Author | Lightnews

Rachel Manija Brown

@rachelmanija.bsky.social

1.8K followers 780 following 440 posts

Writer, bookshop owner, life coach, gardener, rewilder, cat and chicken keeper, crafter, first responder, potter. AKA Zoe Chant & Lia Silver. My bookshop is Paper & Clay, in Crestline, CA https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/175143.Rachel_Manija_Bro

www.goodreads.com

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Hannah Alexander Artwork @hannahartwork.bsky.social · 6h

Besties

Two digitally illustrated female fae. The figure on the left wears a dress inspired by pink oyster mushroom, while the figure on the right wears a layer dripping black dress inspired by inky cap mushrooms.

8 270 870

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Andrew D Thaler @drandrewthaler.bsky.social · 13h

Can we get a 6-part prestige drama about Curtis Sliwa's career as a professional eater. Dude came in 3rd in Nathan's Famous Hotdog Eating, holds a record for most pickles, was DQed from a matzah ball eating contest for illegal ball handling, and the mob kicked him from a meatball contest.

15 68 560

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Shannon Hale @shannonhale.bsky.social · 11h

This has been a really rough few days. I recently learned of a controversy around our book THE PRINCESS IN BLACK AND THE PRINCE IN PINK. Some were outraged that Deseret Book carried it (a chain of bookstores in the west). Deseret Book appears to have complied to their demands and removed it. 1/

Cover of The princess in black and the prince in pink by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and LeUyen Pham. It shows a young girl in black mask and superhero outfit dancing with a young boy in pink mask and pink hero outfit. Bands of words stripe the cover, saying "all kids have a right to exist" and "please let's show love for all kinds of kids"

13 110 260

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 9h

I had no idea the mayor of New York had the power to destroy capitalism.

1 8

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 9h

Moods: me in the morning; Alex in the morning

Me with a gray tabby cat on my shoulder, looking outward inquisitively.

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 1d

Impressive!

1 2

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 1d

Congratulations!!!!

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Nudibranch Appreciation Society @nudibranch.bsky.social · 5d

Welcome to the 2025 #Nudivember art challenge!

Like last year, here is a list of some lesser known, yet always fabulous, nudibranch species.

Participate as much or as little as you want in any art form you like.

Make sure to use #Nudivember and use alt text!

Nudivember 2025 prompt list
1. Cuthona anulata
2. Cerberilla tanna
3. Halgerda theobroma
4. Glossodoris electra
5. Tambja affinis
6. Diaphorodoris mitsuii
7. Hypselodoris obscura
8. Cerberilla ambonensis
9. Tritonia myrakeenae
10. Chromodoris luteorosea
11. Dendrodoris behrensi
12. Melibe pilosa
13. Doto greenamyeri
14. Cadlinella ornatissima
15. Flabellina ischitana
16. Polycera tricolor
17. Jorunna rubescens
18. Nembrotha cristata
19. Tenellia caerulea
20. Phyllidiopsis sphingis
21. Gymnodoris rubropapulosa
22. Aegires citrinus
23. Okenia mediterranea
24. Mexichromis macropus
25. Hallaxa cryptica
26. Acanthodoris lutea
27. Notodoris minor
28. Favorinus tsuruganus
29. Halgerda brycei
30. Hallaxa fuscescens

2 50 96

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

The Museum of English Rural Life @themerl.bsky.social · 4d

Absolute Units is back!

We continue our conversation with @timjerrome.bsky.social (University of Brighton; formerly, The MERL) about his research into queer rural life.

Discover what Tim has found in our archives to date & the research challenges he's faced.

merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...

Absolute Units, a podcast from The Museum of English Rural Life. Three giant sheep float over the English countryside.

3 29 130

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 4d

Outstanding.

Emily Stepp @emilyart.bsky.social · 5d

We fixed up our Halloween costumes some more this year. Here they were a decade ago and then today.

Quadrupedal forest spirit costumes based on the stilt spirit costumes that became famous around that time, but without the stilts because we found out the hard way how easy it is to fall in them so we just use forearm crutches and plantigrade feet. Both have blank white faces and yarn for hair along with eclectic creepy cloth clothing.

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 4d

“And though I came to forget or regret all I have ever done, yet I would remember that once I saw the dragons aloft on the wind at sunset above the western isles; and I would be content.”
― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Farthest Shore

Brett "Solidarity 2025" Banditelli @banditelli.org · 5d

You don't get much better than half a dozen pelicans diving against a golden sky. 🪶

2 4

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

JSpice @spicetrader.bsky.social · 8d

here’s a curve ball
Patti Smith cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit

m.youtube.com/watch?v=fJt7...

Patti Smith - Smells Like Teen Spirit

YouTube video by Jeremy Bruggeman

m.youtube.com

2 1 17

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 6d

WOW

Matěj Čadil @matejcadil.bsky.social · 6d

After months of sketching, planning, and layering colour, I’m thrilled to share my finished illustration for Chapter 5 of The Hobbit – “Riddles in the Dark”.⁠
⁠
What do you think of how this illustration turned out?⁠

#tolkienart #thehobbit #tolkien

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 6d

Please tell this creep who I deeply regret voting for that we don't want authority figures looking under our children's clothes.

alexis simpson @amutepiggy.bsky.social · 6d

You may contact the Governor of California at (916) 445-2841 thank you and be blessde ✌️

2 7

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 8d

What a Wonderful World by Nick Cave and Shane MacGowan.

