Marc de Faoite
@marcdefaoite.bsky.social
Herbivorous open-water-swimming snowflake bookworm, b. 323.05 ppm. Irish in France. Writer/editor/translator. Work in in Honest Ulsterman, Minor Lit, Irish Times, Courrier International, Cormorant, Incubator, Eastlit, Jaggery, Mekong Review, Esquire ...
Pinned
Marc de Faoite
@marcdefaoite.bsky.social
· Oct 28
A Dubliner returning to France after 15 years away: ‘Here are some of the many changes I noticed’
A Dubliner returning to France finds smoky bars replaced by bubblegum clouds from vapes, that you no longer risk going tealess, and you can even ask directions in English
www.irishtimes.com
I wrote a piece for the @irishtimes.bsky.social about moving back to France after 15 years.
www.irishtimes.com/abroad/2024/...
www.irishtimes.com/abroad/2024/...
"Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness." — Samuel Beckett
February 5, 2026 at 12:12 AM
"Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness." — Samuel Beckett
Reposted by Marc de Faoite
We are delighted to host a second course led by @susannacrossman.bsky.social
Through generative exercises, exploring texts from authors like Rebecca Solnit, Joan Didion, Noreen Massud, and Georges Perec we’ll be writing place and time, deciding where we’re standing and making this world alive.
Through generative exercises, exploring texts from authors like Rebecca Solnit, Joan Didion, Noreen Massud, and Georges Perec we’ll be writing place and time, deciding where we’re standing and making this world alive.
February 4, 2026 at 10:19 AM
We are delighted to host a second course led by @susannacrossman.bsky.social
Through generative exercises, exploring texts from authors like Rebecca Solnit, Joan Didion, Noreen Massud, and Georges Perec we’ll be writing place and time, deciding where we’re standing and making this world alive.
Through generative exercises, exploring texts from authors like Rebecca Solnit, Joan Didion, Noreen Massud, and Georges Perec we’ll be writing place and time, deciding where we’re standing and making this world alive.
Reposted by Marc de Faoite
‘When we know someone’s eyes are fixed on us, we cannot function freely, no, we cannot function at all. We want to shoot an arrow into the eye that watches.’
Fiction by Perumal Murugan.
granta.com/the-marketpl...
Fiction by Perumal Murugan.
granta.com/the-marketpl...
The Marketplace | Perumal Murugan | Granta
‘He had gone to school fearful that they might drag him along for some work otherwise. This was how he received an education.’
granta.com
January 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM
‘When we know someone’s eyes are fixed on us, we cannot function freely, no, we cannot function at all. We want to shoot an arrow into the eye that watches.’
Fiction by Perumal Murugan.
granta.com/the-marketpl...
Fiction by Perumal Murugan.
granta.com/the-marketpl...
The leader of France's far-right party is on her way to jail. She won't be able to stand for election for 5 years. But it's far from a fatal blow for the far-right, which has never been more popular. Just how popular, next month's municipal elections will tell.
www.lemonde.fr/politique/ar...
www.lemonde.fr/politique/ar...
Procès en appel des assistants FN : le parquet requiert quatre ans de prison, dont un an ferme, et cinq ans d’inéligibilité contre Marine Le Pen
En première instance, Marine Le Pen avait été condamnée à quatre ans d’emprisonnement dont deux avec sursis, 100 000 euros d’amende et cinq ans d’inéligibilité avec exécution immédiate.
www.lemonde.fr
February 3, 2026 at 9:35 PM
The leader of France's far-right party is on her way to jail. She won't be able to stand for election for 5 years. But it's far from a fatal blow for the far-right, which has never been more popular. Just how popular, next month's municipal elections will tell.
www.lemonde.fr/politique/ar...
www.lemonde.fr/politique/ar...
