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Search results for tag #writing

Kaye Menner Photography boosted

[?]Chrystyne Novack » 🌐
@ChrystyneNovack@socel.net

Four years ago, I had the idea of creating a compact short story using pictures/artwork I took/created. I debuted the first 3 pages for the ArtAdventCalendar

A Tail of Return – See ALT for Page 4 Catching the Sun (it was broken up into 3 sections/images for the ALT could not post it all in one go)

A Tale of Return - Catching the Sun - Page 4 “I’ve lived here many years but wasn’t born here. Aria, my nurture mother, cared for me when I came here wandering long ago, alone and unknown,” Skye grew quiet remembering. “So, you are a Seeker like me,” Quédam prompted. “No, not a Seeker. Just someone once lost but found. Aria gave me my name when I had none. She taught me the ways of the Celestia Realm,“ Skye spoke as she glanced at the window. In the window hung 17 multicolored glass spheres representing all the Realms catching the sunlight. “Magic is just one of many villages here in Celestia. Each home has the 17 spheres where we weave cool breezes for all the realms, craft the scent of flowers to aid in happiness & health, and, through the spheres, do good deeds by helping others. Celestia is the one all the way at the top,” Sky pointed to the blue sphere in the window, “we are closest to the Veil. All Sons and Daughters of Celestia here work to achieve an immortal soul before they pass beyond the Veil. That is what I know. And what of you? What are you seeking to find” Note: See next 'images'. It would not let me fit all of it here in ALT text. The ALT text in next 2 images has the second half and third portions so your reader can continue the story. Visual: The visual for page 4 is a photograph of a vined covered window with light streaming in. Hanging in the window are 17 glass spheres of different colors. They catch the sunlight beautifully.

Alt...A Tale of Return - Catching the Sun - Page 4 “I’ve lived here many years but wasn’t born here. Aria, my nurture mother, cared for me when I came here wandering long ago, alone and unknown,” Skye grew quiet remembering. “So, you are a Seeker like me,” Quédam prompted. “No, not a Seeker. Just someone once lost but found. Aria gave me my name when I had none. She taught me the ways of the Celestia Realm,“ Skye spoke as she glanced at the window. In the window hung 17 multicolored glass spheres representing all the Realms catching the sunlight. “Magic is just one of many villages here in Celestia. Each home has the 17 spheres where we weave cool breezes for all the realms, craft the scent of flowers to aid in happiness & health, and, through the spheres, do good deeds by helping others. Celestia is the one all the way at the top,” Sky pointed to the blue sphere in the window, “we are closest to the Veil. All Sons and Daughters of Celestia here work to achieve an immortal soul before they pass beyond the Veil. That is what I know. And what of you? What are you seeking to find” Note: See next 'images'. It would not let me fit all of it here in ALT text. The ALT text in next 2 images has the second half and third portions so your reader can continue the story. Visual: The visual for page 4 is a photograph of a vined covered window with light streaming in. Hanging in the window are 17 glass spheres of different colors. They catch the sunlight beautifully.

A Tale of Return - Catching the Sun - Page 4 Second portion (so that the Screen Readers can follow the full story that did not fit on the first image) Quédam looked at the spheres catching the last rays of the sun, “Someone who I lost long ago. I let my responsibilities of my high-ranking position bind me. I always meant to go look for her but the time slipped by. Now, I am just an old man.” Skye met the gaze of this quiet old man noticing the heavy sadness in his eyes but also a glimmer of joy and a flash of hope. Before she asked about who his lost loved one was Quédam spoke, “The sun is setting, and I shall have to soon make my way to the Traveler’s Inn. Might I also speak with Aria?” “Aria passed beyond the Veil eight years ago,” Skye gazed down into the empty cup in her hand. “I miss her,” she whispered. “My condolences on your loss,” Quédam said. The room grew quiet for minutes as both sat in contemplation. Quédam broke the silence, “You mentioned Aria gave you your name when you were lost. Did you ever find out your true name? “I have thought about it from time to time, but no, I have not,” answered Skye as she stood up to clear the table. She shrugged off the persistent question that had surfaced over the years, “I figure I have time to find it later”

