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timdevin.bsky.social
tim d (he/him)
@timdevin.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1.9K following 1.5K posts
competition is boring
.
my new zine--> https://timdevin.com/gardenzine.html
my zine on Italian American mutual aid--> http://timdevin.com/mutuosoccorso.html
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timdevin.bsky.social
for my librarian friends, here's a nice collection of critical viewpoints on libraries, written in 2021.

freely available here: violetbfox.info/disorientati...

(thanks to @sheerspite.bsky.social for the rec)

#Libraries #PublicLibraries #Zines
a zine called "disorientation guide to librarianship"
November 21, 2025 at 2:28 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
can't speak highly enough about these 2 books

in each, William C. Anderson (author of "Black as resistance") speaks with movement elders (Ashanti Alston in one, Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin, JoNina Abron-Ervin and Modibo Kadalie in the other)

they're mind-bogglingly thoughtful. pick them up!
two books: "black anarchist legacies" and "black anarchist futures"
November 19, 2025 at 2:48 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
i wonder how many ppl had their eyes opened to anarchism by this scene in the holy grail?
screenshot of the Holy Grail anarcho-syndicalist scene, where a farmer is explaining how their anarcho-syndicalist commune works....
November 12, 2025 at 11:56 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
just another day at the public library

#PublicLibraryLife
a hand, holding a screwdriver. installing an organizer basket on a wall near some wires.
November 6, 2025 at 7:31 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
for your viewing pleasure, here is an interesting juxtaposition of a photo of Ethel Merman and Bob Hope with a shot of "Mack the knife" composer Kurt Weill, as found in a book of 1930s sheet music
on the left is a photo of Ethel Merman and Bob Hope from a movie. Next to them awkwardly placed is a photo of composer kurt weill
October 21, 2025 at 11:39 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
tuesday 10/21 from 515pm-7pm!

hope to see you there!

march and vigil for immigrant solidarity in east somerville. meet at foss park, head to the east somerville library on broadway

#SomervilleMA
flyer for a march and vigil for immigrant solidarity in east somerville. 10/21 from 515pm to 7pm.
October 20, 2025 at 2:46 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
spotted at the local pinball place in Somerville
Gilligans Island pinball game, with the banner that says protect trans youth
October 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
the Free Range Garden Artists put this manifesto up all over the bike path

it has a shout out to me and @alexxkittle.bsky.social , but is otherwise a good read :)

#SomervilleMA #JunkArt #PublicArt
a manifesto about free public art, and the free range garden ppl's experiences with their project
October 10, 2025 at 2:55 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
so I opened a fortune cookie yesterday and there were two fortune slips in it...
two fortune cookie slips. Both say run
October 10, 2025 at 11:49 AM
timdevin.bsky.social
given today's political climate, and the fact that so-called Columbus Day is coming up, I thought I would share this passage (from one of my books) about the fascist history of Columbus Day in America

#Fascism #ColumbusDay
Columbus Day And nothing sums up that hard right shift better than the story of Columbus Day, and story of the Sons of Italy. Let's start with Columbus Day first. Now, all things Columbus-Columbus Day, Columbus statues-are controversial these days, and rightly so-but in the early days of the Italian colony in Massachusetts, it was just another festival day for one of the many local mutual aid societies. Boston's original 62 —La Gazzetta di Massachusetts, Oct. 9, 1915 Columbus Society (aka la Societa di Mutuo Soccorso "Cristoforo-Colombo") was the second society to form, way back in 1869, and it hosted the first Columbus Day parade in Boston a few years later. It was a small affair, and probably only held significance for members and their families. But later in the 1800s, Columbus became a national hero for Italian-Americans. Think about it-Italians were discriminated against left and right in their new country-but meanwhile here was this Italian dude that a lot of people thought had discovered the place. What a perfect way to demonstrate to Americans that they should be nicer to Italian immigrants! So, pretty soon, there were mutual aid societies named after Columbus, with their own parades, in Fitchburg, Salem, Lawrence, and Worcester-and all around the country. By 1903, the Boston Columbus Society had turned its parade into a large event-inviting all of the other Massachusetts Columbus societies to march around Boston with them, and capping it off with a "sumptuous banquet" (as the invitation described it. By the MUTUO SOCCORSO! 63 1920s, the Boston Columbus Day parade had turned into the most important annual event for the Italian community. Most of the other local mutual aid societies marched in it, local politicians took part, and the whole thing got front-page coverage in La Gazzetta. Good so far? Well, here's where it gets dark. Italy's new fascist government noticed all the hubbub, and saw an opportunity to spread Italian nationalism, and boost support for Italy (Remember, Italian-Americans were very generous with their donations to Italy and its war efforts). And so Italian consuls and officials began marching in American Columbus Day parades-including the Boston one. And Italy started hosting its own annual Columbus Day parade in Rome. After that, it was only a matter of time before Columbus Day became synonymous with Italian nationalism and fascism. In addition to all the Italian flags and dignitaries, Boston's Columbus Society started inviting outright fascists to give speeches, and to march in the parade-which they did, in military-style uniforms, in military formation. Not everyone was happy with this, of course-and pretty quickly, anti-fascists began protesting the events, which led to fighting between the two groups If that wasn't bad enough, wait til you hear how Columbus Day became a national holiday. In the 1930s, the publisher of New York's influential Italian-language newspaper il Progresso Italo-Americano was a man named Generoso Pope. Pope was a member of both the fascist Lictor Federation and the Fascist League of North America, and was later given the title of Grand Officer of the Crown of Italy by Mussolini for his service to fascism in America. What a prince, right? Around this time, Pope began advocating for Columbus Day to become a national holiday-running articles in his paper, and pressuring his American political connections, including some local politician named Franklin D. Roosevelt. After FDR became President of the US, he declared Columbus Day a national
October 8, 2025 at 4:34 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
if you're like me, you could use some inspiration right now. Can I recommend this book put out by the museum of reclaimed urban space, about community initiatives like squatted buildings, community gardens, and bike transportation (to name a few)

