Introduction to The Iliad, Emily Wilson

reimagining shame, on writing and being seen

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Kitten Sleeping in the Arms of Madame Ingres

Mahmoud Darwish (trans. Mohammad Shaheen), Like a Hand Tattoo in an Ode by an Ancient Arab Poet

currently reading + bedside table books :o)

Achilles sacrificing to Zeus for Patroclus’ safe return, from the Ambrosian Iliad, a 5th-century illuminated manuscript

Just found out I was thirsty not by receiving a signal from my body about it but by dozing off and dreaming about cold water from different alluring angles. This is great. I think all my wants and needs should be revealed to me this way

I know you have all probably seen the esims for gaza posts circulating. Some of you have probably looked at them and thought maybe you should help out, but have weighed up the daunting process of signing up for something you're unfamiliar with vs. the gut-wrenching scale of the things people are going through on the ground right now, and you've put it off or questioned whether it will make enough of a difference vs. some other future kind of activism you could put that $6+ towards. I'm not calling you out or scolding you, it is natural to feel conflicted and ambivalent about the multiple calls for aid that you are seeing on social media.

but consider this: what would you do if you suddenly had to leave your home? how would you cope? how would you begin to plan where to go next, or figure out what to do to take care of yourself? most likely you would reach reflexively for your phone.

telecoms access is not a petty luxury in 2024. a loaded esim means the ability to call family members and find out where they are and whether they're safe, and whether they need anything you can provide for them. it means access to maps and regular updates on the situation unfolding around you. it means you can look up whether it's safe to drink rain water, or how to tie a type of knot you've never had to think about before, or how to treat an injury without medical supplies. it means the ability to tell people outside the situation what you are seeing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking. it is an absolutely crucial resource. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

many many people have observed that internet access is changing the way the world understands genocide. internet access is life or death, and it is shaping modern history in front of you. and it starts at $6 for 7 days.

please, please visit gazaesims.com and spend 5 minutes and $6 to change the way this plays out for everyone.

motaz saying in his video (x) that he can no longer share aerial footage of the destruction because Israel killed his friend who operated the drone camera—because they killed all of the journalists who had drones and stole their drones—is so utterly gut wrenching.

he's tired. he looks exhausted. but still he talks about rebuilding when the war ends, even if it will take years to recover from the devastation. what I'm trying to say is that we cannot lose hope for an end to this destruction

having short-term memory is like. this book profoundly affected me. that show bared my soul. i don’t remember a single thing about it. but it did

Its a war crime to destroy cultural heritage sites. Israel has destroyed over a hundred.

thinking about this today

Parrying Dagger Italian, ca. 1550–75

may god release us all from the curse of needing our father’s approval

a book market in genoa, italy. 07.01.23