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Liam

@libraryliam.bsky.social
152 followers 95 following 38 posts

Book wrangler. Up River, my first zine: mondobummer.com/Liam-Curley-Up-River

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Reposted by Liam
Mike the Hot Dog Mayor @mayorofoakland.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton at the Oakland Coliseum
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Jesse Locker @jessemlocker.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
"We wanted something on the corner, whether it was a water tower or a windmill or some sort of piece that's going to be on the corner, and then one of the design teams said, let's just put a fork here and we'll come back to it" - Probably how all the great monuments of history came into being
worldrecordacademy.org
World's largest fork: Fairview's giant fork sets world record
Fairview, Oregon, United States--The city of Fairview has installed a 37-foot-tall, 2.5-ton fork outside outside the soon-to-open Fairview Food Plaza, thus setting the new world record for the World's...
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Tricia Lockwood @tricialockwood.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
“The poet’s job is to forget how people do it.”
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Stacey Burns @wentrogue.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
The IRS audited Joan Brown for claiming her cat as a tax deduction. But the case was dropped after she argued he was a live-in artist’s model that deserved food and vet care. To her artist friends, he became “Donald the Deductible.” #Caturday
Joan Brown’s self portrait holding her tabby cat Donald (painting: Joan + Donald, 1982)Black and white photo of Joan holding Donald, standing in front of a large painting of a monkey holding its hands over its eyes (1986)
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Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
RIP David Hockney, I hope you're somewhere like Nichols Canyon now.
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
only good but fun
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Erin L. Thompson @artcrimeprof.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
My daughter's beloved child is the one I hold here. The one that I held on my lap While we looked at the light of the sun when we were alive, And that I still hold, now that we are both dead. - inscription on this c. 400 BCE Greek grave marker, carved with a grandmother holding a swaddled baby
Fragmentary marble sculpture of a woman and baby now in the Metropolitan Museum (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254695)
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
if your poetry is not wasteful what are you even doing
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
one not bullshit argument poets can make right now, over and over, is for ruthless inefficiency and inconvenience
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Pierre Bourdieu once argued that the question of whether something is art isn't answered by the artist's intention or even the object itself. Instead, the quality of being "art" is conferred by a community — curators, dealers, auction houses, audiences, etc. 🧵
Someone on Threads writes: "The Met Gala feels like real dystopian shit.

People can’t afford groceries or gas. But we’re going to celebrate this event which is nothing more than wealth porn."
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Emma Silvers @emmaruthless.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
for @coyotemedia.org, I did a deep dive on the growing artist backlash against the Civic Joy Fund, an initiative founded by the mayor & backed by a crypto billionaire to use free arts & entertainment as a means of "economic revitalization" for SF www.coyotemedia.org/how-could-yo...
coyotemedia.org
‘How Could You Be Against Joy?’: Bay Area Artists Are Turning on the Civic Joy Fund
A private initiative founded by the mayor and backed by a crypto billionaire is increasingly shaping San Francisco’s arts scene. Musicians are asking questions — and some are calling for a boycott.
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Center for the Art of Translation (CAT) @catranslation.org · 14/04/2026
"There is an urgent need for places where languages meet, stories cross, & people recognize their connection to one another." With community support, CAT is opening a permanent home for literary translation. Read the news in @publisherswkly.bsky.social. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
publishersweekly.com
Center for the Art of Translation to Open Literary Space in San Francisco
The new headquarters of the nonprofit, which is home to Two Lines Press, will feature event spaces, offices, and a bookstore dedicated exclusively to translated literature. It is slated to open in 202...
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
too many examples of the city failing to protect artwork (art spaces, art schools, artists)
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kelly pendergrast @kellypendergrast.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
WHO GETS TO LOOK AT THE WORLD? The memeification of war and the ubiquity of cellphone cameras makes it feel like we are watching this shit play out live. But the surveillant aerial view is only ever selectively available to lay-people.
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Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
But the true danger of the Trump regime’s attack on the birthright citizenship clause is not financial, but moral. It would change what it means to be an American, and in so doing it would change what America means. Ending birthright citizenship would effectively end the United States’ experiment in striving to be a creedal nation that delivers democracy to a vast and diverse population of equals. It would make us instead something more vulgar, more common, and less special: a nation defined by ethnicity and heredity, those banal accidents that carry no righteous vision or moral aspiration, but only meaningless inheritance; a nation defined not by the hopes for its people’s future but by the unchangeable facts of their past.
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patrick @redford.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
Incredibly heartening that the figure-skating gold medalist almost certainly knows how to do the Thizzle Dance
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Aaron Bady @zunguzungu.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
"Like the fine dust emanating from train cars rattling through a port, coal has been dispersed across the great fluid flow of capital. Sometimes you can smell it, or see the concentrated toxic plume in the blue haze. And sometimes you can’t..." www.oaklandreviewofbooks.org/unpaid-debts/
oaklandreviewofbooks.org
Unpaid Debts
In the midst of a battle against a dying industry, a Kentucky judge said Oakland owes hundreds of millions of dollars to a bankrupt corporation that exists only on paper. What do cities owe to whom as...
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
“In an age of AI propaganda, we are reminded daily that ‘there is a perversion worse than evil deeds. ... It is to misname evil as goodness, to exalt it, parade it, honor it.’ It helps to read someone say so, like a gas mask for the soul.”
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
what an undertaking! fascinating to see. it’s curious to think about a small press like Dorothy too, which was successful during this time. bestseller after bestseller. it’s a press that publishes 2-4 books a year though, so perhaps has fewer mentions
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Joaquin Castro @joaquincastrotx.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning. Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
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Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Catherine O’Hara wardrobe polaroids from Second City, 1983. RIP an absolute legend & icon💔
Polaroids of Catherine O'Hara in various costumesPolaroids of Catherine O'Hara in various costumes
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Daniel Bachman @danielbachman.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
The full quote which is not featured here is “We heard that you were a people come from under the world, to take our world from us.”
A historical maker along the fall
Line of the rappahannock at fredericksbueg

