Anindita Basu Sempere
@anindita.org
PM at Performant Software. PhD & MFA. Digital Humanities, place, poetics, Elizabeth Bishop, poetry, children's lit. She/her. Lived in Lausanne for over a decade and now relearning the US.
Pinned
Anindita Basu Sempere
@anindita.org
· Nov 10
Welcome new folks! Happy to see so much activity here. I’m interested in place-related work, writing, all things Elizabeth Bishop, pedagogy and learning, poetry, children’s lit, crafting, nature & soccer/football. I’m a professional digital humanist. I love to hear about what people are working on.
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
In 2026 I want all of the decent people to remember one thing.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
January 1, 2026 at 10:30 PM
In 2026 I want all of the decent people to remember one thing.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics.
That is all.
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
And please, PLEASE let us not forget that time in 2023 when Karen Smith was elected President of the school board in Bucks County, Pa and swore her oath on a stack of banned books. The most gangsta oath ever! Just brilliant. www.edweek.org/leadership/t...
This School Board President Took Her Oath on a Stack of Contested Books. Here's Why
The school board for Central Bucks County, Pa., has been at the center of divisive political debates.
www.edweek.org
January 1, 2026 at 11:21 PM
And please, PLEASE let us not forget that time in 2023 when Karen Smith was elected President of the school board in Bucks County, Pa and swore her oath on a stack of banned books. The most gangsta oath ever! Just brilliant. www.edweek.org/leadership/t...
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
Here's an idea for the next Democratic president
Mayor Mamdani has nullified every executive order issued by Eric Adams after he struck his corrupt bargain with Trump to secure dismissal of the indictment against him.
January 1, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Here's an idea for the next Democratic president
Watching soccer, drinking champagne, closing out old notebooks, and setting up new ones. Happy new year!
January 1, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Watching soccer, drinking champagne, closing out old notebooks, and setting up new ones. Happy new year!
Oh my goodness. This is awful.
En Suisse, plusieurs morts après une explosion dans un bar de la station de ski de Crans-Montana
En Suisse, plusieurs morts après une explosion dans un bar de la station de ski de Crans-Montana
Une explosion d’origine inconnue dans un bar a fait plusieurs morts et des blessés à Crans-Montana, une station de ski du canton de Valais, en Suisse, a annoncé jeudi la police.
www.lemonde.fr
January 1, 2026 at 6:47 AM
Oh my goodness. This is awful.
Watching Frankenstein to close out the year. Which is so very us.
January 1, 2026 at 1:35 AM
Watching Frankenstein to close out the year. Which is so very us.
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
31 December 1995. Still the perfect goodbye.
December 31, 2024 at 12:21 PM
31 December 1995. Still the perfect goodbye.
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
I love what Tauri has done, a lightweight version of Electron, where you author the backend code in Rust.
But while I love Rust, I do not love it for app building, and I wanted to have that HTML-model for programming but available in Swift.
1/2
But while I love Rust, I do not love it for app building, and I wanted to have that HTML-model for programming but available in Swift.
1/2
GitHub - velox-apps/velox: Velox is a port of Tauri to Swift.
Velox is a port of Tauri to Swift. Contribute to velox-apps/velox development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:15 PM
I love what Tauri has done, a lightweight version of Electron, where you author the backend code in Rust.
But while I love Rust, I do not love it for app building, and I wanted to have that HTML-model for programming but available in Swift.
1/2
But while I love Rust, I do not love it for app building, and I wanted to have that HTML-model for programming but available in Swift.
1/2
Already receiving summer camp registration emails. Of course some were booked up months ago (not by me — I can’t make arrangements that early!). Planning the summer in January still feels so weird and unique to US parenting.
December 30, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Already receiving summer camp registration emails. Of course some were booked up months ago (not by me — I can’t make arrangements that early!). Planning the summer in January still feels so weird and unique to US parenting.
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
“New York,
Where your lucky self
Waits for your
Arrival,
Where there is always soil
For your root.
This is our time.”
Where your lucky self
Waits for your
Arrival,
Where there is always soil
For your root.
This is our time.”
Cornelius Eady, a National Book Award finalist, will read an original poem at Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in as mayor of New York City on Thursday. Read an excerpt from “Proof,” the poem he wrote for the ceremony. trib.al/i0Uhwxr
December 30, 2025 at 8:12 PM
“New York,
Where your lucky self
Waits for your
Arrival,
Where there is always soil
For your root.
This is our time.”
