Kathryn M. Crowley
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kathryning.bsky.social
Kathryn M. Crowley
@kathryning.bsky.social
210 followers 160 following 81 posts
Artist-writer-freelance journalist. Featured in the Irish Independent, Southern Star, and Irish Examiner. Often up at 5am (thanks, hormones). Interested in creativity, ecology, health, science, and culture. Email: https://KathrynMCrowley.com/contact
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Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
britpoptarts.bsky.social
"In the 1940s, while most women of her social class were hosting tea parties and serving on charity boards, Frances Glessner Lee was hunched over a workbench with tweezers, constructing perfect miniature murder scenes."
"She built dollhouses to catch killers—and her tiny crime scenes revolutionized how police solve murders. In the 1940s, while most women of her social class were hosting tea parties and serving on charity boards, Frances Glessner Lee was hunched over a workbench with tweezers, constructing perfect miniature murder scenes. Born into one of Chicago's wealthiest families in 1878, Frances had everything society said she should want—money, status, a "proper" marriage. But what she actually wanted, she couldn't have: her family refused to let her attend college. Women of her class, they believed, didn't need education. So Frances got married, raised children, and lived the life expected of her. But she never stopped learning. She read medical journals. She studied forensic science. And she waited. When her husband died and she inherited a fortune, Frances was finally free. She was 52 years old. Most people that age are thinking about slowing down. Frances was just getting started. She had become fascinated with a problem plaguing American law enforcement: crime scenes were being botched. Evidence was contaminated. Clues were missed. Detectives would walk into a scene with a theory already in mind and see only what confirmed their assumptions. Innocent people went to prison. Guilty people walked free. The cause? Poor training and sloppy observation. Frances decided to fix it—with dollhouses. But these weren't children's toys." "The "Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death" were meticulously crafted dioramas of actual crime scenes, built at a scale of one inch to one foot. Each took months to construct, and every single detail mattered. A two-room apartment where a woman lies dead. The tiny calendar on the wall shows the correct date. The miniature clock is stopped at the exact time of death. There's a crease in the bedspread where someone sat. A window is open—but only by half an inch. There's a broom leaning against the kitchen wall. The bathroom door is ajar. Blood spatters, smaller than pinheads, mark specific surfaces. Nothing was accidental. Every object was a potential clue. Another scene: a man hanged in a barn. The rope fibers are authentic. The knot is tied in a specific way. His body position tells a story—but is it suicide or murder? Look closer. Check the height of the beam. Measure the distance from the stool. Could he have reached that knot himself?" "Frances hired carpenters, but she did much of the work herself—sewing tiny curtains, knitting miniature blankets, mixing paint to create realistic blood spatters. She studied actual cases, visited real crime scenes, and consulted with medical examiners to ensure accuracy. She created twenty of these dioramas, each one a puzzle, each one based on real deaths. Then she did something extraordinary: she convinced the New Hampshire State Police to make her an honorary captain in 1943, becoming one of the first women to hold such a position. She used this authority to create seminars where detectives would study her miniatures, learning to observe without prejudice, to preserve evidence, to think scientifically. "Convict the guilty, clear the innocent, and find the truth in a nutshell," she would say. The seminars became legendary. Detectives would spend hours examining each scene, debating theories, discovering clues they'd initially missed. A cigarette ash in the wrong location. A door that couldn't have been locked from the inside. A bullet trajectory that didn't match the suicide story." "Frances was teaching them to see. Her work helped transform forensic science from guesswork into a rigorous discipline. She endowed Harvard's Department of Legal Medicine. She pushed for professional standards in death investigation. She proved that careful observation could mean the difference between justice and tragedy. When Frances Glessner Lee died in 1962 at age 83, she left behind a legacy that continues today. Her Nutshell Studies are still used to train detectives at the Maryland Medical Examiner's Office. Modern CSI techniques—photographing everything, preserving the scene, looking for inconsistencies—stem partly from the principles she championed. The woman who wasn't allowed to go to college became a pioneer in forensic science. The heiress who was supposed to arrange flowers instead arranged tiny crime scenes that saved lives. Eighteen of her original twenty dioramas survive, and they're still as powerful as ever. These aren't dusty museum pieces—they're working tools. Detectives still gather around them, still debate what happened, still learn to look past the obvious and search for truth in the smallest details. Because Frances Glessner Lee understood something fundamental: the truth is in the details. Not the dramatic ones. The tiny ones. The overlooked ones. The clue everyone walks past because they're too busy looking where they expect the answer to be. She proved that miniatures can solve murders. That dollhouses can teach justice. That a woman in her fifties with determination and resources can change an entire field. And she proved that it's never too late to start the work you were meant to do—even if the world spent decades telling you it wasn't yours to do."
October 24, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
isa-rc28.bsky.social
NYU Abu Dhabi is recruiting a 3-year Postdoctoral Associate for a Computational Social Science project on the coevolution of ingroup bias and group boundaries.
For more details and to apply, please visit: apply.interfolio.com/173544.
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
October 24, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
vicentjm.bsky.social
The conversation about the book “The Reinvention of Science” that will take place on Tuesday the 28th (18:30 UK time) will be broadcasted. Get free tickets in go.uv.es/S9LaQ1j to receive the link for streaming. More about the book, including a booktrailer www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook... 🧪🔭⚛️
October 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
kathryning.bsky.social
Readers with and without #chronicpain conditions, fancy reading a chapter of my new book about #fibromyalgia? I welcome your feedback,and will send out arty gifts in exchange. I'll also give away two free books: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/09/15/f... #chronicpain #health 🧪 📙 📝
A woman is sitting down, legs stretched out, reading a book. Text reads "would you like to read a chapter of my book about fibromyalgia? I would appreciate your feedback. You’ll also be entered into a prize draw for art gifts and two free copies of the book. Get in touch by email at www.Kathryn MCrowley.com/ contact
October 23, 2025 at 6:20 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
My fibromyalgia book is slowly coming together, yippee! It has taken 3 years to get this far. If you'd like to read an excerpt, please get in touch via my website. Here's some background info: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/09/15/f... #invisibledisability #fibromyalgia #mentalhealth #selfcare #writing🥗🧪🫁📝
Peach sky, clouds, and an orange sunset glow over the sea. The sun is reflected in water at the edge of the sea as waves foam on the shore. Photo taken by Kathryn M Crowley in County Kerry, Ireland, 2025.
October 22, 2025 at 11:08 AM
kathryning.bsky.social
Thanks to everyone who sent me more nets! The upcycling continues. I'm reusing plastic nets that are (still, sadly) found on fruit and vegetables. I'm also reading /learning about micro plastics and neuroscience. Read more here: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/07/10/f... #plastic #oceans #upcycling ♻️🧪🍂#art
I am holding brown envelopes that contain used plastic netting. Behind me are heather covered hills and a few trees.
October 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
Samhain is approaching, and I was thinking about the celtic wheel on the beach as I gathered materials the other day. A little apple came in on a wave, which was a lovely surprise.

