P
@palmtreesablaze.bsky.social
Essayist based in Scotland. Same handle in most places. Volunteer at my local library
(she/they/siya)
https://substack.com/@palmtreesablaze
(she/they/siya)
https://substack.com/@palmtreesablaze
Pinned
P
@palmtreesablaze.bsky.social
· Nov 14
“His formula is expressed as the curtain falls: if Paradise, in order to be Paradise, is fertile soil for a vast Hell, the duty of the Poet is to turn Paradise into Hell. Victor Diaz and Jesus Christ set fire to the palm trees.”
— Roberto Bolaño, “Cowboy Graves”
— Roberto Bolaño, “Cowboy Graves”
Reposted by P
I hate the captive princess narrative so much. It tends to be applied disproportionately to women who are considered conventionally attractive, eg Melania Trump. The fact is that women who choose to marry awful men are usually awful themselves. That’s why they like those men. Adult women have agency
I would like everyone to understand that Talulah Riley was with Elon Musk because she wanted to be there and they had much in common. She was not some poor put upon woke darling trapped with a monster.
February 1, 2026 at 9:52 PM
I hate the captive princess narrative so much. It tends to be applied disproportionately to women who are considered conventionally attractive, eg Melania Trump. The fact is that women who choose to marry awful men are usually awful themselves. That’s why they like those men. Adult women have agency
Reposted by P
NGL this description of Bsky in Vulture cracked me up
January 31, 2026 at 2:02 PM
NGL this description of Bsky in Vulture cracked me up
Reposted by P
Some very odd replies here, reminding me as someone who is also a lifelong teetotaller how weird people's attitudes to substances can be. I have zero issue with folk who partake (within normal reason!) yet always good to be reminded that we still have a ways to go for the reverse!
February 1, 2026 at 2:32 PM
Some very odd replies here, reminding me as someone who is also a lifelong teetotaller how weird people's attitudes to substances can be. I have zero issue with folk who partake (within normal reason!) yet always good to be reminded that we still have a ways to go for the reverse!
For all the folks in Dunfermline: the bookstore & cafe Twice Told Tales is now open on the High Street (opposite Carlucci)! Make sure to pop in & show our local businesses the support they deserve 🙂
January 31, 2026 at 3:54 PM
For all the folks in Dunfermline: the bookstore & cafe Twice Told Tales is now open on the High Street (opposite Carlucci)! Make sure to pop in & show our local businesses the support they deserve 🙂
Reposted by P
every epstein commentary is these immensely rich/powerful/influential people raving about what a genius epstein was, and every one of his emails is just “helo, my name jomfrie”
January 31, 2026 at 4:28 AM
every epstein commentary is these immensely rich/powerful/influential people raving about what a genius epstein was, and every one of his emails is just “helo, my name jomfrie”
Reposted by P
feel like that's just called "living in a society", if you're used to living in the world and interacting with your fellow man you'll be used to the feeling of "fuck this person is tedious BUT their heart is in the right place", if you can't deal with it you're simply too online and/or anti-social!
people don't know how to handle a mostly virtuous person who is also massively annoying
January 31, 2026 at 12:15 AM
feel like that's just called "living in a society", if you're used to living in the world and interacting with your fellow man you'll be used to the feeling of "fuck this person is tedious BUT their heart is in the right place", if you can't deal with it you're simply too online and/or anti-social!
"... maybe life is something different than the tranquil acceptance of a death that comes on us unawares."
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
January 30, 2026 at 8:58 PM
"... maybe life is something different than the tranquil acceptance of a death that comes on us unawares."
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
Reposted by P
Building on this take, in any other country in Europe outside these islands, places like Inverness, Stirling, Perth and Dunfermline absolutely *would* have their own city councils but unfortunately we're allergic to Actual Local Government on these islands (independence has not exempted Ireland)
my take for Scotland is it needs a city council to be a real city
There are only seven cities in England: London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Newcastle. The other pretenders are just big towns.
January 30, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Building on this take, in any other country in Europe outside these islands, places like Inverness, Stirling, Perth and Dunfermline absolutely *would* have their own city councils but unfortunately we're allergic to Actual Local Government on these islands (independence has not exempted Ireland)
Reposted by P
January 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by P
Compartment C, car 293 - Edward Hopper, 1938.
Source : Collection IBM, Armonk, New York 🇺🇸
Source : Collection IBM, Armonk, New York 🇺🇸
January 29, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Compartment C, car 293 - Edward Hopper, 1938.
Source : Collection IBM, Armonk, New York 🇺🇸
Source : Collection IBM, Armonk, New York 🇺🇸
Reposted by P
Cityscape by Robert Crumb, dated 1964.
January 30, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Cityscape by Robert Crumb, dated 1964.
