Arthur Durkee
@phoenixdragon1.bsky.social
Composer, poet, book artist, printmaker, letterpress, graphics, recording studio, photography, type designer. Pan/poly/neurodivergent/queer.
arthurdurkee.bandcamp.com
www.patreon.com/ArthurDurkee
arthurdurkeearts.crevado.com
arthurdurkee.bandcamp.com
www.patreon.com/ArthurDurkee
arthurdurkeearts.crevado.com
A digital collage from my own drawings and photos I made last night while listening to a great horned owl call just outside my window. I’ve been having mental health issues and PTSD, but the Universe never fails to be magical, shamanic, and full of mystery.
December 11, 2025 at 6:35 PM
A digital collage from my own drawings and photos I made last night while listening to a great horned owl call just outside my window. I’ve been having mental health issues and PTSD, but the Universe never fails to be magical, shamanic, and full of mystery.
It’s interesting to me that people seem to think inspiration is a scarce, rare commodity, like you either have to wait for it or chase after it with a club. I don’t get that.
For me, inspiration is constant. It never stops. It’s always there for me. I don’t have to chase it.
For me, inspiration is constant. It never stops. It’s always there for me. I don’t have to chase it.
December 11, 2025 at 6:30 PM
It’s interesting to me that people seem to think inspiration is a scarce, rare commodity, like you either have to wait for it or chase after it with a club. I don’t get that.
For me, inspiration is constant. It never stops. It’s always there for me. I don’t have to chase it.
For me, inspiration is constant. It never stops. It’s always there for me. I don’t have to chase it.
December 11, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
In January, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services will roll out a pilot program that will use AI to review Medicare patients' requests for care.
Insurers will get rewarded when they deny care.
What could go wrong?
Insurers will get rewarded when they deny care.
What could go wrong?
December 10, 2025 at 10:15 PM
In January, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services will roll out a pilot program that will use AI to review Medicare patients' requests for care.
Insurers will get rewarded when they deny care.
What could go wrong?
Insurers will get rewarded when they deny care.
What could go wrong?
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
The Ellison family’s desire to take over Warner Bros should alarm anyone concerned with U.S. propaganda & media consolidation—
They would own Paramount, Warner Bros, CNN, CBS, HBO, TikTok & a host of major cable channels
They would own Paramount, Warner Bros, CNN, CBS, HBO, TikTok & a host of major cable channels
December 9, 2025 at 3:40 PM
The Ellison family’s desire to take over Warner Bros should alarm anyone concerned with U.S. propaganda & media consolidation—
They would own Paramount, Warner Bros, CNN, CBS, HBO, TikTok & a host of major cable channels
They would own Paramount, Warner Bros, CNN, CBS, HBO, TikTok & a host of major cable channels
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
Trump is constantly Projecting, just about every time he opens his mouth on just about any subject, he is projecting.
Be assured, when he accuses anyone of a crime, he is talking about himself.
Be assured, when he accuses anyone of a crime, he is talking about himself.
December 10, 2025 at 2:40 AM
Trump is constantly Projecting, just about every time he opens his mouth on just about any subject, he is projecting.
Be assured, when he accuses anyone of a crime, he is talking about himself.
Be assured, when he accuses anyone of a crime, he is talking about himself.
A thing that many current poets miss is: if you write in generic statements, about everyday feelings, you’re not being profound. There’s an art to poetry. It’s not reportage or plain statement. Poetry is intended to evoke, not merely report. “I’ll tell you how I feel” is therapy, not poetry.
December 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM
A thing that many current poets miss is: if you write in generic statements, about everyday feelings, you’re not being profound. There’s an art to poetry. It’s not reportage or plain statement. Poetry is intended to evoke, not merely report. “I’ll tell you how I feel” is therapy, not poetry.
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
Leaders of a Catholic church in Massachusetts kept a Nativity display with an anti-ICE message in place on Monday, defying an order from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to remove it. The display shows Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus missing, replaced by a sign reading “ICE WAS HERE.” trib.al/adPW46y
December 9, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Leaders of a Catholic church in Massachusetts kept a Nativity display with an anti-ICE message in place on Monday, defying an order from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston to remove it. The display shows Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus missing, replaced by a sign reading “ICE WAS HERE.” trib.al/adPW46y
December 10, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
No one before Sam successfully raised a child, which is why the human species went extinct in Mesopotamia. Seriously, the best way to read this is that countless billions of humans did just fine but Sam is not as competent and self-reliant as them, and that's what AI wants us to be: dependent.
