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Tass

@tassybarra.bsky.social
23 followers 155 following 2 posts
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Digital Poppy Poppy Zone @poppyzone.bsky.social · 2h
When the airport says my flight gate is a 20 min walk away and I have to navigate a complex series of tunnels, corridors, escalators and people movers, that's when I am in my element. I become a force of nature on par with Alexander the great or napoleon. I crush it in 5, and that's on a bad day.
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 3h
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Mali 💤 MCM London G-23 @sleepimali.bsky.social · 17h
A little wip, I love it when I get to paint
A part of an acrylic gouache painting showing a ghostly dog sitting in front of what looks like a stone entrance to an earth cellar or dungeon, in a forest. An old rusty sword and helmet, overgrown with moss, can be spotted on the side
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Vajra Chandrasekera @vajra.me · 4h
Simba Kundizeza's statement on his Caine Prize-winning story "The Blue Fighter" is also worth reading—keep in mind, the evidence-free article slandering him was published in The Atlantic to a mass readership and his defense is a tweet to his eight hundred followers
Simba Kundizeza
@S_S_Kundizeza
Statement on The Atlantic article concerning “The Blue Fighter”

I would like to say at the outset that this statement is not in any way a proffer of an explanation or a defense against the allegations levelled against me in the article published by The Atlantic, because I don’t believe the article warrants either. I am however writing because of the level of public interest generated in its aftermath, and out of respect for the people who have supported and championed my writing, as well as my fellow shortlisted writers for the Caine Prize. I want to set the record straight.

For the avoidance of doubt, I wrote "The Blue Fighter." I did not use generative AI to write it. It is entirely my own work.

This story did not appear out of nowhere; it has a concrete, documented history. Its genesis was during my LOATAD Black Atlantic Residency in Ghana. While  there‚ I read a poem by vangile gantsho titled “my father's hands․” I was inspired by this poem to write a story about my family's experiences in Zimbabwe‚ including my father leaving his accounting profession and the hardships my family faced as a result․ Other aspects of the story‚ including characters and the setting‚ are drawn from events in my own life․There is also a clear chronology to the story's development. I sent the completed first draft of the story to vangile for feedback on May 15‚ 2025․ I then submitted the story to The Shallow Tales Review on May 27‚ 2025․ Fiction editor Nzube Nlebedim accepted the story on June 10‚ 2025‚ and it went through the standard editorial process. vangile then provided her feedback to me on June 25‚ 2025․ On the same day Nzube also provided editorial feedback to me․ In an email dated June 27‚ 2025‚ I sent the final draft and requested that the editor preserve the formatting of an epigraph in the story as originally submitted by vangile as a courtesy to her․ The story was published on June 30‚ 2025․

The Atlantic article seems to question the story's authorship by comparing its style to my other writing. As writers we develop recurring interests, but we don’t produce work from a single fixed template. My debut novel, “Freelance”, and the story titled "The Whistleblower" published in Transition Magazine in 2021 which is referenced by Ms. Vara, are thrillers dealing with political intrigue. "The Blue Fighter," however, is a deeply personal story about economic collapse and familial relationships. The voice shifts because the subject matter demands it. To suggest that a writer cannot write in different styles or genres, or improve his writing substantially after five or more years fundamentally misunderstands the craft of writing.The motive for my supposedly using AI to generate the story is equally difficult to understand. I was under no obligation to write “The Blue Fighter”. I was not commissioned to produce it, nor was I paid a fee for its publication. The decision to submit the piece for consideration for the Caine Prize was made by the editor of The Shallow Tales Review months after its publication. I therefore didn’t write the story with any guarantee that it would be submitted, let alone win anything. The idea that I would have somehow written the story with the express intention of entering and winning the Caine Prize, despite the inherently competitive and uncertain nature of the prize, conjures up a motive that simply did not exist.

"The Blue Fighter" is my work, and I stand by it completely. I'm grateful to vangile for her inspiration, to The Shallow Tales Review for giving the story a home, and to the Caine Prize judges for recognizing the work on its merits. I’m also heartened by the numerous messages of solidarity from fellow writers and readers, and to Adrienne Ingrum and Regina Brooks at Serendipity Literary Agency for their support throughout.
I look forward to continuing to work with the Caine Prize team, and to celebrating this recognition with the people who helped bring this story into the world.