Alt...A Tale of Return - Catching the Sun - Page 4 Second portion (so that the Screen Readers can follow the full story that did not fit on the first image) Quédam looked at the spheres catching the last rays of the sun, “Someone who I lost long ago. I let my responsibilities of my high-ranking position bind me. I always meant to go look for her but the time slipped by. Now, I am just an old man.” Skye met the gaze of this quiet old man noticing the heavy sadness in his eyes but also a glimmer of joy and a flash of hope. Before she asked about who his lost loved one was Quédam spoke, “The sun is setting, and I shall have to soon make my way to the Traveler’s Inn. Might I also speak with Aria?” “Aria passed beyond the Veil eight years ago,” Skye gazed down into the empty cup in her hand. “I miss her,” she whispered. “My condolences on your loss,” Quédam said. The room grew quiet for minutes as both sat in contemplation. Quédam broke the silence, “You mentioned Aria gave you your name when you were lost. Did you ever find out your true name? “I have thought about it from time to time, but no, I have not,” answered Skye as she stood up to clear the table. She shrugged off the persistent question that had surfaced over the years, “I figure I have time to find it later”

A Tale of Return - Catching the Sun - Page 4 the third portion of the full page so that screen readers can follow along. “Time is a terrible trickster,” Quédam advised, “don’t let it sit too long least you find yourself old like me.” He stood and helped Skye gather up the empty plates and cups. Once cleared, he gathered his walking cane, travel cloak and bag and stepped outside the door. “The inn is just ten minutes from here. Just go down this path to the crossroads, take a right, and just past the row of four mushroom houses and Oak at the end you will see it,” said Skye ““I thank you for your kindness for rest and food,” Quédam bowed in gratitude, “I hope our paths cross again so that I might repay your kindness.” “You are very welcome,” replied Skye, “Mana blessings on your travels and may you find what you seek.” Quédam smiled and began walking. Skye noted that his steps seemed lighter. She closed the door but could not shut out the questions that now lingered long after his visit. “What was her true name? Who was she?

Alt...A Tale of Return - Catching the Sun - Page 4 the third portion of the full page so that screen readers can follow along. “Time is a terrible trickster,” Quédam advised, “don’t let it sit too long least you find yourself old like me.” He stood and helped Skye gather up the empty plates and cups. Once cleared, he gathered his walking cane, travel cloak and bag and stepped outside the door. “The inn is just ten minutes from here. Just go down this path to the crossroads, take a right, and just past the row of four mushroom houses and Oak at the end you will see it,” said Skye ““I thank you for your kindness for rest and food,” Quédam bowed in gratitude, “I hope our paths cross again so that I might repay your kindness.” “You are very welcome,” replied Skye, “Mana blessings on your travels and may you find what you seek.” Quédam smiled and began walking. Skye noted that his steps seemed lighter. She closed the door but could not shut out the questions that now lingered long after his visit. “What was her true name? Who was she?

    [?]Philosophics » 🌐
    @microglyphics@mastodon.social

    I'm wrapping up a monograph on plural social ontologies and the effects this brings to moral psychology. I share some early ideas on my blog. It ties together several of my earlier ideas.
    philosophics.blog/2026/01/12/o

      [?]Philosophics » 🌐
      @microglyphics@mastodon.social

      I share the opening of Chapter 1 and a video summary of A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis – plus a TOC. Check it out.
      👉 philosophics.blog/2026/01/11/l

        [?]Philosophics » 🌐
        @microglyphics@mastodon.social

        A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis, part 2.
        📖 youtu.be/AOMiCsa4vxg
        I discuss my latest book.

          [?]Philosophics » 🌐
          @microglyphics@mastodon.social

          I've been rejected again. Should I get a PhD?

          philosophics.blog/2026/01/09/r

          People tend to look at peer-reviewed journals as a sign of credibility. I've not written about the nonsense of peer review, but these are unadulterated gatekeeping mechanisms antithetical to knowledge dissemination.

            [?]Longreads » 🌐
            @longreads@mastodon.world

            In this week's Top 5:

            —January begins (The Atlantic)
            —Finding beauty (The Believer)
            —Powerful blues (Oxford American)
            —Toxic water (Orion)
            —Begonia baton (The Observer)

            longreads.com/2026/01/09/the-t

              [?]Steam Powered Frisbee 🥏 » 🌐
              @SPF@hear-me.social

              Dennis Lehane, whose best known books like Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River are set in , expertly described local tone and humor:

              "I was in Miami for graduate school, and I remember worrying that I was losing the Boston voice. Right? So I went back home and I ran into a guy and I said, 'How you doing?' He’d been kind of a brawler.

