David Sewell
@davidsewell.bsky.social
Native southern Californian, Swarthmore alum, former Tucsonan, retired from University of Virginia Press, living in Charlottesville. Interests include the greater Southwest, Lebanon/MENA (family members in Beirut); Quaker concerns.
The father then makes a paste of the ground bones and blood of the slain men, and in that paste bakes their two heads, and serving them up at a feast, causes their mother to eat of the dish. Iago seems a gentleman beside the hellish Moor, Aaron, of this blood-soaked tragedy."
February 13, 2026 at 4:01 AM
The father then makes a paste of the ground bones and blood of the slain men, and in that paste bakes their two heads, and serving them up at a feast, causes their mother to eat of the dish. Iago seems a gentleman beside the hellish Moor, Aaron, of this blood-soaked tragedy."
Titus Andronicus, a Roman noble, in revenge for the ravishing of his daughter Lavinia and the cutting off of her hands and tongue, cuts the throats of the two ravishers, while his daughter holds between the stumps of her arms a basin to catch the blood.
February 13, 2026 at 4:01 AM
Titus Andronicus, a Roman noble, in revenge for the ravishing of his daughter Lavinia and the cutting off of her hands and tongue, cuts the throats of the two ravishers, while his daughter holds between the stumps of her arms a basin to catch the blood.
TITUS ANDRONICUS (1593)--"A repulsive drama of bloodshed and unnatural crimes, now believed to have been written by Shakespeare, since it often is included in the original Folio Edition of 1623. No one who has once supped on its horrors will care to read it. Here is a specimen of them:
February 13, 2026 at 4:01 AM
TITUS ANDRONICUS (1593)--"A repulsive drama of bloodshed and unnatural crimes, now believed to have been written by Shakespeare, since it often is included in the original Folio Edition of 1623. No one who has once supped on its horrors will care to read it. Here is a specimen of them:
I had always remembered as a boy reading a horrified synopsis of Titus Andronicus by Helen Keller. A bit of searching just now tells me it was by Helen REX Keller, author of the 1922 "Reader's Digest of Books". That Keller's review is still worth sharing:
February 13, 2026 at 4:01 AM
I had always remembered as a boy reading a horrified synopsis of Titus Andronicus by Helen Keller. A bit of searching just now tells me it was by Helen REX Keller, author of the 1922 "Reader's Digest of Books". That Keller's review is still worth sharing:
The "we" referred to here is the Center for Biological Diversity--well worth supporting for their commitment and experience in conservation litigation.
Trump just nominated a corporate stooge with no conservation experience to run the National Park Service.
It's another huge step in this admin's plan to hand America’s most cherished public lands over to extractive industries, real estate developers & corporate interests.
We're fighting back.
It's another huge step in this admin's plan to hand America’s most cherished public lands over to extractive industries, real estate developers & corporate interests.
We're fighting back.
February 12, 2026 at 11:19 PM
The "we" referred to here is the Center for Biological Diversity--well worth supporting for their commitment and experience in conservation litigation.
Sorry if this is sacrilegious, but I'm smiling at the thought of the Walk for Peace monks on their bus ride back to Texas all singing "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" for hours on end 🍻🍻🍻
February 12, 2026 at 11:05 PM
Sorry if this is sacrilegious, but I'm smiling at the thought of the Walk for Peace monks on their bus ride back to Texas all singing "100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" for hours on end 🍻🍻🍻
Age verification: one of my early TV memories is watching a news story showing razor wire going up where the Berlin Wall would soon be built. Young enough to be clueless about what was going on, old enough to know my mother was upset at what we were seeing.
February 11, 2026 at 12:40 AM
Age verification: one of my early TV memories is watching a news story showing razor wire going up where the Berlin Wall would soon be built. Young enough to be clueless about what was going on, old enough to know my mother was upset at what we were seeing.
Reposted by David Sewell
U.N. peacekeepers with UNIFIL patrolling southern Lebanon have faced a dramatic surge of “aggressive behavior” by Israeli forces over the last year, including drone-dropped grenades and machine-gun fire, according to an internal report seen by @apnews.com
apnews.com/article/isra...
apnews.com/article/isra...
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon allege surge in Israeli violence toward them
U.N. peacekeepers in southern Lebanon say they have faced increased violence from Israeli forces over the past year.
apnews.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:18 PM
U.N. peacekeepers with UNIFIL patrolling southern Lebanon have faced a dramatic surge of “aggressive behavior” by Israeli forces over the last year, including drone-dropped grenades and machine-gun fire, according to an internal report seen by @apnews.com
apnews.com/article/isra...
apnews.com/article/isra...
With everything else going on in the country this may not get the media attention it deserves (where have you gone oh Washington Post?) but by rights it should be a major story.
*BREAKING: Rubio is out as acting Archivist, and has illegally named an ineligble political appointee to "to serve and perform the functions of archivist"—which he did not have the authority to do.
My reporting expands on @federalnewsnetwork.com's scoop:
🧵
lastcampaign.substack.com/p/rubio-out-...
My reporting expands on @federalnewsnetwork.com's scoop:
🧵
lastcampaign.substack.com/p/rubio-out-...
