L Biery
@bujoldy.bsky.social
Instructional designer, writer, practicing equanimity in 2020+ is hard af
Archer could have his wealth and position in society or he could have Ellen. It was naive to think he could have both. Is the age of innocence that youthful time when a person doesn’t understand they aren’t “special” - that they too will suffer societal constraints or pay a cost? 🏹
November 28, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Archer could have his wealth and position in society or he could have Ellen. It was naive to think he could have both. Is the age of innocence that youthful time when a person doesn’t understand they aren’t “special” - that they too will suffer societal constraints or pay a cost? 🏹
Am I the only one getting stalker vibes from Archer? 🏹
November 26, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Am I the only one getting stalker vibes from Archer? 🏹
“If people of my age WILL eat chicken-salad in the evening what are they to expect?” 🤣 I do like old Catherine. Everyone gets skewered in this novel, but EW seems to have a soft spot for her. And I do think she might sort things out. 🏹
November 21, 2025 at 6:43 PM
“If people of my age WILL eat chicken-salad in the evening what are they to expect?” 🤣 I do like old Catherine. Everyone gets skewered in this novel, but EW seems to have a soft spot for her. And I do think she might sort things out. 🏹
The wives go from discussing how many years fashionable Paris gowns must be mothballed before worn to which ill-treated penniless wife deserves pity. The one who causes society the least fuss it seems. Masterful chapter. Ends with May, not empty-headed after all, cooly snuffing out Archer’s light. 🏹
November 20, 2025 at 6:52 PM
The wives go from discussing how many years fashionable Paris gowns must be mothballed before worn to which ill-treated penniless wife deserves pity. The one who causes society the least fuss it seems. Masterful chapter. Ends with May, not empty-headed after all, cooly snuffing out Archer’s light. 🏹
For a flickering moment Archer sees it (I’m sure he’ll forget🤦♀️). Ellen is winning the protection of prominent men. Maybe accidentally, since meekly asking for “guidance” ensures their interest in her, but maybe… purposefully. I’m not sure I think less of her for it. Yet. But it’s a fact. 🏹
November 8, 2025 at 8:45 PM
For a flickering moment Archer sees it (I’m sure he’ll forget🤦♀️). Ellen is winning the protection of prominent men. Maybe accidentally, since meekly asking for “guidance” ensures their interest in her, but maybe… purposefully. I’m not sure I think less of her for it. Yet. But it’s a fact. 🏹
Oh.
“the possession of a ball-room that was used for no other purpose, and left for three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year to shuttered darkness”
I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of it this way before. 🏹
“the possession of a ball-room that was used for no other purpose, and left for three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year to shuttered darkness”
I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of it this way before. 🏹
November 2, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Oh.
“the possession of a ball-room that was used for no other purpose, and left for three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year to shuttered darkness”
I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of it this way before. 🏹
“the possession of a ball-room that was used for no other purpose, and left for three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year to shuttered darkness”
I’m not sure why I hadn’t thought of it this way before. 🏹
Mr and Mrs A. lob and volley during that breakfast like tennis champs, as he attempts to get out of the errand to fetch “knitted things” and lend advice on the location of the rose garden location. Who needs golf? #pleasingterror 😱
October 19, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Mr and Mrs A. lob and volley during that breakfast like tennis champs, as he attempts to get out of the errand to fetch “knitted things” and lend advice on the location of the rose garden location. Who needs golf? #pleasingterror 😱
It’s easier to frighten someone once they are comfortable, so we listen to a married couples’ perfectly normal breakfast conversation about errands, the sad quality of merchandise these days, and plans for a rose garden. #pleasingterror 😱
October 19, 2025 at 6:03 PM
It’s easier to frighten someone once they are comfortable, so we listen to a married couples’ perfectly normal breakfast conversation about errands, the sad quality of merchandise these days, and plans for a rose garden. #pleasingterror 😱
Well Lost Hearts either demonstrates that a well written story can be effective even if you see the end coming a mile away, or that my mind leaping to recent talk of $$$ tech bros and oligarchs using young blood and organ harvesting to live forever did the trick. 😱 #pleasingterror
October 2, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Well Lost Hearts either demonstrates that a well written story can be effective even if you see the end coming a mile away, or that my mind leaping to recent talk of $$$ tech bros and oligarchs using young blood and organ harvesting to live forever did the trick. 😱 #pleasingterror
FYI, I’ve noticed that only posts that include the 😱 are making it into the feed, and I have to search #pleasingterror to catch the others.
October 2, 2025 at 8:09 PM
FYI, I’ve noticed that only posts that include the 😱 are making it into the feed, and I have to search #pleasingterror to catch the others.
Acorn. Final thoughts? B is limited in his vision of the future by his memory of the way things were in the past. L. sees the future as something molded by actions in the present. She’s right. I don’t know if it’s enough, but remaining open and responsive to the present is to survive. 🌰
August 29, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Acorn. Final thoughts? B is limited in his vision of the future by his memory of the way things were in the past. L. sees the future as something molded by actions in the present. She’s right. I don’t know if it’s enough, but remaining open and responsive to the present is to survive. 🌰
When I worked in disaster preparedness, one of the items on the list to always have at hand were actual paper maps of your region. (Also know alternate paths out of your city or town). I designed a course for this, it has stuck with me, and I keep nodding yes while reading this book. 🌰
August 24, 2025 at 8:30 PM
When I worked in disaster preparedness, one of the items on the list to always have at hand were actual paper maps of your region. (Also know alternate paths out of your city or town). I designed a course for this, it has stuck with me, and I keep nodding yes while reading this book. 🌰
This has to lead to a community at the end? L. is constantly observing and critiquing other communities, their placement, their defenses, their resources and coming up with plans. A strategist. And I’m impressed that the group saved the two women at great danger to themselves. Adding to ranks. 🌰
August 24, 2025 at 5:27 PM
This has to lead to a community at the end? L. is constantly observing and critiquing other communities, their placement, their defenses, their resources and coming up with plans. A strategist. And I’m impressed that the group saved the two women at great danger to themselves. Adding to ranks. 🌰
To my Moby Dick fans. You probably aren’t in the market for a candle, but check out the description. 📖
Moby-Dick-Scented Candle
As Herman Melville noted in Chapter 94, whales sometimes smell “literally and truly, like the smell of spring violets.” So that is what this candle smells like. (If you think whales DON’T smell like s...
