I mean, Eschatological ideation often arises in moments of sociopolitical upheaval as a kind of hedge against uncertainty, even tho the referent text explicitly says "none shall know the day/hour" & basically tells you to live your life like god might call you to account any second but sure, fuck it

If you make solemn vows, you should attempt to keep them

This is an embarrassingly prudish thing to be hung up on on my part, but I've gotta say I am kind of shocked at the discussion about two administration officials "dating" as a description for what appears to be just totally unambiguous adultery.

It was a rollicking good time, with cheering for the Captain and Maria, booing for the Nazis, delighted cooing for Greta, and hearty hurrahs for the nuns (mostly the Reverend Mother at the beginning and the “we have sinned” conspirators at the end). Oh, and swag.

Anyway we went to the sing-along Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl last night, and this was the sight when Edelweiss was playing.

Oh My God

Every liberation is an act of resurrection.

Anyway, I shouldn't be posting. I should be WRITING MY BOOK

We are watching the right wing weaponize the mechanisms of criminalization that have long been a bipartisan project. And meanwhile, the Episcopal Church rejected a call to abolition in 2024 (toned it down and then still rejected it). We were told "this sounds like gospel but…" ⚓

Abolition it's abolition it's abolition (Prison abolition, defund the police, stop relying on criminalization, open immigration: there is a moral obligation on Christians and it runs against the popular positions of both liberals and conservatives all of whom like criminalizing others)

recommended relevant reading:

How fast did I jump on buying that monarch butterfly skirt???

Random thoughts from my theological notes, part 1: "ugh the covenant thing [interpretation of baptism] is from Zwingli, no wonder I don't like it" 😂😂😂

I appreciate the shout out. Yes, the book tries to disentangle a unity grounded in Christ, which embraces difference and even (serious) disagreement from ”crucifying unities,” which come at the expense of vulnerable communities.

I want to surface these replies here, because I think the question of “how can the church be committed to repentance and discipleship in these times without compromising its message of inclusion” is important. And the key is that we have to GET SPECIFIC and offer MULTIPLE ENTRY POINTS ⚓️

Hi #Narthex ⚓, this is a reminder for people wondering how to preach in these times that the Abolition Lectionary has a full set of liberation-oriented, political-but-nonpartisan, constructive meditations for every Sunday in the RCL: christiansforabolition.org/2025/07/25/t...

The Fox is free! Today my debut, Audition For The Fox, is officially out in the world. Magic. Fables. Time travel. And the many ways even a goofball can resist oppression & fight tyranny. Thank you to everyone who had a paw in bringing this into the world & supporting it. Forever grateful, I am 🦊💜

This is an astonishing piece of accountability and repair work. I don’t think I would be this brave.

The thing to emphasize here is that this treatment is *utterly normal.* It's part of the system of detention which has existed for decades. Folkston has been like this for many, many years,

This was at @hannahnpbowman.com’s prompting, but she figured out how to do it by herself!

WOW that Foundation finale was downright operatic (I loved it)

I find it much more difficult to get attention on these stories. I think that is in part because people are drawn to stories that are new or novel & that is far from the case with prisons. But I also think it's because people labeled criminals, are more easily dismissed by the general population

I'm working on a story right now about some troubling conditions in a state prison. I am reminded, again and again, that the conditions (rightfully!) getting lots of attention in immigration detention, have long existed in criminal facilities.

Those who build walls are their own prisoners. I'm going to go fulfil my proper function in the social organism. I'm going to go unbuild walls.

Unveiling the cover for THE DRAGON HAS SOME COMPLAINTS! Garrodigh is a curmudgeonly three-headed dragon who pretends to be tame so he can eat for free at the local dragon-riding academy. Unfortunately, the rider he's assigned to is... a lot. Coming Summer 2026 from DAW (US) and Arcadia (UK)!

L O L news.bloomberglaw.com/ip-law/anthr...

Correct correct (resurrection, also)

Ha ha ha have I spent the first hour and a half of my workday dealing with the Anthropic settlement, and is it also going to take up much of my week? Yes

I can virtually guarantee that this is the first time Dini’s surface (a.k.a. the “twisted pseudosphere”) has appeared in a New York Times #1 Best Seller. (The novel is #Katabasis by R. F. Kuang.)

Can we talk about how it’s not really great to take human rights away from mad people either, or would that be a bridge too far

"Criminalization produces disposable people." "Criminalization is a political process that serves the interests of those in power." This is, as always, an ESSENTIAL analysis to understand how criminalization and fascism are the same in kind.

I’ll take this blame for this.

Correct:

There is only one answer that’s faithful to the literal witness of the New Testament: “The kingdom of God is at hand.”

Made my first hat. (I like sweaters a lot more than hats)

I keep saying this, but... ...punishing the homeless is how big-city and blue state liberals do fascism.

Academia is a very special kind of hell, and Kuang clearly understands it. In her innovative new novel, a magical professor dies in a lab accident and two students descend into hell to find him.

Blessed feast day of the beheading of St John the Baptist (the #Church’s most metal of feasts)! Why celebrate? Because still tyrants fear of prophets. St John the Forerunner of Jesus was killed by the coward Herod for speaking truth. St John was a threat with true spiritual power. Truth wins out.

This book is soooo good

Every clergyperson should really read Cavanaugh's Torture and Eucharist, right now. ⚓ (I don't even necessarily agree with Cavanaugh's argument about excommunication as a method! But "making the church visible as a social body" is 100% essential right now)

Tell it to the church! ⚓️

I am once again sublimating my stress by reading Mirror Dance (it’s I think my fourth read of it this year? I just read Vorkosigans on loop now apparently as a coping mechanism). Anyway, what a book

Art: "Christ Breaks the Rifle," Otto Pankok #ottopankok #christbreakstherifle #sacredart

Lady Dragon is out today! Thanks to my publisher @fiercereads.bsky.social, my editor @diebelra.bsky.social, my agent @hannahnpbowman.com, and always my wonderful readers. I can't wait for you to meet my sapphic dragon/princess duo. ❤️🧡🤍💜

Why might this be the case? Churches that take a hard line against wealth accumulation and inequality risk losing well-off attendees—whose giving keeps the lights on. The pastor proudly told a story of one such couple who left another church because it was too anti-wealth.

one piece of advice i have for learning how to survive this stressful world of ours: teach yourself to dance any kind of dance, any kind of way, even if it's just wiggling in your chair but you *have* to dance

Not only is this a made-up lie, BUT ALSO even if people were taking "safe haven" in churches THAT IS WHAT CHURCHES ARE FOR. Sanctuary and refuge are ESSENTIAL, DEFINING characteristics of being church.

There has been a direct line from "seeing homeless encampments make people uncomfortable" to "city is dangerous" to armed troops on city streets, and I will not give it an inch.