A. A. Rubin

@thesurrealari

Writer, author, poet, teacher…cosmic cain. Member SFWA and HWA. He/him. Words in Pseudopod, Trollbreath, Ahoy Comics, others. #amquerying

4995 Siguiendo4318 Seguidores3915 Publicaciones

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A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· 24d

ne of the great hidden #literary treasures in #NYC, #nabokov’s butterflies at the @amnh. #vladimirnabokov collected and studied insects, including butterflies and there are even species he discovered and named. He even volunteered at the museum and worked with its scientists.

A display case containing butterflies and a hand-written label and signature of the famous writer, Vladimir Nabokov.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· 27d

In honor of the anniversary of the #apollo11 #moonlanding, which happened otd in 1969, here is an early English edition of #JulesVerne’s From The Earth to the Moon, some #buckrogers toys, and various science fiction and fact magazines which are all on view at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

A copy of From the Earth to the Moon, by Jules Verne in a display case, open to the title page and fronticepiece.

Buck Roger’s tin toys and various science fiction magazines in a museum display case.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· 29d

GRAVEDIGGER There is no ancient gentlemen but gard’ners, ditchers, and grave-makers. They hold up Adam’s profession. OTHER Was he a gentleman? GRAVEDIGGER He was the first that ever bore arms. Hamlet, 5.1.27-35 #bookwormsat

Left, white text on black: GRAVEDIGGER: Why, there thou sayst. And the more pity that great folk should have count'nance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even-Christian. Come, my spade. There is no ancient gentlemen but gard'ners, ditchers, and grave-makers. They hold up
Adam's profession.
OTHER Was he a gentleman?
•GRAVEDIGGER 7 He was the first that ever bore arms.
‹OTHER Why, he had none.
•GRAVEDIGGER' What, art a heathen? How dost thou understand the scripture?
The scripture says Adam digged. Could he dig without arms?>
Right: Billy Crystal as The Gravedigger in Hamlet

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 18

Tonight, I saw a different movie than the rest of you. Sure #TheOdyssey came out today, but it’s not like it’s going to be spoiled for me if I wait a few days, or even till next weekend to see it. OTOH, how many times do you get to see #BruceLee in #EnterTheDragon on the big screen?

Flyer from the Cinema Arts Center in Huntington, NY, an independent movie house indicating that Enter the Dragon is playing tonight at 9:30 pm as part of their Night Owl Cinema series. The photo is a still from the movie featuring Bruce Lee, who is the star of the film.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 13

My daughter Maggie and I both entered the @cshwhalingmuseum Sea Glass Fiction Competition, and, amazingly, we each finished in 2nd in our respective age category. The competition asked for a story based on a specific shard of sea glass (pic2). #writingcommunity #dadlife

My daughter and I holding up our award ribbons.

Me kissing my daughter on the head while we are holding our award ribbons and certificates.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 11

That face she makes that says “you should be writing, when she, in fact, is the one preventing you from writing. #caturday

A tortoise shell cat staring judgmental look on her face.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 11

Wartime #reading poster on view at Poster House in NYC. From a time when America believed that reading was a key element of democracy and freedom. A reminder that #book banners and burners are never on the right side of history.

A WWII era poster depicting a Nazi book burning rally. Text read “Ten years ago, the Nazis burned these books…but Americans can still read them.”

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 11

I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; —Joyce Kilmer #bookwormsat

A deciduous tree shot from a worms-eye view.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 8

Time for some more #shakespeare at the Public Theater. Henry VI, part 2, which is really 2.5-3. Most of the more famous bits are in this one.

A playbill for Henry VI in front of the stage at The Public Theater in NYC.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 5

#Shakespeare time. #HenryTheSixth at The Public Theater.

