A movie poster for Palestine 36, depicting a Palestinian freedom fighter tying up a white scarf around his head and gazing with sharp eyes. He is surrounded by both British and Arab soldiers clashing. There are two British flags hanging on the upper left. The movie poster depicts the names of the director (Annemarie Jacir) and actors (Karim Daoud Danaya, Hiam Abbas, Robert Aramayo, Billie Howle, Dhaffer L'Abidine, Yasmine Al Massri, Liam Cunningham, Jeremy Irons).

I love how Annemarie Jacir brought the character-driven, grounded sensibility in her previous works to "Palestine 36" and the way she inserted the (colorized) archival footage of Palestinians from the 1930s, making them as alive and present in our eyes as the actors in the foreground. #Filmsky

A cover for The Made-up State: Technology, Trans Femininity, and Citizenship in Indonesia, by Benjamin Hegarty. The cover is in turquoise with several identical pictures of an Indonesian trans woman in red kebaya and batik skirt, posing with her hands clasped in front of her torso.

A historical and ethnographic research on trans feminine population in the 20th-century Indonesia (mostly between the 1950s and 1980s), including how they navigated the postcolonial atmosphere and the new country's efforts to evaluate its citizenship while challenging gender binary. #Booksky

The digital version of this book is made available for free (legally). You can easily look up multiple sources. I downloaded both the PDF and epub version from OAPEN Library.

A cover for The Made-up State: Technology, Trans Femininity, and Citizenship in Indonesia, by Benjamin Hegarty. The cover is in turquoise with several identical pictures of an Indonesian trans woman in red kebaya and batik skirt, posing with her hands clasped in front of her torso.

A historical and ethnographic research on trans feminine population in the 20th-century Indonesia (mostly between the 1950s and 1980s), including how they navigated the postcolonial atmosphere and the new country's efforts to evaluate its citizenship while challenging gender binary. #Booksky

A movie poster for Palestine 36, depicting a Palestinian freedom fighter tying up a white scarf around his head and gazing with sharp eyes. He is surrounded by both British and Arab soldiers clashing. There are two British flags hanging on the upper left. The movie poster depicts the names of the director (Annemarie Jacir) and actors (Karim Daoud Danaya, Hiam Abbas, Robert Aramayo, Billie Howle, Dhaffer L'Abidine, Yasmine Al Massri, Liam Cunningham, Jeremy Irons).

I love how Annemarie Jacir brought the character-driven, grounded sensibility in her previous works to "Palestine 36" and the way she inserted the (colorized) archival footage of Palestinians from the 1930s, making them as alive and present in our eyes as the actors in the foreground. #Filmsky

The fat cat on the mat may seem to dream of nice mice that suffice for him, or cream; but he free, maybe, walks in thought unbowed, proud, where loud roared and fought his kin, lean and slim, or deep in den in the East feasted on beasts and tender men. The giant lion with iron claw in paw, and huge ruthless tooth in gory jaw; the pard, dark-starred, fleet upon feet, that oft soft from aloft leaps on his meat where woods loom in gloom-- far now they be, fierce and free, and tamed is he; but fat cat on the mat kept as a pet, he does not forget. Cat, by J.R.R. Tolkien from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962)

"Cat" is a poem J.R.R. Tolkien first wrote in 1956 for his granddaughter. However, in his Legendarium, the poem was written by Samwise Gamgee, demonstrating Hobbits' love toward comic bestiary lore: a cat that imagined itself as a ferocious beast in its dream. 1/2

#WyrdWednesday #BookologyThursday

The game of telephone part is def right 😆 From what I've read, the way people drew pards in these manuscripts were based on complicated, even contradictory, depictions. Sometimes leopard-like, lion-like, even fantastical or demonic. I honestly think it was a confusion about how big cats are related.

Oh, it's different! In The Prancing Pony, Frodo sings "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" (I think in the book it was just described as a "ridiculous song invented by Bilbo Baggins" instead of the title).

An illustration of a beast called pard from Aberdeen Bestiary manuscript, depicting a four-legged, cat-like beast with brown coat and small white spots on its body like stars. It has a tail with bushy end like a lion's.

Tolkien mentioned an animal called "pard" in the poem. Medieval bestiary manuscripts described pard as a giant, swift, spotted feline, which killed its prey with a single leap. In Tolkien's world, pards lived in wooded lands of the East, perhaps beyond Rhûn. 2/2

🎨: Aberdeen Bestiary, Folio 8

The fat cat on the mat may seem to dream of nice mice that suffice for him, or cream; but he free, maybe, walks in thought unbowed, proud, where loud roared and fought his kin, lean and slim, or deep in den in the East feasted on beasts and tender men. The giant lion with iron claw in paw, and huge ruthless tooth in gory jaw; the pard, dark-starred, fleet upon feet, that oft soft from aloft leaps on his meat where woods loom in gloom-- far now they be, fierce and free, and tamed is he; but fat cat on the mat kept as a pet, he does not forget. Cat, by J.R.R. Tolkien from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962)

