Jonathan Shipley
@shipleywriter.bsky.social
A writer from Madison, Wisconsin who likes, well, yes, cheese, but also things like small town baseball, jazz, photography, conservation, comedy, social justice, travel, and wearing aggressively colorful pants.
“Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.”
On this day, in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus.
On this day, in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus.
November 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM
“Stand for something or you will fall for anything. Today’s mighty oak is yesterday’s nut that held its ground.”
On this day, in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus.
On this day, in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus.
Madison snow casualties. Thoughts and prayers.
November 30, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Madison snow casualties. Thoughts and prayers.
More of this. www.popsugar.com/parenting/da...
The Rise of the Dad Club
The rise of "dad clubs" is helping to change the narrative around fatherhood, and empowering dads to take active roles in their kids' lives.
www.popsugar.com
November 29, 2025 at 11:51 AM
More of this. www.popsugar.com/parenting/da...
“When you make a commitment to yourself to take a few minutes each day to focus on what you’re grateful for, you rewire the neural connections in your brain to look for positive things everywhere." #HappyThanksgiving nicenews.com/humanity/pra...
Why Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier
Practicing gratitude has been shown to increase happiness, longevity, and more — here’s how to get started.
nicenews.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:38 AM
“When you make a commitment to yourself to take a few minutes each day to focus on what you’re grateful for, you rewire the neural connections in your brain to look for positive things everywhere." #HappyThanksgiving nicenews.com/humanity/pra...
For Thanksgiving, Joy Harjo's "Perhaps the World Ends Here." #PoetrySky www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49622/...
Perhaps the World Ends Here
The world begins at a kitchen table. The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here. Perhaps the world ...
www.poetryfoundation.org
November 27, 2025 at 10:58 AM
For Thanksgiving, Joy Harjo's "Perhaps the World Ends Here." #PoetrySky www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49622/...
"The farthest naked eye Solar System object, Uranus, is 2 hours and 40 minutes in the past." bigthink.com/starts-with-...
How far back in time can the naked eye see?
Every observation out into deep space is also a look back in time.
bigthink.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM
"The farthest naked eye Solar System object, Uranus, is 2 hours and 40 minutes in the past." bigthink.com/starts-with-...
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." – John Muir
Celebrate National Take a Hike Day.
Celebrate National Take a Hike Day.
November 17, 2025 at 1:47 PM
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." – John Muir
Celebrate National Take a Hike Day.
Celebrate National Take a Hike Day.
The photography of Japanese photographer Frank Matsura, whose archives are at my alma mater, @wsulibraries.bsky.social. #PhotographySky lithub.com/how-photogra...
How Photographer Frank S. Matsura Challenged White America’s Hegemonic View of the West
This story is well-worn local lore, yet still little known beyond the territories of present-day north-central Washington State. But the story bears significance well beyond the remoteness and seem…
lithub.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:48 PM
The photography of Japanese photographer Frank Matsura, whose archives are at my alma mater, @wsulibraries.bsky.social. #PhotographySky lithub.com/how-photogra...
Happy birthday, Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986). Born down the road from me in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. #ArtSky #WisconsinSky
November 15, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Happy birthday, Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986). Born down the road from me in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. #ArtSky #WisconsinSky
SUPPORT LOCAL MEDIA. Madison's WORT-FM is struggling (story c/o @isthmusmadison.bsky.social). isthmus.com/news/news/wo...
Madison's WORT-FM lays off staff, cites public media funding cuts
The community radio station lost $112,000 in public funding, 12% of its 2025 budget.
isthmus.com
November 14, 2025 at 3:42 PM
SUPPORT LOCAL MEDIA. Madison's WORT-FM is struggling (story c/o @isthmusmadison.bsky.social). isthmus.com/news/news/wo...
The Milky Way, as we've never seen it before. #PhotographySky www.livescience.com/space/astron...
See the colorful Milky Way image that took 40,000 hours to construct — Space photo of the week
Created using data from two extensive surveys, this spectacular radio image of the galactic plane of the Milky Way provides valuable insights into the birth and death of stars.
www.livescience.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:04 AM
The Milky Way, as we've never seen it before. #PhotographySky www.livescience.com/space/astron...
How great that a Madison native, and former Madison Mallard, won the NL Rookie of the Year. #BaseballSky #WisconsinSky www.mlb.com/news/drake-b...
Baldwin becomes 10th backstop to nab Rookie of the Year
ATLANTA -- Drake Baldwin can now proudly say he is one of just three catchers over the past three-plus decades to be named Rookie of the Year in either the National or American League.
