Michael Downs
@michaeldowns.bsky.social
Writer. A few books, plenty of journalism, and a fascination with the song "Sitting on Top of the World." http://michael-downs.net
"It is not time that is lacking, only focus." – Zagajewski
"It is not time that is lacking, only focus." – Zagajewski
Pinned
Michael Downs
@michaeldowns.bsky.social
· Jan 15
Michael Downs | writer
The internet home of Michael Downs, author of the forthcoming novel, THE STRANGE AND TRUE TALE OF HORACE WELLS, SURGEON DENTIST
www.michael-downs.net
Updated my author website. New landing page, new art. Please do send a DM should you find a typo.
February 17, 2026 at 3:43 PM
On this date in 1930, the #MississippiSheiks recorded the song of my fascination, a song of struggle, hope and resilience.
"Was all the summer / and all the fall / just trying to find my / little all 'n' all."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jviY...
"Was all the summer / and all the fall / just trying to find my / little all 'n' all."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jviY...
Sitting On Top Of The World
YouTube video by Mississippi Sheiks - Topic
www.youtube.com
February 17, 2026 at 3:22 PM
On this date in 1930, the #MississippiSheiks recorded the song of my fascination, a song of struggle, hope and resilience.
"Was all the summer / and all the fall / just trying to find my / little all 'n' all."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jviY...
"Was all the summer / and all the fall / just trying to find my / little all 'n' all."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jviY...
In "Report," my newest essay published by The Missouri Review, a hidden painting comes to light in a Kraków courtyard and reveals much about children and war.
missourireview.com/report-by-mi...
missourireview.com/report-by-mi...
February 12, 2026 at 4:45 PM
In "Report," my newest essay published by The Missouri Review, a hidden painting comes to light in a Kraków courtyard and reveals much about children and war.
missourireview.com/report-by-mi...
missourireview.com/report-by-mi...
"Oblivion," Levis wrote, with a heartbreaking wink, "would be nothing without us."
– a #SundaySentence from Elissa Gabbert's appreciation of a new volume collecting the poetry of Larry Levis.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
– a #SundaySentence from Elissa Gabbert's appreciation of a new volume collecting the poetry of Larry Levis.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
He Died at 49. His Collected Poems Rank With the Best of the 20th Century.
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 12:20 PM
"Oblivion," Levis wrote, with a heartbreaking wink, "would be nothing without us."
– a #SundaySentence from Elissa Gabbert's appreciation of a new volume collecting the poetry of Larry Levis.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
– a #SundaySentence from Elissa Gabbert's appreciation of a new volume collecting the poetry of Larry Levis.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/b...
An Oscar-nominated live-action short, based on a Turgenev short story, and featuring #ChrisSmither? Marking my calendar for Feb. 13.
deadline.com/2026/01/netf...
deadline.com/2026/01/netf...
Netflix Acquires Oscar-Shortlisted Live-Action Short Film ‘The Singers’ In Advance Of Nominations
Netflix has acquired the Oscar-shortlisted Live Action Short Film 'The Singers' in advance of the Academy Awards nominations.
deadline.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:45 PM
An Oscar-nominated live-action short, based on a Turgenev short story, and featuring #ChrisSmither? Marking my calendar for Feb. 13.
deadline.com/2026/01/netf...
deadline.com/2026/01/netf...
Reposted by Michael Downs
Winter light in Baltimore with white crows of Kraków.
February 4, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Winter light in Baltimore with white crows of Kraków.
February 1, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Michael Downs
Our poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction doors are now open in Submittable. baltimorereview.org
The Baltimore Review
A journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction
baltimorereview.org
February 1, 2026 at 5:11 AM
Our poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction doors are now open in Submittable. baltimorereview.org
Meet Raven. We brought her to live with us a week ago today. She's petite, a year old, about 35 pounds, still a bit skittish, and celebratory in the snow. German Shepherd mix? Probably. Definitely a good dog.
January 28, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Meet Raven. We brought her to live with us a week ago today. She's petite, a year old, about 35 pounds, still a bit skittish, and celebratory in the snow. German Shepherd mix? Probably. Definitely a good dog.
Reposted by Michael Downs
I am nothing
But a prayer
To catch a fish.
A hush of air -
A bloom of cloud
On a tilting stalk.
By Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate
But a prayer
To catch a fish.
A hush of air -
A bloom of cloud
On a tilting stalk.
By Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate
November 5, 2024 at 7:56 AM
I am nothing
But a prayer
To catch a fish.
A hush of air -
A bloom of cloud
On a tilting stalk.
By Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate
But a prayer
To catch a fish.
A hush of air -
A bloom of cloud
On a tilting stalk.
By Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate
“The moral?” Henry thought for a moment. “The moral is the most pragmatic we can imagine, that life is a mystery and that only sentences are beautiful, and that we must be ready for change, especially when we go to Paris ...”
–a #SundaySentence from The Master by Colm Toibin
–a #SundaySentence from The Master by Colm Toibin
January 25, 2026 at 12:15 PM
“The moral?” Henry thought for a moment. “The moral is the most pragmatic we can imagine, that life is a mystery and that only sentences are beautiful, and that we must be ready for change, especially when we go to Paris ...”
–a #SundaySentence from The Master by Colm Toibin
–a #SundaySentence from The Master by Colm Toibin
A wonderful thing about books is that no matter how old they might be, if you've never read them, they can make you want to go to the window and shout "See this new thing I found!"
Colm Toibin's THE MASTER, from 2004, read to me as if it were published this morning. It's that fresh and real.
Colm Toibin's THE MASTER, from 2004, read to me as if it were published this morning. It's that fresh and real.
January 24, 2026 at 2:35 PM
A wonderful thing about books is that no matter how old they might be, if you've never read them, they can make you want to go to the window and shout "See this new thing I found!"
