Rachel E. Pollock
@labricoleuse.bsky.social
Writer/blogger, costume-maker, professor, cat mom to Clea
Pinned
My book STICKS IN PETTICOATS:PARASOL MANUFACTURE FOR THE MODERN COSTUMER is available here:
www.lulu.com/shop/rachel-...
www.lulu.com/shop/rachel-...
My most recent book is A HISTORY OF THE THEATRE COSTUME BUSINESS, currently on sale from the publisher.
November 27, 2025 at 1:28 AM
My most recent book is A HISTORY OF THE THEATRE COSTUME BUSINESS, currently on sale from the publisher.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
"As long as policymakers continue to flood money into AI, small press publishers will only grow in importance. The quality of the books they produce, driven by that creative, alternative thinking & integrative design focus is only set to become more in demand." www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Don’t invest in AI, invest in the future of the book
Why the publishing industry must back small presses, rather than LLMs.
www.thebookseller.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"As long as policymakers continue to flood money into AI, small press publishers will only grow in importance. The quality of the books they produce, driven by that creative, alternative thinking & integrative design focus is only set to become more in demand." www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
This is not the way, and @cnygren.bsky.social and I lay out in detail why it isn’t in this essay here. static1.squarespace.com/static/55577...
November 24, 2025 at 1:16 PM
This is not the way, and @cnygren.bsky.social and I lay out in detail why it isn’t in this essay here. static1.squarespace.com/static/55577...
A colleague reports doing this with costume design as well, having students use DALL-E to generate an image of something like an Elisabethan noblewoman and then research what’s incorrect about it
November 24, 2025 at 12:37 AM
A colleague reports doing this with costume design as well, having students use DALL-E to generate an image of something like an Elisabethan noblewoman and then research what’s incorrect about it
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
A reminder that I'm raising $4k to support @scarleteen.com's staff and volunteer health fund to ensure that sex educators doing some of the BEST sex ed around are able to access health care. In an era of misinfo where most kids don't even get the most basic in school, Scarleteen is critical.
Scarleteen Staff and Volunteer Healthcare Fund
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www.classy.org
November 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
A reminder that I'm raising $4k to support @scarleteen.com's staff and volunteer health fund to ensure that sex educators doing some of the BEST sex ed around are able to access health care. In an era of misinfo where most kids don't even get the most basic in school, Scarleteen is critical.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Are you using AI, as a professional? Check your insurance cover, because a lot of the big insurers are about to pull out of insuring it. Which means that if you let it write your stuff or control your operations, you are potentially personally liable for its errors...
“Insurers increasingly view AI models’ outputs as too unpredictable and opaque to insure, said Dennis Bertram, head of cyber insurance for Europe at Mosaic. “It’s too much of a black box.”
www.ft.com/content/abfe...
www.ft.com/content/abfe...
Insurers retreat from AI cover as risk of multibillion-dollar claims mounts
AIG, Great American and WR Berkley seek permission to limit liability from AI agents and chatbots
www.ft.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Are you using AI, as a professional? Check your insurance cover, because a lot of the big insurers are about to pull out of insuring it. Which means that if you let it write your stuff or control your operations, you are potentially personally liable for its errors...
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Hurray!
GenAI has polluted image search results, especially for animal pics. It’s now basically impossible to find accurate art references.
Enter this: a repository of open-access, AI-free images of wild & exotic taxa. Artists creating *without AI* have blanket permission for derivative/transformative use.
Enter this: a repository of open-access, AI-free images of wild & exotic taxa. Artists creating *without AI* have blanket permission for derivative/transformative use.
Exotic Animal Photo Reference Repository
www.animal-photo-references.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Hurray!
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
talk to Syd!
Hello! I'm looking to speak with people who received passports back after the Supreme Court halted an injunction that prevented the State Department from issuing sex markers based on birth certificates, not the holder's gender identity.
Email: sydneyerinwrites @ gmail . com
Signal: SydneyBauer.30
Email: sydneyerinwrites @ gmail . com
Signal: SydneyBauer.30
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
talk to Syd!
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
So here's a cool thing happening all over the place this weekend: www.falloffreedom.com
Fall of Freedom
Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation.
www.falloffreedom.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:15 AM
So here's a cool thing happening all over the place this weekend: www.falloffreedom.com
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Submit a Claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Hey authors! Check to see if Anthropic stole your book to train their slop generator on. You’re entitled to $1500 per stolen Work.
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Look up your work, and if you’re in the database, file a claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup/
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Representatives of the minority groups offer to assist resistance to federal immigration action in North Carolina and say they'll prepare for the spring return of ICE and Border Patrol agents to the Chicago area.
As ICE operations move to North Carolina, coalition of Chicago minority groups vows to carry the fight on
chicago.suntimes.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Representatives of the minority groups offer to assist resistance to federal immigration action in North Carolina and say they'll prepare for the spring return of ICE and Border Patrol agents to the Chicago area.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Please support if able and join if you are a writer, illustrator or cartoonist with books (it’s free to join). This grassroots org has authors showing up and getting things done.
Happy Friday! In order to continue fighting on behalf of all books, all authors, & all readers Authors Against Book Bans is fundraising. No donation is too small & all are tax deductible!
