Jake Casella Brookins
@casella.bsky.social
Appalachian in the big city. Editor at Ancillary Review, host of A Meal of Thorns, bookseller, coffee pro, SF reviewer & scholar. He/him.
https://linktr.ee/jakecasellabrookins
https://linktr.ee/jakecasellabrookins
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Gonna feel like a real piece of shit if it turns out he has a pose-able wooden hand IRL
November 10, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Gonna feel like a real piece of shit if it turns out he has a pose-able wooden hand IRL
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Archita is 78% to her goal but donations have slowed (none for 3 days). Much gratitude to everyone who's given so far. She's in desperate need, and would be very grateful for any help. I know things are difficult for everyone right now, even shares help to get more eyes on the fundraiser:
Fellow Calcuttan writer/editor Archita Mittra is in desperate need of financial help. She recently lost her father, her home was damaged in the recent rains, & her mother's in hospital. They don't have insurance, & she's a freelancer. I can vouch for her. Please share widely & donate:
Donate to Help Archita and Her Mom Rebuild Their Lives, organized by tehseen baweja
Hey Everyone! My name is Tehseen and I publish an online magazine called T… tehseen baweja needs your support for Help Archita and Her Mom Rebuild Their Lives
www.gofundme.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Archita is 78% to her goal but donations have slowed (none for 3 days). Much gratitude to everyone who's given so far. She's in desperate need, and would be very grateful for any help. I know things are difficult for everyone right now, even shares help to get more eyes on the fundraiser:
Great interview, and interesting insider take on Platinum Grit's demise.
(PG's combination of goofy & horny elements, serious human moments, & haunting unexplained weirdness—with ambition visibly outpacing the plan—remains one of the purest examples of a certain kind & era of indie comic, for me.)
(PG's combination of goofy & horny elements, serious human moments, & haunting unexplained weirdness—with ambition visibly outpacing the plan—remains one of the purest examples of a certain kind & era of indie comic, for me.)
A rare interview with the creators of the always-funny, always-brilliant, and *usually*-sexy—or occasionally anti-sexy—OGLAF!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Cooper has kept a low profile over the years, but is legitimately one of the very best artists in comics today. Read OGLAF if you're old enough to drive!
Talking Oglaf with Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne: 'We'd stay up all night drawing stuff to make each other laugh' - The Comics Journal
Other than some time off every year for Christmas, Trudy Cooper and Doug Bayne have delivered a new Oglaf comic, skewering fantasy tropes with absolutely not safe for work humor, every week since 2008...
www.tcj.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Great interview, and interesting insider take on Platinum Grit's demise.
(PG's combination of goofy & horny elements, serious human moments, & haunting unexplained weirdness—with ambition visibly outpacing the plan—remains one of the purest examples of a certain kind & era of indie comic, for me.)
(PG's combination of goofy & horny elements, serious human moments, & haunting unexplained weirdness—with ambition visibly outpacing the plan—remains one of the purest examples of a certain kind & era of indie comic, for me.)
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
November 10, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Happy There Is A Circulatory System Walking Through The Kitchen Day to all who celebrate.
Ethics precede perception. If you don't care—about genocide, about transphobia, about homelessness, about the poor; and if your wealth & lifestyles & bodies aren't at risk—then you can't see it.
This is the truth. I've said it, too, that Schumer and company think that we can just go to status quo ante. The status quo ante is dead, but Schumer and company either don't recognize it, or refuse to recognize it, or are pretending to not recognize it.
seems to me that those democrats inclined not to fight perceive themselves as living through a somewhat ordinary cycle of presidential overreach and backlash and not something much more significant and dangerous
November 10, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Ethics precede perception. If you don't care—about genocide, about transphobia, about homelessness, about the poor; and if your wealth & lifestyles & bodies aren't at risk—then you can't see it.
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Please put the Working Families Party in your mouth. They did wonders with Mamdani’s campaign. We saw how quickly his rise to collective awareness was in less than six months.