#Samhain #landart #nature
A wheel shapedesign made from stones, shells, twigs, and an apple on a sandy beach.
October 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
'Uisce', instigated by @erikahanna.bsky.social, was a great triad! I enjoyed a talk on the historical impact of rain in #Ireland and much more besides today (Erika Hanna), foklore and history snippets (Tom Dillon) and a biodiversity walk by the river Feale (Barry O'Donoghue). #history #biodiversity
A group of adults are looking towards a hedgerow as a man gives a talk about ecology. He is pointing at long Montbretia leaves.
October 19, 2025 at 5:30 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
The Autumn Slide. New blog post: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/10/18/t... #chronicpain #fibromyalgia #sleep #wellbeing #Autumn 🧪🍂
The Autumn slide
Autumn has arrived to the northern hemisphere. I love the colours of this season and the crisp air, even if my body feels more stiff lately! Autumn brings challenges to some. We’ll have less …
kathrynmcrowley.com
October 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
Love colour? I post prints of my nature art to buyers worldwide, plus small, personalised gifts and mixed media paintings. Prices range from €30-€600. I'll be adding more to my website in the coming days: kathrynmcrowley.com/shop/ #art #landart #paintings 🎨☘️🍁♻️🖌️✏️📚
Mandala Autumn leaves
October 16, 2025 at 1:13 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
Fibromyalgia is tough to endure. It affects women more than men, and I've set up Fibro Wise Women to offer information and tips. The website and Facebook group are free to access. The site will be updated again on October 21st, 2025. Here's the link: fibrowisewomen.com 🧪 #fibromyalgia #health #women
Chamomile flowers, a magnifying glass, and paper. Designed by Kathryn M Crowley.
October 15, 2025 at 9:08 AM
kathryning.bsky.social
A few writing and poetry events in Ireland and online: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/10/14/w... #writing #poetry #festivals @sourcearts.bsky.social @waterfordlibraries.bsky.social #Waterford #Tipperary #Limerick #Kerry @brianbilston.bsky.social
Writing events in Ireland and online. Autumn-Winter 2025.
Open calls for writing, news about my work, and writing events in September and October 2025.
kathrynmcrowley.com
October 14, 2025 at 10:30 AM
kathryning.bsky.social
Creativity and craic at the weekend. Thanks to Liam McCarthy @limetreetheatre.bsky.social for inviting me to a fun, hybrid event in Limerick. Here's a blog post about the arty shenanigans: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/10/13/s... #theatre #art #culture #Limerick #Ireland 🎭 🎨 ✍️
Saturday theatre and laughter in a Limerick art gallery
On Saturday (October 11th, 2025) a sculpture of a girl’s face, carved from wood, caught my eye in Limerick City Art Gallery. Marks along the sides added texture to the piece, and remind me of…
kathrynmcrowley.com
October 13, 2025 at 3:38 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
After being on the road, it's lovely to rest up and read for a few days. I'm editing my own book too, and pondering titles.
'Fibromyalgia: a journey to recovery'? Boring. 'Fibromyalgia. A pain in the f#cking arse' isn't quite right either, but I'm getting closer. #writing #fibromyalgia🖋️🧪 #health
October 8, 2025 at 4:45 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
The gift of water. Photos and thoughts after my trip to Ireland’s sunny South-East: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/10/06/i... #water #Ireland #conservation #pollution #waterways
The gift of water. A trip to Ireland’s sunny South-East
The beauty of Ireland’s waterways.
kathrynmcrowley.com
October 6, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
101waves.bsky.social
A seedling, blown to this location by a zephyr & accompanied by a little bit of water (from the sky), plus an abundance of sunshine produced this.

