Praise-Abby Barebone
@arobertswrites.com
SFF writer and essayist you’ve never heard of. SocDem/progressive. Tolkien nerd. Armchair medievalist. She/her. Header by beloved.moe.
Website: arobertswrites.com
Newsletter: buttondown.email/arobertswrites
Website: arobertswrites.com
Newsletter: buttondown.email/arobertswrites
Pinned
Praise-Abby Barebone
@arobertswrites.com
· Apr 21
What Lies and Threats — Speculative Insight
Abby Roberts examines the use of national myth-making in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
www.speculativeinsight.com
For $0.00 you can read what Bret Devereaux (of ACOUP fame) called an "absolute banger of a Tolkien essay" and what my mom (of giving birth to me fame) called "very timely and relevant": "What Lies and Threats: Nationalist Myth-Making in The Lord of the Rings" on @speculativeinsight.bsky.social!
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
We are with you, Twin Cities.
Please, *please* take care of yourselves and your neighbors, everyone. I don't have much faith left in this country, but I believe along with you that "the people, united, will never be defeated."
Please, *please* take care of yourselves and your neighbors, everyone. I don't have much faith left in this country, but I believe along with you that "the people, united, will never be defeated."
January 15, 2026 at 3:57 AM
We are with you, Twin Cities.
Please, *please* take care of yourselves and your neighbors, everyone. I don't have much faith left in this country, but I believe along with you that "the people, united, will never be defeated."
Please, *please* take care of yourselves and your neighbors, everyone. I don't have much faith left in this country, but I believe along with you that "the people, united, will never be defeated."
500 monk words tonight. Making up for last night.
January 15, 2026 at 3:58 AM
500 monk words tonight. Making up for last night.
Today I got feedback that the parts of my chapter that I intended to be funny were, in fact, funny. Which felt nice.
Artists, I think we're all too comfortable sharing our imposter syndrome.
I would love to see you step out of your comfort zone and confidently state what you think you're actually really good at.
No self deprecation, just what you think you're the strongest at
Is anyone brave eniough? 👀
I would love to see you step out of your comfort zone and confidently state what you think you're actually really good at.
No self deprecation, just what you think you're the strongest at
Is anyone brave eniough? 👀
January 15, 2026 at 3:57 AM
Today I got feedback that the parts of my chapter that I intended to be funny were, in fact, funny. Which felt nice.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
one of the great historical ornithological illustrators was edward lear. yeah the limerick guy. he's just got such a grasp of the... birdness. the weird ways their feathers are always doing. the strange little bodies under there, conformed in ways the feathers in no way convey
January 15, 2026 at 2:41 AM
one of the great historical ornithological illustrators was edward lear. yeah the limerick guy. he's just got such a grasp of the... birdness. the weird ways their feathers are always doing. the strange little bodies under there, conformed in ways the feathers in no way convey
Anyways time for some beans (dinner)
January 14, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Anyways time for some beans (dinner)
On reflection tho I probably shouldn’t beat myself up for failing to solve every problem in the world, given that I’m taken out by 6 hours in a room with weird vibes.
I love sensory issues. You get to be like, “I can’t work because the walls are too bare and the lights are too bright and people are talking two rooms away” and sound like you’re insane.
I love to spend two hours coming down from the sensory upheaval of being in an office.
January 14, 2026 at 10:47 PM
On reflection tho I probably shouldn’t beat myself up for failing to solve every problem in the world, given that I’m taken out by 6 hours in a room with weird vibes.
I love sensory issues. You get to be like, “I can’t work because the walls are too bare and the lights are too bright and people are talking two rooms away” and sound like you’re insane.
I love to spend two hours coming down from the sensory upheaval of being in an office.
January 14, 2026 at 10:36 PM
I love sensory issues. You get to be like, “I can’t work because the walls are too bare and the lights are too bright and people are talking two rooms away” and sound like you’re insane.
I love to spend two hours coming down from the sensory upheaval of being in an office.
January 14, 2026 at 10:32 PM
I love to spend two hours coming down from the sensory upheaval of being in an office.
I read Veronica Roth’s newsletter about reflecting on Divergent 15 years later, and while I’m sure it’s nice when your first book is an instant bestseller, I really wouldn’t want everyone to judge me by the way I wrote when I was 22.