Jimmy Fallon: "And do you use ChatGPT when raising your baby?"
Sam Altman: "I cannot imagine figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT."
Sam Altman: "I cannot imagine figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT."
December 9, 2025 at 6:56 PM
No one before Sam successfully raised a child, which is why the human species went extinct in Mesopotamia. Seriously, the best way to read this is that countless billions of humans did just fine but Sam is not as competent and self-reliant as them, and that's what AI wants us to be: dependent.
Going on day 4 of the current PTSD/depression episode. The holidays are always tough for me, but 2025 has sucked all the way through (with only tiny islands of joy), with no end in sight. Xmas will be home alone and not in the fun way, and I’m close to the edge of a mental health crisis. FML
December 9, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Going on day 4 of the current PTSD/depression episode. The holidays are always tough for me, but 2025 has sucked all the way through (with only tiny islands of joy), with no end in sight. Xmas will be home alone and not in the fun way, and I’m close to the edge of a mental health crisis. FML
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
The monopolies of the Gilded Age led Congress to establish the FTC as an independent agency.
Its independence is meant to insulate it from political pressure so it can check corporate power and protect the American people.
Trump wanting to upend this is very telling.
Its independence is meant to insulate it from political pressure so it can check corporate power and protect the American people.
Trump wanting to upend this is very telling.
December 8, 2025 at 11:31 PM
The monopolies of the Gilded Age led Congress to establish the FTC as an independent agency.
Its independence is meant to insulate it from political pressure so it can check corporate power and protect the American people.
Trump wanting to upend this is very telling.
Its independence is meant to insulate it from political pressure so it can check corporate power and protect the American people.
Trump wanting to upend this is very telling.
I finished assembling a chapbook of poems written while living nomadically in NM, CA, OR, and other parts Western. It’s heavy on long poems, in the model of Basho’s travelogue haibun, centered around the Great Basin region. It’s titled “Basin & Range,” and features poems in two forms I invented.
December 9, 2025 at 1:34 AM
I finished assembling a chapbook of poems written while living nomadically in NM, CA, OR, and other parts Western. It’s heavy on long poems, in the model of Basho’s travelogue haibun, centered around the Great Basin region. It’s titled “Basin & Range,” and features poems in two forms I invented.
MAGA are nothing but bullies. Period.
The R word is not acceptable to hurl as a slur, especially by the President. His followers see it as their cue, though, and now they're bullying the Walz family with it. Do you see what Trump has unleashed?
December 8, 2025 at 10:50 PM
MAGA are nothing but bullies. Period.
Possibly the greatest Xmas meme ever.
December 8, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Possibly the greatest Xmas meme ever.
If it has to be so damn cold as it is in Wisconsin this week, there should at least be mountains and glaciers. Makes me want to be back in Wyoming with my beloved Grand Tetons.
December 8, 2025 at 6:10 AM
If it has to be so damn cold as it is in Wisconsin this week, there should at least be mountains and glaciers. Makes me want to be back in Wyoming with my beloved Grand Tetons.
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
My songwriting friend and I have this saying…
“Sometimes the song gets there before you do.”
What we mean is that often times the writer doesn’t know what a song is really about until long after it is finished. Sometimes only in hindsight do we know what we were trying to say.
“Sometimes the song gets there before you do.”
What we mean is that often times the writer doesn’t know what a song is really about until long after it is finished. Sometimes only in hindsight do we know what we were trying to say.
December 7, 2025 at 3:52 PM
My songwriting friend and I have this saying…
“Sometimes the song gets there before you do.”
What we mean is that often times the writer doesn’t know what a song is really about until long after it is finished. Sometimes only in hindsight do we know what we were trying to say.
“Sometimes the song gets there before you do.”
What we mean is that often times the writer doesn’t know what a song is really about until long after it is finished. Sometimes only in hindsight do we know what we were trying to say.
