Natasha Simonova
@philistella.bsky.social
1.5K followers 240 following 1.4K posts
Research Fellow @ies-sas.bsky.social, Bougie London Literary Woman, cat concierge. Book on 18th-century women's letters forthcoming from Chatto & Windus. natashasimonova.com
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philistella.bsky.social
Excited for this energy! About me: one foot still in academia (17th/18th c., women's writing, manuscripts, fiction), working on a trade book about 18th-century women's letters, always up for freelance writing/reviewing gigs or new friends and events around London. Servant to small elderly cat.
philistella.bsky.social
I know my sausage dogs! 🌭🐾
philistella.bsky.social
These are FAR too leggy to be sausage dogs, surely they're mini or baby dobermans!
philistella.bsky.social
I stayed in Astley Castle shortly after it opened and it's so! good!!
philistella.bsky.social
Same, I thought it was onomatopoeic!
philistella.bsky.social
Now want to apply this to so many other long 18th-c texts! 'The mixed-race cousin who was forced to marry me discovered my secret wife and has now decided to leave England forever and return home!...no, it was her innate sense of virtue and resignation' etc.
philistella.bsky.social
I think your British citizenship may be revoked for this
philistella.bsky.social
Ah, would love to but sadly on Eldest Daughter duty this week!
philistella.bsky.social
I have no objective reason for my dislike of him and yet the dislike is strong
philistella.bsky.social
Saw Twelfth Night at the Globe today, with hey ho the wind and the rain.
Reposted by Natasha Simonova
doctorwaffle.substack.com
In honor of National Poetry Day, the greatest parody rewrite of all time:
Screen cap of parodic version of William Blake's "The Tyger" that begins:
Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright
(Not sure if I spelled that right) 
What immortal hand or eye
Could fashion such a stripy guy? 
What the hammer that hath hewn it 
Into such a chonky unit?
Did who made the lamb make thee, 
Or an external franchisee?
philistella.bsky.social
I remember 'pork: the other white meat!' and 'got milk?' ads when I was growing up, but surely the POTATO needs no introduction
philistella.bsky.social
But also: who needs to get millennials to eat potato. All the millennials I know LOVE potato.
philistella.bsky.social
I feel like the combination of '1536' and 'ENJOY IT'S FROM EUROPE' makes this a rich text.
philistella.bsky.social
Oh my god
desfitzgerald.bsky.social
So there's an EU-funded campaign to get millenials to eat potatoes and - I swear to Jesus I'm not making this up - it's slogan is: "Europe's favourite since 1536."
A screenshot of a website that says "DISCOVER THE TASTY VERSATILITY OF POTATOES! Europe's favourite since 1536." banner ads say "funded by the european union" and "enjoy - it's from europe."
philistella.bsky.social
I think finely grating (which is what I do when I'm making kebabs!) or a whizz in the food processor would have a similar effect?
philistella.bsky.social
actually it might be 'the juice of 2 onions'! But there's definitely sliced lemon in the sauce.
philistella.bsky.social
God forgive me but the kebab was very dear, and grew cold while I had a painter draw me with it in my hands, but it will make discourse when I see my Lady this evening.
philistella.bsky.social
Up betimes and to the kebab shop, which has been right busy and thronged with folk ever since Master Tod wrote of it in his broadside, a contagion like onto the plague but I cannot resist it for all my resolutions.
philistella.bsky.social
(pippir i.e. pepper, not pippin, though apples might be nice!)
philistella.bsky.social
I feel like the anchovy butter sauce would be really nice!
philistella.bsky.social
I just transcribed it for anyone who might be struggling! bsky.app/profile/phil...
philistella.bsky.social
Quick transcription of the recipe if you're wondering what to make for dinner:
'Take the flesh of a Legg of Veale and beat itt in a stone morter till itt be a perfict past then season itt with pippin salt and a little nuttmegg the juice of lemons and a handful of sweete herbs minced very small (1/2)
philistella.bsky.social
beat itt all together then make itt into little Cakes as big as the Palme of your hand and lard every one of them with a little Bakon fry them in a frying pan and make sauce with 2 or 3 Anchoves and some thick butter and sliced Lemon.' (2/2)
philistella.bsky.social
Quick transcription of the recipe if you're wondering what to make for dinner:
'Take the flesh of a Legg of Veale and beat itt in a stone morter till itt be a perfict past then season itt with pippin salt and a little nuttmegg the juice of lemons and a handful of sweete herbs minced very small (1/2)