"All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need ... fantasies to make life bearable." REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE. "Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little-" YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES. "So we can believe the big ones?" YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING. "They're not the same at all!" YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET-Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME ... SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED. "Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—" MY POINT EXACTLY.

History has no arc. It is only by our own hands that justice will come into the universe. It is our duty to do so — to be, ourselves, the point at which the falling angels meets the rising ape.

Praying for relief from suffering for all living beings.

Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

They will always try and fail to handle us.

So healing to be around people who talk story & treat strangers like ohana. Most of the world has forgotten this and it makes life worth living.

I feel like my profession is officially a joke now.

Grid of images by different artists of Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas's two poodles, both named Basket

After the enthusiastic response to my posts yesterday on Gertrude Stein's poodles (collectively) named Basket, I did some digging & realized we could curate an entire show around art devoted to these beloved companion animals. So, without further ado, a proposal for BASKET: THE EXHIBITION (thread)

Funny bc when you do a fed sector EEO case the agency’s witnesses invariably say they didn’t know the complainant was in a protected class.

I just wanna bang on my drum all day. My drum:

Ocean waves, papaya, and flowers. These are my bedrock principles.

So this is Basket.

I used to love plane rides for writing and reading. So far I dove into the Best American Short Stories of 2024.

My life so far has focused on fighting for justice with some success. I have decided that the remainder of my time on earth will focus on bringing joy to myself and others.