January 14, 2026 at 10:17 PM
I read Veronica Roth’s newsletter about reflecting on Divergent 15 years later, and while I’m sure it’s nice when your first book is an instant bestseller, I really wouldn’t want everyone to judge me by the way I wrote when I was 22.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
chat, i think my app is haunted
January 14, 2026 at 10:05 PM
chat, i think my app is haunted
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
hey by the way todays the last day for open enrollment if you haven’t done it yet
January 14, 2026 at 10:06 PM
hey by the way todays the last day for open enrollment if you haven’t done it yet
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
The other night I dreamed that there was something like the Kardashev scale to see how advanced a civilization was but instead of measuring how much energy they had harnessed it was whether or not they had yet created SpongeBob
January 14, 2026 at 9:16 PM
The other night I dreamed that there was something like the Kardashev scale to see how advanced a civilization was but instead of measuring how much energy they had harnessed it was whether or not they had yet created SpongeBob
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Nickelback Redemption Center
Independence, IA
Independence, IA
January 14, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Nickelback Redemption Center
Independence, IA
Independence, IA
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
some water has good vibes but other water has bad vibes #controversial
January 14, 2026 at 8:52 PM
some water has good vibes but other water has bad vibes #controversial
That’s one way to look at it, I guess.
#OnThisDay in 1914, #Tolkien writes to Edith Bratt.
Writing to Edith, Tolkien remarks that the life they can look forward to will be made all the more joyful given they are both orphans.
Writing to Edith, Tolkien remarks that the life they can look forward to will be made all the more joyful given they are both orphans.
Guide to Tolkien's Letters: J.R.R. Tolkien to Edith Bratt
Writing to Edith, Tolkien remarks that the life they can look forward to will be made all the more joyful given they are both orphans.
www.tolkienguide.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:09 PM
That’s one way to look at it, I guess.
Aside from the steep odds and oversaturated market, I have only my frazzled and overloaded brain to blame.
Do you feel like there are barriers that prevent the publication of your stories? For my short stories, no, but for novels…just ugh #writingq #WritingCommunity
January 14, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Aside from the steep odds and oversaturated market, I have only my frazzled and overloaded brain to blame.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
This afternoon’s Lego build, a biplane designed to be launched from horseback
January 14, 2026 at 5:28 PM
This afternoon’s Lego build, a biplane designed to be launched from horseback
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Star Wars never even explains who Jed is, and why everyone cares so much about his eye.
January 14, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Star Wars never even explains who Jed is, and why everyone cares so much about his eye.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Sure, al-Mutanabbi but make him Scottish. 😂
Why not, 19th century Orientalists... why the fuck not.
Why not, 19th century Orientalists... why the fuck not.
January 14, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Sure, al-Mutanabbi but make him Scottish. 😂
Why not, 19th century Orientalists... why the fuck not.
Why not, 19th century Orientalists... why the fuck not.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
I regret to inform you all that Threads is improving
January 14, 2026 at 6:31 AM
I regret to inform you all that Threads is improving
Whenever I have to drag Violet away from sniffing a piece of broken glass on the street it has huge “mommy won’t let me play in the abandoned copper mine” energy.
January 14, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Whenever I have to drag Violet away from sniffing a piece of broken glass on the street it has huge “mommy won’t let me play in the abandoned copper mine” energy.
Me: I guess SPORK.
Quordle: fuck you! This is the first known words in the English language consisting of only Zs and Ys!
Quordle: fuck you! This is the first known words in the English language consisting of only Zs and Ys!
January 14, 2026 at 12:43 PM
Me: I guess SPORK.
Quordle: fuck you! This is the first known words in the English language consisting of only Zs and Ys!
Quordle: fuck you! This is the first known words in the English language consisting of only Zs and Ys!
No words tonight. Handling other things.
January 14, 2026 at 4:29 AM
No words tonight. Handling other things.
Reposted by Praise-Abby Barebone
Tolkiens too much of a wifeguy he couldn’t bear writing about it in more detail
The Silmarillion probably vastly understates what a significant thing it was for Nerdanel to actually deem her husband's behaviour nuts enough to refuse to go
Mind you it brings a certain inherent tragic intensity to the concept of "but what if there was something actually fundamentally important to rip two such permafated soulmates apart" - imagine a disagreement so vast that it actually places two elves who love each other on opposite military sides
January 14, 2026 at 3:21 AM
Tolkiens too much of a wifeguy he couldn’t bear writing about it in more detail