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Michele Somerville she/her

@michelesomerville.bsky.social
1.5K followers 613 following 2.2K posts

NYC mama, poet, writer, teacher, religion scholar. Books (poems): Black Cloud, White Ash; Glamourous Life, Black Irish, WISEGAL. Bylines: NYT, indietheology.substack.com Harvard Div. Bulletin… linktr.ee/mmsnypoet

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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 16h
2/“program. It flags anything that might violate new rules laid out by the university chancellor, including a prohibition on the ‘advocacy/promotion of race or sex-based prejudice,’ and a requirement—now Texas state law—that ‘only two sexes, male and female, are recognized.’ “
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 16h
Sara spurgeon, an English professor at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, has been teaching literature for 20 years. But preparing for the spring 2026 semester was the first time she was forced to submit her course materials through a portal > www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/1...
theatlantic.com
All the Things You’re Not Allowed to Say In Texas
The state now controls what professors can teach.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 16h
2/“It flags anything that might violate new rules laid out by the university chancellor, including a prohibition on the ‘advocacy/promotion of race or sex-based prejudice,’ and a requirement—now Texas state law—that ‘only two sexes, male and female, are recognized.’”
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
The #MACA (Make America Christian Again) movement is not confined to #MAGA folks. Lots of “liberal” #Catholics have a piece of that action. They’re helping their #Christfascist counterparts gain ground.
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Lindsey Boylan @lindseyboylan.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
ICE is terrorizing our city and our communities. They’ve just shot someone with a five-year-old in the car. There is no justification for this or their presence in New York. ICE out of NYC. #abolishice. Image via @gothamist.com
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
3/“‘they have been able to receive some informal learning in makeshift classrooms or online classes.’ A unicef report warned that hundreds of thousands of children under five are at risk of ‘severe developmental delays because early childhood services have collapsed.’” Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
2/“‘…collapse of basic services have severed years of schooling, weakening core skills like reading, mathematics, memory retention, and structured study,’ an independent U.N. commission said in a June, 2026, report. ‘Children in Gaza have effectively been “left behind” even if >
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
“This time is different, though. This year is the fourth in a row in which Gaza’s children are being deprived of a fundamental human right.’ > Repeated bombardment, displacement, > 1/ x.com/newyorker/st...
x.com
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Congratulations, Anne Carson! #NobelPrize #Poetry #AnneCarson poets.org/poem/o-small... 
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
1/ On September 11, 2001, I wrote a long thing (poem) as fast as I could type. Over the past 25 years I returned to it. Now it’s a New Meridian Arts book. >
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
indietheology.substack.com/p/two-franks...
indietheology.substack.com
Two Franks
(poem)
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Thank you so much for reposting this, Rodolfo!
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Reuters @reuters.com · 02/10/2026
Record numbers going hungry in Yemen amid escalating conflict, WFP says reut.rs/4htO6Lq
reut.rs
Record numbers going hungry in Yemen amid escalating conflict, WFP says
Hunger in Yemen is accelerating, with a record number ​of people unable to meet their food ‌needs as conflict intensifies in the country, the World Food Programme said on Friday.
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Jenny Cohn @jennycohn.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I, for one, am *not* convinced that Peter Thiel’s supposed criticism of the second Trump administration is sincere. His fingerprints are all over Trump 2.0, and it’s more than “just” JD Vance. 1/
Jenny Cohn @jennycohn.b... • 2mo
Before joining Trump's State Department, Jacob Helberg was Senior Policy Advisor to *Palantir* CEO Alex Karp. dId-
conference.com/speaker/jaco...
DLD
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Jacob Helberg
Jacob Helberg
Palantir Technologies
Position
Senior Policy Advisor to the CEOJenny Cohn @jennycohn.b... • 4mo
→ Replied to you
8/ "Michael Kratsios is the man of the hour, charged by President Trump to usher in the golden age of Al and American innovation." Kratsios "started his career working for Peter Thiel, first at Clarium Capital and later Thiel Capital." - written by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, 11/28/25
INSTITUTE
e Award
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
3/Black Cloud, White Ash is also available through the bad place. www.amazon.com/Black-Cloud-...
amazon.com
Black Cloud, White Ash: a poem: Madigan Somerville, Michele: 9798994859469: Amazon.com: Books
Black Cloud, White Ash: a poem [Madigan Somerville, Michele] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Black Cloud, White Ash: a poem
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
2/The publisher informs me that friends can order one at discounted rate by contacting them (via newmeridianarts1@gmail.comThey ask you to cite the number of books & pay via Zelle or check.)
