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Kim Middleton

@kimmiddleton

Dilettante, daughter of the west, and host of the podcast This Book Made Me.

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12.01.2025
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Latest posts by Kim Middleton @kimmiddleton

+1 for the book cairn as a proper headstone.

05.03.2026 19:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

If you're going to deform the human experience you have to make a case that the increased production is of worth weighed against the values of the institutional context. In business this is a relatively easy case to make - though I think it's still shortsighted - in education it's different.

03.03.2026 16:58 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Gen Z Beowulf Beowulf, a new prose translation into Gen Z. - - -Fam. The Spear-Danes in, like, pre-Boomer days And the kings who ruled them served courage and gr...

"Beowulf drops Grendel MMA-styleβ€”and bruh, he yeets his arm right tf off. And then on God this MF goes to Grendel’s mom’s house and deadass k*lls her, too. πŸ’€πŸ’€πŸ’€No chill whatsoever."
buff.ly/uOn8T80

04.03.2026 02:20 πŸ‘ 90 πŸ” 19 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 3

I’m assuming that you meant β€œinflection” here πŸ€“, but β€œinfection” is an evocative descriptor, too, for the influence of human spaces and life-long learning.

04.03.2026 02:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate a grammar joke in this era of AI slop.

04.03.2026 02:06 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Picture of Marjane Satrapi alongside a quote from her. The quote reads:

The world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you.

And our governments are very much the same...

- Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French graphic novelist

Picture of Marjane Satrapi alongside a quote from her. The quote reads: The world is not divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don't know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly. The difference between you and your government is much bigger than the difference between you and me. And the difference between me and my government is much bigger than the difference between me and you. And our governments are very much the same... - Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French graphic novelist

Thinking about this quote from Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi again.

28.02.2026 17:18 πŸ‘ 18784 πŸ” 8025 πŸ’¬ 42 πŸ“Œ 116
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FBI raids LAUSD superintendent's home and office The cause of the investigation remains unclear. The DOJ recently petitioned to join a lawsuit alleging the district discriminates against white students.

FBI raids LAUSD superintendent’s home and office

The cause of the investigation remains unclear. The DOJ recently petitioned to join a lawsuit alleging the district discriminates against white students.

25.02.2026 21:19 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3
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The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax: Be Curious and Trust Yourself Podcast Episode Β· This Book Made Me Β· February 19 Β· 1h 26m

If you've ever thought it was too late to do something extraordinary, let this book change your mind. Many thanks to @josephscrimshaw.bsky.social and @scrimstreet.bsky.social for diving into *The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax* on This Book Made Me! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

22.02.2026 22:17 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed E.O. 9066, authorizing the forced relocation & incarceration of more than 125,000 Japanese Americans, solely because of their heritage.

19.02.2026 18:38 πŸ‘ 6262 πŸ” 2750 πŸ’¬ 412 πŸ“Œ 217
Request to Consider the Dedication of the Echo Park Branch Library | Los Angeles Public Library

Angelenos and Asian American lit fans: the @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social is considering dedicating the Echo Park Library Branch to the Filipino American writer and activist Carlos Bulosan. You can contribute at the link below to support his legacy in LA! www.lapl.org/dedication-e...

18.02.2026 18:39 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

There's a fuckton of stuff going on. Horrible stuff. But don't let it stop you from reading books. Reading is more important now than ever. Reading educates. Reading is resistance. #BookSky

13.02.2026 16:48 πŸ‘ 75 πŸ” 20 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 1
Headline in today's Guardian that reads "Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40 percent, study finds. Cognitive health in later life is 'strongly influenced' by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers."

Headline in today's Guardian that reads "Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40 percent, study finds. Cognitive health in later life is 'strongly influenced' by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers."

This is why you need to be reading books and writing your own emails, by the way. When you outsource your thinking abilities, you risk turning your brain into soup. Heavy dependence on AI has already been linked with severe cognitive decline. What you don’t use, you will lose.

11.02.2026 23:04 πŸ‘ 497 πŸ” 200 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 5
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Massie: "Here is an email that was sent by the victims' lawyers to the DOJ. It was a list of names not to release. What did the DOJ do with this email? They released it! Literally the worst thing you could do the survivors you did."

11.02.2026 17:23 πŸ‘ 10212 πŸ” 3758 πŸ’¬ 212 πŸ“Œ 177

Enjoy! And good luck with your paper!

11.02.2026 15:47 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It’s in his book Inciting Joy. I can’t remember which essay, but I think that exact phrase comes up more than once.

11.02.2026 15:44 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

dig if you will this picture

01.02.2026 23:47 πŸ‘ 1263 πŸ” 246 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 4
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Haymarket Books on the Struggle for Black Liberation Black History Month is not only a celebration of the rich history of Black life, politics, culture, and struggle. It is also a reminder to engage every day with that history as we ...

For #BlackHistoryMonth we're offering 40% OFF Haymarket Books on the Struggle for Black Liberation

01.02.2026 19:19 πŸ‘ 291 πŸ” 219 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 11
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Organizing Reading List β€” Stand With Minnesota Donation Directory

An amazing MN Librarian assembled us a reading list to add to the website so people can do more than donate, they can learn to organize in their communities.

standwithminnesota.com/read

31.01.2026 16:57 πŸ‘ 592 πŸ” 351 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 12

To honor the life of the incomparable #catherineohara, I a recipe where I could fold in the cheese.

