~Polly Schattel~
@pollyschattel.bsky.social
Writer • Filmmaker • Partner • Parent • Trans • THE OCCULTISTS, SHADOWDAYS, 8:59:29, and in May ‘26, COME AS YOU’RE NOT • Lover of books, woods, guitars, critters & coffee • Trans rights = human rights • AVL • She/her
Ravensworth (Swamp Lantern III), Peter Gardiner
November 19, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Ravensworth (Swamp Lantern III), Peter Gardiner
Eric Idle was always my favorite Python. He seemed to not have an agenda of any kind other than to be happy and silly. Since Cleese and Gillian have revealed themselves as bitter bigots, and Chapman and Jones are deceased, that leaves only Michael Palin. By all accounts, he’s a good lad.
November 18, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Eric Idle was always my favorite Python. He seemed to not have an agenda of any kind other than to be happy and silly. Since Cleese and Gillian have revealed themselves as bitter bigots, and Chapman and Jones are deceased, that leaves only Michael Palin. By all accounts, he’s a good lad.
The princess, the ladybug, our sweet cinnamon sugar, Iris.
November 16, 2025 at 1:01 AM
The princess, the ladybug, our sweet cinnamon sugar, Iris.
Throwback Thursday or whatever. When we’d go to NYC we’d try to stay at the Chelsea. It was pricey but worth it. This room was on the third floor, just down the hall from where Clarke and Kubrick worked on the script for 2001. So much crazy history in that place. And fantastic showers.
November 15, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Throwback Thursday or whatever. When we’d go to NYC we’d try to stay at the Chelsea. It was pricey but worth it. This room was on the third floor, just down the hall from where Clarke and Kubrick worked on the script for 2001. So much crazy history in that place. And fantastic showers.
I sure do love this Spanish edition of my first book, THE OCCULTISTS. Dilantando Mentes does a fantastic job of everything they put out, and I was proud to join their roster. They really seemed to get the ideas and symbols embedded in the book, and the book design is incredible.
November 14, 2025 at 1:40 AM
I sure do love this Spanish edition of my first book, THE OCCULTISTS. Dilantando Mentes does a fantastic job of everything they put out, and I was proud to join their roster. They really seemed to get the ideas and symbols embedded in the book, and the book design is incredible.
Didn’t like the new Frankenstein too much. Way too obvious and maximalist. But I did enjoy Jacob Elordi’s vision for the monster—he gave a creative and delicate performance. I also liked Mia Goth’s headpiece. And that’s about it. Even the mighty Oscar Isaac was wasted.
November 12, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Didn’t like the new Frankenstein too much. Way too obvious and maximalist. But I did enjoy Jacob Elordi’s vision for the monster—he gave a creative and delicate performance. I also liked Mia Goth’s headpiece. And that’s about it. Even the mighty Oscar Isaac was wasted.
If you know who this kid is, call your colonoscopy doctor, quick!
November 11, 2025 at 10:42 PM
If you know who this kid is, call your colonoscopy doctor, quick!
I’ve always loved this rather practical application for perceiving the fractal and infinite nature of our universe. The tools we use determine nature’s response. With the right tools, the infinite quality of everything around us is laid bare.
November 11, 2025 at 2:33 PM
I’ve always loved this rather practical application for perceiving the fractal and infinite nature of our universe. The tools we use determine nature’s response. With the right tools, the infinite quality of everything around us is laid bare.
Reading a book on the development and making of Dr. Strangelove, when Kubrick had to start allowing for “doomsday as farce” scenarios. It’s not an encouraging story.
November 11, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Reading a book on the development and making of Dr. Strangelove, when Kubrick had to start allowing for “doomsday as farce” scenarios. It’s not an encouraging story.
Every time I see a man and a woman paired like this I think it’s one of those before and after trans images. Had to do a double take. My brain was like, Damn, Mamdani’s hot!
November 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Every time I see a man and a woman paired like this I think it’s one of those before and after trans images. Had to do a double take. My brain was like, Damn, Mamdani’s hot!
God, misogyny was/is just baked into our culture. It’s like the air we breathe. The (white) male gaze was everywhere. It’s gotten better, thankfully. A perfume ad(!) from 1983.
November 9, 2025 at 2:32 PM
God, misogyny was/is just baked into our culture. It’s like the air we breathe. The (white) male gaze was everywhere. It’s gotten better, thankfully. A perfume ad(!) from 1983.
I'm a big believer in letting people look how they want. Old, young, fat, thin, boy, girl--it's all up for play. You do you. But this is bizarre, and the fact that conservatives aren't acknowledging that it's bizarre is even more bizarre.
November 8, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I'm a big believer in letting people look how they want. Old, young, fat, thin, boy, girl--it's all up for play. You do you. But this is bizarre, and the fact that conservatives aren't acknowledging that it's bizarre is even more bizarre.
Post you from a different era.
1992 or 1993. I’d been living in Brazil for the previous year and was back in the American south for the first time in years and feeling like a stranger in my own hometown.
1992 or 1993. I’d been living in Brazil for the previous year and was back in the American south for the first time in years and feeling like a stranger in my own hometown.
November 8, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Post you from a different era.
1992 or 1993. I’d been living in Brazil for the previous year and was back in the American south for the first time in years and feeling like a stranger in my own hometown.
1992 or 1993. I’d been living in Brazil for the previous year and was back in the American south for the first time in years and feeling like a stranger in my own hometown.
Light: Outside, Inside, Tomás Sánchez, 2021
November 8, 2025 at 3:44 AM
Light: Outside, Inside, Tomás Sánchez, 2021
The woods outside Asheville are still recovering one year after Helene. We lost over 1 million trees. Many of the trees were weak or in bad shape from the clear-cutting practices in the 1920’s and the winds just slammed them down. Still a mess, but time and nature will fix it as always.
November 7, 2025 at 11:08 PM
The woods outside Asheville are still recovering one year after Helene. We lost over 1 million trees. Many of the trees were weak or in bad shape from the clear-cutting practices in the 1920’s and the winds just slammed them down. Still a mess, but time and nature will fix it as always.
Wait. Charles Bukowski was actually young at one time?
November 7, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Wait. Charles Bukowski was actually young at one time?
Apples, Vasilisa Romanenko, 2023
November 5, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Apples, Vasilisa Romanenko, 2023
Ah, yes. Soldering. Not my favorite activity, but I can do a sloppy but effective job, I suppose.
November 5, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Ah, yes. Soldering. Not my favorite activity, but I can do a sloppy but effective job, I suppose.
Apartment House of the Future, Grant E. Hamilton, 1895
November 4, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Apartment House of the Future, Grant E. Hamilton, 1895
Been reading Thomas Ligotti's DEATH POEMS as a way to fall asleep. They're bleaker than bleak, almost transgressively fixated on death, nihilism and states of nothingness, but in that state they're oddly comforting. In contemplating death, I see tons of life. Squirming, struggling, reaching life.
November 3, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Been reading Thomas Ligotti's DEATH POEMS as a way to fall asleep. They're bleaker than bleak, almost transgressively fixated on death, nihilism and states of nothingness, but in that state they're oddly comforting. In contemplating death, I see tons of life. Squirming, struggling, reaching life.
The Little Writer, Charles Van Den Eycken, 1913
November 2, 2025 at 3:12 PM
The Little Writer, Charles Van Den Eycken, 1913
From SNL’s Michael Che.
November 1, 2025 at 5:46 PM
From SNL’s Michael Che.
Untitled (Doll Series), Bikash Bhattacharjee, 1971
October 31, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Untitled (Doll Series), Bikash Bhattacharjee, 1971