Reposted by Marc de Faoite
your first draft isn't perfect? what? that's weird. i've never heard of that happening before. maybe you should give up
February 2, 2026 at 9:44 PM
your first draft isn't perfect? what? that's weird. i've never heard of that happening before. maybe you should give up
If Henry David Thoreau was alive today he would be 209 (and he'd still have none of his teeth).
February 3, 2026 at 6:51 AM
If Henry David Thoreau was alive today he would be 209 (and he'd still have none of his teeth).
Word of the Day - Metonymy
Substituting the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, straight for heterosexual, clown for politician.
Substituting the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, straight for heterosexual, clown for politician.
February 3, 2026 at 6:48 AM
Word of the Day - Metonymy
Substituting the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, straight for heterosexual, clown for politician.
Substituting the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, straight for heterosexual, clown for politician.
What does it mean to create? What is music for?
Adam Neely focuses on the use of AI in music. TL;DR, he's not a fan, obvs, because yuck. Slop machines gonna slop.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8dc...
Adam Neely focuses on the use of AI in music. TL;DR, he's not a fan, obvs, because yuck. Slop machines gonna slop.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8dc...
Suno, AI Music, and the Bad Future
YouTube video by Adam Neely
www.youtube.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:56 PM
What does it mean to create? What is music for?
Adam Neely focuses on the use of AI in music. TL;DR, he's not a fan, obvs, because yuck. Slop machines gonna slop.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8dc...
Adam Neely focuses on the use of AI in music. TL;DR, he's not a fan, obvs, because yuck. Slop machines gonna slop.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8dc...
“All Moanday, Tearday, Wailsday, Thumpsday, Frightday, Shatterday.”
Happy Burstday Jimmy Jay
Happy Burstday Jimmy Jay
February 2, 2026 at 6:52 PM
“All Moanday, Tearday, Wailsday, Thumpsday, Frightday, Shatterday.”
Happy Burstday Jimmy Jay
Happy Burstday Jimmy Jay
Reposted by Marc de Faoite
My short, hot, review of Vigil by George Saunders.
I probably need to sit and think a bit more about it, but I wanted to put down some initial thoughts while it was still fresh in my mind.
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I probably need to sit and think a bit more about it, but I wanted to put down some initial thoughts while it was still fresh in my mind.
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Marc Faoite's review of Vigil
5/5: Dead people. Dying people. Deathbeds. Interventions from the denizens of the the spirit world. Characters with the ability to merge and intrude upon each others inner worlds. It's déjà vu all o...
www.goodreads.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:30 PM
My short, hot, review of Vigil by George Saunders.
I probably need to sit and think a bit more about it, but I wanted to put down some initial thoughts while it was still fresh in my mind.
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I probably need to sit and think a bit more about it, but I wanted to put down some initial thoughts while it was still fresh in my mind.
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
TL;DR - Car Brain (a.k.a Motornormativity) is at the heart of GMaps
www.youtube.com/watch?v=csHd...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=csHd...
Why I don't use Google Maps in Amsterdam
YouTube video by Not Just Bikes
www.youtube.com
February 1, 2026 at 7:33 PM
TL;DR - Car Brain (a.k.a Motornormativity) is at the heart of GMaps
www.youtube.com/watch?v=csHd...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=csHd...
One of the books I am most looking forward to reading this year.
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
Glyph by Ali Smith review – bearing witness to the war in Gaza
This second novel in a sharp duology offers a powerful interrogation of language in the age of mechanical mass destruction
www.theguardian.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:46 PM
One of the books I am most looking forward to reading this year.
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
"We don’t know how much warming we’ll see by 2050. Here's why." by @simonoxfphys.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZY6...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZY6...
We don’t know how much warming we’ll see by 2050. Here's why.
YouTube video by Simon Clark
www.youtube.com
February 1, 2026 at 6:26 PM
"We don’t know how much warming we’ll see by 2050. Here's why." by @simonoxfphys.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZY6...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZY6...