The playbill for Henry VI, a trilogy in two parts, in front of the stage from my seat in the Public Theater

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 4

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to have to provide explanations over and over again. Antoine de Saint Exupery, The Little Prince #bookwormsat

A picture of a boa constrictor having eaten an elephant from The Little Prince. The paragraph below reads:

The grown-ups advised me to put away my drawings of boa constrictors, outside or inside, and apply myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. That is why I abandoned, at the age of six, a magnificent career as an artist. I had been discouraged by the failure of my drawing Number One and of my drawing Number Two.
Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to have to provide explanations over and over again.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jul 4

‘Nuff said. #july4th #captainamerica #jackkirby #comics

Jack Kirby’s famous comics cover featuring Captain America punching out Adolph Hitler.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 28

There are many more famous and “important” works in the #Raphael show at the @metmuseum.org (closing today), but this personification of Earthquake was, by far, my favorite.

Closeup detail of a tapestry made according to the design of Raphael. It portrays a bearded, shirtless breaking through a crack in the ground, and is meant to be the personification of Earthquake.

Full view of the tapestry. The earthquake personification is at the bottom. There is a prison scene on the upper portion. The earthquake allows the prisoners to escape in the myth being depicted here.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 25

#supergirl time.

Me in front of the Supergirl 4 showing sign at my local movie theater.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 24

#vss365 #borntorun #Springsteen #Shakespeare #BruceSpringsteen

Left: Bruce Springsteen performing.
Rights, Text:

When Phaeton’s fiery chariot doth pull
The sun across its oft-repeated path
We wipe the brows by whose sweat we toil for
Our meager allowance of daily bread
Beneath the inferno left behind by
A dream American flown with much haste
In chariots beneath Diana’s orb
Through castles glorious at suicidal speeds
We ride the king’s highway like uncaged beasts
Our wheels spin, adorn-ed in brightest chrome
While injectors our engines pump with fuel
And step we across the last threshold’s bounds

Whoa!

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 23

Having some fun at the #OHenry statue in Greensboro, a really cool #literary tribute to one of the greatest masters of the #shortstory genre. #literature

Me imitating the pose of a bronze statue of O Henry, writing in a notebook.

Me in front of the O Henry Book statue, which is a bronze statue of a book, with a child peeking out between the pages.

Detail of an engraving on the statue meant to illustrate The Gift of the Magi, by O Henry. The scene depicts the exchange of gifts from the famous short story.

Detail of a child peeking out from between the pages of the O Henry book statue.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 22

Happy posthumous birthday to #OctaviaButler, one of the great #sciencefiction writers. She was right, and people should have listened.

Side by side black and white quote meme: left, Science Fiction writer Octavia Butler standing in front of a bookshelf; right, text: "I realize I don't know very much. None of us knows very much. But we can all learn more. Then we can teach one another. We can stop denying reality or hoping it will go away by magic."
- Octavia Butler, Parable of
the Sower

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 21

This page from chapter 6 of #supergirl #womenoftomorrow by @tomking.bsky.social and @bilquis.bsky.social perfectly captures the relationship between a daddy and a daughter. It’s the perfect #read for #fathersday. #comics

A page from Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Evely Bilquis.

Art: Supergirl riding a cosmic horse through space.

Text: She asked
"You are my little girl."
He said.
"And 1 will save you" ?
"No."
She said.
"What I have seen... how can I still be a little girl?*
"Tomorrow will come soon enouah."
He said.
"And I will pass and this place will pass and stars will fall and suns will rise
"And you will be a woman looking back on the mary decades of your life, the terrors and the triumphs.
"And perhaps you will think of your father then and perhaps you will remember whatever has happened, whatever pain you have ever endured...
you are still my little girl."

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 21

In honor of #fathersday, my #poem Never Ever Walk The Leadoff Batter, a poem about #baseball and #fathersandsons. Originally published in Spitball Magazine. #poetry

White text on black

A. A. Rubin
Never Ever Walk the Leadoff Batter
"Never ever walk the leadoff batter"
Daddy explains as I watch my first game These are the things that really do matter.
The high school playoffs, I am the catcher-To the pitcher, my dad's words I declaim,
"Never ever walk the leadoff batter."
About the game we always could chatter;
From other issues wed often refrain.
These are the things that really do matter.
The Sox, cursed, never won when it mattered.
Hed yell at the screen and loudly exclaim,
"Never ever walk the leadoff batter!"
Dad died in '03, they won the year after-Elation! It (nearly) covered the pain.
These are the things that really do matter.
Up in the stands, I pass on to my daughter, And to my son who bears Daddy's name,
"Never, ever walk the leadoff batter."
These are the things that really do matter.),

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 20

This little guy climbed right into my lap at the @crookedtailcatcafe in Greensboro. If I did not live in New York (or if the cafe had been within reasonable driving distance) this guy would be coming home with me. #caturday

A man petting a gray cat which is sitting in his lap.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 19

I happen to be in Greensboro, NC today, which is #Junetennth, and in 1960, four black freshman from NC A&T university began the sit in movement at this Woolworth’s counter, reigniting the civil rights movement.