We can do that too, people. Everywhere. We hold the power. Screw Establishment Dems. Their time is over. It’s our turn now.
We can do that too, people. Everywhere. We hold the power. Screw Establishment Dems. Their time is over. It’s our turn now.
November 10, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Please put the Working Families Party in your mouth. They did wonders with Mamdani’s campaign. We saw how quickly his rise to collective awareness was in less than six months.
We can do that too, people. Everywhere. We hold the power. Screw Establishment Dems. Their time is over. It’s our turn now.
We can do that too, people. Everywhere. We hold the power. Screw Establishment Dems. Their time is over. It’s our turn now.
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Senators on the brink of retirement who lived full, wealthy lives and never feared the loss of their own healthcare voting for their constituents to die from their inability to afford the same is treasonous
November 10, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Senators on the brink of retirement who lived full, wealthy lives and never feared the loss of their own healthcare voting for their constituents to die from their inability to afford the same is treasonous
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Important to understand this. There's a reasonable chance that your Dem Senator who voted against it and is acting mad now was in on the play. It's the same reason why they scheduled the surrender for AFTER the election this week. They didn't want people pissed at Dems right before an election.
The caucus meeting was just to orchestrate who would fall on the sword but not be up for a vote in 2026.
so currently defectors are:
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
November 10, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Important to understand this. There's a reasonable chance that your Dem Senator who voted against it and is acting mad now was in on the play. It's the same reason why they scheduled the surrender for AFTER the election this week. They didn't want people pissed at Dems right before an election.
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Funny prank: everyone becomes militantly communist very quickly
October 1, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Funny prank: everyone becomes militantly communist very quickly
Nothing quite like living in the great state of New York to be reminded who Dante reserved the lowest circle for
November 9, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Nothing quite like living in the great state of New York to be reminded who Dante reserved the lowest circle for
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
look. call your senator. but don't forget that requiring you to do this every single time, even when it's something obviously and unambiguously evil being passed, is part of a system designed to wear us down and close off our ability to imagine a better world
May 22, 2025 at 2:05 PM
look. call your senator. but don't forget that requiring you to do this every single time, even when it's something obviously and unambiguously evil being passed, is part of a system designed to wear us down and close off our ability to imagine a better world
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
If anyone is looking for something to recommend for any awards you might be associated with, "Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism" by Zachary Gillan @megapolisomancy.bsky.social deserves all the awards. Essential reading.
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism
Zachary Gillan I have been thinking, for obvious reasons, about living in a world of reactionary politics, and about the political valences of the irreal, and about ARB’s insistence upon the radica…
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org
November 9, 2025 at 6:02 PM
If anyone is looking for something to recommend for any awards you might be associated with, "Reading Weird Fiction in an Age of Fascism" by Zachary Gillan @megapolisomancy.bsky.social deserves all the awards. Essential reading.
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org/2025/05/02/r...
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
entirely possible some senators experienced some flight issues getting home and decided selling out the entire American healthcare system for the poor was a reasonable trade for fixing it
November 9, 2025 at 9:36 PM
entirely possible some senators experienced some flight issues getting home and decided selling out the entire American healthcare system for the poor was a reasonable trade for fixing it
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
“I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.”
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM
“I want you to understand what it is like to live in Chicago during this time.”
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
CPL is an absolute palace to the people and these proposed cuts are abominable. Artificial austerity. Chicago folks, read this, check the links to bug the mayor and your alders—this can be fought and won.
The People Want to Read: on the massive budget cuts proposed for Chicago Public Library. What's at stake and what you can do, whether or not you live in Chicago.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
The People Want To Read: On Massive Budget Cuts Proposed in Chicago
If passed, Chicago Public Library will lose half their budget for acquiring new books and materials.
buttondown.com
November 8, 2025 at 10:17 PM
CPL is an absolute palace to the people and these proposed cuts are abominable. Artificial austerity. Chicago folks, read this, check the links to bug the mayor and your alders—this can be fought and won.