"Cat" is a poem J.R.R. Tolkien first wrote in 1956 for his granddaughter. However, in his Legendarium, the poem was written by Samwise Gamgee, demonstrating Hobbits' love toward comic bestiary lore: a cat that imagined itself as a ferocious beast in its dream. 1/2

#WyrdWednesday #BookologyThursday

A clip of Tolkien's letter titled Beautiful place because trees are loved, cut from the yellowed page of The Daily Telegraph from 4 July 1972, and fastened to the background with adhesive tapes. It is owned and copyrighted by The Telegraph. The letter said: Sir, with reference to your leader on 29 June, I feel that it is unfair to use my name as an adjective qualifying gloom especially in a context dealing with trees. In all my works I take the part of trees against all their enemies. Lothlorien is beautiful because there the trees were loved; elsewhere forests are represented as awakening to conscious of themselves. The Old Forest was hostile to two-legged creatures because of the memory of many injuries. Fangorn Forest was old and beautiful, but at the time of the story tense with hostility because it was threatened by machine-loving enemy. Mirkwood had fallen under the domination of a power that hated all living things, but it was restored to beauty and became Greenwood the Great before the end of the story.

"Beautiful Place because Trees are Loved" is the title of Tolkien's letter to The Daily Telegraph (4 July 1972)

A response to an article that used the phrase "Tolkien gloom" for trees, he insisted that he's always on the side of trees against their enemies. 1/4

#TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday

Finally, in the usual Tolkien style, he ended his letter in a sentence that evoked a striking imagery: "The savage sound of the electric saw is never silent wherever trees are found growing." 4/4

A painting that depicts rows of trees with golden and green foliage, with the title The Forest of Lothlorien in Spring. It is the work of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tolkien described how he used the motives of the forests in his works. Lothlórien was beautiful because the trees were loved. The Old Forest was hostile to two-legged creatures because of the memory of many injuries. Fangorn Forest was old and beautiful, but threatened by a machine-loving enemy. 3/4

Tolkien protested a previous article about the Forestry Commission, which used this sentence: "Sheepwalks where you could once ramble for miles are transformed into a kind of Tolkien gloom, where no bird sings..." He rejected the "gloom" adjective for a forest as if it were an evil place. 2/4

A clip of Tolkien's letter titled Beautiful place because trees are loved, cut from the yellowed page of The Daily Telegraph from 4 July 1972, and fastened to the background with adhesive tapes. It is owned and copyrighted by The Telegraph. The letter said: Sir, with reference to your leader on 29 June, I feel that it is unfair to use my name as an adjective qualifying gloom especially in a context dealing with trees. In all my works I take the part of trees against all their enemies. Lothlorien is beautiful because there the trees were loved; elsewhere forests are represented as awakening to conscious of themselves. The Old Forest was hostile to two-legged creatures because of the memory of many injuries. Fangorn Forest was old and beautiful, but at the time of the story tense with hostility because it was threatened by machine-loving enemy. Mirkwood had fallen under the domination of a power that hated all living things, but it was restored to beauty and became Greenwood the Great before the end of the story.

"Beautiful Place because Trees are Loved" is the title of Tolkien's letter to The Daily Telegraph (4 July 1972)

A response to an article that used the phrase "Tolkien gloom" for trees, he insisted that he's always on the side of trees against their enemies. 1/4

#TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday

A photo of a book titled Fire in Every Direction: a Memoir by Tareq Baconi. The book cover is yellow and depicts a colorful painting of a man sitting on a sofa with his hand on his head. The wall behind him is covered by floral wallpaper. His body looks like it is covered by splatters of colorful paint.

A great memoir by queer Palestinian scholar and activist Tareq Baconi. The tale of his queer awakening, alternating with his family history that started in their displacement in 1948 Nakba, became a foundation for his political awakening in Palestinian cause. "The personal is political." #Booksky

A photo of a novel titled Riambel by Priya Hein. It has a yellow cover with a colorful painting of tropical plants.

Priya Hein's novel examines Mauritius' colonial past and impact through the eyes of a 15-year-old Creole girl whose mother worked as a servant at a luxurious beach house. I love the cover art by Mila Gupta, beautiful and alluding to "things that no tourist postcards would share." #Booksky

Isa: kepada nasrani sejati Itu Tubuh mengucur darah mengucur darah rubuh patah mendampar tanya: aku salah? kulihat Tubuh mengucur darah aku berkaca dalam darah terbayang terang di mata masa bertukar rupa ini segara mengatup luka aku bersuka Itu Tubuh mengucur darah mengucur darah 12 November 1943

Isa (to the true Christians) The Body bleeding bleeding fallen broken i asked myself: what have i done? i saw the Body wounded i reflected in the blood light pierced the gaze of time transformed in the blink of an eye the wounds healed i rejoiced The Body bleeding bleeding Translation: Putri Prihatini

A photo of a poetry book by Chairil Anwar, titled Aku Ini Binatang Jalang. The cover art is white with the illustration of the poet, smoking, with a piercing gaze.

