"The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future." Oscar Wilde, "A Woman of No Importance" #oscarwilde #literature #saints #sinners #morality #quotes

"Whose will be the broken heart, when dawn comes by?" From the Viking Portable Library, "Dorothy Parker," Viking Press, New York, 1945. #dorothyparker #womenwriters #poems #poetry #vintagebooks #vikingportablelibrary

Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs du Mal" (Flowers of Evil), published by Librairie Grund, Paris 1961. Model: Femme June #baudelaire #poetry #poetrybooks #beautifulbooks #vintagebooks #womenandbooks #flowersofevil #femmejune

"Delta of Venus" by Anais Nin. Tess Press, circa 2006. Design by Filip Zawodnik. #anaisnin #erotica #deltaofvenus #beautifulbooks #design #bookdesign #filipzawodnik #tesspress

this is like the thesis statement of our times

Once again.

Dedication from "Pandora's Jar," by Natalie Haynes (@nataliehaynes.bsky.social). Harper Perennial (@harperperennial.bsky.social), 2020. #pandora #pandorasjar #nataliehaynes #mythology #myths #pandorasbox #dangerouswomen #books #bookdedications #harperperennial #harpercollins

The way people tell me “you’re much too political” bitch, do you think I WANT TO BE? I want to be sitting on a fucking beach and drinking cocktails without a care in the world but you fuckers keep voting in FASCISTS!

The world is full of willful ignorance and unheeded warnings. #war #trump #ignorance #history

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" #oscarwilde #literature #books #bannedbooks #censorship #morality

The Reader, Union Station. Model: 8N8 Monochrome Monday #monochromemonday #monochrome #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #photography #womenandbooks #womenreading #chicagophotographer #chicagomodel

Woman, behind Women. Model: Femme June Book: "Women," by Annie Leibovitz and Susan Sontag. Random House, 1999 #women #womenandbooks #photography #photographybooks #annieleibovitz #susansontag #beauty #beautifulwomen #femmejune

If you are not watching "How to Get to Heaven from Belfast," you are missing out. Absolutely brilliant. #howtogettoheavenfrombelfast #television #tv #lisamcgee

Imperfect Reflections. Model: @cassandra-fowler.bsky.social #photography #monochrome #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #availablelight #reflections #mirrors #beauty #originalphotography #chicagophotographer #chicagomodel #cassandrafowler #cassandra

"She wishes to preserve her dignity, put up a bold front. But that's not so easy, with her chest ripped open like this and her heart exposed for all to surely see; her heart, which is on fire and dripping blood." Margaret Atwood, "The Robber Bride" #margaretatwood #literature #dignity #courage

Lit from Within. Models: @cassandra-fowler.bsky.social and Anon #blackandwhite #monochrome #photography #beauty #cassandrafowler #chicagophotographer #chicagomodel

Something I never realized: The word museum is derived from a Greek word (mouseion) meaning "seat of the muses." As @annshen.bsky.social notes in "Legendary Ladies," "Modern museums originated as shrines to the Muses." For more: www.britannica.com/topic/museum... #muses #museums #etymology

"When you think about it, mythology is, at the root—with all due respect to that which is sacred and religious—stories that we have told ourselves about our own origins... It unveils our truest desires..." From "Legendary Ladies" by Ann Shen (2018) @annshen.bsky.social; @chroniclebooks.bsky.social

I Give You This Magic. Model: @cassandra-fowler.bsky.social Book: "Beauty" by Sarah Pinborough (@sarahpinborough.bsky.social) #womenandbooks #originalphotography #magic #beauty #sarahpinborough #cassandrafowler

DLO To every MAGA rudesby: I offer my condolences regarding the stillbirth of your imagination. For instance: Might we at least be... honest enough... to move The Constitution to the Dead Letter Office.

Happy Valentine's Day! Using those little pre-made heart emojis is like buying a fake rose from the Kwik-E-Mart. Let's do this old school: <3 #Valentine #ValentinesDay #Hearts #Love #BeExcellentToEachOther

Old books, morning light. #books #vintagebooks #oldbooks #antiquarianbooks #prettybooks #lovebooks #originalphotography

In the linked article Sam Altman is quoted as saying he wants to "treat adult users like adults." Bullshit. He wants to treat them like cattle.

