I point this out because you asked — How lovely—the green birds! There’s a bird?

But what’s this article doing, then? — A common scenario: Someone makes an aggressive, bad-faith comment in a “Just Asking Questions!” way. Their words are fascistly insipid or insipidly fascist. They have no knowledge or qualifications to discuss the topic. They’re trying to get attention from humans or bots. They want to initiate, frame, and control a…

They’ll write a report, maybe make a criminal referral—but what does it mean? — Ever since the U.S. House of Representatives formed a select committee on the January 6 attack on the Capitol, journalists and commentators have left open the question of whether the committee will ultimately recommend that the Justice Department open a criminal investigation into former president Donald Trump. The committee itself…

Do you remember this scene from ‘Most Famous Short Film of All Time’? — One week ago, I published a novel. I promised my more-than-one-dozen email subscribers I’d tell you when it came out, and I must follow through and tell you: The book is ready. I‘m reluctant to self-promo — evidently, having waited an entire week post-release to announce a new book —…

A world of hate and domination is inherently scammy — Journalist Luke Mogelson published The Storm Is Here: An American Crucible on September 13. …

The people who’re making it up do not have good intentions — You may have heard that Chris Rufo is distributing an anti-trans pamphlet. Several days ago, a major newspaper published a column by another writer who suggested there is something meaningful or worthwhile to be found within it. There isn’t. Here is what’s wrong with this pamphlet. Rufo Did It Before With the Term ‘Critical Race Theory’

Written in our time, from another time — In my recent reading, I’ve come across two bird myths that fit together across imagination-time. Noema was released a couple months ago, and The Unbalancing was released yesterday. Let me show them to you here together, that they may bird to you. ‘Noema’ by Dael Akkerman Maya, daughter of Frey and Bran, is…

An 1889 ghost story with Don Juan as tomb raider — The British writer Vernon Lee, whose real name was Violet Paget, wrote the story “The Virgin of the Seven Daggers” in 1889. You can find it on pp. 190–222 in this 2004 version from Dufour Editions, readable on Archive.org. Lee had been involved with the poet Mary Robinson, but a…

An important character in this 1786 Gothic Orientalist novel — William Beckford (1760–1844) was the son of the mayor of London. His father, who had the same name, took political interest in the market for sugar. His mother, Maria Hamilton, was a strict Methodist. When Beckford was a boy, his father died, and he inherited three thousand enslaved people on…