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
1/ On September 11, 2001, I wrote a long thing (poem) as fast as I could type. Over the past 25 years I returned to it. Now it’s a New Meridian Arts book. >
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
2/“But Netanyahu has continuously refused to set up the kind of independent inquiry that followed past security failures…”
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
1/“Many Israelis, including Netanyahu’s main rival, the former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, have demanded an independent state inquiry into the military and intelligence failures in the run-up to the October 7 attacks > www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
theatlantic.com
Egypt’s Warning to Israel
Cairo’s intelligence chief visited Tel Aviv shortly before October 7 with a dire message about Gaza.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
2/“‘Not nearly long enough.’ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also downplayed the grim conditions aboard the Lincoln, saying the situation had been ‘misrepresented.’”
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
1/ “Last month, President Trump dismissed concerns about difficult conditions reported aboard the ship. Asked whether he was concerned about the crew’s mental health and whether he thought the deployment had gone on too long, the president said: “No. No. No…> www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/u...
nytimes.com
8 Sailors in U.S.S. Lincoln Strike Group Attempted Suicide, Navy Says
The aircraft carrier with its crew of about 5,000 sailors has spent more than 300 days at sea.
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Lissa Warren @lissawarren.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
What if your boss told you to disappear for a while because of a controversy you created by dressing down a colleague in public? Watch @johnwfarrell.bsky.social on the Cowboy State Daily Show at 1:31:15 discussing his novel, AN UNCOMMON DESCENT: bit.ly/4d08geP @servinghousebooks.bsky.social
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Middle East Eye (Unofficial) @middleeasteye-rss.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Flock cameras are the latest weapon of America's post-9/11 surveillance state - www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/flock…
middleeasteye.net
Flock cameras are the latest weapon of America's post-9/11 surveillance state
Bipartisan outrage over roadside tracking will do little to undo decades of government spying and the lucrative trade in technologies tested on Palestinians
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
3/Heritage Foundation pres. Kevin Roberts is an #OpusDei #Catholic .
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
2/Also, the promise of school choices as expressed in #Project2025 appealed to Roman #Catholic & Orthodox Christians as well as to fundamentalist #Christians . I believe it made quite a difference in (US presidential) election 2024.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
1/ This is tertifying. This focuses on Christian schools with so-called “Classical” focus — (Many homeschooling parents useChristian Classical materials unknowingly, btw.) > civildefenseinstitute.org/features/her...
civildefenseinstitute.org
How the Heritage Foundation Promotes Christian Nationalist Schooling — Civil Defense
Tracing Heritage and Kevin Roberts’s ties to a growing network of classical Christian schools—and the policies steering public money their way.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
#VaticanCrimeSyndicate U.S., #Chicago territory $400 million ! Quite a #Catholic #ClergySexAbuse & child r*pe tariff ! www.osvnews.com/national-cre...
osvnews.com
National credibly-accused clergy database unveiled as Chicago Archdiocese abuse payouts exceed $400M - OSV News
The Archdiocese of Chicago said it has paid out more than $400 million to abuse survivors, with the announcement coming on the heels of a St. Paul, Minnesota-based firm's recent settlement announcemen...
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
2/There’s no excuse for ⬆️ this vile cooperation w/ t Rump.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
1/“Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, which owed its reputation to its work for civil rights…Today, the firm’s culture has changed; gone from its website are pages that once described its work on voting rights, reproductive rights and immigrant rights.” www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | They Could Afford to Stand Up to Trump. Why Didn’t They?
The more the logic of capitalism pervades the rest of life, the less room there is for compassion, honor or heroism.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
“I don’t care.” Got once, he’s telling the truth.
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Rodolfo Soriano-Núñez @rsnunez.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
And yet, their royal highnesses at @usccbofficial.bsky.social would rather die in their hill of arrogance and pride, supporting that dude Vance, before endorsing this guy... That is where the Catholic Church in the US is nowadays... www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLDE...
youtube.com
Jimmy Kimmel’s Interview with James Talarico That the FCC Doesn’t Want You To See
YouTube video by Jimmy Kimmel Live
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Rodolfo Soriano-Núñez @rsnunez.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Sadly, their royal highnesses at @usccbofficial.bsky.social do not give a rat's tail about these numbers... They are as dumb as that dumb Nicaraguan Cardinal Obando... www.propublica.org/article/ecto...
