Chris Mahan
@chrismahan.bsky.social
Writer mostly, novels and poetry. Handwriter. Photos when in the mood. See www.christophermahan.com
Pinned
Chris Mahan
@chrismahan.bsky.social
· Feb 28
I finished pages 2 and 4 of the next issue of the zine today. Still need to ink page 3!
after that, 12 more pages to do.
after that, 12 more pages to do.
November 14, 2025 at 9:01 AM
I finished pages 2 and 4 of the next issue of the zine today. Still need to ink page 3!
after that, 12 more pages to do.
after that, 12 more pages to do.
I feel using AI we have now is like throwing tons of rocks in a pile and calling it a pyramid. From really, really far away, it may look like a pyramid, but the closer you get you'll see it's a pile of rocks, and doesn't have hidden secret chambers, hieroglyphs, or anything interesting to discover.
November 11, 2025 at 8:43 PM
I feel using AI we have now is like throwing tons of rocks in a pile and calling it a pyramid. From really, really far away, it may look like a pyramid, but the closer you get you'll see it's a pile of rocks, and doesn't have hidden secret chambers, hieroglyphs, or anything interesting to discover.
for the writers among you, I happen to have two paperback copies of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, by different publishers. Frankenstein wS first published in 1818, more than 200 years ago.
Anyway. One has a typo on the first page of chapter 1 of volume 1.
they wrote retrain instead or refrain. 😭😱
Anyway. One has a typo on the first page of chapter 1 of volume 1.
they wrote retrain instead or refrain. 😭😱
November 11, 2025 at 9:05 AM
for the writers among you, I happen to have two paperback copies of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, by different publishers. Frankenstein wS first published in 1818, more than 200 years ago.
Anyway. One has a typo on the first page of chapter 1 of volume 1.
they wrote retrain instead or refrain. 😭😱
Anyway. One has a typo on the first page of chapter 1 of volume 1.
they wrote retrain instead or refrain. 😭😱
Metal Minds, a poem about AI and its overlords and a rational for destroying their invention.
open.substack.com/pub/chrismah...
open.substack.com/pub/chrismah...
November 8, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Metal Minds, a poem about AI and its overlords and a rational for destroying their invention.
open.substack.com/pub/chrismah...
open.substack.com/pub/chrismah...
@agnesbookbinder.bsky.social I am obsessed with Rosalía’s LUX. She has a song in Portuguese on there that stops me in my tracks every time I hear it.
November 7, 2025 at 12:38 PM
@agnesbookbinder.bsky.social I am obsessed with Rosalía’s LUX. She has a song in Portuguese on there that stops me in my tracks every time I hear it.
@nolageurl.bsky.social I went looking for your account on the old site but it was gone! Ahhh I had forgotten you moved here.
November 7, 2025 at 12:05 PM
@nolageurl.bsky.social I went looking for your account on the old site but it was gone! Ahhh I had forgotten you moved here.
Listening to LUX again. Damn, so good.
November 7, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Listening to LUX again. Damn, so good.
Using AI is like using stolen money to buy a commission as an army officer of the Crown.
November 7, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Using AI is like using stolen money to buy a commission as an army officer of the Crown.
it’s the darndest thing—to feel a poem come upon me in the middle of the night, while I am up after some sleep catching up on work.
November 7, 2025 at 10:57 AM
it’s the darndest thing—to feel a poem come upon me in the middle of the night, while I am up after some sleep catching up on work.
I am enjoying the cooling and the early evening darkness in November in southern california.
November 7, 2025 at 10:44 AM
I am enjoying the cooling and the early evening darkness in November in southern california.
Having a quiet saturday afternoon. Gonna do some copywork. Just ordered a copy of Charlotte Brontë’s book Jane Eyre on pangobooks.
November 2, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Having a quiet saturday afternoon. Gonna do some copywork. Just ordered a copy of Charlotte Brontë’s book Jane Eyre on pangobooks.
I wrote a poem that is too long for here, again. See Fish Hooks, at open.substack.com/pub/chrismah...
October 29, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I wrote a poem that is too long for here, again. See Fish Hooks, at open.substack.com/pub/chrismah...
The key? Meticulous records.
My way: on paper, handwritten.
My way: on paper, handwritten.
October 7, 2025 at 1:07 PM
The key? Meticulous records.
My way: on paper, handwritten.
My way: on paper, handwritten.
