Andrea Pitzer
@andreapitzer.bsky.social
Books! One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps, Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World, & a Nabokov bio. Now working on Snowblind: Death on the Polar Ice. Former karateka & record store clerk. Newsletter & podcast: andreapitzer.com.
Pinned
Andrea Pitzer
@andreapitzer.bsky.social
· Nov 10
Degenerate Art
Andrea Pitzer on politics and history, the Arctic, and Appalachian exile.
degenerateart.beehiiv.com
I currently have a newsletter in which I write regularly about how societies devolve into authoritarianism & what that means right now in the US & around the world. It also features essays about my unsettled childhood in West Virginia. Soon, it will also include art, surprises, & links to resources.
I feel so bad for kids whose school lives have been shaped by Covid, Moms for Liberty–style targeting of intellectual (and bathroom) freedoms, and the AI bubble. I had my battles with the system in both hs and college, but there were also so many times in class when I felt inspired and transformed.
I usually have no sympathy for the youth but I would not want to be a student at any level today. They’ve just completely fucked the educational infrastructure of this country from the bottom up and AI implementation is just the latest display of contempt for the institution.
Judging from the quotes in here, university admins are some of the least “ai literate” people in existence. No wonder they think students need to be taught how to use it.
December 2, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I feel so bad for kids whose school lives have been shaped by Covid, Moms for Liberty–style targeting of intellectual (and bathroom) freedoms, and the AI bubble. I had my battles with the system in both hs and college, but there were also so many times in class when I felt inspired and transformed.
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
So two people exposed as working for their interests, neither with expertise in the region, are gonna do this.
Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Trump, and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, are expected to meet with President Vladimir Putin of Russia in Moscow on Tuesday, as the White House pushes for an end to the war in Ukraine. Follow live.
Trump Administration Live Updates: U.S. Envoy to Meet With Putin in Moscow
nyti.ms
December 2, 2025 at 2:06 PM
So two people exposed as working for their interests, neither with expertise in the region, are gonna do this.
Not sure the "we're totally responsible for all the illegal murderings, except this one, which people are upset about, so we didn't order that one" is going to stick.
December 2, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Not sure the "we're totally responsible for all the illegal murderings, except this one, which people are upset about, so we didn't order that one" is going to stick.
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
I learned about two projects that are supporting people to get food.
This one allows you to cover someone's groceries: findagrocerybuddy.com/become-a-don...
This one allows you to cover someone's groceries: findagrocerybuddy.com/become-a-don...
Become a Donor | Find a Grocery Buddy
Fund a verified grocery order through Find a Grocery Buddy. Pay securely via PayPal — we’ll place the Instacart order and send you proof of delivery.
findagrocerybuddy.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:28 PM
I learned about two projects that are supporting people to get food.
This one allows you to cover someone's groceries: findagrocerybuddy.com/become-a-don...
This one allows you to cover someone's groceries: findagrocerybuddy.com/become-a-don...
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
fwiw, At least one MRI screening expert has told me the imaging described in WH memo is not standard medical practice: "Normally only performed if there is an underlying disease, or if there is suspicion or a reasonable likelihood of an underlying disease ..."
December 1, 2025 at 10:15 PM
fwiw, At least one MRI screening expert has told me the imaging described in WH memo is not standard medical practice: "Normally only performed if there is an underlying disease, or if there is suspicion or a reasonable likelihood of an underlying disease ..."
I named my fists White and Noise because you're about to experience an airborne toxic event.
I named my fists Chekhov and Gun because you know they're coming but you don't know when
i named my fists Rodgers and Hammerstein cuz theyre always in my own little corner
December 1, 2025 at 4:16 AM
I named my fists White and Noise because you're about to experience an airborne toxic event.
Looking at past authoritarian and concentration-camp regimes around the world, it wasn't always possible to tell in the moment what crisis or challenge to despotism would gain traction and trigger vast consequences. We should celebrate Boasberg and the appeals court judges demanding accountability.
District Judge Boasberg and federal appellate judges deserve our thanks for not simply shrugging and letting the Trump regime get away with defying a court order regarding their cruel and illegal fights to El Salvador..