              "And he said, 'Uh, I’m good. You know, I got stabbed a couple months ago,' and I was like, 'What happened?' He tells me the story. He says, 'I was in Faneuil Hall and, and I got into beef with this guy. And anyway, he stabbed me.' And he said, 'I dunno what you’ve heard, but it really takes the fight out of a guy.'

              "And I thought that’s it. That’s the voice. That right there, it’s, 'I don’t know what you’ve heard.' Like you may have heard that, you know, getting stabbed is kind of like a hot stone massage, you know? And then the incredible understatement — not 'I was praying for my God,' not 'it hurt so much.' No. 'It kind of takes the fight out of a guy.'

              "That’s the Boston I know."

                [?]Longreads » 🌐
                @longreads@mastodon.world

                "So there I was, moving from apathy to disbelief, holding the same plant my great-grandfather Sigmund had nurtured nearly 100 years ago." —Emma Freud for The Observer

                observer.co.uk/news/first-pers

                  [?]Mark A. Rayner » 🌐
                  @markarayner@mas.to

                  Sometimes being an author gets weird. Like, I just received a rejection from an agent -- whom I queried almost three years ago -- on the same day when I got my contract for the book from my publisher.

                    [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                    @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                    A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis. 📖 a.co/d/3FhE49S
                    Almost 10 years in the works, I explain why more time and detail cannot improve some forms of communication due to diminishing marginal returns to effort. This book covers English, but I've already extended the hypothesis to French (elsewhere), and I am working on other ontological barriers.

                      [?]Longreads » 🌐
                      @longreads@mastodon.world

                      "That people can manipulate chatbots to get more information—regardless of how dangerous that information may be—is a hallmark of recent tragedies tied to AI chatbots." —Lester Black, Stephen Council for SFGATE

                      sfgate.com/tech/article/calif-

                        [?]Longreads » 🌐
                        @longreads@mastodon.world

                        This story is the first in the Atavist's new Revived series, which aims to breathe life into old stories: magazine.atavist.com/introduci

                          [?]Longreads » 🌐
                          @longreads@mastodon.world

                          "The truth is that Barr is neither a sage nor a hermit. He doesn’t pretend to know what a lifetime in the woods has taught him." Robert Sanchez for 5280

                          5280.com/winter-finally-comes-

                            [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                            @mathling@mastodon.social

                            Chapter 30 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                            Belle Epoch: Nanites

                            In which Tass is experimented on, supposedly for his own good



                              [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                              @mathling@mastodon.social

                              Chapters 28 and 29 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                              The destruction of Tas'Noor: in which Tas'Noor is attacked
                              No,Captain: In which Lila calls Toussaint on the carpet



                                [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                I was chatting with ChatGPT and suggested that the Bible read like Ayn Rand. The response:

                                philosophics.blog/?utm_source=

                                That’s unkind to Ayn Rand. At least she knew she was writing fan fiction for her own temperament. If it’s literature, it’s literature in the same way a minutes-of-meeting document is prose.

                                Angels

                                Alt...Angels

                                  [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                                  @mathling@mastodon.social

                                  Chapter 27 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                                  Dinner and a show: In which Renny is amazed by Lila's cooking, appalled by what happens next, and in which Toussaint makes a dark suggesting



                                    [?]Longreads » 🌐
                                    @longreads@mastodon.world

                                    "Walking barefoot as a monk was a constant reminder of how we humans are always connected to the earth, bound by gravity, ever aware of the heft we carry—some of us more than others."

                                    Ira Sukrungruang for The Sun: thesunmagazine.org/articles/60

                                      [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                                      @mathling@mastodon.social

                                      Chapter 26 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                                      Belle Epoch: Dinner -- in which Tass learns that his father intends to experiment



                                        [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                        @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                        50 Years of Language Insufficiency

                                        👉 philosophics.blog/2025/12/20/a

                                        I share thoughts on the genesis of A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis, 50 (or more) years in the making. (Webcams take great selfies – subject notwithstanding. 🧐😉)

                                        Author Bry Willis reading A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis.

