Dr. Holly Walters
@manigarm
Anthropologist 👣 • Ethnographer of Shaligrams 🐚 and Robot Religion 🤖 • Novelist of "The Way By" 🦄 • TTRPG Storyteller ✨ • (Genderqueer 🤷♀️ She/They)
Day two of this mess. So, I went grocery shopping early this morning and started with the laundry down in the basement (where it's still pretty cool). The pets and I salute you from underground. Stay safe out there.
Today and tomorrow are under severe heat advisories (heat index over 100). So, the pets and I will be in the living room (where the AC is best), trying not to move. Or think, preferably. In the meantime, anyone know where I can get some Canopic Cookie Jars? It's for an, um, project.
I teach a whole lecture on economics attempting to use and reframe anthropology (wherein they use literal colonization). Mainly because of a current textbook that has been written "towards economics" and then, well, this. A reading list of old, colonial, anthropology a hundred years out of date.
Me: "Hey, Goblin. You want some brine shrimp?" Goblin (my green betta): "YUSSSS!!!!!!" (In other news, this idiot jumped out of his tank today. Thankfully, I found him right after and he's fine. Back in the water but not smarter.)
Angler Fish, 2026 Done with Musuo Black background and black enamel for the fish. Light done with layered contrast paints.
The Beauchene skull is an extraordinary anatomical preparation. Each bone is meticulously separated, drilled, pinned, and suspended to reveal the architecture of the skull. This post, however, is about how my face feels after getting three teeth fully reconstructioned at the dentist yesterday.
Hey everyone, I am still somewhere on the global grid and doing fine. Please enjoy my latest photos of the Ancient Akrotiri village archaeological site on the island of Santorini.
5 hours late in Boston meant getting us very late into Athens. But, we met up with the boat and are headed to the island of Syros. After that, Chris thinks I should visit Patmos. You know, the island where St. John of Patmos wrote the book of Revelation? I just want to get in that water, man.
Time for Hat and I to head off again. An anthropologist's work is never done.
AND! The Way By now has a universal platform link! Literally every bookseller you can get it from is here! Ebook and print, too! (Same goes for the sequel, By The Way). books2read.com/TheWayBy
My article on Shaligram pilgrimage and climate change is also available: scroll.in/article/1054...
No surprise, I'm Holly. I'm an anthropologist (PhD) and an author. My ethnographic research is on Hindu/Buddhist pilgrimage and sacred ammonite fossils (called Shaligrams) in the Himalayas of Nepal. My new project is on AI and religion in South Asia. I also wrote "The Way By" and "By The Way."
This is called, I will be in the house, in the dark, not moving, until further notice.
Here's your occasional reminder that not only did Trump eliminate any possibility of student loan forgiveness, he also eliminated the SAVE repayment plan, which was the most affordable repayment plan we had. Now, we're stuck with standard and graduated options that are much, much worse.
My Painted Butterfly Irises always bring me such joy. Even when a few of them get blown over by a storm.
My publisher, TLS, made a marketing promo image for me for doing academic or public Shaligram talks. This is definitely cuter than I have ever actually looked.
Tagann an ghrian i ndiaidh na fearthainne. Laethanta geal grianmhar ort! Beannachtaí an ghealach ort! Grianstad an tSamhraidh faoi mhaise duit! (The sun always follows the rain. Bright sunny days upon you! Moon blessings upon you! Happy Summer Solstice!)
This is my new sculpt called "Kali's Rage" or "Our Rage is Sacred." The full sculpt part is finished (took me almost 4 months) and now I've got the primer on and ready to detail before I start painting.
Thrift Store Monster - Great Old One, main painting is now done. I'm waiting for the clear coat to dry to that I can start spraying the grey fog layer.