31.01.2026 05:34 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
denshoproject on Instagram: "Today, on Fred Korematsu Day, we honor the man whose refusal to comply with the mass removal and confinement of Japanese Americans …" Today, on Fred Korematsu Day, we honor the man whose refusal to comply with the mass removal and confinement of Japanese Americans during World War II became one of the most significant challenges to government authority in U.S. history. In an era shaped by wartime fear and racism, Korematsu took a stand against state power and raised enduring questions about constitutional rights, due process, and the responsibilities of citizenship.At just 23 years old, Korematsu resisted the EO9066 exclusion orders that targeted Japanese Americans solely because of their ancestry. His arrest and subsequent Supreme Court case exposed how official narratives can be used to justify the suspension of civil liberties during moments of national crisis. Although his conviction was initially upheld, Korematsu’s persistence and the eventual overturning of his conviction decades later demonstrate that justice can be achieved through resilience and dedication to democratic principles.Korematsu continued to speak out long after his case, drawing connections between the incarceration of Japanese Americans and later civil rights violations, including the detention of Muslim Americans after 9/11. He understood that the consequences of unchecked authority are not confined to a single moment in history, and that protecting democracy requires accountability, public awareness, and an accurate historical record.Densho preserves stories like Korematsu’s so that the lessons of our past remain visible and accessible for thoughtful examination, education, and public understanding. By documenting firsthand experiences and preserving evidence of injustice, we help ensure that history cannot be erased or rewritten to obscure harm. Korematsu’s life reminds us that history is not just something to remember, it is something to learn from.

Thinking of my Japanese American elders today, their resistance, their bravery in the face of state violence.

β€œWere you afraid of being arrested?”
Fred Korematsu: β€œNo, I wasn’t because I didn’t feel that I did anything wrong. If anybody did wrong, it was the law.” www.instagram.com/reel/DUJAjhC...

30.01.2026 20:25 πŸ‘ 883 πŸ” 225 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 4

FREE πŸ“š alert: I love free things and learning so I’m super grateful for the beloveds from @versobooks.bsky.social and @haymarketbooks.org for helping us grow in understanding ICE and this moment by sharing FREE books.

Download them via this link:

lithub.com/what-to-read...

28.01.2026 21:47 πŸ‘ 37 πŸ” 24 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Free Ebooks: Abolish ICE, Abolish the Border In solidarity with all those standing up for our communities against the brutality of immigrant detention and ICE occupation, we're offering free ebooks of three crucial books about migrant justice an...

In solidarity with all those standing up for our communities against the brutality of immigrant detention and ICE occupation, we're offering free ebooks of three crucial books about migrant justice and border abolition.

We’ve also added a list of additional recommended reading:

26.01.2026 17:13 πŸ‘ 570 πŸ” 511 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 13
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ICE Out - Fundraising Nail Polish **Shipping Update** Shipping will continue once more ingredients have arrived for this polish. Orders should go out in about 2 weeks. Ice Out is a blurple based polish with a blue/aqua shift and pink ...

If you're a nail polish person, the MN-based small polish maker Atomic Polish is selling Ice Out, and 100% of the proceeds of it are going to the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund

25.01.2026 20:42 πŸ‘ 2844 πŸ” 2037 πŸ’¬ 26 πŸ“Œ 99

Ross Gay breaks down our dangerous fantasy of individualism by calling it "the dream of the unentangled life"β€”enchanting, but false and destructive.

26.01.2026 01:32 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I just checkedβ€”it turns out that Art. II, Sec. 1 of the Constitution of the United States does *not* say "The executive Power shall be vested in a bunch of sociopaths who think they can do whatever the fuck they want and make shit up as they go along."

25.01.2026 18:25 πŸ‘ 11764 πŸ” 3019 πŸ’¬ 320 πŸ“Œ 82

Defenceless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.

β€” W.H. Auden, Sept. 1, 1939

25.01.2026 03:49 πŸ‘ 2324 πŸ” 610 πŸ’¬ 33 πŸ“Œ 18
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YouGov is out with a new poll after ICE killed another person in Minnesota today. Abolishing ICE is now +5 among all adults, and **+12 among independents**

substack.com/@gelliottmor...

25.01.2026 02:10 πŸ‘ 7029 πŸ” 1838 πŸ’¬ 141 πŸ“Œ 239

It actually blows my mind that so many people around me watched the same Lord of the Rings I did and still decided to work full time for Sauron.

22.01.2026 14:08 πŸ‘ 202 πŸ” 16 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1
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Today marks three years since the tragic mass shooting at the Star Dance Studio in my hometown of Monterey Park - the deadliest mass shooting in L.A. County's history.

21.01.2026 15:55 πŸ‘ 6322 πŸ” 1560 πŸ’¬ 133 πŸ“Œ 47
This room is used for Work

Do not enter without knocking

After you knock wait for an answer

If you get no answer, go away and

Don't come back

This means everybody

This means you

This means Night and Day 

By Order of the Hellman-Military-Commission-for-Playwrights. Court Martialling will Take Place in the Barn, and your Trial Will Not be a Fair One.

This room is used for Work Do not enter without knocking After you knock wait for an answer If you get no answer, go away and Don't come back This means everybody This means you This means Night and Day By Order of the Hellman-Military-Commission-for-Playwrights. Court Martialling will Take Place in the Barn, and your Trial Will Not be a Fair One.

Speaking of taping things up, here is the text of the note which playwright Lillian Hellman kept on the door of her work room to keep guests from interrupting her writing time.

20.01.2026 13:30 πŸ‘ 595 πŸ” 107 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 3