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
“…Even if they are able to clean up his mess … elect a supremely sane president next, America will NEVER again be a trusted partner. Because there are enough Americans who would vote for him … (again).
I couldn't even say anything. She was right. The damage this has done is endless…”
I couldn't even say anything. She was right. The damage this has done is endless…”
December 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
“…Even if they are able to clean up his mess … elect a supremely sane president next, America will NEVER again be a trusted partner. Because there are enough Americans who would vote for him … (again).
I couldn't even say anything. She was right. The damage this has done is endless…”
I couldn't even say anything. She was right. The damage this has done is endless…”
Heavy Surf
A painting made because I had a bad night and PTSD and little sleep and pissed off, so I needed to do something halfway worthwhile to break my bad mood.
A painting made because I had a bad night and PTSD and little sleep and pissed off, so I needed to do something halfway worthwhile to break my bad mood.
December 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Heavy Surf
A painting made because I had a bad night and PTSD and little sleep and pissed off, so I needed to do something halfway worthwhile to break my bad mood.
A painting made because I had a bad night and PTSD and little sleep and pissed off, so I needed to do something halfway worthwhile to break my bad mood.
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
I think the most absurd part is all the writers thought AI would destroy humanity because AI would get too smart, but they didn’t realize that years of de-prioritizing the humanities would actually make the people who made AI so stupid that it’s going to be the stupidity that kills us and lollllsob
Goddamn. We were so worried about the Evangelical armageddon freaks, but it's actually the AI cult that's going to kill us all.
December 5, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I think the most absurd part is all the writers thought AI would destroy humanity because AI would get too smart, but they didn’t realize that years of de-prioritizing the humanities would actually make the people who made AI so stupid that it’s going to be the stupidity that kills us and lollllsob
I don’t know. As a composer I frequently feel like no one wants my music, even though there’s a lot of it. It shouldn’t matter, they say, “Write for your own need.” It’s true I’m a compulsive daily art-maker, and prolific. Yet it would be nice to not feel like I’m all alone here.
It's so dispiriting to pour everything into writing a book, get lots of positive reviews... And then no one reads it.
Honest question: is it possible to create a sustainable indie author career that is also creatively fulfilling?
I used to think so - 3 years & 6 books later, I'm just not sure.
Honest question: is it possible to create a sustainable indie author career that is also creatively fulfilling?
I used to think so - 3 years & 6 books later, I'm just not sure.
December 6, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I don’t know. As a composer I frequently feel like no one wants my music, even though there’s a lot of it. It shouldn’t matter, they say, “Write for your own need.” It’s true I’m a compulsive daily art-maker, and prolific. Yet it would be nice to not feel like I’m all alone here.
Reposted by Arthur Durkee
My comments with @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Under RFK Jr., the CDC provides a megaphone to the anti-vaccine movement
Common anti-vaccine talking points were on display as the CDC’s immunization advisers repealed a hepatitis B birth vaccine recommendation and scrutinized the childhood schedule.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 6, 2025 at 12:33 PM
My comments with @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
This. I am devoted to resisting fascism. In rural MAGA country that can feel futile but it’s not. Fascism is lawless because it’s fragile and takes huge effort to sustain.
Trump will die before the full realization of American fascism is reached. These are the birth pangs. It will get so much worse unless we do something. We should and we must.
Take stock of what this feels like, how unacceptable this is. Devote yourself to fighting it.
Take stock of what this feels like, how unacceptable this is. Devote yourself to fighting it.
December 6, 2025 at 4:05 PM
This. I am devoted to resisting fascism. In rural MAGA country that can feel futile but it’s not. Fascism is lawless because it’s fragile and takes huge effort to sustain.
Songwriting: no, I don’t play guitar. I can hear in my mind all the music I write, so I don’t have to write with an instrument. I’ve been known to compose at public libraries. I check the notated music at the keyboard later, sometimes revise, but my ear is good so it’s usually okay.
December 6, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Songwriting: no, I don’t play guitar. I can hear in my mind all the music I write, so I don’t have to write with an instrument. I’ve been known to compose at public libraries. I check the notated music at the keyboard later, sometimes revise, but my ear is good so it’s usually okay.