Alissa Grosso
@alissagrosso.bsky.social
I write books and dabble in artsy stuff. She/Her More about my books at alissagrosso.com and more about my art at alissacarin.com
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Grounded (birds on the ground) we have a beautiful Chipping Sparrow in the grass with the day's dying sunlight warming the ground behind it. I love that he's going a little grey around the temples. :)
#birds #photography
#birds #photography
December 22, 2025 at 11:38 AM
For today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Grounded (birds on the ground) we have a beautiful Chipping Sparrow in the grass with the day's dying sunlight warming the ground behind it. I love that he's going a little grey around the temples. :)
#birds #photography
#birds #photography
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
Belated Day 20 of #ArtAdventCalendar! A short and stout lil butterfly elephant I made in late 2024 😄 Feels like ages ago! Paper mache, metal wire, glass eyes, painted with acrylics.
December 22, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Belated Day 20 of #ArtAdventCalendar! A short and stout lil butterfly elephant I made in late 2024 😄 Feels like ages ago! Paper mache, metal wire, glass eyes, painted with acrylics.
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
Things that are bringing me joy this year number 12. This sign that seems to promise a more water-based Christmas than usual. MER CHRISTMAS all 🧜♂️🧜♂️🧜♂️
December 22, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Things that are bringing me joy this year number 12. This sign that seems to promise a more water-based Christmas than usual. MER CHRISTMAS all 🧜♂️🧜♂️🧜♂️
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
I love the #ShittyCameraChallenge because it forces me to think differently. The Nikon Coolpix S10 I used was found in an antique mall for $20. The in-camera monochrome setting had me looking for light and contrast.
If you're learning, you're winning.
(stolen from @mammalssuck.bsky.social)
If you're learning, you're winning.
(stolen from @mammalssuck.bsky.social)
December 22, 2025 at 2:17 AM
I love the #ShittyCameraChallenge because it forces me to think differently. The Nikon Coolpix S10 I used was found in an antique mall for $20. The in-camera monochrome setting had me looking for light and contrast.
If you're learning, you're winning.
(stolen from @mammalssuck.bsky.social)
If you're learning, you're winning.
(stolen from @mammalssuck.bsky.social)
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
Hoping you all have a warm, light filled Longest Night from my little family to yours
December 22, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Hoping you all have a warm, light filled Longest Night from my little family to yours
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
I once did some family research that relied on an old report that actually has been digitized ... but none of the appendices or supporting documents were included in the digital copy. Even the small amount of digitized material that exists is often incomplete
When we say "no, everything hasn't been digitized," I need you to understand that we really mean is that virtually nothing has been digitized. This is because the realm of primary sources that historians use is incomprehensibly large.
Seems like it's worth posting this one again.
December 22, 2025 at 3:09 AM
I once did some family research that relied on an old report that actually has been digitized ... but none of the appendices or supporting documents were included in the digital copy. Even the small amount of digitized material that exists is often incomplete
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
My blood type is now Sprinkles
December 17, 2025 at 3:32 AM
My blood type is now Sprinkles
Random rant: was looking into downloading the Scrivener app to my phone to work on books on the go or when I’m not near the computer and why on God’s green earth does it not automatically sync with the desktop version? Grrrr.
December 21, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Random rant: was looking into downloading the Scrivener app to my phone to work on books on the go or when I’m not near the computer and why on God’s green earth does it not automatically sync with the desktop version? Grrrr.
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
Some story collections I loved this year
December 21, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Some story collections I loved this year
Just woke up from a nightmare in which AI had been added automatically to Bluesky and it was changing everything I typed to nonsense.
December 21, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Just woke up from a nightmare in which AI had been added automatically to Bluesky and it was changing everything I typed to nonsense.
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
There's Discourse about using genAI for writing research, and I want to add that every time I've done research (reading books, emailing the library, talking directly to experts, etc) I always stumble across something that inspires a new direction or adds depth that wouldn't have been there before.
December 20, 2025 at 11:23 PM
There's Discourse about using genAI for writing research, and I want to add that every time I've done research (reading books, emailing the library, talking directly to experts, etc) I always stumble across something that inspires a new direction or adds depth that wouldn't have been there before.
