Poetry and other important things. Writer of Root Leaf Flower Fruit and Memorandum of Understanding (THWUP)https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3me7o4ht2s226Bic Runga’s new song gave me immediate Charlotte Gainsbourg style chills. Nice. Looking forward to the rest of the album. https://youtu.be/EFFwuLre0Gg?si=Gdd1d2ta2GGsnyoU06 Feb 2026 19:44 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3me7o4ht2s226https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3mdgurgwqps2eFor the last year or so I’ve been on a real buzz of Japanese and Irish contemporary writing and just realised maybe the common thread between those places (and NZ) are that we are small, isolated (by choice and/or not by choice) island nations. The literature of isolation! #nz-literature27 Jan 2026 23:07 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdgurgwqps2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3mdguk7isic2eJust signed up to a magazine subscription for the first time in many many years. It’s The Listener - The Listener is good again!!27 Jan 2026 23:03 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdguk7isic2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3m3duc72hbk2vThis is such a thoughtful and meaningful (and well written) piece on kotahitanga in light of recent more salaciously reported events. This is what good opinion pieces look like in my er, opinion. New Yorker level stuff. https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/17-10-2025/unity-isnt-the-destination-its-the-journey https://thespinoff.co.nz/atea/17-10-2025/unity-isnt-the-destination-its-the-journey16 Oct 2025 22:59 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3m3duc72hbk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lvcimkypcc2xThese may or may not be good books but either way turning my life around, back toward 1979, is not a reason to read them.01 Aug 2025 01:26 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvcimkypcc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lsrvqrx5t223I don’t think I’ve seen a topic divide people as much as AI does. War, climate change, art, identity politics… none of that comes close. https://www.hec.edu/en/knowledge/articles/ai-divide-human-not-technological30 Jun 2025 00:15 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsrvqrx5t223https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lo2vfebtyk2dNY Times’ ‘5 day poetry challenge’ is very cool. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/books/edna-st-vincent-millay-recuerdo-poem-challenge.html30 Apr 2025 22:57 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lo2vfebtyk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lntbtpacts2jRachel O’Neill’s bizarre and hilarious musical instruments in Symphony of Queer Errands are fantastic! Everyone should read this slowly and with your chuckle shoes on. She’s like a mushed up version of Italo Calvino, Russell Edson and Anne Carson. So good.27 Apr 2025 22:18 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lntbtpacts2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3llx3p3vksc23Isn’t this like trying to measure child poverty by asking a bunch of kids if they feel hungrier than they did a year ago? https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/557002/about-a-quarter-of-people-feel-more-safe-than-a-year-ago-poll03 Apr 2025 23:49 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3llx3p3vksc23https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lk7rh75eys23I'm reading some poems tonight in Christchurch with the excellent Joan Fleming and Zoë Deans if anyone is around. It'll be great! canterburypoets.org.nz/coming-up/ https://canterburypoets.org.nz/coming-up/12 Mar 2025 23:49 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lk7rh75eys23https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3liijl6gfqs2rScientific Method Hypothesis: Afghans are the most consistently delicious biscuit. Experiment: Ate one. Result: Very delicious. Conclusion: More study needed.19 Feb 2025 00:31 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3liijl6gfqs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lhripahwy22rA NZ poetics manifesto from James Brown.09 Feb 2025 20:45 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhripahwy22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lhd7j6gldk2yOne day I hope to a government department meeting room named after me.04 Feb 2025 04:23 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhd7j6gldk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lfvhucen4c26Was just about to learn the Twin Peaks theme on our piano (has the exact same sound). Will be doing that tonight in memorial.16 Jan 2025 23:50 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lfvhucen4c26https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3ldpmo4p5ps22This piece is titled: Pretentious window dressing photography with fire and emergency superimposed.20 Dec 2024 05:09 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3ldpmo4p5ps22https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3lamprc5v6s2vLocal slumlord handiwork. Keeping NZers in housing since the dark ages.10 Nov 2024 21:11 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3lamprc5v6s2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3l72ar7sm3v2e‘Needle’ might be one of my favourite words in the English language. #needle #greatwords21 Oct 2024 19:30 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3l72ar7sm3v2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3l66tj7ghdd2bBluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #2,912,954! Not quite the first person wandering around peering into empty rooms, but close enough.10 Oct 2024 21:51 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3l66tj7ghdd2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3l55tkpbnfh2hMade a submission, even though it seem futile at the moment. [contains quote post or other embedded content]27 Sep 2024 18:54 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3l55tkpbnfh2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3l2swxxyrnd2qIs advertising allergy a thing? Is it okay if I tell people I will throw up and possibly paas out if they bring their marketing BS into the same room as me.29 Aug 2024 00:05 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3l2swxxyrnd2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3kxi3edtdpn2tSpotted in a Danish library17 Jul 2024 12:09 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3kxi3edtdpn2thttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3kuwbz4kvek26I am talking with Mikaela Nyman and a bunch of other interesting people about (non)fiction in 2 minutes! https://www.youtube.com/@flashfrontier304414 Jun 2024 23:29 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3kuwbz4kvek26https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3ksgt2q6r622nSome good convo with the other finalists. https://t.co/E4TrYvft7j14 May 2024 09:02 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3ksgt2q6r622nhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3kqt3fx3ekn25This is so good! Now for the Americas cup. https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/uncategorized/maiden-wins-the-ocean-globe-race-9752323 Apr 2024 19:13 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3kqt3fx3ekn25https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3kq7jtafdx62mThanks @paulajoygreen.bsky.social for the lovely write up. Poetry salutes you! [contains quote post or other embedded content]16 Apr 2024 00:37 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3kq7jtafdx62mhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3kprcjqewcu2bSpent last night sleeping in the ED waiting room (purgatory) because the part of the hospital I was being admitted to (heaven when those doors opened) had only one doctor on and no beds. I don’t think we need clearer targets Mr Luxon (hell is a KPI) we need more doctors, more beds, more something.10 Apr 2024 08:49 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3kprcjqewcu2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3kpp2b2wuww26So many questions need answering here https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/513346/books-littered-5km-down-invercargill-road09 Apr 2024 11:16 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3kpp2b2wuww26https://bsky.app/profile/softmagnificence.bsky.social/post/3koi5uusd4v2fMorning dog walk: some kind of fissure in space and time.25 Mar 2024 00:07 +0000at://did:plc:a4jch5odoopgr5zkkdusg5zv/app.bsky.feed.post/3koi5uusd4v2f