Isa (1943) is an Easter poem by Indonesian poet Chairil Anwar. For context: he wrote this when Indonesian language was still at its infancy. While many poets of his generation struggled with using the new language, Anwar found ingenious way to play with rhymes, style, and vocabulary.

#WyrdWednesday

The poem was taken from the 2024 edition of Chairil Anwar's poem compilation: Aku Ini Binatang Jalang (I Am But A Wild Beast). Published by Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Isa: kepada nasrani sejati Itu Tubuh mengucur darah mengucur darah rubuh patah mendampar tanya: aku salah? kulihat Tubuh mengucur darah aku berkaca dalam darah terbayang terang di mata masa bertukar rupa ini segara mengatup luka aku bersuka Itu Tubuh mengucur darah mengucur darah 12 November 1943

Isa (to the true Christians) The Body bleeding bleeding fallen broken i asked myself: what have i done? i saw the Body wounded i reflected in the blood light pierced the gaze of time transformed in the blink of an eye the wounds healed i rejoiced The Body bleeding bleeding Translation: Putri Prihatini

A photo of a poetry book by Chairil Anwar, titled Aku Ini Binatang Jalang. The cover art is white with the illustration of the poet, smoking, with a piercing gaze.

Isa (1943) is an Easter poem by Indonesian poet Chairil Anwar. For context: he wrote this when Indonesian language was still at its infancy. While many poets of his generation struggled with using the new language, Anwar found ingenious way to play with rhymes, style, and vocabulary.

#WyrdWednesday

📷: Sari Widiati for NOW! Jakarta, Fathul Sholeh for ANTARA

A photo of two Betawi warriors, one in blue suit and pants, one in red suit and pants. They engage in a silat battle with one grabbing the arm of the other in a lock as spectators in festive outfits watch.

A photo of two Betawi warriors, one in white and one in red, engage in a silat battle where one pulls the arm of the other and slams him with his arm. Spectators watch while wearing festive clothing and holding offerings on plates.

Palang Pintu ("barrier door") is a wedding tradition of Betawi people in Jakarta. When the groom entourage approach the bride's home, they will be stopped and challenged with a silat fight and the battle of pantun (traditional rhymed verses) to prove the groom's bravery and wisdom.

#WyrdWednesday

A photo of a book titled Fire in Every Direction: a Memoir by Tareq Baconi. The book cover is yellow and depicts a colorful painting of a man sitting on a sofa with his hand on his head. The wall behind him is covered by floral wallpaper. His body looks like it is covered by splatters of colorful paint.

A great memoir by queer Palestinian scholar and activist Tareq Baconi. The tale of his queer awakening, alternating with his family history that started in their displacement in 1948 Nakba, became a foundation for his political awakening in Palestinian cause. "The personal is political." #Booksky

Thank you for being here and showing how sincere love in friendship really looks like, and for your willingness to trust me ❤️❤️

A digital Arabic calligraphy that depicts the name Anthony J. Kirk in the shape of a flower, with the colors of trans flag (baby blue, pink, white).

Belated #TDoV post. I commissioned a friend, an Indonesian trans man and artist, to make a calligraphy for my best friend @tjqchristian.bsky.social. I chose flower shape since this is how I see him: small yet beautiful flowers that persist against the storm or grow through the cracks of concrete ❤️🏳️‍⚧️

Photo taken by Rogelio Bernal Andreo in October 2010 of the Orion constellation showing the surrounding nebulas of the Orion Molecular Cloud complex. Also captured is the red supergiant Betelgeuse (top left) and the famous belt of Orion composed of the OB stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. To the bottom right can be found the star Rigel. The red crescent shape is Barnard's Loop.

In Batak culture of North Sumatra, Hala Na Godang (Orion constellation) is a dragon so big, its head touches the sky and its tail the earth, and the Orion Belt is its three eggs. The tale of Hala Na Godang depicts a shepherd who destroyed the eggs, invoking the dragon's wrath. 1/2

#WyrdWednesday

They are very talented!

📷: Rogelio Bernal Andreo (Orion), NASA Goddard Space Flight Flight Center (the new moon).

A simulated image of the traditionally defined new Moon: the earliest visible waxing crescent (lower right), which signals the start of a new month in many lunar and lunisolar calendars.

The shepherd asked for help from the Moon to escape the wrath of Hala Na Godang. The Moon offered to be swallowed by Hala Na Godang at certain periods to appease the dragon. Hala Na Godang accepted, and the dragon swallowing the Moon became known as the new moon phase. 2/2

Photo taken by Rogelio Bernal Andreo in October 2010 of the Orion constellation showing the surrounding nebulas of the Orion Molecular Cloud complex. Also captured is the red supergiant Betelgeuse (top left) and the famous belt of Orion composed of the OB stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. To the bottom right can be found the star Rigel. The red crescent shape is Barnard's Loop.

In Batak culture of North Sumatra, Hala Na Godang (Orion constellation) is a dragon so big, its head touches the sky and its tail the earth, and the Orion Belt is its three eggs. The tale of Hala Na Godang depicts a shepherd who destroyed the eggs, invoking the dragon's wrath. 1/2

#WyrdWednesday