#Morus #90sNYC
Front cover of the book, showing a marching band inside pages, showing a community garden inside pages, showing a community bike shop inside pages, showing some protests, and a kids event at a community garden
October 6, 2025 at 12:15 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
good morning!

here is a fun little bit from Graeber's Fragments

#DavidGraeber #Santa
Residents of the squatter community of Christiana, Denmark, for example, have a Christmastide ritual where they dress in Santa suits, take toys from department stores and distribute them to children on the street, partly just so everyone can relish the images of the cops beating down Santa and snatching the toys back from crying children.
October 3, 2025 at 11:29 AM
timdevin.bsky.social
given the current climate, can I recommend this short book on how governments have cracked down on dissidents in the past, and how community members have banded together to support those jailed for their beliefs?

pub'd by @pmpress.bsky.social
ill. by @nobonzo.bsky.social
Cover of Boris Yelensky's book "shadows in the struggle for equality"
September 28, 2025 at 1:48 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
someone has called a meeting to discuss the unhoused ppl in Davis Sq tomorrow. they sent out this email about the mtg

a number of nauseating things stand out to me-- not least of which is that they are "tired of hearing lessons about compassion"

#SomervilleMa #DavisSQ
Dear All, Thanks for agreeing to meet us tomorrow on such short notice. I have spoken to many Davis Square residents and these are the questions that we specifically want addressed: • Public Drug Use • Encampments • Disturbance of the Peace • Littering Our immediate goal is to stop Davis Square from descending into a seedy encampment for drug dealers and users. We are not trying to solve the root causes of homelessness and addiction, so we would like to stick to the above topics Also, we're tired of hearing lessons about compassion from the city's administration, or the efficacy of drop boxes for needles. We have heard little else for the past year and a half. We look forward to hearing your ideas. Thanks,
September 26, 2025 at 9:22 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
It's reprint o'clock, here at Free the future Press

#Zines @alexxkittle.bsky.social
A stack of zines that me and Alex Kittle did about junk art in Somerville
September 21, 2025 at 4:27 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
evan greer at deep cuts last night, playing "protect trans kids"

@evangreer.bsky.social
September 21, 2025 at 2:21 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
1/

i know there are much more pressing things to think about, but i'd like to dwell for a moment on the design choices on the front cover of Terry Riley's brilliant, beautiful, and groundbreaking album "A rainbow in curved air"

i will update this thread as the day goes on
the front cover of the album in question
September 17, 2025 at 3:38 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
Adela Goldbard's "Invadieron por mar, respondemos con fuego. Un presagio." at Boston City Hall Plaza
a wooden sculpture of a boat on fire
September 13, 2025 at 1:27 AM
timdevin.bsky.social
some inspiring words on mutual aid from @shaneburley.bsky.social , presented in @prisonculture.bsky.social and @mskellymhayes.bsky.social 's very inspiring "let this radicalize you"

#MutualAid
As Burley would tell us in August 2021, "The scale of the mutual aid groups that emerged during the pandemic was staggering, with thousands of people coming together to support each other. What was so remarkable is that much of this did not come out of radical or political communities; they were just people looking to survive by caring for one another." Burley finds hope in these efforts, arguing that such mobilizations can fundamentally alter a community's sense of what's possible. "Mutual aid is the story of this century," Burley said. "We have to be there for each other."
September 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
this is gonna be my holiday card
a haunted house photo from an amusement park
August 30, 2025 at 12:22 AM
timdevin.bsky.social
nothing like a good beach read

#MotherJones
A section from mother Jones' autobiography about child labor. Held in front of some sand
August 28, 2025 at 4:17 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
spotted at Elfland today

#Elfland
and elf scene with a sign saying defend trans kids, a burning cop car, and a BDS sign
August 22, 2025 at 12:39 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
There is a tiny art gallery on Putnam in Somerville

#SomervilleMA
The outside of the tiny museum an interior shot, showing tiny paintings an interior shot, showing tiny paintings an interior shot, showing tiny paintings
August 19, 2025 at 5:01 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
i already voted ten times for Krime Cat, but this platform seems interesting

#SomervilleMA #CatMayorRace
a cat mayor sign that reads "dont choose a mayor, choose violence"
August 17, 2025 at 10:13 PM
timdevin.bsky.social
and they are back

#SomervilleMA #Elfland
A photo of the original Elfland, with new tiny houses in it
August 16, 2025 at 1:18 PM