Rubio out at NARA; illegally names ineligble political appointee to serve as Archivist
Rubio has no authority to name anyone to serve as Archivist or perform those functions
lastcampaign.substack.com
February 5, 2026 at 12:05 AM
With everything else going on in the country this may not get the media attention it deserves (where have you gone oh Washington Post?) but by rights it should be a major story.
Reposted by David Sewell
February 4, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Reposted by David Sewell
A regime that genuinely just wanted to arrange to deport undocumented convicted murderers, drug lords, and rapists wouldn't be out every day crashing into random cars, shooting citizens in the streets, and tear-gassing preschools.
February 2, 2026 at 6:31 PM
A regime that genuinely just wanted to arrange to deport undocumented convicted murderers, drug lords, and rapists wouldn't be out every day crashing into random cars, shooting citizens in the streets, and tear-gassing preschools.
I'm prepared to believe that Waldo was the first person ever to live-blog his own figure skating competition by typing on a laptop while doing spins and jumps ⛸️ 💻
February 1, 2026 at 10:53 PM
I'm prepared to believe that Waldo was the first person ever to live-blog his own figure skating competition by typing on a laptop while doing spins and jumps ⛸️ 💻
Ah! So no one is even pretending to be acting for now.
February 1, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Ah! So no one is even pretending to be acting for now.
Here's the page today. The page footer says "This page was last reviewed on January 30, 2026", suggesting that a human approved the change. What does it mean? Announcement of a permanent Archivist pending? Someon's error? No clue, but ... very interesting.
January 31, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Here's the page today. The page footer says "This page was last reviewed on January 30, 2026", suggesting that a human approved the change. What does it mean? Announcement of a permanent Archivist pending? Someon's error? No clue, but ... very interesting.
Where's Marco? Marco Rubio's name and photo are gone from the National Archives leadership page (www.archives.gov/about/organi...). Here's what the top of the page looked like before yesterday, showing Rubio as the acting Archivist:
January 31, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Where's Marco? Marco Rubio's name and photo are gone from the National Archives leadership page (www.archives.gov/about/organi...). Here's what the top of the page looked like before yesterday, showing Rubio as the acting Archivist:
Great story. The more mutual aid these days the better!
January 30, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Great story. The more mutual aid these days the better!
Reposted by David Sewell
Hanover Board asks ICE to reconsider proposed facility
Hanover Board asks ICE to reconsider proposed facility
"It is clear this location is not an appropriate one," the Hanover County Board Chair said.
www.richmonder.org
January 28, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Hanover Board asks ICE to reconsider proposed facility
Spurious Jefferson has given aid and comfort to both Religious Right and New Atheists, because Spurious Jefferson can be made to say most anything. Same goes for other apocryphal quotations from the Founders. Wording/vocabulary is often a giveaway if you know 18th- and 19th-century prose style.
January 28, 2026 at 1:41 AM
Spurious Jefferson has given aid and comfort to both Religious Right and New Atheists, because Spurious Jefferson can be made to say most anything. Same goes for other apocryphal quotations from the Founders. Wording/vocabulary is often a giveaway if you know 18th- and 19th-century prose style.
Replies disabled for this post, so having to quote-post to note that the scholars at Monticello say this quotation can't be attributed to Jefferson. Their "Spurious Quotation" page is the one to check before passing along things TJ might not really have said. www.monticello.org/encyclopedia...
January 28, 2026 at 1:34 AM
Replies disabled for this post, so having to quote-post to note that the scholars at Monticello say this quotation can't be attributed to Jefferson. Their "Spurious Quotation" page is the one to check before passing along things TJ might not really have said. www.monticello.org/encyclopedia...
Can't argue with the sentiment, but the scholars at Monticello say it's not attributable to Jefferson: www.monticello.org/encyclopedia...
The greatest danger to american freedom... (Spurious Quotation)
Find out why scholars don't think "The greatest danger to american freedom is a government that ignores the constitution" is a real Thomas Jefferson quote.
www.monticello.org
January 28, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Can't argue with the sentiment, but the scholars at Monticello say it's not attributable to Jefferson: www.monticello.org/encyclopedia...
References to this story but Signal as such isn’t compromised. www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...
FBI is investigating Minnesota Signal groups tracking ICE, Patel says
FBI Director Kash Patel made the statement after right-wing media figures said they joined the chats and claimed participants were obstructing law enforcement.
www.nbcnews.com
January 27, 2026 at 3:27 AM
References to this story but Signal as such isn’t compromised. www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...
Understood, thanks.
January 25, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Understood, thanks.
Okay to share on social media if we credit both of you for photo & art?
January 25, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Okay to share on social media if we credit both of you for photo & art?
I wish I had some, but fairly newly moved to that situation after years in a house with a wood stove. Years ago I spent a week in a heatless house after a Rochester NY ice storm but was walking distance from the university where I spent the days & showered in the gym. Down sleeping bag at night.
January 23, 2026 at 11:20 PM
I wish I had some, but fairly newly moved to that situation after years in a house with a wood stove. Years ago I spent a week in a heatless house after a Rochester NY ice storm but was walking distance from the university where I spent the days & showered in the gym. Down sleeping bag at night.