Donate - Authors Against Book Bans
Thank you for donating to Authors Against Book Bans. Your donation directly supports the freedom to read by powering our work with our partner organizations, bringing the author muscle to the fight to...
www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
November 16, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Please support if able and join if you are a writer, illustrator or cartoonist with books (it’s free to join). This grassroots org has authors showing up and getting things done.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
November 16, 2025 at 11:43 PM
NEW: Epstein survivors release the most powerful PSA I have ever seen.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Make this go viral so every member of the House of Representatives sees it.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
What if instead of Cyber Monday (aka Daddy Bezos Day), we did a Support Indie Media Monday?
What are your favorite indie publications? Who are some of your favorite freelance and indie reporters and commentators?
Can we make this a thing?
What are your favorite indie publications? Who are some of your favorite freelance and indie reporters and commentators?
Can we make this a thing?
November 12, 2025 at 5:33 PM
What if instead of Cyber Monday (aka Daddy Bezos Day), we did a Support Indie Media Monday?
What are your favorite indie publications? Who are some of your favorite freelance and indie reporters and commentators?
Can we make this a thing?
What are your favorite indie publications? Who are some of your favorite freelance and indie reporters and commentators?
Can we make this a thing?
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Update for everyone in Mass!
UPDATE! Several senators have filed amendments that, if passed, will significantly strengthen the bill! Please urge your senator to vote for Amendments 1, 4, 5, 6, and 18. This must be done before Wednesday, so the sooner the better. More details...1/5
URGENT Call to Action: The Senate version of the S.2696 is moving out of committee BUT this version does not include any protections for book creators and only contains weak first amendment protections. The timing is tight: please email your senator before Wednesday, Nov. 12! More info:
November 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Update for everyone in Mass!
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Hi writers! I’m looking to assign a couple of features for Slate before the end of the year. If you have anything in mind that you think would be a fit please send me a pitch! Jenée.Desmond- [email protected] or dm me.
RTs are appreciated so this can reach more people. Thanks!
RTs are appreciated so this can reach more people. Thanks!
November 10, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Hi writers! I’m looking to assign a couple of features for Slate before the end of the year. If you have anything in mind that you think would be a fit please send me a pitch! Jenée.Desmond- [email protected] or dm me.
RTs are appreciated so this can reach more people. Thanks!
RTs are appreciated so this can reach more people. Thanks!
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
just to clarify (and kevin knows this so don’t @ him) call no matter who your senators are. the caucus will pay attention to backlash
Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and they will connect you with your senator's office.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
Sounds like the squishes in the senate caucus are ready to pull the plug with no ACA changes. This is real. If you want to register your opinion you shld call yr senator in the next hour. They not only want to reopen w/nothing. They want cover from their colleagues who still want to hold out.
November 9, 2025 at 9:18 PM
just to clarify (and kevin knows this so don’t @ him) call no matter who your senators are. the caucus will pay attention to backlash
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and they will connect you with your senator's office.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
Sounds like the squishes in the senate caucus are ready to pull the plug with no ACA changes. This is real. If you want to register your opinion you shld call yr senator in the next hour. They not only want to reopen w/nothing. They want cover from their colleagues who still want to hold out.
November 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and they will connect you with your senator's office.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
Clea’s still loves watching the smart litter box clean itself.
I imagine this is similar to how my grandfather felt, having grown up with an outhouse, when he first saw a flush toilet .
I imagine this is similar to how my grandfather felt, having grown up with an outhouse, when he first saw a flush toilet .
November 9, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Clea’s still loves watching the smart litter box clean itself.
I imagine this is similar to how my grandfather felt, having grown up with an outhouse, when he first saw a flush toilet .
I imagine this is similar to how my grandfather felt, having grown up with an outhouse, when he first saw a flush toilet .
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
I have a really important medical appointment on Monday in Phoenix (3+ hrs drive) and I need help with gas money, please!
My goal for gas is $60
Thank you!
My goal for gas is $60
Thank you!
My husband was laid off in June, his unemployment benefits have run out, & I am disabled & unable to work, which means we have zero income.
Please help us get through this tough financial time!
Thank you!!
$ & Vmo: SickBayCaitlin
Ko-fi link for PayPal:
ko-fi.com/sickbaychees...
Please help us get through this tough financial time!
Thank you!!
$ & Vmo: SickBayCaitlin
Ko-fi link for PayPal:
ko-fi.com/sickbaychees...
Support SickBayCheese
Support SickBayCheese
ko-fi.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:08 PM
I have a really important medical appointment on Monday in Phoenix (3+ hrs drive) and I need help with gas money, please!
My goal for gas is $60
Thank you!
My goal for gas is $60
Thank you!
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
if you are food insecure for both the humans and pets in your household there is a tool called Pet Help Finder that can help locate pet food banks nearby and other free or reduced price assistance and supplies for pets.
no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, should have to give up their pet bc of this.
no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, should have to give up their pet bc of this.
November 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
if you are food insecure for both the humans and pets in your household there is a tool called Pet Help Finder that can help locate pet food banks nearby and other free or reduced price assistance and supplies for pets.
no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, should have to give up their pet bc of this.
no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, should have to give up their pet bc of this.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.