Kate Nicholls
@katenicholls1.bsky.social
Author, feminist, liberal arts educator, homeschool consultant. Lives in Rome. Cares about climate change & outdated education systems. Excited by poetry & science. No DM’s. 🇪🇺
Under the Camelthorn Tree W&N 2019
The Maternal Element Salt Publishing 2026
Under the Camelthorn Tree W&N 2019
The Maternal Element Salt Publishing 2026
Yes to the power of 10.
My heartbreaks witnessing the number of young adults who are utterly unprepared to function in the world because they have been denied time to play, think and be.
Grades mean nothing in the end. Experience, making mistakes, exploring & community have greater value that A+
My heartbreaks witnessing the number of young adults who are utterly unprepared to function in the world because they have been denied time to play, think and be.
Grades mean nothing in the end. Experience, making mistakes, exploring & community have greater value that A+
The decline in childhood independence in America has been gradual, until we are now in stark contrast to other developed nations. Yet for the sake of kids' mental health, we need to find ways to give kids more independence and free play, ideally outside.
www.theatlantic.com/family/archi...
www.theatlantic.com/family/archi...
The Gravitational Pull of Supervising Kids All the Time
When so many people think hovering is what good parents do, how do you stop?
www.theatlantic.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Yes to the power of 10.
My heartbreaks witnessing the number of young adults who are utterly unprepared to function in the world because they have been denied time to play, think and be.
Grades mean nothing in the end. Experience, making mistakes, exploring & community have greater value that A+
My heartbreaks witnessing the number of young adults who are utterly unprepared to function in the world because they have been denied time to play, think and be.
Grades mean nothing in the end. Experience, making mistakes, exploring & community have greater value that A+
Reposted by Kate Nicholls
Incredible news out of NJ, where @govmurphy.bsky.social said a bell-to-bell phone-free school policy is "among, if not the highest priority" he has! Thank you, Governor Murphy, @speakercoughlin.bsky.social and everyone working to give kids the gift of attention & synchronous, real-life connection!
Is N.J. about to ban cellphones in all classrooms? A powerful N.J. lawmaker just said yes.
The plan could dramatically change how the state's 600 school districts handle student cellphone use.
www.nj.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:54 PM
Incredible news out of NJ, where @govmurphy.bsky.social said a bell-to-bell phone-free school policy is "among, if not the highest priority" he has! Thank you, Governor Murphy, @speakercoughlin.bsky.social and everyone working to give kids the gift of attention & synchronous, real-life connection!
Indeed worth looking back at Prof Jenning’s post
"We are living in a world of many malevolent geopolitical actors...Musk’s X is one such actor. British government should not hesitate in weaning itself off the platform"
"We are living in a world of many malevolent geopolitical actors...Musk’s X is one such actor. British government should not hesitate in weaning itself off the platform"
The story keeps moving on (alas) but @drjennings.bsky.social on X in @theobserveruk.bsky.social back in late Oct still worth a read: observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
November 24, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Indeed worth looking back at Prof Jenning’s post
"We are living in a world of many malevolent geopolitical actors...Musk’s X is one such actor. British government should not hesitate in weaning itself off the platform"
"We are living in a world of many malevolent geopolitical actors...Musk’s X is one such actor. British government should not hesitate in weaning itself off the platform"
“We have been resisting more than the people we elected"
She’s right.
Watching the US from a distance it is shocking to see so much timorousness from the Democrats. A proactive opposition is essential in a healthy democracy.
Yet they seem to be taking it lying down!
It’s bewildering.
She’s right.
Watching the US from a distance it is shocking to see so much timorousness from the Democrats. A proactive opposition is essential in a healthy democracy.
Yet they seem to be taking it lying down!
It’s bewildering.
Impeachment isn’t an option, it’s a necessity. I know firsthand the lengths Trump is willing to go in order to silence dissent.
Impeach, convict, remove. And if our current leaders won’t do it, they need to step aside for people who will: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo54...
Impeach, convict, remove. And if our current leaders won’t do it, they need to step aside for people who will: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo54...
Trump Wrongly Indicted Me, I’ll Rightly Impeach Him | Kat Abughazaleh Speaks at Lincoln Memorial
YouTube video by Kat Abughazaleh
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
“We have been resisting more than the people we elected"
She’s right.
Watching the US from a distance it is shocking to see so much timorousness from the Democrats. A proactive opposition is essential in a healthy democracy.
Yet they seem to be taking it lying down!
It’s bewildering.
She’s right.
Watching the US from a distance it is shocking to see so much timorousness from the Democrats. A proactive opposition is essential in a healthy democracy.
Yet they seem to be taking it lying down!
It’s bewildering.
