Kevin
@kmichaelwilson.bsky.social
Historical Chinese literature, poetry, and philosophy. Co-host Rereading the Stone podcast https://bsky.app/profile/rereadingstone.bsky.social
book reviews & discussion of Ming-Qing literature, science fiction, etc. https://www.patreon.com/kmichaelwilson
book reviews & discussion of Ming-Qing literature, science fiction, etc. https://www.patreon.com/kmichaelwilson
it might almost be worth it as a "social lesson" to be very open about not basing WPA-style government funding for artists on their artistic product or on its aesthetic evaluation
it's important for people to begin imagining what non-coerced production, artistic or otherwise, might even look like
it's important for people to begin imagining what non-coerced production, artistic or otherwise, might even look like
November 28, 2025 at 11:02 PM
it might almost be worth it as a "social lesson" to be very open about not basing WPA-style government funding for artists on their artistic product or on its aesthetic evaluation
it's important for people to begin imagining what non-coerced production, artistic or otherwise, might even look like
it's important for people to begin imagining what non-coerced production, artistic or otherwise, might even look like
Reposted by Kevin
this is not the way
November 28, 2025 at 9:00 PM
this is not the way
this is the way
The federal art, music, and theater programs in the new deal paid people about $600 a week in today’s money to create, study, teach, and perform in community centers. At the very least, this should exist today and be greatly expanded, not just as crisis relief, but as an integral part of society.
November 28, 2025 at 9:00 PM
this is the way
This is why I get so animated, and it seems like I'm talking from an entirely different corner of the room. It should be so obvious that the per-work provisioning of the arts was always going to favor quantity over quality
As anyone versed in historical literature should know, good literature isn't written for money
good literature is written from memory
good literature is written from memory
November 28, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This is why I get so animated, and it seems like I'm talking from an entirely different corner of the room. It should be so obvious that the per-work provisioning of the arts was always going to favor quantity over quality
As anyone versed in historical literature should know, good literature isn't written for money
good literature is written from memory
good literature is written from memory
November 28, 2025 at 2:54 PM
As anyone versed in historical literature should know, good literature isn't written for money
good literature is written from memory
good literature is written from memory
Reposted by Kevin
truth coming out of her cup noodles to shame mankind
November 28, 2025 at 5:48 AM
truth coming out of her cup noodles to shame mankind
"Wouldn't a thriving market in books incentivize their preservation?"
No, not at all. On the contrary, historical book markets tend to incentivize the forgery of lost historical books
Markets frequently contribute toward the wholesale falsification of historical memory
No, not at all. On the contrary, historical book markets tend to incentivize the forgery of lost historical books
Markets frequently contribute toward the wholesale falsification of historical memory
November 28, 2025 at 5:42 AM
"Wouldn't a thriving market in books incentivize their preservation?"
No, not at all. On the contrary, historical book markets tend to incentivize the forgery of lost historical books
Markets frequently contribute toward the wholesale falsification of historical memory
No, not at all. On the contrary, historical book markets tend to incentivize the forgery of lost historical books
Markets frequently contribute toward the wholesale falsification of historical memory
IP sickos already fantasizing about making digital art "even more scarce" than physical objects (e.g., un-loanable, and w/ remote self-destruct features built-in)
There's no reason public policy couldn't point in the opposite direction, toward making public art *the law of the land*
There's no reason public policy couldn't point in the opposite direction, toward making public art *the law of the land*
on thanksgiving, a day of plenty, let's start conceptualizing ways to make artificial scarcity illegal
November 28, 2025 at 12:57 AM
IP sickos already fantasizing about making digital art "even more scarce" than physical objects (e.g., un-loanable, and w/ remote self-destruct features built-in)
There's no reason public policy couldn't point in the opposite direction, toward making public art *the law of the land*
There's no reason public policy couldn't point in the opposite direction, toward making public art *the law of the land*
if I had salmon-colored shoes, I would go jog on a blue treadmill
November 27, 2025 at 11:43 PM
if I had salmon-colored shoes, I would go jog on a blue treadmill
on thanksgiving, a day of plenty, let's start conceptualizing ways to make artificial scarcity illegal
November 27, 2025 at 11:39 PM
on thanksgiving, a day of plenty, let's start conceptualizing ways to make artificial scarcity illegal
this is, likewise, why I don't care about the all the unopened pdfs languishing on decaying hard drives all across the globe
their value, like the physical integrity of the hard drives encoding them, tends toward zero, toward dust
their value, like the physical integrity of the hard drives encoding them, tends toward zero, toward dust
the vast majority of books and book collections are of negative market value (unsellable, an economic burden to their owner to move or even maintain)
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
November 27, 2025 at 7:59 PM
this is, likewise, why I don't care about the all the unopened pdfs languishing on decaying hard drives all across the globe
their value, like the physical integrity of the hard drives encoding them, tends toward zero, toward dust
their value, like the physical integrity of the hard drives encoding them, tends toward zero, toward dust
Reposted by Kevin
Reposted by Kevin
I feel this.
