iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Here’s my list, for now: (in no particular order) 1. Ornette Coleman (and his quartet) 2. Janis Joplin 3. The Dicks 4. Buddy Holly and the Crickets 5. Really Red 6. 13th Floor Elevators / Roky Erickson 7. Zakary Thaks (Cont in comments)

110

Reposted by Oliver Sheppard

Philip Gourevitch @pgourevitch.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

notorious radical left communist rag says tax the rich

460203556521

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

A 1906 cartoon in Punch about new messaging technology—in this case, wireless, portable telegraph machines—leading to a social state of affairs that doesn’t look too unfamiliar in 2026. #prototexting #edwardiansmartphones #wirelesstechnology

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

One of many English translations of the first poem in Gottfried Benn’s groundbreaking MORGUE chapbook of 1912. My own translation of Benn’s “Kleine Aster”—and further thoughts on Benn—can be found on my Dammerung Substack here: tr.ee/evfsVf #darkpoetry #gothicpoetry #germanexpressionism

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

I’ll be guest DJing RADIO CLASH for its 8th anniversary on Tuesday, January 27 at Charlie’s Star Lounge. Founding DJ Spencer of radioclash_productions will be joined by me, Perdidos, Sleazy Lee, and Alien Boy. More details at event page in the comments.

110

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

The woman killed by ICE agents on Wednesday was award-winning American poet Renée Good. Good was shot in the head three times on January 7th after ICE agents told her to drive away from Portland Ave., a street two blocks from her house. See her poetry here: poets.org/2020-on-lear... #RenéeGood

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Have to mention this:— This Friday, January 9 at Reno’s, longtime Dallas hardcore punk/rock promoter Michael Hawkins —who’s been helping make punk happen in North Texas since the 1980s— is celebrating his 76th birthday. 🔥🎂 Event page in comments. #dallaspunk #txhc #dallashardcore #texashardcore

100

Reposted by Oliver Sheppard

Max Kuiper @maxkuiper.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

\ R\A\W M\A\T\E\R\I\A\L \ # 1914 \ Max Kuiper \ 7\jan\2026

021

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

From the 1922 VANITY FAIR “A Dictionary for the Motion Pictures.” The full text of Vanity Fair’s snarky, Ambrose Bierce (Devil’s Dictionary)-inspired lexicon for the flickers, is here: tr.ee/gSSXpg . . . . #vamps #vamp #vampires #vanityfair #ambrosebierce #devilsdictionary

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Theda the Bombay Cat nestled up against my leg this chilly January morning. #thedabarathebombaycat #ailurophile #ailurophilia

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

“Theda Bara the Bombay Cat,” December 30, 2025. Digging the color and composition. No edits save for a built-in iPhone filter. 🐈‍⬛😻 #thedabarathebombaycat #ailurophile #ailurophilia

010

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Japanese “Out of Step” #MinorThreat graphic—shirt print. Managed to nab this as a lil’ Yule present to myself. I love this design to death, but it didn’t take Theda very long to warm up to it, either. 😻 She’d prob beg me to keep it for herself, but that’d just be like—meowing at a wall… 😽🫠

021

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

"Emily Brontë," by Patrick Branwell Brontë, 1833.

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Pictured, German director Fritz Lang with black-coiffed Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard's 1963 film CONTEMPT ("Le Mepris").

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

At some point, every train must debark. Rest in peace to “locomotive of women’s history” (Simone de Beauvoir, 1959) and pop culture tour-de-force Brigitte Bardot. #divinebb #bb #brigittebardot #simonedebeauvoir

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Pictured: Greta Garbo on sofa, photographed by Cecil Beaton in 1946. Here, Garbo is 40. Garbo was the most famous actress to have a direct link to the poetry of German Expressionism. I detail #GretaGarbo ‘s links to #GermanExpressionism at my Substack, here: tr.ee/0v6zBt

010

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

"Without books, God is silent, justice dormant, natural science at a stand, philosophy lame, letters dumb, and all things involved in darkness.” —Thomas Bartholin, “On The Burning Of A Library,” ca. 1670 #ThomasBartholin #ThomasVBartholin #qotd

010

Reposted by Oliver Sheppard

Rémi Forte @rmfrt.com · 16/12/2025

Now Spinning: Minor Threat, In My Eyes.