Reposted by Kate Nicholls
‘Let’s reserve the definition of “hard work” for shifts in a care home, laying undersea cable, working as an air-traffic controller without being paid’
📚 Erica Wagner on the secrets of a Booker prize judge
https://bit.ly/3XjVfEr
📚 Erica Wagner on the secrets of a Booker prize judge
https://bit.ly/3XjVfEr
Secrets of a Booker Prize judge | The Observer
bit.ly
November 13, 2025 at 10:38 AM
‘Let’s reserve the definition of “hard work” for shifts in a care home, laying undersea cable, working as an air-traffic controller without being paid’
📚 Erica Wagner on the secrets of a Booker prize judge
https://bit.ly/3XjVfEr
📚 Erica Wagner on the secrets of a Booker prize judge
https://bit.ly/3XjVfEr
"According to the brief, the company failed to disclose these harms to the public or to Congress, and refused to implement safety fixes that could have protected young users."
16 strikes before action was taken?
I have no words….!
16 strikes before action was taken?
I have no words….!
Sex trafficking on Meta platforms was both difficult to report and widely tolerated. Instagram’s former head of safety testified that when she joined Meta in 2020 she was shocked to learn the company had a “17x” strike policy for accounts that engaged in the “trafficking of humans for sex.”
7 Allegations Against Meta in Newly Unsealed Filings
Court filings allege Meta tolerated sex trafficking, hid harms to teens, and prioritized growth over user safety for years.
time.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:46 PM
"According to the brief, the company failed to disclose these harms to the public or to Congress, and refused to implement safety fixes that could have protected young users."
16 strikes before action was taken?
I have no words….!
16 strikes before action was taken?
I have no words….!
This is a searing article by Rachel Clarke. A heartbreaking read. Her rightful anger sings off the page.
"My NHS colleagues & I weren’t willing to let the bodies pile high in their thousands. Boris no longer mentions them at all."
My piece on the responses to the UK Covid-UK Inquiry report that try to airbrush the dead away.
Sincere thanks, @theobserveruk.bsky.social.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
My piece on the responses to the UK Covid-UK Inquiry report that try to airbrush the dead away.
Sincere thanks, @theobserveruk.bsky.social.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
I’ll never forget the horror of the Covid wards | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 11:02 AM
This is a searing article by Rachel Clarke. A heartbreaking read. Her rightful anger sings off the page.
A big family wedding gave me a rare moment to be with all five grandchildren at the same time. My large family is dispersed across the globe and spending four full days with my peeps was magic.
Weddings are an ancient ritual that have been bringing together families and friends for millennia.
Weddings are an ancient ritual that have been bringing together families and friends for millennia.
November 23, 2025 at 9:32 AM
A big family wedding gave me a rare moment to be with all five grandchildren at the same time. My large family is dispersed across the globe and spending four full days with my peeps was magic.
Weddings are an ancient ritual that have been bringing together families and friends for millennia.
Weddings are an ancient ritual that have been bringing together families and friends for millennia.
Sverker Sorlin’s book S:N:O, a history, is one of life’s surprises.
I am learning a lot, I expected that, but I didn’t envisage I would be taken on such an emotional, personal journey.
4 chapters in and I have cried several times.
What Sheldrake did for fungi Sorlin’s done for snow!
I am learning a lot, I expected that, but I didn’t envisage I would be taken on such an emotional, personal journey.
4 chapters in and I have cried several times.
What Sheldrake did for fungi Sorlin’s done for snow!
a bush covered in snow with a few branches visible in the foreground
ALT: a bush covered in snow with a few branches visible in the foreground
media.tenor.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Sverker Sorlin’s book S:N:O, a history, is one of life’s surprises.
I am learning a lot, I expected that, but I didn’t envisage I would be taken on such an emotional, personal journey.
4 chapters in and I have cried several times.
What Sheldrake did for fungi Sorlin’s done for snow!
I am learning a lot, I expected that, but I didn’t envisage I would be taken on such an emotional, personal journey.
4 chapters in and I have cried several times.
What Sheldrake did for fungi Sorlin’s done for snow!
Ooooo this looks interesting.
My five kids got into independent reading via many routes at different ages. As a family we shared a book out loud until they left for Uni.
So often once kids start reading for themselves shared reading comes to an end.
Storytelling is such a joyous bond.
My five kids got into independent reading via many routes at different ages. As a family we shared a book out loud until they left for Uni.
So often once kids start reading for themselves shared reading comes to an end.
Storytelling is such a joyous bond.
Scholastic has snapped up Steve Blackman’s 'electrifying' tech debut aimed at getting boys hooked on reading. The first instalment is set to publish on 2nd July 2026 👇 #BookSky
Scholastic snaps up Steve Blackman's debut aimed at getting boys into reading
ebx.sh
November 21, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Ooooo this looks interesting.