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Been talking to friend on the beat of rising tide of Islamophobia. At first I thought it was just ghouls nostalgic for post-911, trying to play to crowd w/ greatest hits. Now I think it’s red alert. GOP in freefall, RW Dem comrades, 10 yrs in to anything goes. These are terribly dangerous days.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 13/09/2026
We are opening 51 safe overnight locations for New Yorkers, especially those living in basement apartments or low-lying areas who need a safe place to stay. Locations are listed at on.nyc.gov/SafeLocations and are also available by calling 311. Service animals and pets are welcome.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Omnlooking forward to digging in/writing about thus Eucharistic Revival Shakedown Circus ringleader. #Catholic #Christofascism #NewEvangelization #OpusDei #MACA #MAGA #Jesus4Sale #AlwaysBeConvering #TheFishRotsFromTheHead www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/col...
ewtnnews.com
Columbia’s chaplain: Protests were pushed by ‘communist’ outsiders
According to Father Roger Landry, nearly half of the approximately 300 protesters arrested at Columbia University were non-student activists.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
t Rump is so fecking vile..
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Shana Tova!
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
2/“Most of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudis, citizens of an oil kingdom that we helped to build, our ‘ally.’”
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
1/“The basic American policy response to 9/11 should have been to liberate ourselves from fossil fuels. Without our dependence on oil, we would never have been entangled in the Middle East in the first place.> x.com/timothydsnyd...
x.com
Timothy Snyder (@TimothyDSnyder) on X
Commemoration is a singular chance to reflect. Americans in power will try to use this anniversary to say that everything happened exactly as it had to, and that we should bow our heads rather than us...
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
indietheology.substack.com/p/from-black...
indietheology.substack.com
From BLACK CLOUD, WHITE ASH
(excerpts from a poem)
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southpaw @nycsouthpaw.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
JFK’s DOCA injections for Addison’s disease could not be reached for comment. lib.arizona.edu/hsl/material...
lib.arizona.edu
John F. Kennedy
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Reuters @reuters.com · 10/09/2026
School fire in Congo's rebel-controlled city of Bukavu kills at least 17, sources say reut.rs/4zX0JXU
reut.rs
School fire in Congo's rebel-controlled city of Bukavu kills at least 17, sources say
A ​fire ‌at a school ​in ​Congo's rebel-controlled ⁠city ​of Bukavu ​has killed at ​least ​17 people, including ‌some ⁠children, medical sources ​said ​on ⁠Thursday.
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D. A. Powell @dapowell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Robo taxis are programmed to not kill us. For now.
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Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Just watched an old woman holding two canes step off a bus. She wore a long skirt the hem of which was printed as a piano’s keys. Then the hydraulics that had lowered the bus’s front end exerted themselves & the bus rose. I thought, whoever invented that, the kneeling bus, what a great soul.
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Diane Ravitch🇺🇸❤️🇺🇦🗽🇨🇱🏳️‍🌈✡️🇨🇦 @dianeravitch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Gary Rubinstein exposes the games that Success Academy plays with data dianeravitch.net/2026/09/08/g...
dianeravitch.net
Gary Rubinstein: Eva Moskowitz Sues NYSED for Inadvertently Exposing that They Have Been Gaming the U.S. News Rankings for Years
Eva Moskowitz, founder of Success Academy charter chain, has been everywhere recently, promoting her brand. She has written op-Ed’s for major newspapers, she was interviewed by Margaret Hoove…
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Vati @xxxvatikinsxxx.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
After hearing @fotoole.bsky.social talking on Empire pod with @anitaanand.bsky.social and @willdalrymple.bsky.social I bought We Don’t Know Ourselves. And I used to think events described in Father Ted were outrageously implausible. A wonderful, detailed, account of a world of contradictions.
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James Talarico @jamestalarico.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Before I was a politician, I was a proud union member. I’m honored to stand with my union brothers and sisters on Labor Day and every day. In the Senate, I’ll fight to raise pay, lower costs, and empower Texas workers.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
2/“counterparts are told that men’s right-wing radicalization is somehow the fault of women in STEM …” Mighty writing.
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Michele Somerville she/her @michelesomerville.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
1/“In the years since, our administration’s defunding of essential medical infrastructure has included targeted attacks on abortion, contraception, sex education, and gender affirming care. The men of my generation have grown more politically conservative, and their female > x.com/pastemagazin...
x.com
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Gerd Leonhard - For the Human Future @futuristgerd.com · 07/09/2026
Europe wrestles with impact of historic regional gains for Germany’s AfD gerd.fm/4hbYwAu I have to say I am disgusted with this election result. THIS is what happens when people are AFRAID of the future. Ouch. #thegoodfuture #thebadfuture
bbc.com
Europe wrestles with impact of historic regional gains for Germany’s AfD
The BBC's Europe editor Katya Adler sees the far-right win in Saxony-Anhalt state ringing alarm bells for the EU and traditional parties.
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