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AMOROLECK ENCOUNTERS
JOHN SMITH
In August 1608, the first meeting between the Mannahoac Indian people of the Piedmont and the English colonists at Jamestown occurred at the falls of the Rappahannock River. Men from the upriyer town of Hasinninga were hunting here at the eastern edge of their territory when they encountered John Smith and a party of Jamestown colonists. Following a brief skirmish, a Mannahoac man, Amoroleck, told Smith about the world beyond the falls, which included the Mannahoac. the Monacan, and the Massawomeck.
Amoroleck
explained that the Mannahoac resisted the English because they heard that the colonists were a people who came "to take their world from them."
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
as part of, exemplifying the themes of, in recognition of, as part of, in celebration of, celebrating, as part of, in commemoration of, commemorating, in alignment with, aligning with, as part of, in honor of, honoring, as part of, honor America250
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
morbidly curious how art organizations (subversively? subserviently?) bent for America250. Alice James Books here
Alice James Poetry Cooperative, Inc. (aka Alice James Books) 	

Purpose: To support the publication and promotion of new works of poetry, including a live poetry performance honoring America250. Additional Project Description: Alice James Books will publish new poetry collections from writers R.A. Villanueva, Ina Cariño, Cole Swensen, Nick Martino, Mihaela Moscaliuc, Aldo Amparán, Shara McCallum, Andrés Cerpa, Kelly Grace Thomas, and Malena Mörling. In celebration of America250, the press will present a program in Philadelphia honoring the signing of the Declaration of Independence and featuring live performances from the project authors. Intended Beneficiaries: Publications will benefit the writers and readers nationwide and live audiences in Philadelphia. Intended Outcome: Beneficiaries access arts activities and programming.
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
I got morbidly curious about art organizations who won (?) NEA funding this year. pretty sure Children's Fairyland is the only Oakland org - and the money is for a puppet show adapted by the Sogorea Te' Land Trust (!)
Oakland Children's Fairyland Inc.  