A storefront of the old woolworths which once had the counter where the sit in movement began. It’s a red sign with gold letters over a red and white awning.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 18

The face of an #author in the #querytrenches looking for an #literaryagent to represent his #debut #historical/#specualtive #SherlockHolmes in a reality inhabited entirely by late Victorian #literary characters. #amquerying

A man wearing tweeds and a deerstalker hat holding a magnifying glass to his eye.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 16

In honor of #Bloomsday, here is a #JamesJoyce inspired writing exercise from John Gillard’s excellent The Creative Writers notebook. #writingcommunity My favorite Portmanteau I wrote in response in the comments. Show me your own.

Black text on white from The Creative Writers Notebook

In Finnegans Wake James Joyce uses an incredible amount of wordplay. He enjoyed creating portmanteau words—a single word with two meanings. The word derives from the English term
"portmanteau luggage"-a piece of luggage with two compartment An example of a portmanteau from Finnegans Wake is "kissmiss": both an alternative spelling of "Christmas" and something that ma occur under the mistletoe.
Exercise: Try to come up with some portmanteaus of your own.
A few examples are given below to help.
"Mr: Right" A man's name and his suitability,
"Kissmiss"
"Eleventeen" (1 mature eleven-year-old)
"Smog" (Smoke and fog)
Staff-walter -Cast

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 15

The DC Compact edition of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, by Tom King,Bilquis Evely, and Mathius Lopes.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 13

From #waltwhitman’s LIve Oak With Moss #bookwormsat #poetry #pride

VI.
What think you I have taken my pen to record?
Not the battle-ship, perfect-modeld, majestic, that I saw to day arrive in the offing, under full sail,
Nor the splendors of the past day—nor the splendors of the night that envelopes me-Nor the glory and growth of the great city spread around me,
But the two men I saw to-day on the pier, parting
the parting of dear friends.
The one to remain hung on the other's neck and passionately kissed him—while the one to depart tightly prest the one to remain in his
arms.

Same text in Whitman’s hand: VI.
What think you I have taken my pen to record?
Not the battle-ship, perfect-modeld, majestic, that I saw to day arrive in the offing, under full sail,
Nor the splendors of the past day—nor the splendors of the night that envelopes me-Nor the glory and growth of the great city spread around me,
But the two men I saw to-day on the pier, parting
the parting of dear friends.
The one to remain hung on the other's neck and passionately kissed him—while the one to depart tightly prest the one to remain in his
arms.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 10

Happy birthday #mauricesendak who inspired so many children to imagine with his #books. I’m eating this in your honor. #iykyk

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 8

I love old versions of #pinocchio like the production I saw at @puppetworksnyc. It’s such an odd creepy, imaginative story. Collodi’s novel is even weirder. There’s something in it that’s authentic to how children think and play which has been lost as stories have become more formulaic.

A marionette of Pinocchio dancing on a stage.

A human actor interacting with a Pinocchio marionette.

Puppets interacting on a set called “Bobbyland.”

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 6

The way she looks at me… #caturday

A man holding a tortoise shell cat like a baby. The cat is looking into his eyes.

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 5

Posting on socials as a human author in the age of AI be like… (panel from Jack Kirby’s Even the Gods Must Die) #jackkirby #writingcommunity #noai #socialmedia

A figure in a winged battle helmet holding some sort of weapon while fighting machines. Speech bubble: Despite automation, you’ll find us about!

Art and story by Jack Kirby, from Even the Gods Must Die

A. A. Rubin@thesurrealari· Jun 4

Working on a freelance editing project today, and I guess I’m going to have to it myself. My assistant editor has fallen asleep on the job.