My five kids got into independent reading via many routes at different ages. As a family we shared a book out loud until they left for Uni.
So often once kids start reading for themselves shared reading comes to an end.
Storytelling is such a joyous bond.
My five kids got into independent reading via many routes at different ages. As a family we shared a book out loud until they left for Uni.
So often once kids start reading for themselves shared reading comes to an end.
Storytelling is such a joyous bond.
Just bought Sorlin’s book on ibooks. It looks fascinating. The history of snow who would have thought. Having written a novel set in Siberia I am a sucker for all things snowy!
November 21, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Just bought Sorlin’s book on ibooks. It looks fascinating. The history of snow who would have thought. Having written a novel set in Siberia I am a sucker for all things snowy!
Reposted by Kate Nicholls
Great news coming out of China!
apnews.com/article/chin...
apnews.com/article/chin...
China's diesel trucks are shifting to electric. That could change global LNG and diesel demand
China is rapidly replacing its aging diesel trucks with electric models, signaling a major shift in the world’s largest vehicle market.
apnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Great news coming out of China!
apnews.com/article/chin...
apnews.com/article/chin...
I’m not so sure!
Human made books are going to become more valuable not merely in monetary terms.
That’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d need to write a few years ago.
AI can construct a story but it can’t get into the soul.
This post was written by a human.
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
Human made books are going to become more valuable not merely in monetary terms.
That’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d need to write a few years ago.
AI can construct a story but it can’t get into the soul.
This post was written by a human.
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
Published novelists believe AI will 'entirely replace' their work – Cambridge University study
More than half (51%) of published novelists in the UK believe AI is likely to end up replacing their work, says a new survey of 258 authors from the University of Cambridge.
www.thebookseller.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:31 AM
I’m not so sure!
Human made books are going to become more valuable not merely in monetary terms.
That’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d need to write a few years ago.
AI can construct a story but it can’t get into the soul.
This post was written by a human.
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
Human made books are going to become more valuable not merely in monetary terms.
That’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d need to write a few years ago.
AI can construct a story but it can’t get into the soul.
This post was written by a human.
www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...
It’s college application time. Supporting students through the process is a privilege and always emotional. These kids work so hard. Sure grades matter but the US application helps kids find their voice and value their life experience.
It’s tougher than the exam driven UK system and it has beauty.
It’s tougher than the exam driven UK system and it has beauty.
College Essay Complete Emery Kelly GIF
ALT: College Essay Complete Emery Kelly GIF
media.tenor.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:04 AM
It’s college application time. Supporting students through the process is a privilege and always emotional. These kids work so hard. Sure grades matter but the US application helps kids find their voice and value their life experience.
It’s tougher than the exam driven UK system and it has beauty.
It’s tougher than the exam driven UK system and it has beauty.
Sadly, no surprises here. Locked down in Rome it was devastating watching the chaotic goings on in the UK.
I am so deeply sorry for those who lost loved ones unnecessarily.
We must learn from this report and take the necessary preparatory actions.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
I am so deeply sorry for those who lost loved ones unnecessarily.
We must learn from this report and take the necessary preparatory actions.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Sadly, no surprises here. Locked down in Rome it was devastating watching the chaotic goings on in the UK.
I am so deeply sorry for those who lost loved ones unnecessarily.
We must learn from this report and take the necessary preparatory actions.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
I am so deeply sorry for those who lost loved ones unnecessarily.
We must learn from this report and take the necessary preparatory actions.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
What does he think he’s doing?
if Ukraine cedes territory and reduces its military there will be war in Europe within the year!
The people of Ukraine need to be defended!
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
if Ukraine cedes territory and reduces its military there will be war in Europe within the year!
The people of Ukraine need to be defended!
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
New Trump peace proposal for Ukraine could require land concessions and military reduction, source says | CNN Politics
A new peace proposal for Ukraine drafted by the Trump administration could envision the country ceding the eastern Donbas region and limiting the size of its military in exchange for security guarante...
edition.cnn.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:58 PM
What does he think he’s doing?
if Ukraine cedes territory and reduces its military there will be war in Europe within the year!
The people of Ukraine need to be defended!
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
if Ukraine cedes territory and reduces its military there will be war in Europe within the year!
The people of Ukraine need to be defended!
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/20/p...
I went for a walk along the Tiber listening to Patti and Ezra. What a bonding episode. I share so many of her childhood experiences, influences and books. I loved her childhood imaginary world: mine lives vividly with me still. It’s part of me.
Thanks for this interview Ezra.
Thanks for this interview Ezra.
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.
Patti Smith on the One Desire That Lasts Forever
Life lessons from the “Godmother of Punk.”
open.spotify.com/episode/7FOm...
youtu.be/MY2SpuLync4?...
