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
A while, but I take it sporadically, usually when I travel because I have a lot of anxiety around that.
It’s also possible the lack of motivation was environmental.
It’s also possible the lack of motivation was environmental.
January 15, 2026 at 2:05 AM
A while, but I take it sporadically, usually when I travel because I have a lot of anxiety around that.
It’s also possible the lack of motivation was environmental.
It’s also possible the lack of motivation was environmental.
Anyways time for some beans (dinner)
January 14, 2026 at 11:15 PM
Anyways time for some beans (dinner)
“I’m not disabled” says women who recovers from the office by lying very still on the couch for an indefinite time period.
January 14, 2026 at 10:48 PM
“I’m not disabled” says women who recovers from the office by lying very still on the couch for an indefinite time period.
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.
Yeah, I used to beat myself up every time I heard about A Successful Writer who was younger than me, but I get to take my time this way.
January 14, 2026 at 10:44 PM
Yeah, I used to beat myself up every time I heard about A Successful Writer who was younger than me, but I get to take my time this way.
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.
They kinda killed my motivation. Not that it would have been great without them.
January 14, 2026 at 10:35 PM
They kinda killed my motivation. Not that it would have been great without them.
My condolences.
January 14, 2026 at 10:34 PM
My condolences.
Not sure if my anti-anxiety meds helped. I guess feeling vague and listless and distant is better than feeling like my brain was run over by a truck.
January 14, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Not sure if my anti-anxiety meds helped. I guess feeling vague and listless and distant is better than feeling like my brain was run over by a truck.
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 mean, I acknowledge that I was a legally competent adult when I was 22 but my writing was still bad because I hadn’t been working on it for as long as I have now.
January 14, 2026 at 10:31 PM
I mean, I acknowledge that I was a legally competent adult when I was 22 but my writing was still bad because I hadn’t been working on it for as long as I have now.
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
I mean I’m sure it sounds more reasonable in context. It’s just funny when you put it like this.
January 14, 2026 at 8:10 PM
I mean I’m sure it sounds more reasonable in context. It’s just funny when you put it like this.
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.
Once your writing gets to a certain point, it’s a matter of whether you submit to the right places and how often you’re willing to roll the dice. At least for short fiction.
January 14, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Once your writing gets to a certain point, it’s a matter of whether you submit to the right places and how often you’re willing to roll the dice. At least for short fiction.