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
amazing photo on spanish wikipedia's chinchilla article
December 19, 2025 at 11:11 PM
amazing photo on spanish wikipedia's chinchilla article
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
love when he comes out of bed looking like this
December 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
love when he comes out of bed looking like this
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
We live in a weird time. It’s only right to get weirder yourself
December 20, 2025 at 5:56 AM
We live in a weird time. It’s only right to get weirder yourself
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
🐙 Aurora the Caribbean Reef Octopus 🎨 Sculpted from clay 🐙✨
#ArtYear #Art #Octo #Octopus #ArtGallery #MarineLife #Invertebrates #InverteFest #Cephalopods #ArtAdventCalendar 🦑🐡
#ArtYear #Art #Octo #Octopus #ArtGallery #MarineLife #Invertebrates #InverteFest #Cephalopods #ArtAdventCalendar 🦑🐡
December 19, 2025 at 6:12 PM
🐙 Aurora the Caribbean Reef Octopus 🎨 Sculpted from clay 🐙✨
#ArtYear #Art #Octo #Octopus #ArtGallery #MarineLife #Invertebrates #InverteFest #Cephalopods #ArtAdventCalendar 🦑🐡
#ArtYear #Art #Octo #Octopus #ArtGallery #MarineLife #Invertebrates #InverteFest #Cephalopods #ArtAdventCalendar 🦑🐡
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
no one asked but just so everyone who follows me knows, real psychrolutes (blobfish) look like this normally
December 19, 2025 at 9:29 PM
no one asked but just so everyone who follows me knows, real psychrolutes (blobfish) look like this normally
It is SO windy out there right now. Just sitting here listening to trees cracking and falling out there and hoping the power stays on.
December 19, 2025 at 9:04 PM
It is SO windy out there right now. Just sitting here listening to trees cracking and falling out there and hoping the power stays on.
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
Lion sketch! Green ballpoint underlines, then some random green and yellow Ecolines thrown on top and blended, before more refining with the green ballpoint
-3270 🎨🐡 #art
-3270 🎨🐡 #art
December 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Lion sketch! Green ballpoint underlines, then some random green and yellow Ecolines thrown on top and blended, before more refining with the green ballpoint
-3270 🎨🐡 #art
-3270 🎨🐡 #art
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
These are the people who are willing to go on the record.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
December 18, 2025 at 5:26 PM
These are the people who are willing to go on the record.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/u...
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
People who aspire to be academics: I wish to live a life of the mind
Actual academics:
Actual academics:
I have a weird question for the #bird people on here. Do you think someone could tell that a book was pooped on specifically by a sparrowhawk (or perhaps hawks generally) just from the feces? I'm looking at a 16th c. case where witnesses claim books were pooped on specifically by sparrowhawks!
December 18, 2025 at 3:34 PM
People who aspire to be academics: I wish to live a life of the mind
Actual academics:
Actual academics:
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
Tired of seeing the articles that are basically, "They voted for a leopard, and he is eating their faces. 'This is not what we wanted,' they say. They don't know how they will survive. 'Would they vote for the leopard again?' we asked. 'Absolutely!' they said."
Seen it enough; no need for more!
Seen it enough; no need for more!
December 18, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Tired of seeing the articles that are basically, "They voted for a leopard, and he is eating their faces. 'This is not what we wanted,' they say. They don't know how they will survive. 'Would they vote for the leopard again?' we asked. 'Absolutely!' they said."
Seen it enough; no need for more!
Seen it enough; no need for more!
Reposted by Alissa Grosso
2013 was the first time in 30 years the Maine shrimp season was canceled. It never reopened (if you had Maine shrimp in the intervening years, it was from the small "test catch" done to see if they could reopen. This year's catch was < 7 pounds).
This is just so sad. We did this.
This is just so sad. We did this.
When climate change takes a flavor from the world.
My in-law family has told me about the tiny, intense pink shrimp that were harvested in stormy seas in Maine winters.
Now warming oceans have reduced the shrimp population to almost nothing, and the fishery has been officially closed.
My in-law family has told me about the tiny, intense pink shrimp that were harvested in stormy seas in Maine winters.
Now warming oceans have reduced the shrimp population to almost nothing, and the fishery has been officially closed.
New England’s shrimp fishery to shut down for the long haul after years of decline
Fishing regulators are extending a shutdown for New England’s historic shrimp fishing business, effectively shuttering an industry that fell victim to warming oceans.
www.pressherald.com
December 18, 2025 at 2:47 AM
2013 was the first time in 30 years the Maine shrimp season was canceled. It never reopened (if you had Maine shrimp in the intervening years, it was from the small "test catch" done to see if they could reopen. This year's catch was < 7 pounds).
This is just so sad. We did this.
This is just so sad. We did this.
It's been a celebratory sort of week here. My latest Creativity and Contentment post: creativityandcontentment.com/2025/12/17/c...
Cake and More Cake, and Some Skiing
What have I been doing this past week? Mostly eating cake. For my birthday Ron baked and decorated me a delicious Funfetti birthday cake. This photo above doesn’t do it justice, and the colors are …
creativityandcontentment.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:05 PM
It's been a celebratory sort of week here. My latest Creativity and Contentment post: creativityandcontentment.com/2025/12/17/c...
The nice thing about winter is even a trip to the pharmacy can be pretty.
December 17, 2025 at 5:10 PM
The nice thing about winter is even a trip to the pharmacy can be pretty.