jdandkateindustries.com
August 21, 2025 at 10:15 PM
To my Moby Dick fans. You probably aren’t in the market for a candle, but check out the description. 📖
The purchases at HanningJoss were so practical. Food, shelter-ish, health, safety. It wasn’t until an hour later that I thought, oh, this reminds me of the Oregon Trail game. Oh. Oh shit. Well they have banded together, and their individual strengths assessed. Is this a good party? 🌰
August 19, 2025 at 8:38 PM
The purchases at HanningJoss were so practical. Food, shelter-ish, health, safety. It wasn’t until an hour later that I thought, oh, this reminds me of the Oregon Trail game. Oh. Oh shit. Well they have banded together, and their individual strengths assessed. Is this a good party? 🌰
We’ve talked about religion in the book, which has me thinking about Tonglen. It’s a Buddhist meditation practice of breathing in the suffering of others and breathing out relief to them. It cultivates compassion. L’s drug induced empathy isn’t voluntary and she avoids it when she can... 🌰
August 18, 2025 at 7:37 PM
We’ve talked about religion in the book, which has me thinking about Tonglen. It’s a Buddhist meditation practice of breathing in the suffering of others and breathing out relief to them. It cultivates compassion. L’s drug induced empathy isn’t voluntary and she avoids it when she can... 🌰
L’s father certainly wields his power over the community softly, persuading, or better yet, allowing people to come to the desired conclusions. Doesn’t work as well on L tho. 🌰
August 10, 2025 at 11:46 PM
L’s father certainly wields his power over the community softly, persuading, or better yet, allowing people to come to the desired conclusions. Doesn’t work as well on L tho. 🌰
The thing about reading this novel exactly now is that I want details. So the cul de sac built a wall. What materials were used? How high is it? Who keeps watch? Who makes the rules? How is work and food and water shared? And have they learned nothing about big daddy gods? 🌰
August 6, 2025 at 10:23 PM
The thing about reading this novel exactly now is that I want details. So the cul de sac built a wall. What materials were used? How high is it? Who keeps watch? Who makes the rules? How is work and food and water shared? And have they learned nothing about big daddy gods? 🌰
This is a 1972 version of utopia, all sex, drugs and rock n roll, um, flute music, but the build your own utopia aspect of it (add an orgy if you want, drugs not for you, have a beer, etc) really makes the reader feel complicit in the evil of what they are doing to the child. #omelas 🌰
August 2, 2025 at 6:01 PM
This is a 1972 version of utopia, all sex, drugs and rock n roll, um, flute music, but the build your own utopia aspect of it (add an orgy if you want, drugs not for you, have a beer, etc) really makes the reader feel complicit in the evil of what they are doing to the child. #omelas 🌰
Reposted by L Biery
Today is apparently Melville's birthday. I once declared that I would make a fountain pen inspired by Moby-Dick, but I still haven't started on it.
August 1, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Today is apparently Melville's birthday. I once declared that I would make a fountain pen inspired by Moby-Dick, but I still haven't started on it.
Great list of books, including one by Silvina Ocampo 📖
Throughout 2024, a group of folks focused on reading what we called "Wafer-thin Books": under 150 pages long.
Though the group is finished, our material remains online at WaferThinBooks.com.
Check out the rich variety of suggestions you'll find there.
Though the group is finished, our material remains online at WaferThinBooks.com.
Check out the rich variety of suggestions you'll find there.
Welcome to Wafer-Thin Books! - Wafer Thin Books
Welcome to Wafer-Thin Books! Here are the Books We’re Discussing This Year: Month Title Author January Adventures in Immediate Irreality Max…
WaferThinBooks.com
July 7, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Great list of books, including one by Silvina Ocampo 📖
Translations matter.
This article compares how several translators have handled the first line of a story we’ve recently read. 🪞
This article compares how several translators have handled the first line of a story we’ve recently read. 🪞
Dear Mr. Borges, Which Translation Should I Read?
Look closely: you’ll see he left us an answer.
medium.com
July 5, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Translations matter.
This article compares how several translators have handled the first line of a story we’ve recently read. 🪞
This article compares how several translators have handled the first line of a story we’ve recently read. 🪞
Side quest, anyone? 🪞
I read various stories and authors of this genre and period of LA literature for my lit degree and it definitely helped to have a cross section. If anyone is interested in reading a very short (6 p.) and amazing story by Cortázar that is definitely less cerebral I found an English pdf.
www.bpi.edu
July 2, 2025 at 11:37 PM
Side quest, anyone? 🪞
Was Eleanor driven mad by the house or her circumstances? She’d cared for her mother her entire adult life. She hoped for a fairy tale ending at Hill House. Lovers meet at journeys end. 🌌
June 15, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Was Eleanor driven mad by the house or her circumstances? She’d cared for her mother her entire adult life. She hoped for a fairy tale ending at Hill House. Lovers meet at journeys end. 🌌