Patti Smith on the One Desire That Lasts Forever
Life lessons from the “Godmother of Punk.”
open.spotify.com/episode/7FOm...
youtu.be/MY2SpuLync4?...
Patti Smith on the One Desire That Lasts Forever
YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 4:28 PM
I went for a walk along the Tiber listening to Patti and Ezra. What a bonding episode. I share so many of her childhood experiences, influences and books. I loved her childhood imaginary world: mine lives vividly with me still. It’s part of me.
Thanks for this interview Ezra.
Thanks for this interview Ezra.
This is fabulous. I love Mary Beard she is so open hearted and such an engaging educator and storyteller.
Mary Beard: Hollywood Lied to You About Ancient Rome. Here’s the Truth. “We’ve inherited the history of Ancient Rome through movies, ruins, and shallow stories. The truth is far messier.” [kottke.org]
Mary Beard: Hollywood Lied to You About Ancient Rome. Here’s the Truth.
In an interview lasting for more than an hour, classicist Mary Beard shares her knowledge & experience about how the picture of Rome we might have in our heads, inherited from Hollywood movies like Gladiator, is incomp
kottke.org
November 19, 2025 at 12:55 PM
This is fabulous. I love Mary Beard she is so open hearted and such an engaging educator and storyteller.
E.O Wilson nailed it!
Edward O. Wilson in 2009: “The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and god-like technology. And it is terrifically dangerous, and it is now approaching a point of crisis overall.” [harvardmagazine.com]
November 19, 2025 at 12:53 PM
E.O Wilson nailed it!
I know it’s like putting up pictures of food and kittens….who needs it...but can’t resist.
My youngest grandchildren are devoted and just had to share!
My youngest grandchildren are devoted and just had to share!
November 19, 2025 at 10:24 AM
I know it’s like putting up pictures of food and kittens….who needs it...but can’t resist.
My youngest grandchildren are devoted and just had to share!
My youngest grandchildren are devoted and just had to share!
I’m home in Rome and here all the nonsense in the world seems to fall away.
It’s a humbling space. No ego stands a chance amid the layers of human stories still breathing in old stone and cement.
The light shines clean and clear in Rome no matter what.
By nature I’m not a city girl but this city❤️
It’s a humbling space. No ego stands a chance amid the layers of human stories still breathing in old stone and cement.
The light shines clean and clear in Rome no matter what.
By nature I’m not a city girl but this city❤️
November 19, 2025 at 7:40 AM
I’m home in Rome and here all the nonsense in the world seems to fall away.
It’s a humbling space. No ego stands a chance amid the layers of human stories still breathing in old stone and cement.
The light shines clean and clear in Rome no matter what.
By nature I’m not a city girl but this city❤️
It’s a humbling space. No ego stands a chance amid the layers of human stories still breathing in old stone and cement.
The light shines clean and clear in Rome no matter what.
By nature I’m not a city girl but this city❤️
I wanting to post something thoughtful and not full of bad news headlines. Here are some thoughts from Marcus Aurelius. He wasn’t perfect, no one is, but oh boy is he helpful.
I read Meditations when I need to recalibrate my engine.
So quite a lot actually! 😂
orionphilosophy.com/stoic-rules-...
I read Meditations when I need to recalibrate my engine.
So quite a lot actually! 😂
orionphilosophy.com/stoic-rules-...
10 Stoic Rules From Marcus Aurelius - Orion Philosophy
You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.
orionphilosophy.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:19 AM
I wanting to post something thoughtful and not full of bad news headlines. Here are some thoughts from Marcus Aurelius. He wasn’t perfect, no one is, but oh boy is he helpful.
I read Meditations when I need to recalibrate my engine.
So quite a lot actually! 😂
orionphilosophy.com/stoic-rules-...
I read Meditations when I need to recalibrate my engine.
So quite a lot actually! 😂
orionphilosophy.com/stoic-rules-...
Sadly it doesn’t shock me. The UK has long been racist. The language used by Farage as a teenager was all too common. Today new words have replaced old prejudices.
Instrumental in Brexit, and the UK’s subsequent decline, this man is shameless.
I despair.
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
Instrumental in Brexit, and the UK’s subsequent decline, this man is shameless.
I despair.
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
‘Deeply shocking’: Nigel Farage faces fresh claims of racism and antisemitism at school
Bafta-winning director among contemporaries urging contrition and apology from Reform UK leader, who denies the allegations
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Sadly it doesn’t shock me. The UK has long been racist. The language used by Farage as a teenager was all too common. Today new words have replaced old prejudices.
Instrumental in Brexit, and the UK’s subsequent decline, this man is shameless.
I despair.
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
Instrumental in Brexit, and the UK’s subsequent decline, this man is shameless.
I despair.
www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...