                                        Alt...Author Bry Willis reading A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis.

                                          Michelle boosted

                                          [?]𝒜𝓁𝒾⋆ ♡⃛ [she / her] » 🌐
                                          @alipunk@thecanadian.social

                                          @swampgas organized some talented fedizens here to create a zine SWAMPGAS. The first issue is out now please check it out! It's got metal, fantasy, art, photography, poetry, stories, music reviews and previews. I'm really proud to be part of it.

                                          DL Free at itch: quietmeow.itch.io/swampgas-1-z

                                          Story with photos by @swampgas
                                          Poetry by @Aphelion
                                          Prose by @ira
                                          Reviews and previews by @jake4480 and @HailsandAles
                                          Logo and back cover by @alipunk

                                            [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                            @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                            I evaluate as a house of cards through the lens of a language insufficiency hypothesis
                                            philosophics.blog/2025/12/20/j

                                            MTG Agency card

                                            Alt...MTG Agency card

                                            MTG Justice card

                                            Alt...MTG Justice card

                                              Michelle boosted

                                              [?]Jake in the desert » 🌐
                                              @jake4480@c.im

                                              We did a zine! @swampgas had this awesome idea and pulled a bunch of us together. We present to you Swampgas #1 for winter 2025 - just in time for the solstice. It's got metal, fantasy, art, photography, poetry, stories, plus music reviews and previews.

                                              Free at itch: quietmeow.itch.io/swampgas-1-z

                                              Or Proton drive: drive.proton.me/urls/4HBQ8JXN5

                                              Or archive.org:
                                              archive.org/details/swampgas-1

                                              *Story with photos by @swampgas

                                              *Poetry by @Aphelion

                                              *Prose by @ira

                                              *Reviews and previews by @jake4480 and @HailsandAles

                                              *Logo and back cover by @alipunk

                                              Swampgas zine cover - logo and dark graphic

                                              Alt...Swampgas zine cover - logo and dark graphic

                                              Swampgas zine interior - sea and credits

                                              Alt...Swampgas zine interior - sea and credits

                                                screwlisp boosted

                                                [?]Kent Pitman » 🌐
                                                @kentpitman@climatejustice.social

                                                Hey, it's that time of year for my seasonal poem A Christmas Peril. When I originally wrote this, in 2008, it seemed to many people that it expressed a distant possibility, but was a cute fairy tale.

                                                Even then, also in 2008, I had done some back of the envelope calculations that suggested to me the possibility that human civilization could be wiped out, perhaps even humanity could go extinct, as early as 2035. But I didn't expect any one would believe it.

                                                Now, less than twenty years later, I feel almost embarrassed circulating it because I hope most people can easily see how it pales against the stark and aggressive reality that the Climate Crisis is.

                                                As for 2035? Well, I hope we have at least that long, but I'm a little worried we don't. Acceleration is a weird thing. Civilization may seem solid, but there are things that could happen (crop failures are the one I'm looking to) that could cause everything to unravel really quickly.

                                                Maybe I should be updating my poem. But, for now, this is what I have to offer. Please read it if you haven't, and share it with family and friends as part of your holiday season. Mastodon boosts count as part of that, if you're of a mind to. :)

                                                Happy holidays, everyone. The Climate Crisis isn't a very happy thought, but it underscores the importance of savoring civilization, stability, family, and friends while you can. I'd like to be wrong. But I wouldn't bet money on it.

                                                nhplace.com/kent/Writing/A-Chr

                                                The poem is available in three languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese) with several audio tracks.

                                                  [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                                  @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                                  A proof for A Language Insufficiency Hypothesis has arrived for my review.
                                                  📕 philosophics.blog/2025/12/18/p

                                                  Author and Language Philosopher Bry Willis and a proof for A Language Insufficiency Hypoetheis

                                                  Alt...Author and Language Philosopher Bry Willis and a proof for A Language Insufficiency Hypoetheis

                                                    [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                                    @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                                    Do you ever need a break?
                                                    philosophics.blog/2025/12/17/i

                                                    man sleeping on park bench

                                                    Alt...man sleeping on park bench

                                                      [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                                                      @mathling@mastodon.social

                                                      Chapter 25 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                                                      Red Specter: In which Renny is dismayed to discover that he has gathered something of a cult following back on Tas'Noor

                                                      Now available as audiobook on Apple books, soon on Overdrive



                                                        Kaye Menner Photography boosted

                                                        [?]Sharon Cummings Art (Back Up) » 🌐
                                                        @SharonCummingsArt@mastodon.social

                                                        Happiness Becomes You. Art painted by me. Poetry written by me too.