Colm Toibin's THE MASTER, from 2004, read to me as if it were published this morning. It's that fresh and real.
Colm Toibin's THE MASTER, from 2004, read to me as if it were published this morning. It's that fresh and real.
At the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, photo taken 1/2/26.
January 19, 2026 at 2:47 PM
At the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, photo taken 1/2/26.
It was a little realm of relaxed and happy interchange, of unrestricted conversations, with liberties taken while delicacies were observed, allowing the discussion of a hundred human and personal things as the American summer drew out to its last generosity.
#SundaySentence, The Master, Colm Toibin
#SundaySentence, The Master, Colm Toibin
January 18, 2026 at 2:23 PM
It was a little realm of relaxed and happy interchange, of unrestricted conversations, with liberties taken while delicacies were observed, allowing the discussion of a hundred human and personal things as the American summer drew out to its last generosity.
#SundaySentence, The Master, Colm Toibin
#SundaySentence, The Master, Colm Toibin
Five years ago, sore losers assaulted our government, goaded by the sorest loser. Congress pardoned the insurrection's leader in an impeachment vote; the sorest loser pardoned others. The rest of us must recall the facts of #January6 and tolerate no more offenses against democracy.
January 6, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Five years ago, sore losers assaulted our government, goaded by the sorest loser. Congress pardoned the insurrection's leader in an impeachment vote; the sorest loser pardoned others. The rest of us must recall the facts of #January6 and tolerate no more offenses against democracy.
At #CrystalBridges art museum in Arkansas, came across this statue and immediately thought I was in the presence of #SolomonKane.
@patrickzircher.bsky.social
@patrickzircher.bsky.social
December 31, 2025 at 5:55 PM
At #CrystalBridges art museum in Arkansas, came across this statue and immediately thought I was in the presence of #SolomonKane.
@patrickzircher.bsky.social
@patrickzircher.bsky.social
"The light was no more than a mean and taunting reminder of what light could be, a rumor of what light there once was."
– a #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's The Heart in Winter, once again, because the book could supply Sunday Sentences to last several glorious years.
– a #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's The Heart in Winter, once again, because the book could supply Sunday Sentences to last several glorious years.
December 21, 2025 at 12:38 PM
"The light was no more than a mean and taunting reminder of what light could be, a rumor of what light there once was."
– a #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's The Heart in Winter, once again, because the book could supply Sunday Sentences to last several glorious years.
– a #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's The Heart in Winter, once again, because the book could supply Sunday Sentences to last several glorious years.
#Adobe software just told me a PDF of a literary essay appeared to be long and did I want an #AI summary?
Per Flannery: Any summary of any literary work is a disservice, never done adequately. The only proper thing to do is to read it. AI venerates efficiency as the world's primary virtue. Not so.
Per Flannery: Any summary of any literary work is a disservice, never done adequately. The only proper thing to do is to read it. AI venerates efficiency as the world's primary virtue. Not so.
December 17, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Such a lovely, restrained tribute. Stephen King is a treasure.
December 17, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Such a lovely, restrained tribute. Stephen King is a treasure.
RIP, #JoeEly. A musician who couldn't be defined by genre except "Americana." Here he is with #TheFlatlanders, performing the song of my fascination, which also can't be defined by genre. Their version cranks up the energy. Hat tip to Robbie Gjersoe on solo guitar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KULL...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KULL...
The Flatlanders - "Sittin' On Top of the World" [Live from Austin, TX]
YouTube video by Live From Austin TX
www.youtube.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:52 PM
RIP, #JoeEly. A musician who couldn't be defined by genre except "Americana." Here he is with #TheFlatlanders, performing the song of my fascination, which also can't be defined by genre. Their version cranks up the energy. Hat tip to Robbie Gjersoe on solo guitar.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KULL...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KULL...
Eyes of wren's-egg blue and one inclined to say hello to the other but not unattractively.
A fragment, but still my #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's THE HEART IN WINTER, a book chockful of sentences to astonish.
A fragment, but still my #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's THE HEART IN WINTER, a book chockful of sentences to astonish.
December 14, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Eyes of wren's-egg blue and one inclined to say hello to the other but not unattractively.
A fragment, but still my #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's THE HEART IN WINTER, a book chockful of sentences to astonish.
A fragment, but still my #SundaySentence from Kevin Barry's THE HEART IN WINTER, a book chockful of sentences to astonish.
My new Great Blue Heron. Design by northern Michigan printmaker Gwen Frostic (1906-2001), ink by Jesse of @lineandlegacytattoo
December 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM
My new Great Blue Heron. Design by northern Michigan printmaker Gwen Frostic (1906-2001), ink by Jesse of @lineandlegacytattoo
Creative artistic solutions require creative artistic humans. Read this interview with the English-language translator of Jacek Dukaj's ambitious novel ICE and imagine how many ways AI translation apps would fail at the same task.
culture.pl/en/article/a...
culture.pl/en/article/a...
At the Limits of Possibility: Ursula Phillips on Translating Jacek Dukaj’s 'Ice'
'Ice' imagines an alternate early-20th-century world reshaped by the Tunguska explosion, where a mysterious substance freezes not only Siberia’s landscape but the very logic and history of Europe. Ble...
culture.pl
December 2, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Creative artistic solutions require creative artistic humans. Read this interview with the English-language translator of Jacek Dukaj's ambitious novel ICE and imagine how many ways AI translation apps would fail at the same task.
culture.pl/en/article/a...
culture.pl/en/article/a...
A #SundaySentence from John Cheever's story, "The Housebreaker of Shady Hill."
November 30, 2025 at 1:14 PM
A #SundaySentence from John Cheever's story, "The Housebreaker of Shady Hill."