Kevin
@kmichaelwilson.bsky.social
Historical Chinese literature, poetry, and philosophy. Co-host Rereading the Stone podcast https://bsky.app/profile/rereadingstone.bsky.social
book reviews & discussion of Ming-Qing literature, science fiction, etc. https://www.patreon.com/kmichaelwilson
book reviews & discussion of Ming-Qing literature, science fiction, etc. https://www.patreon.com/kmichaelwilson
translation isn't impossible, translation is... inescapable
February 9, 2026 at 6:51 PM
translation isn't impossible, translation is... inescapable
Reposted by Kevin
This is just to say
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
February 9, 2026 at 4:42 AM
This is just to say
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
This is just to say
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
February 9, 2026 at 4:42 AM
This is just to say
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
I have taken
the maid
that served in
your bedchamber
and which
you were probably
hoping
would attend you in your final hours
Forgive me
she was used as a prop in your fake wedding
such a scene
and so convincing
Reposted by Kevin
Remember. Your Ring camera is fascist.
The nice commercial about helping kids find their lost pets was the scariest thing I've seen in my life
February 9, 2026 at 2:31 AM
Remember. Your Ring camera is fascist.
is he aware of how silly his hat is
February 9, 2026 at 1:04 AM
is he aware of how silly his hat is
Reposted by Kevin
made the pronunciation ditty into a post
do you know how to pronounce "Xi Jinping"? What about "Mr. Liu"?
www.patreon.com/posts/pronun...
do you know how to pronounce "Xi Jinping"? What about "Mr. Liu"?
www.patreon.com/posts/pronun...
Pronunciation Ditty #1: "Liu" versus "Lu," and "Xi" | kmichaelwilson
Get more from kmichaelwilson on Patreon
www.patreon.com
February 1, 2026 at 12:33 AM
made the pronunciation ditty into a post
do you know how to pronounce "Xi Jinping"? What about "Mr. Liu"?
www.patreon.com/posts/pronun...
do you know how to pronounce "Xi Jinping"? What about "Mr. Liu"?
www.patreon.com/posts/pronun...
romance novels are surprisingly unenlightened with regards to matters of male endowment
February 7, 2026 at 5:45 AM
romance novels are surprisingly unenlightened with regards to matters of male endowment
Reposted by Kevin
caizi jiaren 才子佳人 is hard to translate, as it's not meant to signify just that the men are talented & the women are beautiful, but that the men and women are both talented and both beautiful, hence there's a mutually reflecting aspect that aligns with, e.g., how Jayne Ann Krentz understands romance
February 5, 2026 at 6:01 PM
caizi jiaren 才子佳人 is hard to translate, as it's not meant to signify just that the men are talented & the women are beautiful, but that the men and women are both talented and both beautiful, hence there's a mutually reflecting aspect that aligns with, e.g., how Jayne Ann Krentz understands romance
Reposted by Kevin
[at the suspension of disbelief store] This is just your standard issue, no frills. What are you planning on reading?
February 6, 2026 at 5:45 PM
[at the suspension of disbelief store] This is just your standard issue, no frills. What are you planning on reading?
Reposted by Kevin
it's taken as given that historical romance creates distance from contemporary life for the representation of ideal desire; what's less obvious is that American authors employ sub-genres like regency romance to distance themselves from not only American contemporary life but also American history
February 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
it's taken as given that historical romance creates distance from contemporary life for the representation of ideal desire; what's less obvious is that American authors employ sub-genres like regency romance to distance themselves from not only American contemporary life but also American history
it's taken as given that historical romance creates distance from contemporary life for the representation of ideal desire; what's less obvious is that American authors employ sub-genres like regency romance to distance themselves from not only American contemporary life but also American history
February 6, 2026 at 6:31 PM
it's taken as given that historical romance creates distance from contemporary life for the representation of ideal desire; what's less obvious is that American authors employ sub-genres like regency romance to distance themselves from not only American contemporary life but also American history
[at the suspension of disbelief store] This is just your standard issue, no frills. What are you planning on reading?
February 6, 2026 at 5:45 PM
[at the suspension of disbelief store] This is just your standard issue, no frills. What are you planning on reading?
Reposted by Kevin
okay, wow, reports are, indeed, coming in of dangerous pesticide levels being found in tea and tea products
this 19th century take on why tea is bad, actually, is basically right
this 19th century take on why tea is bad, actually, is basically right
February 5, 2026 at 8:04 PM
okay, wow, reports are, indeed, coming in of dangerous pesticide levels being found in tea and tea products
this 19th century take on why tea is bad, actually, is basically right
this 19th century take on why tea is bad, actually, is basically right
caizi jiaren 才子佳人 is hard to translate, as it's not meant to signify just that the men are talented & the women are beautiful, but that the men and women are both talented and both beautiful, hence there's a mutually reflecting aspect that aligns with, e.g., how Jayne Ann Krentz understands romance
February 5, 2026 at 6:01 PM
caizi jiaren 才子佳人 is hard to translate, as it's not meant to signify just that the men are talented & the women are beautiful, but that the men and women are both talented and both beautiful, hence there's a mutually reflecting aspect that aligns with, e.g., how Jayne Ann Krentz understands romance
it is pretty funny that the central message of The Great Gatsby is basically, "Well, even if you do become rich, the other rich won't accept you, therefore the American Dream is a mere illusion," which is not an especially deep or profound take
February 5, 2026 at 5:11 PM
it is pretty funny that the central message of The Great Gatsby is basically, "Well, even if you do become rich, the other rich won't accept you, therefore the American Dream is a mere illusion," which is not an especially deep or profound take
Reposted by Kevin
I, however, am finished, viz., with my first full reading of Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.)!