Reposted by Chris Mahan
“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”
Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943
Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943
October 4, 2025 at 8:17 PM
“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”
Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943
Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943
Shopify, oh shopify, how I hate thee… Now I must go refresh my pages there and I would rather write some python from scratch with some sql and some, gasp, CSS.
okay fine I will go update my shopify shop.
okay fine I will go update my shopify shop.
October 6, 2025 at 10:32 AM
Shopify, oh shopify, how I hate thee… Now I must go refresh my pages there and I would rather write some python from scratch with some sql and some, gasp, CSS.
okay fine I will go update my shopify shop.
okay fine I will go update my shopify shop.
@tropicalontour.bsky.social You should read London Encounter on my substack. One of my better short stories. Looking forward to what you think of it!
October 2, 2025 at 6:40 PM
@tropicalontour.bsky.social You should read London Encounter on my substack. One of my better short stories. Looking forward to what you think of it!
ohhhhh I had an interesting thought. At the beginning of the pandemic, for the IT sector, I thought there would be an ongoing degradation of capabilities because of the human loss of experienced tech people, and that this would lead to projects not being able to be maintained or completed well.
October 2, 2025 at 6:12 PM
ohhhhh I had an interesting thought. At the beginning of the pandemic, for the IT sector, I thought there would be an ongoing degradation of capabilities because of the human loss of experienced tech people, and that this would lead to projects not being able to be maintained or completed well.
Watching the film Desert Hearts while I work. I find the dialogue most excellent.
October 2, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Watching the film Desert Hearts while I work. I find the dialogue most excellent.
they like to talk rather than read
because in talk
if they are upset
they can talk back—
faster and louder,
to overwhelm the speaker.
but with writing they cannot
for the writer has written
and cannot be interrupted
and cannot be silenced
with angry shouts and gibberish
#poetry
because in talk
if they are upset
they can talk back—
faster and louder,
to overwhelm the speaker.
but with writing they cannot
for the writer has written
and cannot be interrupted
and cannot be silenced
with angry shouts and gibberish
#poetry
October 1, 2025 at 4:35 PM
they like to talk rather than read
because in talk
if they are upset
they can talk back—
faster and louder,
to overwhelm the speaker.
but with writing they cannot
for the writer has written
and cannot be interrupted
and cannot be silenced
with angry shouts and gibberish
#poetry
because in talk
if they are upset
they can talk back—
faster and louder,
to overwhelm the speaker.
but with writing they cannot
for the writer has written
and cannot be interrupted
and cannot be silenced
with angry shouts and gibberish
#poetry
In the past 24 hours, two people have shared, privately, two magnificent poems with me and me only. I feel privileged and fortunate.
October 1, 2025 at 8:56 AM
In the past 24 hours, two people have shared, privately, two magnificent poems with me and me only. I feel privileged and fortunate.
Watching Riding The Tiger and seeing the parallels to today.
September 29, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Watching Riding The Tiger and seeing the parallels to today.
I just found Charlie’s Country on Kanopy. I saw it a few years ago and it was such a lovely film. I hope you get to see it!
September 28, 2025 at 1:03 AM
I just found Charlie’s Country on Kanopy. I saw it a few years ago and it was such a lovely film. I hope you get to see it!
Yesterday I watched LEE, with Kate Winslet, in which she portrays a WWII photographer.
It was soo good. You should see it.
It was on Kanopy, for my viewing.
It was soo good. You should see it.
It was on Kanopy, for my viewing.
September 26, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Yesterday I watched LEE, with Kate Winslet, in which she portrays a WWII photographer.
It was soo good. You should see it.
It was on Kanopy, for my viewing.
It was soo good. You should see it.
It was on Kanopy, for my viewing.
You saw the FX show Shogun… you remember the pilot’s rutter, the handwritten guide the pilot used to navigate the ship (or fleet) from port to port? It was kept secret, so competitors could not learn the trade secrets.
Now thing of this in terms of AI prompts.
Now thing of this in terms of AI prompts.
September 25, 2025 at 7:57 PM
You saw the FX show Shogun… you remember the pilot’s rutter, the handwritten guide the pilot used to navigate the ship (or fleet) from port to port? It was kept secret, so competitors could not learn the trade secrets.
Now thing of this in terms of AI prompts.
Now thing of this in terms of AI prompts.
As it turns out, the worst horror wasn’t bloody, disjointed and halting zombies, but the perfectly respectable and quiet bureaucrats of the feudocapital state.
September 25, 2025 at 7:29 AM
As it turns out, the worst horror wasn’t bloody, disjointed and halting zombies, but the perfectly respectable and quiet bureaucrats of the feudocapital state.