Baldwin was nam...
www.mlb.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:21 PM
How great that a Madison native, and former Madison Mallard, won the NL Rookie of the Year. #BaseballSky #WisconsinSky www.mlb.com/news/drake-b...
Veteran's Day.
"My thought shall never be that you are dead:
Who laughed so lately in this quiet place." - from Anna Gordon Keown's "Reported Missing"
Poetry from the First World War: www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/litera...
"My thought shall never be that you are dead:
Who laughed so lately in this quiet place." - from Anna Gordon Keown's "Reported Missing"
Poetry from the First World War: www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/litera...
The poetry of the First World War
A collection of WW1 poems inspired by the First World War, featuring First World War poets including Siegfried Sassoon, Rupert Brooke and Wilfred Owen.
www.panmacmillan.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Veteran's Day.
"My thought shall never be that you are dead:
Who laughed so lately in this quiet place." - from Anna Gordon Keown's "Reported Missing"
Poetry from the First World War: www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/litera...
"My thought shall never be that you are dead:
Who laughed so lately in this quiet place." - from Anna Gordon Keown's "Reported Missing"
Poetry from the First World War: www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/litera...
50 years ago today.
November 10, 2025 at 10:53 AM
50 years ago today.
First snow of the season. #WisconsinSky
November 9, 2025 at 3:11 AM
First snow of the season. #WisconsinSky
My unexpected delightful poet discovery of the day: Lovelock Paiute tribal member Adrian C. Louis. #BookSky www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adrian...
Adrian C. Louis
Poems, readings, poetry news and the entire 110-year archive of POETRY magazine.
www.poetryfoundation.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
My unexpected delightful poet discovery of the day: Lovelock Paiute tribal member Adrian C. Louis. #BookSky www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/adrian...
Thank you, librarians. Thank you. #BookSky lithub.com/in-praise-of...
In Praise of Librarians in Dangerous Times
Librarians are on the front lines of history and current events, when news and change arrive at a furious clip that only quickens every day. And without libraries, my work would simply not exist. I…
lithub.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Thank you, librarians. Thank you. #BookSky lithub.com/in-praise-of...
I wrote a little about turkeys, the coming Thanksgiving holiday, and my family after my morning constitutional at Madison's Cherokee Marsh. www.cherokeemarsh.org/post/talking...
Talking Turkeys
I’m not the first to be thankful for a November walk amidst the drooping oaks, the rain-wet sedges, the bog birch. Far from it. There are the turkeys, for one; the deer bounding off the main trails, t...
www.cherokeemarsh.org
November 3, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I wrote a little about turkeys, the coming Thanksgiving holiday, and my family after my morning constitutional at Madison's Cherokee Marsh. www.cherokeemarsh.org/post/talking...
During the Day of the Dead celebrations, here's a story for those who like old time photography and the ghost of Abraham Lincoln (c/o @vox.com). www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsx6...
The (mostly) true story of “ghost photography"
YouTube video by Vox
www.youtube.com
November 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM
During the Day of the Dead celebrations, here's a story for those who like old time photography and the ghost of Abraham Lincoln (c/o @vox.com). www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsx6...
Book nerds, Beowulf has barely survived several disasters. (Story c/o @lithub.com.web.brid.gy) #BookSky lithub.com/how-close-di...
How Close Did We Come to Losing Beowulf Forever?
There are cases of important literary and historical works that survive in only one or two manuscripts. If they had suffered some accident, then our picture of the past might be altered in important…
lithub.com
November 1, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Book nerds, Beowulf has barely survived several disasters. (Story c/o @lithub.com.web.brid.gy) #BookSky lithub.com/how-close-di...
Happy Halloween. My favorite kinda creepy poem: www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44885/...
Annabel Lee
It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be lo...
www.poetryfoundation.org
October 31, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Happy Halloween. My favorite kinda creepy poem: www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44885/...
Thank you, Literary Arts Fund. apnews.com/article/lite...
The new $50M Literary Arts Fund will support independent publishers and nonprofits
A coalition of seven charitable foundations has established a Literary Arts Fund to support independent publishers and nonprofit organizations.
apnews.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Thank you, Literary Arts Fund. apnews.com/article/lite...
Stop scrolling. Start hiking.
apnews.com/article/natu...
apnews.com/article/natu...
Your latest prescription is to get outside
Health care providers are trying a new tactic to promote the healing effects of nature: They're actually writing prescriptions for it.
apnews.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Stop scrolling. Start hiking.
apnews.com/article/natu...
apnews.com/article/natu...