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 🧪👩🏻‍🔬🔬👷🏻‍♀️🧮 Today, we celebrate the important contributions of those who identify as women to the STEM disciplines. #WomenInSTEM #ResearchScientist #EnvironmentalResearch #Academia

"He is happy whom the Muses love. For though a man has sorrow and grief in his soul, yet when the servant of the Muses sings, at once he forgets his dark thoughts and remembers not his troubles. Such is the holy gift of the Muses to men." Hesiod, quoted in "Mythology," by Edith Hamilton #mythology

Words, Torn and Tattered. #books #oldbooks #vintagebooks #bookbinding #antiques #booksky #originalphotography #chicagophotographer

Emerging. Model: Monea #photography #blackandwhite #monochrome #originalphotography #chicagophotographer #melanin #monea

"The unveiling of women is a delicate matter. It will not happen overnight. We are all afraid of what we shall find." Anaïs Nin, "Under a Glass Bell" #anaisnin #women #sensuality #privacy #secrets

Arched. Model: Van Helsing. #monochrome #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #monochrome #tattoos #tattooedwomen #hiddenwomen #chicagophotographer #chicagomodel #vanhelsing #arched

Beautiful work by @cassandra-fowler.bsky.social and @nightengalephoto.bsky.social

It's Groundhog Day. Again. #GroundhogDay #Punxsatawney #PunxsatawneyPhil #Aziraphale #Bookstores www.aziraphale.com/post/8074198...

I love this take on Arachne

In Color, Her Smile. Model: Sol Never forget that the world has kind people and an abundance of beauty. #kindness #alwaysbekind #lovely #happy #beauty #portraits #chicagophotographer #sol

There is a strange phenomenon, which I am sure there must be German compund word for, or perhaps a slightly mystical sounding Japanese phrase, where despite cataloging loads of books every day, a few just come to rest on my desk and never quite get dealt with. Currently:

This copy of Stephen Crane's "War is Kind," with illustrations by Will Bradley, was once property of @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social. The tiny holes punched through a random page are almost imperceptible until the page is lifted. #books #artnouveau #stephencrane #willbradley #losangelespubliclibrary

From "War is Kind" by Stephen Crane, published in 1899 by Frederick A. Stokes Company. A hauntingly prophetic poem that belongs on a plaque beneath the White House portrait of Donald Trump. #poetry #poems #verse #stephencrane #donaldtrump #trump #thewhitehouse

An 1899 edition of "War is Kind" by Stephen Crane, with illustrations by Will Bradley. Published by Frederick A. Stokes Company. #poetry #poetrybooks #stephencrane #willbradley #vintagebooks #antiquarianbooks #artnouveau #prettythings

Really powerful, hopeful paragraph from the latest article in the Atlantic by @adamserwer.bsky.social

Old books on a January morning. Timeline cleanse for Monochrome Monday. #monochrome #monochromemonday #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #photography #chicagophotographer #books #vintagebooks #booksky

😔 I'm shocked and enraged by what's happening in the US, but all around the world to be fair it's a s***tshow!

#StreetArt #ICE

To each and every United States Senator who has voted to enable Trump's repeated abuses: Grow a spine. Stop funding this murderous, corrupt, hypocritical, incompetent administration. #trump #republicans #dhs #enablers

"Asphodel taught me that the Gods might be eternal but mortals have the very best stories." - Nikita Gill, from "Hekate" And those who struggle against the whims of fate have better stories than those who've been favored by gods and kings. #nikitagill #quotes #hekate #poetry #fate #gods #kings

Things Symbolic of Who I Thought I Was January, 2026 #monochrome #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #photography #writing #writers #chicagophotographer

Self-Framed. Model: Sunshine #beauty #beautifulwomen #womenandbooks #melanin #library #chicagopubliclibrary #haroldwashingtonlibrary #sunshine #originalphotography #chicagomodel #chicagophotographer

you broke the ocean in half to be here. only to meet nothing that wants you. "immigrant," by Nayyirah Waheed, from her book "Salt." (2013) #poetry #poetrybooks #salt #nayyirahwaheed #immigrants #immigration #hmong #chonglyscottthao #fuckice #gestapo

Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.

Quiet Moment. Model: Onna #monochrome #blackandwhite #portraits #melanin #onna #chicagomodel #chicagophotographer