I'm lucky to live in the centre of a small town. Almost anything I need is within a 10-minute walk, including my daily commute to work. I don't have a car, because I don't want a car. But also, I don't NEED a car. Why would anyone rather sit in traffic for hours every day if they had a choice?
Ok, let’s do this🙄
We’ll start with an explainer covering:
🕒What is a 15-minute city
🏫What on Earth is going on with Oxford
👽Where the conspiracy theories have come from
And then we’ll look at the Telegraph article
🧵
1/25
We’ll start with an explainer covering:
🕒What is a 15-minute city
🏫What on Earth is going on with Oxford
👽Where the conspiracy theories have come from
And then we’ll look at the Telegraph article
🧵
1/25
February 1, 2026 at 5:44 PM
I'm lucky to live in the centre of a small town. Almost anything I need is within a 10-minute walk, including my daily commute to work. I don't have a car, because I don't want a car. But also, I don't NEED a car. Why would anyone rather sit in traffic for hours every day if they had a choice?
How sorry can you be? Very, very sorry.
February 1, 2026 at 4:49 PM
How sorry can you be? Very, very sorry.
"An investigation shared exclusively with Atmos and HEATED finds that 80% of anti-trans organizations receive fossil fuel funding."
Why? Apparently because fuelling hate wins votes for the right, who in turn prop up Big Oil.
heated.world/p/fossil-fue...
Why? Apparently because fuelling hate wins votes for the right, who in turn prop up Big Oil.
heated.world/p/fossil-fue...
Fossil fuel billionaires are bankrolling the anti-trans movement
An investigation shared exclusively with Atmos and HEATED finds that 80% of anti-trans organizations receive fossil fuel funding.
heated.world
January 31, 2026 at 3:39 PM
"An investigation shared exclusively with Atmos and HEATED finds that 80% of anti-trans organizations receive fossil fuel funding."
Why? Apparently because fuelling hate wins votes for the right, who in turn prop up Big Oil.
heated.world/p/fossil-fue...
Why? Apparently because fuelling hate wins votes for the right, who in turn prop up Big Oil.
heated.world/p/fossil-fue...
Reposted by Marc de Faoite
Remembering Ann Lovett who tragically died 42 years ago today after giving birth alone in a grotto in Granard.
The Statue of the Virgin at Granard Speaks -Paula Meehan
"and though she cried out to me in extremis
I did not move,
I didn’t lift a finger to help her,
I didn’t intercede with heaven
The Statue of the Virgin at Granard Speaks -Paula Meehan
"and though she cried out to me in extremis
I did not move,
I didn’t lift a finger to help her,
I didn’t intercede with heaven
January 31, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Remembering Ann Lovett who tragically died 42 years ago today after giving birth alone in a grotto in Granard.
The Statue of the Virgin at Granard Speaks -Paula Meehan
"and though she cried out to me in extremis
I did not move,
I didn’t lift a finger to help her,
I didn’t intercede with heaven
The Statue of the Virgin at Granard Speaks -Paula Meehan
"and though she cried out to me in extremis
I did not move,
I didn’t lift a finger to help her,
I didn’t intercede with heaven
A (surprisingly large) solar farm in Ireland. It's good to see, but unfortunately datacentres use a huge amount of Ireland's electricity (more than a fifth at the moment, projected to rise to a third this year according to Institute of International and European Affairs - link in comments)
Few bright spells appearing over the solar farm under construction in Rathoe County Carlow.
January 31, 2026 at 3:20 PM
A (surprisingly large) solar farm in Ireland. It's good to see, but unfortunately datacentres use a huge amount of Ireland's electricity (more than a fifth at the moment, projected to rise to a third this year according to Institute of International and European Affairs - link in comments)
Niche, but gold
In a world of Pinkers, be a Gould
January 31, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Niche, but gold
Reposted by Marc de Faoite
You are being misled about renewable energy technology.
YouTube video by Technology Connections
www.youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:27 PM