So yeah, I believe in magic/miracles. Botany, biology, & science too. I’m weird like that.🙂

#photography
#PhonePhoto
#wildflower🌻
#bloomscrolling
September 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
naomiohreally.bsky.social
I just asked the European Commission whether they would ask for the €50,000 back in this case, as it has clearly been used to develop a military product now contracted to be supplied to the IDF, in breach of Horizon rules.

No comment on the specific case "have to look into it", spokesman says.
naomiohreally.bsky.social Naomi O'Leary @naomiohreally.bsky.social · Aug 30
Israel’s defence ministry just announced a contract to buy drones from Xtend. Its SKYLORD drone system was developed with €50,000 in EU Horizon money, which is not supposed to fund military applications. The EU grant page links to the current Xtend website, advertising its “military grade” drones
September 1, 2025 at 10:50 AM
kathryning.bsky.social
Art in times of grief. Ten years on, here is my reflection: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/10/03/v... #visualart #poetry #writing #artisticprocess #symbolism #neuroarts 🧪 🎨 🖋️
Grief and art (with neuroscience).
Wings and Wonder These portraits were made using pencil, paint, and ink. The series began soon after Winter solstice, 2015. I was in a state of shock and bereavement at the time, and black feathers…
kathrynmcrowley.com
October 4, 2025 at 11:24 AM
kathryning.bsky.social
Jane Goodall. What a woman, and what a meaningful life lived! Here's an obituary: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/o...
Dr. Jane Goodall as a child with a stuffed monkey doll that she named Jubilee. Photo from the Jane Goodall Institute. Dr. Goodall watched young Gaia groom her mother, Gremlin, in 1998.Credit...Kristin J. Mosher/Jane Goodall Institute
October 1, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
angelatcarrpoetry.bsky.social
Over 150 calls for literary competitions & submissions including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, art, photography, & more - contests, literary journals, residencies, bursaries etc - open or with deadlines in September 2025. Please share & best of luck!

www.thisiswordbox.com/wordbox-blog...
Background image shows an open notebook with pen on a wooden table. Text reads: Publishing Your Work - September 2025, Poetry & Writing Submissions - Journals, Competitions, Bursaries, Residencies. www.thisiswordbox.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
janeclarke.bsky.social
Thanks very much to the Poetry Book Society for recommending The Hare's Corner- illustrated poetry & prose inspired by individuals & groups all over Ireland making space for nature. @newislandbooks.bsky.social & @burrenbeotrust.bsky.social

www.poetrybooks.co.uk/products/the...
The Hare's Corner - The Poetry Book Society
The Hare’s Corner celebrates farmers, families, schools and community groups all over Ireland who are restoring habitats, reviving biodiversity and reconnecting people with the land. Uplifting stories...
www.poetrybooks.co.uk
September 23, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
dogthroat.com
Oh yes, we open for submissions on Oct 1 with our new (rolling) publication schedule. Looking forward to seeing new odd time stories and getting to know folks though their works. #fiction #micro #prose #poetry indeed. Check the lines that guide here:

dogthroat.com/guidelines
Surreal painting of odd horses and other oddball animals by Ron Walker
September 30, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Kathryn M. Crowley
shakethescales.bsky.social
See 🧵☝️

The maximum fine that can be handed down for getting rich by pouring shit into rivers is £20,000.

Last year, in occupied Northern Ireland, there were more than 4,000 spills, but just 63 fines. Just six of those fines were over £5,000 - most were closer to £200.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Water pollution: 'Pathetic' fines won't stop NI polluters, say campaigners
Figures obtained by BBC News NI show there were 63 fines handed down for water pollution between 2020 and 2024.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 26, 2025 at 3:54 PM
kathryning.bsky.social
An update about my Foinse project. It's all about water, and upcycling packaging that would otherwise cause more plastic to enter the sea. Here's a short blog post: kathrynmcrowley.com/2025/09/30/u... #microplastics #oceans #water #conservation #upcycling #visualart #Ireland #environment 🌊🐟 ♻️
A pen holder and other objects in progress. All are made from plastic nets. Upcycling by Kathryn M. Crowley Ireland.
October 1, 2025 at 6:43 AM
kathryning.bsky.social
Sunset bliss on the Blackwater.

Such beauty in Fermoy! I enjoyed the sights and sounds all around before taking a photo.
Rivulets of sadness and anger also moved through me.

In August, a chemical spill killed up to 32,000 fish. Who poisoned the river?

#Blackwater #Fermoy #righsofnature
Two people rowing in a boat. River Blackwater. Golden sunlight. September 24th, 2025 by Kathryn M. Crowley Ireland.
September 26, 2025 at 8:30 AM