Like, literally, in my wrists. Hand physio booked for wednesday.
Stupid boxes of books.
Like, literally, in my wrists. Hand physio booked for wednesday.
Stupid boxes of books.
the vast majority of books and book collections are of negative market value (unsellable, an economic burden to their owner to move or even maintain)
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
November 27, 2025 at 9:27 AM
I feel this.
Like, literally, in my wrists. Hand physio booked for wednesday.
Stupid boxes of books.
Like, literally, in my wrists. Hand physio booked for wednesday.
Stupid boxes of books.
the vast majority of books and book collections are of negative market value (unsellable, an economic burden to their owner to move or even maintain)
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
November 27, 2025 at 7:31 AM
the vast majority of books and book collections are of negative market value (unsellable, an economic burden to their owner to move or even maintain)
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
this is normal; endless appreciation and the expectation of profit in the possession of physical things is not normal
You mentioned there were over 100 versions of the Yi 易 Changes, and I immediately listed 93 of them. Surely you can add the remaining 7? 5 more would suffice. 2 would be fine, really. 1? Half of one, to keep up appearances?
November 27, 2025 at 4:08 AM
You mentioned there were over 100 versions of the Yi 易 Changes, and I immediately listed 93 of them. Surely you can add the remaining 7? 5 more would suffice. 2 would be fine, really. 1? Half of one, to keep up appearances?
Reposted by Kevin
revolutionize your modern Chinese by speaking only in direct quotations from Qianfu 潛伏 (2008)
November 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM
revolutionize your modern Chinese by speaking only in direct quotations from Qianfu 潛伏 (2008)
Reposted by Kevin
punches pulled
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
November 26, 2025 at 7:37 PM
punches pulled
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
punches pulled
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
November 26, 2025 at 7:37 PM
punches pulled
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
there is more social dimension to the original text, where it goes into greater detail about how masters would profit by forcing their servants to "recycle"
#bodieswithoutorgans
people get really upset when you make the entirely factual statement that the literary archive they are proposing destroying is larger than the Library of Alexandria
November 26, 2025 at 6:49 PM
people get really upset when you make the entirely factual statement that the literary archive they are proposing destroying is larger than the Library of Alexandria
don't even concede the "piracy" point
just be like, "I think all libraries are good, digital or otherwise, and I'm looking forward to the day when the biggest libraries currently in existence receive the social sanction and recognition they deserve"
just be like, "I think all libraries are good, digital or otherwise, and I'm looking forward to the day when the biggest libraries currently in existence receive the social sanction and recognition they deserve"
Pirating rules though. People who pirate, weren’t going to pay for it anyway let’s be real. People go to bookstores and read books for free and then put them back without buying. People lend books to friends for free. Libraries are free. Why are people so uptight about sharing info via “PiRaTinG” 👻
November 26, 2025 at 6:21 PM
don't even concede the "piracy" point
just be like, "I think all libraries are good, digital or otherwise, and I'm looking forward to the day when the biggest libraries currently in existence receive the social sanction and recognition they deserve"
just be like, "I think all libraries are good, digital or otherwise, and I'm looking forward to the day when the biggest libraries currently in existence receive the social sanction and recognition they deserve"
Reposted by Kevin
yes, all libraries are cool, even digital ones that might not entirely conform with complicated systems of existing international laws and regulations
November 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
yes, all libraries are cool, even digital ones that might not entirely conform with complicated systems of existing international laws and regulations
also a clear case of projection? the only performance being done is by authors, performatively lamenting hypothetical and aspirational lost sales to piracy as an indirect way to flex on other authors who sell *even less*
what is wrong with people
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
November 26, 2025 at 5:52 PM
also a clear case of projection? the only performance being done is by authors, performatively lamenting hypothetical and aspirational lost sales to piracy as an indirect way to flex on other authors who sell *even less*
Reposted by Kevin
what is wrong with people
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
November 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
what is wrong with people
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
what is wrong with people
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
November 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
what is wrong with people
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
this is embarrassing
you're not progressive if you believe this
Reposted by Kevin
Has no one read Les Miserables? What kind of literate person in 2025 thinks "theft is theft" is anything other than the very sprouts of reactionary thought?!!!!!!!!!
November 26, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Has no one read Les Miserables? What kind of literate person in 2025 thinks "theft is theft" is anything other than the very sprouts of reactionary thought?!!!!!!!!!