reflections piece by the end of the week 🌸🌺🪞
reflections piece by the end of the week 🌸🌺🪞
February 5, 2026 at 12:46 AM
I, however, am finished, viz., with my first full reading of Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.)!
reflections piece by the end of the week 🌸🌺🪞
reflections piece by the end of the week 🌸🌺🪞
Reposted by Kevin
hey, so I've been working on this novel for THIRTY YEARS, it's technically not finished and now my life is over
February 5, 2026 at 12:46 AM
hey, so I've been working on this novel for THIRTY YEARS, it's technically not finished and now my life is over
hey, so I've been working on this novel for THIRTY YEARS, it's technically not finished and now my life is over
February 5, 2026 at 12:46 AM
hey, so I've been working on this novel for THIRTY YEARS, it's technically not finished and now my life is over
If only Chinese media could up its subtitle game, you could go straight from watching Heated Rivalry to watching Qianfu 潛伏 (2008), then from there get into the 1980s version of Dream of the Red Chamber, and then... world peace 🪷
bsky.app/profile/kmic...
bsky.app/profile/kmic...
tropes detected:
💍 fake marriage
🕵️ spies during wartime
😚 forced proximity
👩❤️👨 enemies to lovers
🏙️ "My Fair Lady"/ "Pygmalion"
💍 fake marriage
🕵️ spies during wartime
😚 forced proximity
👩❤️👨 enemies to lovers
🏙️ "My Fair Lady"/ "Pygmalion"
revolutionize your modern Chinese by speaking only in direct quotations from Qianfu 潛伏 (2008)
February 4, 2026 at 7:28 PM
If only Chinese media could up its subtitle game, you could go straight from watching Heated Rivalry to watching Qianfu 潛伏 (2008), then from there get into the 1980s version of Dream of the Red Chamber, and then... world peace 🪷
bsky.app/profile/kmic...
bsky.app/profile/kmic...
funny to think that when we were all reading "the emperor has no clothes" as children, that was actually a kind of extremely heavy-handed foreshadowing
February 4, 2026 at 4:33 PM
funny to think that when we were all reading "the emperor has no clothes" as children, that was actually a kind of extremely heavy-handed foreshadowing
Reposted by Kevin
e.g., the idea that one singular individual can occupy the role of "the best pianist" or "world's greatest composer" is value-theoretically defunct
formulating that non-thought means that you need, like, metaphysical therapy
your basic assumptions about how reality works are both wrong and toxic
formulating that non-thought means that you need, like, metaphysical therapy
your basic assumptions about how reality works are both wrong and toxic
February 3, 2026 at 4:56 PM
e.g., the idea that one singular individual can occupy the role of "the best pianist" or "world's greatest composer" is value-theoretically defunct
formulating that non-thought means that you need, like, metaphysical therapy
your basic assumptions about how reality works are both wrong and toxic
formulating that non-thought means that you need, like, metaphysical therapy
your basic assumptions about how reality works are both wrong and toxic
hot take, with Gaiman and a lot of these guys there were clear signs in the writing, and if you missed them, you should take the "L" and simply acknowledge that others were reading and interpreting texts at a higher level
February 3, 2026 at 8:15 PM
hot take, with Gaiman and a lot of these guys there were clear signs in the writing, and if you missed them, you should take the "L" and simply acknowledge that others were reading and interpreting texts at a higher level
I tend to think that, above a certain point, all competition becomes both toxic and counterproductive. In general, the formulation "world's greatest X" is problematic, as it presupposes a theory of value that is objectively false
February 3, 2026 at 4:56 PM
I tend to think that, above a certain point, all competition becomes both toxic and counterproductive. In general, the formulation "world's greatest X" is problematic, as it presupposes a theory of value that is objectively false
The better take, especially given that Epstein has been seen creating /pol/, is that QAnon has elements of a meta-conspiracy-theory designed to make discussion of real actually-happening conspiracies impossible
as someone who pushes hard against conspiratorial thinking in my professional and political life, it is deeply irritating when, on top of the untold human harms Epstein caused, it turns out he was at the center of at least half a dozen actual conspiracies
February 3, 2026 at 4:23 PM
The better take, especially given that Epstein has been seen creating /pol/, is that QAnon has elements of a meta-conspiracy-theory designed to make discussion of real actually-happening conspiracies impossible
the big battle at the end of Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.) is giving big battle at the end of A Supplement to the Journey to the West 西遊補 (17th. C.) vibes
February 3, 2026 at 6:10 AM
the big battle at the end of Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.) is giving big battle at the end of A Supplement to the Journey to the West 西遊補 (17th. C.) vibes