Ada Palmer
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adapalmer.bsky.social
Ada Palmer
@adapalmer.bsky.social
29K followers 4.4K following 8.5K posts
Daily #ShareGoodNewsToo
Novelist (SF fantasy), historian (UChicago Renaissance, Enlightenment, Italy, classical reception), composer (filk, Norse myth), disability (chronic pain), manga/anime (Tezuka), food, history pics #SomethingBeautiful Blog exurbe.com
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adapalmer.bsky.social
This one grew as an unexpected volunteer in a disused pot near my balcony bird feeder; some feathered diner must have carried & dropped the seed.
Photo of purple morning glories in the striped shadow of a balcony rail. Photo of the same morning glories from underneath with sunlight coming through them like stained glass, and the black iron balcony rail behind.
November 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Cool detail! We recently realized the color word 4 the dark side of Hel, bloth, isn’t black (that’s svartr) it’s super dark blue, the color ravens shimmer in sunlight, & you get dying a black sheep’s wool w/ blue woad dye, the color Odin wears & saga warriors wear when riding out to die. Death color
A hand holds a skein of woolen yarn of a dark charcoal gray color with a faint blue tint, the color called bloth in old Norse. It is held in bright sunlight which makes it look somewhat pale, the color of slate. A hand holds the same skein of yarn this time in summer light where it’s darkness’s and blue are slightly more visible.
November 12, 2025 at 5:53 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Yep. Active resistance is the only path for reclaiming what they’re doing to the myths, as well as the only safe way to spot an ally.

(Sticker from Etsy. My usual response when people comment is “I don’t think the mixed-race, genderqueer, disabled Allfather is going to like Nazis much, do you?”
Photo of a sticker on the back of a laptop. Big text says “No Nazis in Valhalla.” In the center a twisty Nordic image of a serpent biting its tail surrounds three downward pointing arrows (an anti-white-supremacist symbol). Text in runes on the serpent’s body repeats (for those who can read runes) the phrase “Nazis fuck off.”
November 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
We finished the puzzle, everyone! @windyconisfic.bsky.social
Photo of a completed 1,000 piece puzzle showing a drawing of a group of cats and kittens posing in a field. The calico and the gray long haired tabby have frustratingly similar coat color/texture combos and were the hardest part. The orange one looks extra playful and was the easiest part.
November 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
The “women in the workplace” discourse is a perfect moment to re-recommend the brilliant one-season anime “Hataraki Man” a study of the ways women working in the production office of a monthly men’s magazine each deploy femininity differently to achieve power in the workplace. On Netflix & blu ray
Blu ray box cover of Hataraki Man. 6 people in very serious men’s business suits are drawn in a jousei style (manga for mature female readers). Two of the six figures are women, the rest men.
November 6, 2025 at 3:56 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Awesome! Here’s the current draft of the starter map for my class’s Italian version in 1492!
November 5, 2025 at 12:05 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
I think this was Third Grade Halloween. One guess which kid is me.
Old outdoor photograph showing three nine year old kids in Halloween costumes. On the left a kid with long hair and a blue cape is dressed as a 19th century nurse. In the middle a kid with a red robe and pink bandanna and sword is dressed as a bandit. On the right a kid encased in a 3 foot diameter paper mache sphere painted to look like a huge bloodshot eyeball with a grinning mouth & savage teeth, with ten tentacles coming out of the top with eyeballs on the end, is dressed as a beholder from Dungeons & Dragons. In the back, a woman in a Brien coat walking by the three has turned to do a double take looking back at the eyeball monstrosity.
October 31, 2025 at 6:07 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Excuse me…?
Box of “everything” flavor Triscuit crackers with highlight around text that says: “NATURAL FLAVOR WITH OTHER NATURAL FLAVOR.”
October 27, 2025 at 12:28 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
My funds were out, but I found a friend to match!
Receipt for $52 donation to Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (Flint MI)
October 25, 2025 at 2:39 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Matching done!
October 24, 2025 at 1:16 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Yay!! Thanks for taking part! Seeing you posting about your games here always makes me smile and feel warm. ❤️
Donation receipt for Alameda County Community Food Bank
October 24, 2025 at 12:51 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
I saw a donation to South East Ohio Food bank for a moment. The post got deleted, but I went ahead and match donated anyway. Happy to help, Ohio!
Receipt for a donation via HAPCAP to South East Ohio Food Bank
October 24, 2025 at 12:01 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Philabundance is such a great name! So many fond memories of coming from Bryn Mawr to take courses at Penn.