Trump officials and judge face off over flights to El Salvador in rare, high-stakes contempt probe
A federal judge in Washington has relaunched his contempt probe of the Trump administration for failing to turn around two planes carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in March.
apnews.com
November 30, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Looking at past authoritarian and concentration-camp regimes around the world, it wasn't always possible to tell in the moment what crisis or challenge to despotism would gain traction and trigger vast consequences. We should celebrate Boasberg and the appeals court judges demanding accountability.
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
Commander White is one of the very few people involved in family separation from the inside who acquitted himself well. He raised alarm bells, pushed back, and got ORR to start tracking separations long before DHS did, so that it was possible later to reunite kids and know the scale.
He reunited families separated under Trump. Now he’s running for Congress. wapo.st/3KdDBQ1
He reunited families separated under Trump. Now he’s running for Congress.
Jonathan White, a longtime civil servant who fought Trump officials’ efforts to separate migrant families, says Democrats must do more to combat the president.
wapo.st
November 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Commander White is one of the very few people involved in family separation from the inside who acquitted himself well. He raised alarm bells, pushed back, and got ORR to start tracking separations long before DHS did, so that it was possible later to reunite kids and know the scale.
JFC, don't borrow your vision for America's future from a venture capitalist.
November 30, 2025 at 5:52 PM
JFC, don't borrow your vision for America's future from a venture capitalist.
Going to start a prediction market for baking ingredients and this guy.
France’s far-right leader hit by egg, days after flour attack
French far-right leader hit on the head with an egg
Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, was hit on the head with an egg Saturday, just days after another incident in which a protester threw flour at him.
www.ctvnews.ca
November 29, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Going to start a prediction market for baking ingredients and this guy.
An actor named Ezra Knight was a regular customer at the record store in the early 1990s. He got a lead role in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern at Studio Theater. I went and wow wow wow. I'd seen Shakespeare and Chekhov by then, but hadn't known a living playwright could write like that. Bravo, Stoppard.
November 29, 2025 at 7:26 PM
An actor named Ezra Knight was a regular customer at the record store in the early 1990s. He got a lead role in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern at Studio Theater. I went and wow wow wow. I'd seen Shakespeare and Chekhov by then, but hadn't known a living playwright could write like that. Bravo, Stoppard.
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
"As with so many other aspects of the presidency, Donald Trump has kept the ignorant and violent aspects of American history while trying to destroy any policies that actually led to stability, democratization, or national betterment."
The Friday roundup is live, with links to the podcast! Also, I wrote about how Stephen Miller's language around unassimilable people repeats antisemitic fascists from Vichy France, as well as phrases used in the past about Chinese, Italian, Irish, and Jewish immigrants in the US. Includes receipts.
November 28 Friday roundup
Podcast links! Plus, assimilation and Stephen Miller-style bigotry.
degenerateart.beehiiv.com
November 29, 2025 at 9:14 AM
"As with so many other aspects of the presidency, Donald Trump has kept the ignorant and violent aspects of American history while trying to destroy any policies that actually led to stability, democratization, or national betterment."
Considering revisiting my opinions on tactical nuclear strikes.
Tomorrow Grimes will DJ a livestream of immortality influencer Bryan Johnson tripping on shrooms to determine its effect on longevity. Mr. Beast and the CEO of Salesforce will be there too.
Grimes DJing Immortality Influencer's Shroom Trip With Special Guest Mr. Beast
Grimes is a fan of Bryan Johnson, the multimillionaire and immortality influencer who spends his time trying to fight death. He is perhaps best known for undergoing plasma transfusions with donations ...
stereogum.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Considering revisiting my opinions on tactical nuclear strikes.
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
The extent of global sea ice cover is more than 3 million square kilometers below the 1981-2010 average. This is the 2nd lowest on record for this date over the satellite-era.
Data from nsidc.org/data/seaice_...
Data from nsidc.org/data/seaice_...
November 29, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The extent of global sea ice cover is more than 3 million square kilometers below the 1981-2010 average. This is the 2nd lowest on record for this date over the satellite-era.
Data from nsidc.org/data/seaice_...
Data from nsidc.org/data/seaice_...