Where your lucky self
Waits for your
Arrival,
Where there is always soil
For your root.
This is our time.”
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
USPS quietly changed its postmark rules — mail is no longer dated when you drop it off. The “official” date is when it hits automated sorting — sometimes days later
Which could have major implications for mail in voting — it’s a clever way to disenfranchise voters that’s going largely overlooked
Which could have major implications for mail in voting — it’s a clever way to disenfranchise voters that’s going largely overlooked
December 29, 2025 at 7:14 PM
USPS quietly changed its postmark rules — mail is no longer dated when you drop it off. The “official” date is when it hits automated sorting — sometimes days later
Which could have major implications for mail in voting — it’s a clever way to disenfranchise voters that’s going largely overlooked
Which could have major implications for mail in voting — it’s a clever way to disenfranchise voters that’s going largely overlooked
M & I got flu shots yesterday. I was distracting M with soccer scores.
Nurse: Which game?
Me: Sunderland v. Leeds
N: Who’re you for?
Me: Sunderland
N: My wife’s from Sunderland. I’m a Liverpool fan myself.
M: *lights up*
Me: Us, too!
Nurse: Which game?
Me: Sunderland v. Leeds
N: Who’re you for?
Me: Sunderland
N: My wife’s from Sunderland. I’m a Liverpool fan myself.
M: *lights up*
Me: Us, too!
December 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
M & I got flu shots yesterday. I was distracting M with soccer scores.
Nurse: Which game?
Me: Sunderland v. Leeds
N: Who’re you for?
Me: Sunderland
N: My wife’s from Sunderland. I’m a Liverpool fan myself.
M: *lights up*
Me: Us, too!
Nurse: Which game?
Me: Sunderland v. Leeds
N: Who’re you for?
Me: Sunderland
N: My wife’s from Sunderland. I’m a Liverpool fan myself.
M: *lights up*
Me: Us, too!
I had two library holds come in at the same time: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny and North Woods, and I may disappear for the rest of the year because that’s an intense pairing…
December 27, 2025 at 1:04 AM
I had two library holds come in at the same time: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny and North Woods, and I may disappear for the rest of the year because that’s an intense pairing…
Christmas wasn’t extravagant this year, but we all felt seen by the gifts we received, which is really lovely.
December 25, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Christmas wasn’t extravagant this year, but we all felt seen by the gifts we received, which is really lovely.
This morning M told me that a cubing friend got a GAN cube for Christmas.
Me: What’s a GAN cube?
M: They’re the best speed cubes out there! *goes on and on about how awesome they are*
We open presents. M gets a GAN cube.
M: MAMAN.
Me: Gotcha.
A: *cracks up*
Me: What’s a GAN cube?
M: They’re the best speed cubes out there! *goes on and on about how awesome they are*
We open presents. M gets a GAN cube.
M: MAMAN.
Me: Gotcha.
A: *cracks up*
December 25, 2025 at 4:57 PM
This morning M told me that a cubing friend got a GAN cube for Christmas.
Me: What’s a GAN cube?
M: They’re the best speed cubes out there! *goes on and on about how awesome they are*
We open presents. M gets a GAN cube.
M: MAMAN.
Me: Gotcha.
A: *cracks up*
Me: What’s a GAN cube?
M: They’re the best speed cubes out there! *goes on and on about how awesome they are*
We open presents. M gets a GAN cube.
M: MAMAN.
Me: Gotcha.
A: *cracks up*
Total win. The kid is *so* excited — texted a photo of the book haul to friends and then started to read. Refused a Christmas movie. “No. Books!”
I am so very pleased with myself. I managed to pull off a minor Christmas miracle for the kid — saw a post that our local indie got a book that the kid *really* wants 9 days before the official release date, hopped in the car, drove straight over, and managed to purchase a copy right before closing.
December 25, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Total win. The kid is *so* excited — texted a photo of the book haul to friends and then started to read. Refused a Christmas movie. “No. Books!”
I was in the mood for something “old-fashioned” — unhurried and careful — so I’m reading some E.B. White essays, and they’re so charming.
“Hatched June 19th, the turkey is a Bourbon Red, one of those beautiful, cocoa-colored birds with white tail feathers and a fine sense of catastrophe.”
“Hatched June 19th, the turkey is a Bourbon Red, one of those beautiful, cocoa-colored birds with white tail feathers and a fine sense of catastrophe.”
December 24, 2025 at 4:15 PM
I was in the mood for something “old-fashioned” — unhurried and careful — so I’m reading some E.B. White essays, and they’re so charming.
