banner
LightNews
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
@drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
17K followers 2.7K following 7.5K posts
Historian. Monster consultant (documentaries, etc.). Words in LA Times, TLS, Aeon, Nature, Science. Buy HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY now: https://www.surekhadavies.org/humans-a-monstrous-history Newsletter: https://buttondown.com/surekhadavies?tag=bluesky
www.surekhadavies.org
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Pinned
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · Feb 4
Launch day for HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY! So relieved to make it this far.
💙📚 🧪 🗃 #medieval #earlymodern #histsci #histmed #18thC #HAMH
buttondown.com/surekhadavie...
Launch Day for HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY!
Welcome back, and hallo, new readers! This is it! The US launch day for HUMANS: A MONSTROUS HISTORY is February 4th. I’m amazed and relieved to get to this...
buttondown.com
20 60 230
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 7h
The 400 richest Americans are now worth a record $6.6 trillion.

The entire bottom 50% of America is worth just $4.2 trillion.

Read that back.

When 400 people control more wealth than half a country’s population, we have a very serious problem.
450 4.9K 13K
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
aaronputnam.bsky.social
Aaron Putnam @aaronputnam.bsky.social · 5h
I deleted a post of me in a frog suit with my 7-yr old daughter because a big account reposted, admonishing us for not being serious enough protestors (or something). I shouldn’t have included my daughter in the image, which was why I deleted it. But I was stunned by the condescension.
36 10 350
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 6h
Someone in my mentions is upset because these people haven’t suffered the worst at ICE’s hands and therefore they shouldn’t be praised for being out on the streets?

Yeah, no. To push back on these people we need everyone — especially those with relative privilege — to get up and get involved.
kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 8h
Portland, you magnificent weirdos
timdickinson.bsky.social
Tim Dickinson @timdickinson.bsky.social · 8h
Live from the Emergency Naked Bike Ride 🚲 where the crowd hase just erupted in cheers with the arrival of the Unipipier
72 420 3.3K
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 1h
Oh lord; so sorry. *Thank you* for protesting, and *thank you* for wearing a frog suit. At a time when anyone who resists fascism is being labelled a threat to the state, showing up in a frog suit with a 7yo kid in tow is a serious contribution. Sending thanks to your daughter as well.
1 19
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
dieworkwear.bsky.social
derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 8h
It's hard to help Americans left behind because so much of US identity is rooted in individualism. The average American conservative holds all three positions at once:

— Virtue signals about supporting US manufacturing
— Against raising the minimum wage
— Buys foreign imports because they're cheap
HardPass4 on Twitter tweets: "I'm willing to pay more for quality products if they are made in America, by Americans, who are paid a decent income." The tweet shows Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech" painting, which is often used to show the tweeter is expressing a brave opinion. HardPass4 on Twitter tweets: "MINIMUM WAGE JOBS WERE NOT MEANT TO BE A CAREER. Why does no one understand this? Entry level jobs are STEPPING STONES to better jobs. No one wants to work towards that though." HardPass4 on Twitter tweets: "Buy $5 gloves instead of $50 ones. Trust me." The tweet shows a box of "Gorilla Grip" gloves. The label on Gorilla Grip gloves show they're made in China.
64 990 4.8K
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 20h
The coach, the cataloguer, and the chaos muppet: the three heads that duel in the brain through the years of researching and writing a book:
2/n

buttondown.com/surekhadavie...
The coach, the cataloguer and the chaos muppet: authors are many-headed hydra
On warring headspaces during copy edits, and some books and music I'm enjoying this summer.
buttondown.com
1 2 5
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
ucscmonsters.bsky.social
Center for Monster Studies @ UC Santa Cruz @ucscmonsters.bsky.social · 6d
If you’re in Santa Cruz at 6:30 pm this Wednesday, join Center Director Michael Chemers, Renee Fox and Kim Lau as they talk tales of the dead at the Santa Cruz Public Library’s Downtown Branch. santacruzpl.libnet.info/event/14673822
Talking Tales of the Undead
Get ready for the season with vampires, ghouls and zombies!
santacruzpl.libnet.info
2 3
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
jesspish.bsky.social
Jessica Pishko @jesspish.bsky.social · 12h
“You have to be white to be prosecuted under white law, but you do not have to be Black to be prosecuted under Black law”
Ruth Wilson Gilmore (Golden Gulag)
3 11 49
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 12h
If you're not already listening to the Hugo-award-winning @ouropinions.bsky.social, you might just absolutely love it.
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
drlindseyfitz.bsky.social
Dr Lindsey Fitzharris @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social · 18h
Dental Phantom, c.1898. Or, what it feels like to live in 2025.