Donation receipt for Philabundance foodbank of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey
October 23, 2025 at 11:58 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Wonderful that you were able to resume monthly too!
Receipt for a donation to the Greater Boston Food Bank
October 23, 2025 at 11:53 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Teamwork is the most powerful force we have. Thanks for helping! 🙌 Seeing Boston on yours made me smile remembering fun grad school days in Cambridge.
Receipt for donation to Greater Boston Food Bank
October 23, 2025 at 11:42 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Matched! Made me smile thinking of my days at A&M
Receipt of $30 donation to New Braunfels Food Bank of Southwest Texas
October 23, 2025 at 11:35 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Awesome! My grandpa was from New Mexico, excited to help his awesome community!
Receipt confirming $100 donation to Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico
October 23, 2025 at 11:32 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Matched!
Receipt confirming $28.43 donation to Long Island Cares food bank
October 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Decided to double match since you're the first one. Thanks for the teamwork!
Receipt showing $50 donation to the FISH of Galesburg food pantry
October 23, 2025 at 11:21 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
How heavy is the base? Often the tell is that fake ones don’t use nearly as much metal since it’s expensive. Here’s a real base.
October 16, 2025 at 1:28 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Within Italy, individual historic city states are recognizing Palestine; I was there for the Florentine Republic recognizing it this September, announced from the Palazzo Vecchio. Powerful seeing the old granular polities still using their strength. Cities are REAL in a powerful way. (See Alt Text)
Photo of Florence’s historic Palazzo Vecchio, seat of the republic. You can see Michelangelo’s David standing in front of it. Gathered in front are people in the historic red & white livery of the city, and many men in the red T-shirts of the “Republic of 1530” the organization that runs our city Florence’s historic festivals, named for the last pre-ducal/conquest iteration of Florence’s republic. I wish I had a pic with the Mayor and the pro-Palestine banner they hung on the balcony but I don’t. I forget if the Archbishop was there in person or just some priests, but the solidarity was big. I think the Parte Guelfa was there too.
October 11, 2025 at 11:33 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Just arrived! Andrea Horbinski’s “Manga’s First Century.” Can’t wait to dig in!!! #manga #BookSky
Book cover of “Manga’s First Century: How Creators and Fans Made Japanese Comics, 1905-1989” by Andrea Horbinski. The cover shows three different styles & genres of early-to-mid century manga.
October 11, 2025 at 11:15 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
If you use electrolyte drinks, Skratch Labs is having an end-of-a sale including their unique HOT APPLE CIDER flavor that's brilliant for colder weather: www.skratchlabs.com/products/hyd... #disability
Photo of a white bag of Skratch Labs brand "apple cider hydration sport drink mix" with images of apple chunks and cinnamon sticks.
October 6, 2025 at 1:12 AM
adapalmer.bsky.social
The ARCs are here!! “Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy” coming out Tor Books in March 2026 from me and @bluejo.bsky.social
Photo of Ada Palmer and Jo Walton holding the advanced release copy of the book, sitting in front of a bookcase covered with science fiction and action figures. The book cover. It shows stacks of old and much loved paperback books with classic science fiction and fantasy fonts, stacked so their titles spell out the title of the book. The mood is cozy, warm, and bibliophilic, like curling up in a corner overstuffed armchair to look over a friend’s bookcase and smile at the mixture of familiar and new book friends. The back of the book. The blurb reads: “in “Trace Elements”, Jo Walton and Ada Palmer have come together in a supremely entertaining look at modern science fiction and fantasy, at how out genre is written and how it is read, that will join nonfiction works like Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Language of the Night,” Samuel R. Delany’s “The Jewel-Hinged Jaw”, and “Understanding Comics” by Scot McCloud, on the short shelf of titles essential to all readers of our genre.” ☺️😅
October 1, 2025 at 9:33 PM
adapalmer.bsky.social
Do you (A) get food from a farm share or CSA and (B) live near a Love Fridge location? If you ask, many farms are happy to deliver a free or discounted extra box of surplus produce or “seconds” that you can put into the love fridge nearest you, a great team-up to help local #MutualAid 🤝🍎🥦🌽🥕
Photo of a fridge filled with slightly odd-shaped but delicious farm fresh squash, broccoli, peaches, apples, lettuce, corn, and other delicious veggies.
September 28, 2025 at 12:46 AM