“Hatched June 19th, the turkey is a Bourbon Red, one of those beautiful, cocoa-colored birds with white tail feathers and a fine sense of catastrophe.”
“Hatched June 19th, the turkey is a Bourbon Red, one of those beautiful, cocoa-colored birds with white tail feathers and a fine sense of catastrophe.”
The tweens negotiated a curfew for their main group text. No messages from 9 pm - 8 am. No one wants to miss anything, and everyone wants time “off” to unwind and rest.
I’m honestly impressed by how they’re discussing things and setting limits for themselves.
I’m honestly impressed by how they’re discussing things and setting limits for themselves.
December 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
The tweens negotiated a curfew for their main group text. No messages from 9 pm - 8 am. No one wants to miss anything, and everyone wants time “off” to unwind and rest.
I’m honestly impressed by how they’re discussing things and setting limits for themselves.
I’m honestly impressed by how they’re discussing things and setting limits for themselves.
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
James Merril’s poem “Christmas Tree,” written while he was dying of AIDS. 1995.
December 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
James Merril’s poem “Christmas Tree,” written while he was dying of AIDS. 1995.
A third minor miracle: after unseasonably warm weather melted what snow we had, we got some surprise snow tonight. It was supposed to be wintry mix with little to no accumulation, but there’s at least an inch on the ground. We may have a white Christmas, which the child wants. Snow + hot chocolate.
December 24, 2025 at 4:16 AM
A third minor miracle: after unseasonably warm weather melted what snow we had, we got some surprise snow tonight. It was supposed to be wintry mix with little to no accumulation, but there’s at least an inch on the ground. We may have a white Christmas, which the child wants. Snow + hot chocolate.
My vacation responder is on, and I have turned off all of the alarms on my phone. Whew!
Currently at the kid’s piano lesson, but when we get home, I think I might crash. Presents are wrapped. There’s some food prep to do but nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.
Currently at the kid’s piano lesson, but when we get home, I think I might crash. Presents are wrapped. There’s some food prep to do but nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.
December 23, 2025 at 10:06 PM
My vacation responder is on, and I have turned off all of the alarms on my phone. Whew!
Currently at the kid’s piano lesson, but when we get home, I think I might crash. Presents are wrapped. There’s some food prep to do but nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.
Currently at the kid’s piano lesson, but when we get home, I think I might crash. Presents are wrapped. There’s some food prep to do but nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.
And a second minor miracle -- the book I ordered for my MIL arrived today from Ireland! It's something she wanted, and I tracked down a first edition that's in decent shape. 1925. I really didn't think it'd get here in time...
December 23, 2025 at 6:38 PM
And a second minor miracle -- the book I ordered for my MIL arrived today from Ireland! It's something she wanted, and I tracked down a first edition that's in decent shape. 1925. I really didn't think it'd get here in time...
I am so very pleased with myself. I managed to pull off a minor Christmas miracle for the kid — saw a post that our local indie got a book that the kid *really* wants 9 days before the official release date, hopped in the car, drove straight over, and managed to purchase a copy right before closing.
December 22, 2025 at 11:57 PM
I am so very pleased with myself. I managed to pull off a minor Christmas miracle for the kid — saw a post that our local indie got a book that the kid *really* wants 9 days before the official release date, hopped in the car, drove straight over, and managed to purchase a copy right before closing.
Reposted by Anindita Basu Sempere
OTD - On December 21, 1919, anarchists Emma Goldman & Alexander Berkman were ideologically deported from the United States. They were sent to Soviet Russia with 247 others on the S.S. Buford, also referred to as the "Red Ark." 🗃️
December 21, 2025 at 2:35 PM
OTD - On December 21, 1919, anarchists Emma Goldman & Alexander Berkman were ideologically deported from the United States. They were sent to Soviet Russia with 247 others on the S.S. Buford, also referred to as the "Red Ark." 🗃️
I’m reading Smartphone Nation after some posts that I saw about it on here, and “girls being so afraid to say the wrong thing in friend groups that they were using ChatGPT to formulate text messages” (p. 67) is one of the worst things I’ve read recently. And there’s been a lot to choose from!
December 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I’m reading Smartphone Nation after some posts that I saw about it on here, and “girls being so afraid to say the wrong thing in friend groups that they were using ChatGPT to formulate text messages” (p. 67) is one of the worst things I’ve read recently. And there’s been a lot to choose from!