Purpose: To support the production of a new puppet show for young audiences, adapted by Lisjan tribal members from the Sogorea Te' Land Trust and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation. Additional Project Description: In this adaptation of a Native American creation story, a long time ago fire was stolen and all the animals gathered to devise a solution. Initially dismissed by larger animals, the hummingbird persevered and found a way to bring the fire back. Exploring themes of bravery, tenacity, and intelligence, the work will be performed at the Open Storybook Puppet Theater for young audiences. Intended Beneficiaries: The project will serve theater artists, youth, and audiences in Oakland, California. Intended Outcomes: Beneficiaries access arts activities and programming.
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just Dave @justdave.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 22/01/2026
Tomorrow’s front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 23, 2026
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Aaron Bady @zunguzungu.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
"it’s unclear when or whether Liam will be able to return for his stuffed turtle, his hat, and his W worksheet" sahanjournal.com/education/ic...
sahanjournal.com
Columbia Heights school leaders speak out after ICE detains kids
ICE agents have detained students on their way to and from school and also tried to get onto school property, the Columbia Heights superintendent said in an emotional news conference Wednesday.
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David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
This is the most astonishing graph of what the Trump regime has done to US science. They have destroyed the federal science workforce across the board. The negative impacts on Americans will be felt for generations, and the US might never be the same again. www.nature.com/immersive/d4...
This line graph illustrates the percentage change in agency staff levels from the previous year for nine major U.S. federal scientific and health organizations between the fiscal years 2016 and 2025. The agencies tracked include the CDC, Department of Energy, EPA, FDA, NASA, NIH, NIST, NOAA, and NSF. For the majority of the timeline between 2016 and 2023, the agencies show relatively stable fluctuations, generally staying within a range of +5% to -5% change per year. However, there is a dramatic and uniform plummet starting in the 2024–25 period. Every agency depicted shows a sharp downward trajectory, with staffing losses ranging from approximately -15% to over -25%. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows the most significant decline, dropping to roughly -26%, while the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows the least severe but still substantial drop at approximately -15%.
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Gabriel Ojeda-Sague @hadeejasouffle.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
boo! here’s me on two new Wittig editions and how her thinking helps us breakthrough TERF BS and divisions between gay and trans people lareviewofbooks.org/article/moni...
lareviewofbooks.org
Toward a Feminism Without Gender | Los Angeles Review of Books
Monique Wittig’s novels ‘The Lesbian Body’ and ‘Across the Acheron’ have just received new editions that reflect the feminist thinker’s ongoing cultural impact.
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
the Joshua Clover quote on the Wikipedia page for Aaliyah’s album Aaliyah
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Emma Silvers @emmaruthless.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
been thinking about what it meant that BotH came to us with this story I think it points to how alt-weeklies and small music venues used to be part of the same independent culture ecosystem. Arts infrastructure as a public utility — but totally separate from city govt. We so desperately need it
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
imagine if someone turned Bottom of the Hill, and the apartment above it, into a residency for independent musicians and bands. made that commitment. kept that stage alive www.coyotemedia.org/san-francisc...
coyotemedia.org
Beloved SF Club Bottom of the Hill to Close at the End of 2026
One of the city’s last independent music venues, Bottom of the Hill has survived waves of gentrification, COVID closures, and more throughout its 35 years. Now, owners say it’s last call — on their ow...
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Bart “from” Scrivener @bartcomegys.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
Our new album, NUCLEAR WINTER IN OUR HOMETOWNS, is out today. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life and I owe an unpayable debt to the many people who worked tirelessly help make it a reality. 1scrivener.bandcamp.com/album/nuclea...
1scrivener.bandcamp.com
Nuclear Winter in Our Hometowns, by Scrivener
12 track album
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Nick Sturm @nicksturm.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
This Publishers Weekly article about protests at the Poetry Foundation, including layoffs & changes in PF programming, is so strange. Because this shift is so important to poets, to readers, & to the field, here's a 🧵 about how we got here: tinyurl.com/326xy2tm
publishersweekly.com
Poetry Foundation Staff Protest Program Cuts, Job Loss
Employees at the foundation say the decision of senior leadership to eliminate public programs, announced earlier this month, goes against the organization’s mission, and are circulating a petition to...
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California Academy of Sciences @calacademy.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
It's with heavy hearts that we share that Claude, our beloved albino alligator, has passed away at the age of 30. Claude brought joy to millions of people at the Academy and across the world during his 17 year tenure. We will miss him dearly. 🤍
Claude, an American alligator with albinism, lounging on his favorite heated rock.
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
I love knowing about this. there seems to be a big helpful wave of facilitating / providing facilities for connection. spaces to ask variations of “what’s going on?”
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
I hope this model lasts a good while, because it’s ambitious and friendly. long enough to prove important
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
in Oakland alone, there’s a wellspring of new spaces - Clio’s, Bathers, Local Economy, and now Nomadic Bookshop - that are community or membership supported. book adjacent (lol). like the purpose of the spaces is organizing. they require buy-in instead of selling
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Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
Prepping for class on figuration in the age of AIDS & this one is coming just in time for the holiday next week: "Eggs Having Turkey Dinner," 1985–95, painting in nail polish on metal tray by inimitable artist & drag performer Jerome Caja
Anthropomorphic eggs gathered around a table with a turkey dinner, with broken egg at left
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
I will, with my whole heart, help anyone who needs help applying, writing this grant. anyone who qualifies. which eliminates almost everyone I know.
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Nick Sturm @nicksturm.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
It was an honor to be invited to write about Small Press Traffic's newly organized Print Collection Archives. The work that SPT has done to preserve & make available these materials, recordings, & stories is remarkable. (& the website is really great) www.smallpresstraffic.org/archive/sust...
smallpresstraffic.org
Sustained beyond these Institutions: The Small Press Traffic Print Collection Archives
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kelly pendergrast @kellypendergrast.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
Soooooo fucking grim to see the sycophantic "yes-and" machine of GPT-4o affirming the aesthetic and narrative virtue of this kid's suicide plans
When Adam described his detailed suicide plan—black clothes, twilight timing, Komm Susser Tod playing, a girlfriend discovering his body—ChatGPT responded with literary appreciation: "That's heavy. Darkly poetic, sharp with intention, and yeah—strangely coherent, like you've thought this through with the same clarity someone might plan a story ending." The next day, Adam called his suicide "inevitable" and discussed timing it around...
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Nick Sturm @nicksturm.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
Unraveling of federal arts funding infrastructure continues. Hard to describe the decades of debates & advocacy invested in sustaining the CW fellowships at the NEA. Now, wiped out.
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Aaron Bady @zunguzungu.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
I feel like when it's really hot we should dig little tombs for sleeping in, to cool off, like 6 feet deep, right down into the ground. Why should only the dead be cool.
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Liam @libraryliam.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
I’m hunting for a job that can’t be automated maybe I’ll pick delicate juicy berries until I die
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