Reposted by P
North Sea Friday Folk #3 — lives shaped by the shallow sea on our doorstep
Today it’s the turn of American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910), whose 18-month stay in the fishing village of Cullercoats in NE England took his painting to new heights
🖼️ Inside the Bar, 1883, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Today it’s the turn of American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910), whose 18-month stay in the fishing village of Cullercoats in NE England took his painting to new heights
🖼️ Inside the Bar, 1883, Metropolitan Museum of Art
January 30, 2026 at 8:51 AM
North Sea Friday Folk #3 — lives shaped by the shallow sea on our doorstep
Today it’s the turn of American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910), whose 18-month stay in the fishing village of Cullercoats in NE England took his painting to new heights
🖼️ Inside the Bar, 1883, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Today it’s the turn of American artist Winslow Homer (1836-1910), whose 18-month stay in the fishing village of Cullercoats in NE England took his painting to new heights
🖼️ Inside the Bar, 1883, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Reposted by P
Carl Moll (1861 – 1945)
January 30, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Carl Moll (1861 – 1945)
Reposted by P
in this week's newsletter! I asked myself "huh, why do I dislike Paris so much?" and I tried to have a Big Think about my weird relationship with the city: youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/i-huh-went... [free to read!]
January 30, 2026 at 10:54 AM
in this week's newsletter! I asked myself "huh, why do I dislike Paris so much?" and I tried to have a Big Think about my weird relationship with the city: youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/i-huh-went... [free to read!]
Reposted by P
God help women on the apps
January 30, 2026 at 9:07 AM
God help women on the apps
Reposted by P
Peter Oliver (British b. 1927). Winter Village Scene (Oil on Board).
January 30, 2026 at 6:39 AM
Peter Oliver (British b. 1927). Winter Village Scene (Oil on Board).
A big part of the experience of being loved is sometimes having to ask for it, which is a profoundly embarrassing but often extremely rewarding practice
January 29, 2026 at 8:12 PM
A big part of the experience of being loved is sometimes having to ask for it, which is a profoundly embarrassing but often extremely rewarding practice
"From having been wounded early on he had discovered that life was a force that demanded a Truth. A naked violence like a nerve, that bled, a violence that he couldn't put a bandage on with words."
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
January 29, 2026 at 8:12 PM
"From having been wounded early on he had discovered that life was a force that demanded a Truth. A naked violence like a nerve, that bled, a violence that he couldn't put a bandage on with words."
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
"Erdosain knew that human language wasn't sufficient to express the contours of so many catastrophic knots."
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
January 29, 2026 at 8:11 PM
"Erdosain knew that human language wasn't sufficient to express the contours of so many catastrophic knots."
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
- Roberto Arlt, "The Flamethrowers"
Reposted by P
“read theory” is also “ask your friend who reads a lot to explain theory”
i ran into an interesting example of this recently...someone bringing back "telling people to read theory is ableist" discourse, assuming people would be doing this alone. i brought up the Black Panthers' reading list & how it was designed to encourage *group* readings/discussions
January 29, 2026 at 7:13 PM
“read theory” is also “ask your friend who reads a lot to explain theory”
Reposted by P
Keeping my eye on the strange return of blackberry style phones. Really hope these things have good performance, because I'm tired of looking at boring glass rectangles. Gimme more weird clicky devices. (Unihertz Titan 2 Elite and the Clicks Communicator)
January 23, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Keeping my eye on the strange return of blackberry style phones. Really hope these things have good performance, because I'm tired of looking at boring glass rectangles. Gimme more weird clicky devices. (Unihertz Titan 2 Elite and the Clicks Communicator)
Reposted by P
just like we have to actively work on unlearning sexism and and racism and ableism and all sorts of shit it feels like americans also have to unlearn being bad at thinking communally
January 29, 2026 at 4:51 PM
just like we have to actively work on unlearning sexism and and racism and ableism and all sorts of shit it feels like americans also have to unlearn being bad at thinking communally
Reposted by P
tired: our city is gonna be so much better than minneapolis at protesting
wired:
wired:
There’s a rally going on in Boston rn and they’re chanting “we’re not cold, we’re not afraid, MN taught us to be brave!” and I might cry
January 29, 2026 at 4:47 PM
tired: our city is gonna be so much better than minneapolis at protesting
wired:
wired:
Reposted by P
hey so it’s actually not a contest!
At an anti-ICE rally in Manhattan this week, protesters told me what it would look like if ICE tries to invade New York City: “It’s going to make Minnesota look like a day at the beach." Read about it in today's @nygroove.nyc nygroove.nyc/ice-protests...
New Yorkers say they're ready for ICE raids too: 'They thought we wouldn't care and we do'
The anti-ICE movement is already drawing a cross-section of New Yorkers, with echoes of 2020
nygroove.nyc
January 29, 2026 at 4:40 PM
hey so it’s actually not a contest!
Reposted by P
"Moonlit Hills" by German artist Martina Heiduczek.
January 29, 2026 at 3:15 AM
"Moonlit Hills" by German artist Martina Heiduczek.