we did with @willalex.bsky.social a while ago directory.libsyn.com/episode/inde...

Politics in Disability and Fiction with William Alexander

Award winning children's author William Alexander joins Jo and Ada to talk about using politics and disability in fiction for children and adults.

directory.libsyn.com

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Patrick Nielsen Hayden @pnh.nielsenhayden.com · 1d

Not only is this explanation great, I also know 5,271,009 people whose lives would be changed for the better by taking it on board.

Chappell Ellison @chappelltracker.bsky.social · 11d

This Tumblr user summarizes something I've been feeling/doing lately. Against everything going on, it somehow feels helpful.

User homoquartz writes: as long as you smile and nod, people are satisfied. it’s just to show that you are nice and there with good intentions. we’re small in a big world and have to rely on other people to be decent to us. so we do our little human dance to each other to say, “i’m not here to hurt you. here’s something we have in common, like the weather or sports or itchy sweaters, so we both know we’re on the same team. we both agree on a basic fact, like that it is rainy or that being itchy is uncomfortable, and this proves we can get along. i’m being light-hearted and non-threatening right now."
Small talk isn't to get to know a person. It's just a greeting to affirm you're buddies in the universe. I am motivated by wanting the other person to know I am friendly, so I have gotten pretty decent at small tall when I used to hate it.

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Jennifer Ashby @jenniferashby.bsky.social · 1d

Domenica.

City centre of Florence, Italy. Blue skies over the Arno River. The Ponte Vecchio is visible.

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Harry Turtledove @hntdove.bsky.social · 2d

Ea-Nāşir's perfidy seems eternal!

Comic

Panel one. Stick finger singing, "Raindrops on rose/ And whiskers on kittens."

Panel two. Same stick figure holding pot and singing, "Bright copper kettles leave/ ...Flakes on my mittens!?"

Panel three. Same figure still holding pot and singing, "Hey, these are stone with a copper veneer!"

Fourth panel. Same stick figure has put down pot and is singing, "I've been bamboozled by Ea-Nāşir!"

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Lauren Schiller @leschiller.bsky.social · 2d

We're thinking of printing this out to put up in the kitchen next to the sink. Or maybe getting a needlepoint.

Tumblr user miseria-fortes-viros Jun 14 they don't tell you this but like half of adulthood is just washing the same FUCKING pan.
Tumblr user miseria-fortes-viros Jun 15 WASHING THE FUCKING PAN AGAIN!!!!
replies: 30 reblogs: 30,246 likes: 41,477

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Jo Walton @bluejo.bsky.social · 1d

Poem about Castelrigg that's almost thirty years old, which is nothing to the age of the stones www.jowaltonbooks.com/poetry/place...

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Merchant Adventurers’ Hall @merchantshallyork.org · 2d

Happy Sunday everyone!

May your day be as sunny and light as the Great Hall is on a early autumn afternoon.

We are looking at a large room with an oak framed roof. Sun spills through Georgian sash windows casting squares of light on the uneven pine floors. Despite its size the room feels warm and is peaceful and quiet.

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Theodora Goss @theodoragoss.bsky.social · 2d

New poem. :)

There was a tomb in the Fiume Road Cemetery
in Budapest, on which a headless Jesus sat
between two angels holding up their arms
. . .

theodoragosspoems.com/2025/10/10/t...

The Headless Jesus

The Headless Jesus by Theodora Goss There was a tomb in the Fiume Road Cemetery in Budapest, on which a headless Jesus sat between two angels holding up their arms to Heaven as though they too were…

theodoragosspoems.com

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The Man in Seat 61 @seatsixtyone.bsky.social · 1d

Y’know, the more I see of Glasgow, the more I like it…

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The English Oak Project @thekentacorn.bsky.social · 1d

I’m ready now

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