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
the silmarillion is in many ways the homestuck of its day
November 8, 2025 at 9:43 PM
the silmarillion is in many ways the homestuck of its day
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Thank you sir mr. Obama sir we will call you up if we need help bombing a wedding
President Obama called Zohran Mamdani on Saturday — praising his campaign and offering to be a "sounding board" into the future.
Obama said he was invested in Mamdani's success beyond the election on Tuesday.
"Your campaign has been impressive to watch," Obama told Mamdani.
Obama said he was invested in Mamdani's success beyond the election on Tuesday.
"Your campaign has been impressive to watch," Obama told Mamdani.
Obama Calls Mamdani to Praise His Campaign and Offers to Be Sounding Board
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Thank you sir mr. Obama sir we will call you up if we need help bombing a wedding
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Nuremburg trials is the moderate position
He said that the agents would throw food at them to eat. The agents threatened to withhold food for a week and to beat him up if he didn't sign deportation papers. He said he saw others refuse and get beaten/receive no food. He signed because he was afraid.
November 7, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Nuremburg trials is the moderate position
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
since no one clicks the article i'll keep lugging the hopium over here
November 7, 2025 at 12:11 PM
since no one clicks the article i'll keep lugging the hopium over here
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
this is why infant mortality has dropped so sharply since Kitty Hawk!
November 7, 2025 at 3:57 AM
this is why infant mortality has dropped so sharply since Kitty Hawk!
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
This month's newsletter's out. If you've been meaning to sign up, now's as good a time as any!
buttondown.com/crosshatches...
buttondown.com/crosshatches...
Shutdown Chronicles, Continued
It’s been a month-plus and I’m still furloughed as the federal government’s shutdown continues. I don’t have much else to say about this, other than rumors...
buttondown.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:22 AM
This month's newsletter's out. If you've been meaning to sign up, now's as good a time as any!
buttondown.com/crosshatches...
buttondown.com/crosshatches...
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Fun fact: the art the NY Post used for the illustration of Mamdani is from a 1962 Soviet poster: Glory! to the Soviet People, the Pioneers of Space! by Vadim Volikov.
November 6, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Fun fact: the art the NY Post used for the illustration of Mamdani is from a 1962 Soviet poster: Glory! to the Soviet People, the Pioneers of Space! by Vadim Volikov.
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
Fascinating book that takes a lot of very classic SF ideas (far-future! Human cloning & mutations! Psi! AI!) and delivers them with humorous, literary panache & ambiguity. Great to talk about this with a researcher who's thought & read a lot about AI & reproductive technology.
Human evolution & extinction, unusual AI, and humor & style at the end of the world: E.F. McAdam of the CRSF joins to discuss Hiromi Kawakami's UNDER THE EYE OF THE BIG BIRD, translated by Asa Yoneda. Fun book, fun conversation:
A Meal of Thorns 36 – UNDER THE EYE OF THE BIG BIRD with Eleanor McAdam
Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books.Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon!Guest: Eleanor McAdamTitle: Under The Eye Of The Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakam…
ancillaryreviewofbooks.org
November 4, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Fascinating book that takes a lot of very classic SF ideas (far-future! Human cloning & mutations! Psi! AI!) and delivers them with humorous, literary panache & ambiguity. Great to talk about this with a researcher who's thought & read a lot about AI & reproductive technology.
Reposted by Jake Casella Brookins
honestly this is what the Impossible/Beyond Meat guys should be working on. passably-goat-tasting-but-plant-based birria should be treated like the fucking Space Race
November 5, 2025 at 7:38 PM
honestly this is what the Impossible/Beyond Meat guys should be working on. passably-goat-tasting-but-plant-based birria should be treated like the fucking Space Race
plutocrats I do not regret to inform you that there IS a monster under the bed, hell yeah
TRANSITION CO-CHAIR LINA KHAN!?!?!??!
November 5, 2025 at 4:53 PM
plutocrats I do not regret to inform you that there IS a monster under the bed, hell yeah