                                                        ART
                                                        fineartamerica.com/featured/ha

                                                        A poem about happiness on a colorful abstract in a home decor setting by artist Sharon Cummings.

                                                        Alt...A poem about happiness on a colorful abstract in a home decor setting by artist Sharon Cummings.

                                                          [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                                          @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                                          Many disagreements don’t persist because people are irrational or uninformed. They persist because the parties involved are not standing on the same conceptual ground.

                                                          New essay on ontological incommensurability, moral disagreement, and why convergence is sometimes the wrong expectation.

                                                          Disagreement Without Referees
                                                          🔗 philosophics.blog/2025/12/16/e


                                                          Football player holding a red card

                                                          Alt...Football player holding a red card

                                                            [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                                                            @mathling@mastodon.social

                                                            Chapter 24 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                                                            My finger! -- In which Renny can't quite believe that has happened to him, and then has a difficult conversation with the ship

                                                              [?]Court Cantrell won't conform » 🌐
                                                              @courtcan@mastodon.social

                                                              As a writer and an artist, I find again and again that there is a unique, incomparable joy in hearing that a piece of my art or one of my stories is still bringing light and delight into someone's life even after a significant amount of time has passed.

                                                              Thank you, @SrRochardBunson -- you just made my week!







                                                                [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                                                @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                                                Truth → Rhetoric: Why Access Determines Authority.
                                                                👉 philosophics.blog/2025/12/15/t
                                                                It's total philosophical geekery, but it poses an important question to Realists™.

                                                                𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 80 % 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮.

                                                                I'd love to get responses from people in this cohort.

                                                                AI-generated marble pillar

                                                                Alt...AI-generated marble pillar

                                                                  [?]Longreads » 🌐
                                                                  @longreads@mastodon.world

                                                                  "I’ve wondered what might happen if I narrow my lens: apply constraints to my days, focus on the choices that actually shape my world."

                                                                  In today's Year in Reading essay, @cherilucas acknowledges her limits: longreads.com/2025/12/12/restr

                                                                    [?]Philosophics » 🌐
                                                                    @microglyphics@mastodon.social

                                                                    "I used to be a musician." A mate corrected me. "You can't un-be a musician. Don't confuse commerce with art." 🎸

                                                                    Myself I am still an author. Because I write. I don't need to make books to be an author, but I do. I don't need to publish them, but I do. In the West – at least in the United States – we have a cultural problem of conflating titles and positions for worth – for ourselves. It's untrue; it's a trap.

                                                                    Bry Willis with guitars

                                                                    Alt...Bry Willis with guitars

                                                                      [?]Longreads » 🌐
                                                                      @longreads@mastodon.world

                                                                      "Turning in isn’t turning away. It’s something more like attunement."

                                                                      Continuing our Year in Reading series, @provenself shares his favorite of 2025, including Sarah Miller on ayahuasca therapy at n+1, Chris Colin on total darkness at The New York Times Magazine, and more.

                                                                      longreads.com/2025/12/11/inwar

                                                                      Storytelling

                                                                        [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                                                                        @mathling@mastodon.social

                                                                        Chapters 23 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                                                                        Running for the gate: In which Lila has to blast her way free



                                                                          [?]Longreads » 🌐
                                                                          @longreads@mastodon.world

                                                                          We're sharing our favorite of 2025 over the next two weeks.

                                                                          Bookmark our Best of 2025 page to catch up on the latest year-end essays and lists of notable editors' picks:

                                                                          longreads.com/best-of-2025/?ut

                                                                            [?]Mary Holstege » 🌐
                                                                            @mathling@mastodon.social

                                                                            Chapters 21 and 22 of Atraxian Blue (books2read.com/u/b6ElAx) is up at mathling.com/books/index.html

                                                                            Belle Epoch: Another funeral: in which there is another funeral
                                                                            Back in medbay: in which Renny is dismayed to learn what has happened to hit

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