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Rest in peace #RobReiner —Marty DiBergi. SPINAL TAP and PRINCESS BRIDE alone would have made anyone’s career untouchable. (My personal two favorites of his.) The warm, beating heart of human decency was palpable in everything he wrote and directed. A great fighter for the good society, too. 💔

010

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Was lucky enough to finally get this collection of Kolmar’s poetry. German poet, related to (but not technically part of) the German Expressionist movement. (For some reason “adjacent to” is the way to say such a thing, du jour.) #gertrudkolmar #darkpoetry #germanexpressionism #darkpoems

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

My third collection of poetry, THE FUNERAL COLONY, came out in July. I’m proud of it. It took a long time to write, revise, worry over, rewrite, etc. (SOOO many times!) You can buy it at oliversheppard-dot-com. FUNERAL COLONY can be bought on Amazon—and elsewhere! #gothicpoetry #weirdpoetry

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

TEN YEARS AGO: The Dallas Killing Joke show that never happened. In 2015, Killing Joke were slated to play the Granada. They never made it—they canceled their entire US tour that year. Little did I know that their 2018 show would be for KJ’s last-ever American tour. 😓 #killingjoke #darkwave

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Can’t believe it’s been two years today (Nov. 26) since Geordie of Killing Joke passed.😓 And so has any chance of Killing Joke playing again. Here, a picture of me (right) making the guitar GOAT laugh in 2018. 🤍 RIP, Geordie. Until we meet again. 🙏 #geordie #geordiewalker #killingjoke #postpunk

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

Grand vamp of the silent era, Theda Bara, 1910s. #thedabara #vamp #vamps

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Two seasonal albums that go together perfectly in November. (Like wine-pairing.) Listening to both these LPs back-to-back, it’s almost like listening to a single 2x12” concept LP about the darkest parts of Halloween and Fall. Perfectly complementary. 🎃🍂🍁 #killingjoke #samhain

010

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Claws out! 😾 Tickled to find this passage of Charlotte Brontë throwing shade at Jane Austen. Didn’t know she disliked her. Austen, Brontë says, is a writer of dull, lifeless “commonplace” trifles. 😏 Bring it, Charlotte! 😾 #CharlotteBrontë #janeausten

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

In from France today--an EXCELLENT adaptation of Baudelaire's poems into French coldwave-esque music. The band is SPLEEN XXX. Finally bought both their 12-inchers. On Meidosem Records. Chuffed to have them finally. #frenchcoldwave #darkwave #meidosem

110

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

So who’s going to debut a black chewy licorice candy for me, on Etsy, called THE MORBS? 🍬 Victorian script, individually wrapped, etc. I can write the copy. 🖤🍬 If you do it, Etsy entrepreneur, cut me in! DM me. Let’s make money! 🤑 #poe #eapoe #edgarallanpoe #themorbs

010

Reposted by Oliver Sheppard

Jon Amadeus Markley @xjamarkleyx.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

DR SEUSS HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU. www.artsy.net/article/arts...

0367

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

A note apropos of the new US govt policy of defunding food stamps for 42 million Americans the month before winter begins. “Destitute Mother, Frozen to Death, Holding Her Sleeping Child in Winter," by Octave Tassaert, ca. 1850.

022

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Even when she didn’t look like Vampira, Maila Nurmi stood out. She was credited as VAMPIRA and not Maila Nurmi when she played an avant-garde poet (“The Poetess”) in 1959’s THE BEAT GENERATION.🦇 #vampira #mailanurmi #thebeatgeneration #thepoetess

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

These 4 12” LPs were just left on my doorstep. They’re back in print. For awhile. #danzig

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Check out this unusual pic of Fugazi. Halloween show, Leeds, UK, 2002. One of their last shows. It’s a little depressing to think that 2002 was 23 years ago. #fugazi #punkhistory

020

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Eight German Expressionist horror poems are here, translated to English, to kick off the Halloween season. You’re welcome. They’re here: tr.ee/C6ZwNW #germanexpressionism #halloween

021

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Had to get a screenshot to mark the occasion! 🤘 Up to 669 subscribers when I last looked a second ago. (Nice.) Never really imagined it’d get this large. A few academic and literary heroes subscribed, in the past few months—which blew me away, when I realized who they were. Life is good.

000

Oliver Sheppard @oliversheppard.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Ordered these 5 titles from some friends of mine who recently started a pretty great secondhand online bookstore, Batwing Books. (Link in comments.) Great place to buy your next favorite read! 🦇 #bibliophile #bibliophilia #bibliomania

100