Most importantly, I will continue to write.
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Character Design References @characterdesign.bsky.social · 6h
Submission by Stepan Yurev ( www.instagram.com/stephan_arti... ) for the #CDChallenge - September 2026 theme was #AnimalFeudalJapan Presented by IDEA Academy → tinyurl.com/ideacourses #characterdesignchallenge #characterdesign #artcontest #artcommunity
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Kim Myatt⁷ @ysvyri.bsky.social · 23h
I painted a little frog wizard during a stressful week as a reminder that making art should be fun, and that there's nothing wrong with being a bit silly. 🐸✨ He's now available as a signed, limited edition fine art print if you'd like to give him a home!
A whimsical fantasy illustration of a little green frog wizard sitting amongst lush, oversized leaves in an enchanted forest. The frog wears a tall, pointed pink wizard's hat decorated with stars and crescent moons, its bright eyes gazing upwards. Dewdrops glisten on the surrounding foliage, while tiny glowing stars and magical sparkles float through the air. The scene is painted in dreamy shades of lavender, violet, turquoise and mint green, with pops of coral pink and luminous blue.
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Christina Gardner @christinagardner.bsky.social · 8h
Who goes there?
An ink drawing of a anthropomorphised cat holding out a turnip-o-lantern in one arm, and a satchel over their shoulder. They are taking a step as they look surprised by something they hear or see. Along the edges of the illustration there are white silhouettes of leaves and branches and in the top right their is a moon with stars.
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Helena N. @koalalaurelin.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Ghost Cat sketch.💙 #halloween2026
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Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 15h
The app to disable and remove Apple Intelligence in OS 27 also comes with a bunch of other customizations you can toggle to all sorts of other Mac settings. WRITERS TAKE NOTE: It defaults to turning off double-space to insert a period and automatic capital letters, so check the type settings app
omlahore.github.io
RemoveMacAI: debloat your Mac
Turn off Apple Intelligence, analytics, ads and pop-ups. See every change first, undo any of it.
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pmamtraveller.bsky.social @pmamtraveller.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Etruscan Wolf's Head Helmet, 6th-5th century BC
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A. Faë @anaisfae.art · 16h
Apparently it's #PortfolioDay so here's some mini watercolor kitties since I haven't been able to do anything more complex these last few months. These are all 5*5cm squares
watercolor painting of a very tiny kitten sitting with its front paws stretched. Its fur is white with patches of tabby grey, its eyes green and its smol snoot dark pink.watercolor painting of a brown tabby cat laying like a loaf in the sun, with its eyes barely open. Its face is round.watercolor of a grey tabby cat sleeping curled up. Its face is tiny.watercolor painting of a tortie cat meowing towards the camera, with its face and a paw forward. It has light yellow eyes with a green ring around the pupils. The word "mew" is written in pencil next to its face.
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Birdie Tam @birdietam.art · 13/10/2026
WAIT THE CATPUCCINO IRL IS SO CUTE?!
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𝔻𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕥 @thatsgoodweb.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
The Wedge
The Wedge, made by radioshack in 1980’s-90’s
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Sakizo🫖 @tebasakizo.bsky.social · 23h
🦢Blindfolded Odette🦢 #sakizo
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𝒕𝒚𝒊 | Mail club on Ko-fi 🦇 @tyiart.bsky.social · 20h
girls' night 🌺 #art
Digital layered drawing of a circle of women summoning a spell with a circle of crows above their heads, titled "girls' night"
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Kasey Gifford @kaseygifford.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Important update: old man was cold.
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Cap @caprart.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
"from this day forth, i will be your master." #frankenstein
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VER @ drawing comics @verface.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Kanto Beginnings, Myths & Legends
A little mosaic of stylised images of representative Pokemon from the Kanto region
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
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LittleKuriboh @littlekuriboh.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Twinkle go brrrrr
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LittleKuriboh @littlekuriboh.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Twinkle says roll with it
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Scare-ah Colonthree @sarah.northsky.social · 12/10/2026
Right on red is no longer about driving it’s what you say when your ginger friend does something gnarly
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Maladroithe @maladroithe.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I think that if millennials/gen Z work together we can drive HOAs to the breaking point
Kyle
My HOA once charged me $75 because my trash can was visible from the street for approximately six minutes. So now I use the anonymous form on their website to report myself for having grass that's too long. Sandra has to walk all the way over with a ruler and measure it once a week. It's important to stay involved in your community.

A lady with a ruler walking away from a yard
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c.e. chant/hades 💀🐊 💬 too many comics @portaltohades.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
LOOK AT THE DUCKS
A very beautiful duck posing for me A lot of ducks
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Marco Ferrari @marcoferrarink.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
VENOM
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Tansy 🔞 🔜 Furpocalypse AA! @tansy.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Mmm autism flavor 🍁🍂🎃
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kate @katewitko.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
they don't even fit
miga wearing scott's flip flops
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Aisleen @aisleen-art.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Gargoyle knight!
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pmamtraveller.bsky.social @pmamtraveller.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
A Cat's Life - Wonder by Gérard DuBois
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Oregon 🕎🎲 @oregonthedm.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
The most fun thing ever to randomly see
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Standplaats Kraków could really use some cash! @standplaatskrk.pl · 07/08/2026
valarhalla on tumblr: "If I have to read Frederick the Great’s personal coffee recipe with my own eyes, so do you"

["Frederick the Great used to make his own coffee, with much to-do and fuss. For water he used champagne. Then, to make the flavour stronger, he stirred in powdered mustard.

