The Magdalen Writing
@nebroadwe.bsky.social
I have a doctorate in English literature and work in a library, which probably explains everything you are about to read. Proud member of Vatican II's Lost Generation.
Pinned
Home | PICC
www.paimmigrant.org
My father passed away earlier this month, so I've been able to do very little about the current big issues in the US. But here's a signal boost for an org I support that does good work, the Pennsylvania Immigrant Coalition.
Dagnabit, XKCD! I come for the snark and then you go and … and … and do thi— #exitinsearchofatissue
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Dagnabit, XKCD! I come for the snark and then you go and … and … and do thi— #exitinsearchofatissue
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
A Compostela pilgrim's badge sewn onto a Book of Hours.
Fol. 045v-046r from Bodleian Library Oxford MS. Douce 51 Master of Edward IV, Flanders, 1490.
This is just wonderful to see.
Fol. 045v-046r from Bodleian Library Oxford MS. Douce 51 Master of Edward IV, Flanders, 1490.
This is just wonderful to see.
November 25, 2025 at 10:55 AM
A Compostela pilgrim's badge sewn onto a Book of Hours.
Fol. 045v-046r from Bodleian Library Oxford MS. Douce 51 Master of Edward IV, Flanders, 1490.
This is just wonderful to see.
Fol. 045v-046r from Bodleian Library Oxford MS. Douce 51 Master of Edward IV, Flanders, 1490.
This is just wonderful to see.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
November 24, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
Pondering the eternal questions in El Yunque National Forest
November 25, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Pondering the eternal questions in El Yunque National Forest
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
Caught an Uber ride with one of the OG concrete cowboys from Strawberry Mansion, who told us a story about his horse I-95, so named because he ran away the morning after he got home and made it about 10 miles along 95 North before getting tuckered out. All the way to the Walmart on Aramingo.
November 24, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Caught an Uber ride with one of the OG concrete cowboys from Strawberry Mansion, who told us a story about his horse I-95, so named because he ran away the morning after he got home and made it about 10 miles along 95 North before getting tuckered out. All the way to the Walmart on Aramingo.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
I have a new book out:
November 24, 2025 at 10:43 AM
I have a new book out:
So, about that leopard frozen on Kilimanjaro … ?
November 23, 2025 at 4:25 PM
So, about that leopard frozen on Kilimanjaro … ?
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
lord of the rings fan edit that is exactly the same except instead of characters saying "look! eagles!" in reverence every time they show up its replaced with the audio of "go birds" in a thick philly accent
November 23, 2025 at 1:58 AM
lord of the rings fan edit that is exactly the same except instead of characters saying "look! eagles!" in reverence every time they show up its replaced with the audio of "go birds" in a thick philly accent
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
‘Reflections on the Thames, Westminster’ by John Atkinson Grimshaw, original with #TARDIS #DoctorWho
November 23, 2025 at 2:53 AM
‘Reflections on the Thames, Westminster’ by John Atkinson Grimshaw, original with #TARDIS #DoctorWho
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
Professor Noah Feldman was my classmate twice over. He is one of the more brilliant minds I have ever encountered. I love how he lays it plain here.
November 23, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Professor Noah Feldman was my classmate twice over. He is one of the more brilliant minds I have ever encountered. I love how he lays it plain here.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
I once knew a Federal bank examiner, and one time someone asked him why we had to KEEP inspecting banks over and over. He basically said every new batch of business school grads invents bank fraud from first principles.
AirBnB CEO calling it “vibe revenue” just 👨🍳 😘
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
The underlying cause of every bubble - debt masquerading as financial innovation - depends on not just short financial memory & speculative neophytism, but reinventing jargon of finance, like how each generation of kids has new ways to say same things.
November 22, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I once knew a Federal bank examiner, and one time someone asked him why we had to KEEP inspecting banks over and over. He basically said every new batch of business school grads invents bank fraud from first principles.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
Starting “The Revolutionary War” now and boy, this thing is choppy
By not starting micro and going macro like the makers usually do makes it hard to focus on the story
Happy with the talking heads thus far, at least
By not starting micro and going macro like the makers usually do makes it hard to focus on the story
Happy with the talking heads thus far, at least
November 17, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Starting “The Revolutionary War” now and boy, this thing is choppy
By not starting micro and going macro like the makers usually do makes it hard to focus on the story
Happy with the talking heads thus far, at least
By not starting micro and going macro like the makers usually do makes it hard to focus on the story
Happy with the talking heads thus far, at least
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
What languages did the 35 hermits living in Jerusalem in 808 pray to God in? Charlemagne wanted to know, so he found out. (Mostly Greek and Syriac)
November 21, 2025 at 1:22 PM
What languages did the 35 hermits living in Jerusalem in 808 pray to God in? Charlemagne wanted to know, so he found out. (Mostly Greek and Syriac)
Also the University of Kentucky (FROSTY25) has Jane Chance’s “Tolkien’s Art”, “Mythology of Power”, and “Invention of Myth”.