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
really recommend cameron mcwhirter’s book on the AR-15 www.amazon.com/American-Gun...
November 29, 2025 at 2:32 PM
really recommend cameron mcwhirter’s book on the AR-15 www.amazon.com/American-Gun...
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
The Friday roundup is live, with links to the podcast! Also, I wrote about how Stephen Miller's language around unassimilable people repeats antisemitic fascists from Vichy France, as well as phrases used in the past about Chinese, Italian, Irish, and Jewish immigrants in the US. Includes receipts.
November 28 Friday roundup
Podcast links! Plus, assimilation and Stephen Miller-style bigotry.
degenerateart.beehiiv.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:06 AM
The Friday roundup is live, with links to the podcast! Also, I wrote about how Stephen Miller's language around unassimilable people repeats antisemitic fascists from Vichy France, as well as phrases used in the past about Chinese, Italian, Irish, and Jewish immigrants in the US. Includes receipts.
The Friday roundup is live, with links to the podcast! Also, I wrote about how Stephen Miller's language around unassimilable people repeats antisemitic fascists from Vichy France, as well as phrases used in the past about Chinese, Italian, Irish, and Jewish immigrants in the US. Includes receipts.
November 28 Friday roundup
Podcast links! Plus, assimilation and Stephen Miller-style bigotry.
degenerateart.beehiiv.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:06 AM
The Friday roundup is live, with links to the podcast! Also, I wrote about how Stephen Miller's language around unassimilable people repeats antisemitic fascists from Vichy France, as well as phrases used in the past about Chinese, Italian, Irish, and Jewish immigrants in the US. Includes receipts.
Reestablishing independence at the Department of Justice will be key, so maybe this will require Congress, but one thing that's going to have to happen is the cancellation of every agreement between the DOJ and universities from the second Trump term. And investigations of university administrators.
November 29, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Reestablishing independence at the Department of Justice will be key, so maybe this will require Congress, but one thing that's going to have to happen is the cancellation of every agreement between the DOJ and universities from the second Trump term. And investigations of university administrators.
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
obviously plenty of other things should have already been disqualifying but people willing to defy Trump publicly and appeal to decency as their reason for doing so both seem pretty good
h/t @adamwren.bsky.social
Michael Bohacek, a Republican state senator from Indiana who has a daughter with down syndrome, says he will vote against redistricting in Indiana after Trump used the word "retarded."
Michael Bohacek, a Republican state senator from Indiana who has a daughter with down syndrome, says he will vote against redistricting in Indiana after Trump used the word "retarded."
November 28, 2025 at 9:35 PM
obviously plenty of other things should have already been disqualifying but people willing to defy Trump publicly and appeal to decency as their reason for doing so both seem pretty good
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
“Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
As two men clung to a stricken, burning ship targeted by SEAL Team 6, the Joint Special Operations commander followed the defense secretary’s order to leave no survivors.”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:51 PM
“Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
As two men clung to a stricken, burning ship targeted by SEAL Team 6, the Joint Special Operations commander followed the defense secretary’s order to leave no survivors.”
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
If you're a book-giver for the holidays (and I hope, for many reasons, that you are), my most recent title, ICEBOUND: SHIPWRECKED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, is a wild true story of a Dutch expedition stranded north of Siberia in the time of Shakespeare. I went on 3 Arctic expeditions researching it.
November 28, 2025 at 8:33 PM
If you're a book-giver for the holidays (and I hope, for many reasons, that you are), my most recent title, ICEBOUND: SHIPWRECKED AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, is a wild true story of a Dutch expedition stranded north of Siberia in the time of Shakespeare. I went on 3 Arctic expeditions researching it.
Reposted by Andrea Pitzer
“Black Friday,” Stephen miller yells, getting redder and redder, “will be replaced with White Friday.”
November 28, 2025 at 1:38 PM
“Black Friday,” Stephen miller yells, getting redder and redder, “will be replaced with White Friday.”
Post-Thanksgiving gym madness.
November 28, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Post-Thanksgiving gym madness.
Thelonious Monk, "Blue Monk" live, 1958.
Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk
YouTube video by GumboVariations
www.youtube.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Thelonious Monk, "Blue Monk" live, 1958.