Now to me it seems improbable that Frederick truly liked this brew. I suspect him of bravado. Or perhaps he was taste-blind."]
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
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✺ 𝕸𝖔𝖙𝖍 ✺ @mothsprout.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
🌊 Coastal Wolf 🌊
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miss fern (scary) 🏳️‍⚧️🎃 @miss-fern.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
the kitties were fascinated
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Rob Cruickshank @robcruickshank.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Turns out these guys are real
A fish like a child would draw, no fins, just a tail an eye and a little smile
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Merchant Adventurers’ Hall @merchantshallyork.org · 10/10/2026
My liege, we are off hunting. Have you brought your falcon? Nay for I have brought my snail.
We are looking at a manuscript of a hare sat on a fearsome looking greyhound. The hare is wearing a gauntlet on which sits a snail who is absolutely up for the hunt.
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Official Derptiles ➡️ BLFC DD618 @derptiles.art · 10/10/2026
The blue tree monitor! I don’t always draw proper lizard toes, but sometimes it just makes sense, and this is one of those cases!
An illustration of a blue tree monitor in the forest.
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Princess Pretty Girl @princessprettygirl.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
i can't stop thinking about owls i think because each time ive seen one it's taken a piece of my soul to plant in the forrest so that this world will remember me long after im gone and ive given them my soul freely and with love
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Princess Pretty Girl @princessprettygirl.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
owls are just so wonderful this isn't anyone's folklore but mine but did you know seeing an owl is a sign you are exactly where you need to be and the world is telling you it loves you back even in the bitterest of winters
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Dr Alex Fitzpatrick @animalarchaeology.com · 10/10/2026
my partner is rudely washing their bed so now I am become bed
A selfie of Alex, an East Asian woman in her early 30’s wearing clear glasses and a black hoodie that says “Guys Violence Gang est. 2023” with various skulls on the sleeves.

Sat in her lap are two tabby kittens
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Molly Templeton @mollytempleton.com · 10/10/2026
no idea who made this but I think of that random person with gratitude every time I heat up any sort of wraplike food object in the microwave
two scenes from an X-Men animated program: in the first, scott summers and jean gray are making out; he is labeled "microwave heat" and she is labeled "plate." in the second, we are more distant from the couple, and wolverine is standing in the foreground, labeled "my burrito."
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Bodega Cats @bodegacats.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
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cait (and adonis) @cait.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
yall are simply not prepared for the picture my husband just sent me
selfie of a handsome bearded man with an orange cat sprawled upside down across his chest. the cat is rubbing on his beard, with his tongue out
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jess m. ☕🍂 @jametc.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
holy shit!! artists!!! you guys!! pinlite.app someone made a pinterest facade site that just strips away all the dumb bullshit and gives you only the images this is AMAAZINNNGGGG. Not to mention the web 1.0 grey and blue link vibe lol
screenshot of PinLite, a skin of pinterest that's just taken away all the bs and only shows the images, on a grey web 1.0 background
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Samantha Mash @samanthamash.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Her fetching abilities are strong for a tiny cat
Photo of a gray kitten with a finger trap toy in her mouth in a cardboard box
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Brett "Solidarity 2026" Banditelli @banditelli.org · 10/10/2026
LOOK AT THAT LITTLE FACE@@@@!!! 🪶
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🔞 fray - comms CLOSED @monsterhrt.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
sold pixel art adoptable design of a little traveling wizard
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Shawn Connolly @divinecoffeebinge.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
everyone else can wrap it up, The Coolest Vehicle already exists
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Deoxy_Diamond ⭐ @deoxy-diamond.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Yami Yugi #Fanart #yugioh
retrato de um personagem negro com cabelos espetados em spikes com pontas roxas e detalhes em amarelo alem de dreads amarelos na parte da frente, ele tem um colar grande com uma pirâmide  de ouro invertida com um olho talhado
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Gee @ Working on comms @top-banana.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
If you see this, post some cats 🐈
A watercolour illustration of Various breeds of cats sitting in windows of carious sizesA watercolour illustration of 2 cats lounging in the window, looking outside to a garden in sunsetIsometric illustration Scene shows a little artists study, a desk easel with a drawing of a cat, lots of art supplies and two large open windows.
Under desk a cat is sleeping on a pillow.Photo of a watercolour sketchbook page of some quick photo studies of cats
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