The dental phantom was first created by the Glaswegian dentist Eduard Oswald Fergus a few years earlier as a tool for students to practice their craft before working on human subjects.
A metal head with a mouth wide open as if it is screaming. Inside are a full set of dentures.
9 57 290
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 13h
Still masking here. This is horribly true.
18
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
jeffvandermeer.bsky.social
Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 15h
me trying to select a simple chicken recipe to make for dinner after a long absence from cooking (other than throwing salads together)
Otter baby held by scruff of neck by parent, full photo by a winner in National Geographic's funny photo contest. https://www.businessinsider.com/funny-animal-photos-comedy-wildlife-photography-awards-2021-9
6 6 160
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 14h
I'd sooner be tasked with writing twice as many words per month than do errands that take a tenth of the time.
😭 Need to remember that I have helpful hacks for managing the small mammals!
1
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 14h
🤮
1
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 14h
I recognize this small mammal state of mind! Wrote about small mammal problems and the creative brain a couple of years ago (also the best wildlife pics I've ever taken):

buttondown.com/surekhadavie...
Small mammal problems: managing the creative brain
In which I go down a musical rabbit-hole in my quest for a sustainable way to stay on top of errands without sabotaging writing or resting.
buttondown.com
1 3
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 20h
ICYMI: From my newsletter blending #earlymodern and #neuroscience of present-day writing in books: "the practice of reading, note-taking, thinking, drawing, and writing can generate unexpected solutions to mysteries that are (for the reader) too difficult to test empirically."
More on #writing:
1/n
Walter Ralegh's headless monsters and annotation as thinking
On writing and picturing as forms of thinking and knowledge-making, with examples of Renaissance mapmakers and publishers demonstrating exactly this in the...
buttondown.com
1 13 18
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
taralconley.com
Dr. Tara L. Conley @taralconley.com · 15h
for active military or if you know someone in the military:

“The Orders Project is a non-partisan program created by the National Institute for Military Justice to assist military personnel in understanding their options when faced with orders they believe may not be legal.”
www.nimj.org/top.html#/
Orders Project
The Orders Project is a non-partisan program created by the National Institute for Military Justice to assist military personnel in understanding their options when faced with orders they believe may....
www.nimj.org
1 330 590
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 15h
Yes. More generally, this so-called tool ignores the knowledge & experience of all people & professions in favour of tech bro values, ignorances, and prejudice.

@merbroussard.bsky.social has a great word, technofascism: the notion that the best solution for any problem must be a technological one.
2 1
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 15h
cosmic-daffodil.squarespace.com/body-archive
The Body Archive — Cosmic Daffodil Journal
cosmic-daffodil.squarespace.com
2 2
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 15h
cosmic-daffodil.squarespace.com/body-archive
The Body Archive — Cosmic Daffodil Journal
cosmic-daffodil.squarespace.com
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 15h
Call for submissions from authors writing about #monsters, #horror, #anatomy, and more! About 4 days left.

Very @peculiarbookclub.bsky.social.
#writing
cosmicdaffodil.bsky.social
Cosmic Daffodil Journal @cosmicdaffodil.bsky.social · 2d
5 Days Left to Submit!
1 5 7
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 15h
The next time there's a pandemic, all the billionaires who enabled this should have their assets confiscated to fight it.
1 3
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 15h
Charge them all.
theguardian.com
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 15h
Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein ‘we’re in this together’ in 2011 email
Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein ‘we’re in this together’ in 2011 email
Royal sent email after Virginia Giuffre photo emerged but later claimed he had ceased contact with Epstein in 2010 Prince Andrew told Jeffrey Epstein in an email “we are in this together” after a picture of the British royal with his arm around a teenage Virginia Giuffre was first published in 2011. The email will pile further pressure on Duke of York and the royal family as he previously told the BBC he had ceased contact with the paedophile financier by that point. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
1 3 17
drsurekhadavies.bsky.social
Dr Surekha Davies (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 16h
Thanks for another great roundup - and for including my Walter Ralegh and Guiana annotations newsletter! 😀

buttondown.com/surekhadavie...
Walter Ralegh's headless monsters and annotation as thinking
On writing and picturing as forms of thinking and knowledge-making, with examples of Renaissance mapmakers and publishers demonstrating exactly this in the...
buttondown.com
2 3
Reposted by Dr Surekha Davies (she/her)
davidrvetter.bsky.social
Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 21h
Every day is a good day to point out that 92% of Reform's donations were found to come from figures and groups linked to the fossil fuel industry. @desmog.com
Nigel Farage’s Reform Party Has Accepted £2.3 Million from Fossil Fuel Interests, Climate Deniers, and Polluters Since 2019 Election
Reform UK has received more than £2.3 million from oil and gas interests, highly polluting industries, and climate science deniers since December 2019, amounting to 92 percent of the party’s donations...
www.desmog.com
23 470 830