Many university presses have holiday sales this time of year. Here's some of the books of Tolkien scholarship you can get for discounts right now:
November 21, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Also the University of Kentucky (FROSTY25) has Jane Chance’s “Tolkien’s Art”, “Mythology of Power”, and “Invention of Myth”.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
Badgers run like old, neglected footstools who have suddenly discovered their own sentience.
November 20, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Badgers run like old, neglected footstools who have suddenly discovered their own sentience.
Paging Rosemary Sutcliff …
Roman bronze dragon’s head standard, AD 190-260.
Originally mounted on a pole, with a long fabric tube attached to the back of the head. When charging on horseback, the wind inflated the tube and the dragon shrieked!
Niederbieber fort. Landesmuseum Koblenz. 📷 me
#RomanFortThursday
#Archaeology
Originally mounted on a pole, with a long fabric tube attached to the back of the head. When charging on horseback, the wind inflated the tube and the dragon shrieked!
Niederbieber fort. Landesmuseum Koblenz. 📷 me
#RomanFortThursday
#Archaeology
November 20, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Paging Rosemary Sutcliff …
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
The Punctuation Collection™️
November 20, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The Punctuation Collection™️
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
It's the feast of Edmund, King and Martyr, d. 869 or 870. 🕯️ Let's look at the accounts of his miraculous talking head by Ælfric and his source Abbo of Fleury. 🧵
Here's the opening of Ælfric's Old English life of Edmund in CUL MS Ii.1.33 and of Abbo's Latin life in BNF lat 5362.
Here's the opening of Ælfric's Old English life of Edmund in CUL MS Ii.1.33 and of Abbo's Latin life in BNF lat 5362.
November 20, 2025 at 3:59 PM
It's the feast of Edmund, King and Martyr, d. 869 or 870. 🕯️ Let's look at the accounts of his miraculous talking head by Ælfric and his source Abbo of Fleury. 🧵
Here's the opening of Ælfric's Old English life of Edmund in CUL MS Ii.1.33 and of Abbo's Latin life in BNF lat 5362.
Here's the opening of Ælfric's Old English life of Edmund in CUL MS Ii.1.33 and of Abbo's Latin life in BNF lat 5362.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
Military ethicist here. I used to be Associate Chair of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at USNA. We consistently taught our midshipmen that they should refuse to obey illegal orders. The Uniform Code of Military Justice makes this obligation clear. “I was just following orders” is not an excuse, period.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Military ethicist here. I used to be Associate Chair of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at USNA. We consistently taught our midshipmen that they should refuse to obey illegal orders. The Uniform Code of Military Justice makes this obligation clear. “I was just following orders” is not an excuse, period.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
“How utterly humiliating… they cancelled my lower parts”
November 20, 2025 at 8:28 AM
“How utterly humiliating… they cancelled my lower parts”
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
“Well, that was awkward."
- Me, after 93% of my social interactions.
- Me, after 93% of my social interactions.
November 19, 2025 at 6:33 PM
“Well, that was awkward."
- Me, after 93% of my social interactions.
- Me, after 93% of my social interactions.
Hurray! Delilah Dirk is awesome!
I can think of few cartoonists who write more articulately, elegantly, and at length about the thought processes that go into their decision making, their work, their analysis of inspiration than @tangocharlie.bsky.social does on his Patreon. Immerse yourself in art thought!
patreon.com/tonycliff
patreon.com/tonycliff
Tony Cliff | Patreon
is making a fourth Delilah Dirk graphic novel!
patreon.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Hurray! Delilah Dirk is awesome!
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
This weekend we celebrate Christ the King… not a distant ruler on a throne, but the One who breaks chains of oppression and stands in solidarity with the poor and marginalized. His kingdom is justice, mercy, and liberation lived here and now.
November 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM
This weekend we celebrate Christ the King… not a distant ruler on a throne, but the One who breaks chains of oppression and stands in solidarity with the poor and marginalized. His kingdom is justice, mercy, and liberation lived here and now.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
2/2 The very cute capibara, enjoying a snack on the banks of the Rio São Francisco, and immortalized by Frans Post.
November 19, 2025 at 1:51 AM
2/2 The very cute capibara, enjoying a snack on the banks of the Rio São Francisco, and immortalized by Frans Post.
Reposted by The Magdalen Writing
Gangnam Style 1493.
November 19, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Gangnam Style 1493.