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 8d

The Times They Are A-Changing by Keb' Mo'.

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 8d

The Times They Are A-Changing by Keb Mo. Hurt by Johnny Cash. I Will Survive by Cake.

maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 8d

Locked in an endless conversation about cover songs this weekend and yet I crave more — so, what’s your favorite cover song?

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 8d

Hurt by Johnny Cash. Also love Cake's I Will Survive.

Rachel Manija Brown @rachelmanija.bsky.social · 8d

Dump the dead fix on their compost heap.

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

RiotGrlErin @riotgrlerin.bsky.social · 10d

idk why i noticed this but these crabs and celebrities look like they share a stylist: thread

Gigi Hadid in a blue, coral and orange yoga wind suit looking set.

A crab that matches the vibe/aesthetic almost exactly.

17 140 640

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Art by Emily K @museum.of.emilyk.art · 9d

"Tzefardea Tzedek" (Frog of Righteousness)

As soon as the Portland Frog became a meme, Jewish social media blew up with jokes about the 2nd Passover plague - tzefarde'a (frogs) - and the Rabbinical commentary around it. I knew I had to make a calligraphy piece encompassing all of it. (more in alt.)

Hebrew calligraphy in dark green stretches in lines across the image. Negative space makes room for a simple representation of an inflatable frog costume with a blue bandana. That shape consists of the English translation of the Hebrew, in a lighter green, and in much smaller text.
--
Famously, the Egyptian tyrant causes Egypt to be overrun with frogs because he refuses to free the Hebrew people, but there are additional details that make this a fun one to ponder. For one, the Hebrew says "the frog came up" - ONE frog - even though the rest of the time it says "frogs." So there are a few explanations rabbis have come up with to explain this. One is that a single frog multiplied to create swarms. A more creative explanation is that there was a singular giant frog who traveled and brought destruction. Jewish social media was sharing videos of the Portland Frog protester with the caption, "One Big Frog! One Big Frog!" Of course the frog protesters did multiply, and many were seen in crowds all over the world on "No Kings" Day. This calligraphic work takes the verses addressing the frog plague and combines them to form a simple rendering of the Portland Frog protester. The frog figure itself is made up of the English translations of the Hebrew around it. At the bottom left my signature is in the shape of a lily pad.

150 2K 6.7K

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 9d

Nine months ago I put most of my hope in major institutions continuing to hold fascism in check, but had little expectation that regular people with little to no power would step up and put themselves at risk.

I had it exactly backward.

Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 9d

signs like these are up all over Chicago cafes and storefronts (here, cafes in Brighton Park and Back of the Yards) warning ICE not to enter without a judicial warrant

Glass storefront door in Brighton Park, with sign in English and Spanish, reading: ATTENTION ICE/CBP
AGENTS
STOP
YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED ENTRANCE INTO THIS BUSINESS WITHOUT A VALID JUDICIAL WARRANT
ATENCION AGENTES DE
ICE/CBP
STOP
NO SE LE PERMITE LA ENTRADA A ESTE NEGOCIO SIN UNA ORDEN
JUDICIAL VALIDA

Glass storefront door with sign reading:

PRIVATE PROPERTY
NO ICE

YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO ENTER NON-PUBLIC AREAS OF THIS SPACE
WITHOUT A VALID JUDICIAL WARRANT SIGNED BY A FEDERAL JUDGE

and a second sign:
PLEASE USE DOOR
ON 47TH ST.
BACK OF THE YARDS

86 1.7K 6.8K

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Embrace the Void @etvpod.bsky.social · 12d

Apparently some folks are playing real dumb about skull symbols so let’s play a little game I like to call “Nazi skull or not a Nazi skull”

First up, the Jolly Roger. This is a pirate skull, not a Nazi skull. It means you might get robbed, but prolly not genocided.

With me so far? 1/x

180 1.6K 3.9K

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 10d

Morning. ☕

ICYMI: A list of all the CEOs, real estate moguls, defense contractors, telecom companies, Big Tech companies, crypto guys and otherwise just really rich people financing the construction of Trump's ballroom as he demolishes the White House.

79 470 870

Reposted by Rachel Manija Brown

Vortmax @vortmax.bsky.social · 10d

Guillermo Del Toro: "Horror is made of such base material—so easily rejected or dismissed—that it may be hard to accept my postulate that within the genre lies one of the last refuges of spirituality in our materialistic world."

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 10d

When Guillermo del Toro was a child, he fell in love with "Frankenstein." With his long-awaited adaptation in theaters, the filmmaker explains his lifelong fascination with horror, and why the genre "illuminates our souls":

Why Guillermo del Toro made Frankenstein

The director writes about feeling destined to adapt Mary Shelley's classic.

bit.ly

2 61 190