Welcome to The Spindle, where we spin you a yarn about the historical ephemera, hobbies, and random hyperfixations keeping us up at night. Whether you’re seeking crafting tips, tales of women who changed history, or weird pop culture takes, we have something to prick your curiosity.
Pour yourself a cup of tea (or something stronger), sit down, and stay for a while. There’s plenty of reading material.
January 2026 | The Month of Soft Defiance
January Is a Month of Contradictions It’s the beginning of a new year, but the dead center of winter (if you live in the northern hemisphere). The calendar shouts fresh start! while the world outside quietly suggests a nap. We celebrate, we resolve, and then, sometimes within hours, we’re right
Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail (and What We’re Doing Instead)
A Brief History of New Year’s Resolutions At this time of year, many people are setting resolutions and intentions for the year. Historically, this goes all the way back to 4,000+ years ago in Ancient Babylon, when people made promises made to the gods. The resolutions of those days were
Harriet Jernigan: The Fencing Bard
If you’ve ever fantasized about picking up the foil and swishing away vigorously at some varlet, hold tight. The reality of fencing is that you need lessons and practice in bouting. Lessons are training in theory and technique, but bouting is where you apply it. I spoke with Harriet Jernigan
Victorian Hobbies to Resurrect This Winter
If you, like us, are seeking solitary amusements to keep you entertained (ideally ones that don’t involve doomscrolling or binge-watching six seasons of a show in a week), might we recommend a revival of some Victorian hobbies? For all their faults, the Victorians were avid hobbyists who loved a craft,
Loving the Death Eater
When I was 18, I read “The Woman at the Washington Zoo” by Randal Jarrell, and my obsession with vultures was born. My familiars are vultures. I have stuffed animal vultures, pictures of vultures at home and in my office. In flight, they are a Kettle. Sitting, they are a Committee,
Where is the Entry in the DSM
For the threads of panic knotting beneath my breast, ends trailing into my gut and tightening like a winch? All the mindfulness exercises and self care in the world can’t dispel this heavy fog of truly atrocious vibes. Is it my anxiety disorder or is it: a) living under fascism
A Holiday Prescription
Seasons Greetings, Everyone! My name is Dr. Theodosia Marigold Hartwell. I recently moved to Spinster’s Row to establish a small therapy practice combining modern natural philosophy with ancient wisdom traditions. Mr. Percy Underleaf serves as my indispensable right hoof, managing my schedule and putting clients at ease. It’s exciting to
Woke Fonts 101: The Secret Agendas Hiding in Your Typography
As you may have heard, our nation’s dear leader and his minions decided to wage yet another totally necessary war — this time, on Calibri, the sans serif font that is apparently woke AF. How is Calibri a radical example of DEI and why is it, in the words of
Preserve the Profession of Nursing: Fight Back!
Recent changes from the Department of Education have downgraded the classification of many healthcare providers. Nurse, nurse practitioner, physical therapist, and physician’s assistant will no longer be classified as “professions.” It should come as no surprise that the roles deemed to be no longer “professions” are more often held by
Cozy Movies to Recharge Amid the Holiday Chaos
During this time of year, there’s no shortage of listicles featuring holiday-themed comfort movies to watch. Yes, The Muppets Christmas Carol is a classic if you adore a Dickens x puppets crossover, Love Actually is worth a hate-watch especially if you read Lindy West’s brilliantly hilarious essay “I Rewatched Love
Creatures Like Krampus (and Why We Love Them)
Winter feels like the world’s longest practical joke. The sun clocks out early, supplies shrink, shadows stretch, and suddenly everything feels very “Please don’t tap the glass, the humans are hibernating.” So perhaps it’s no surprise that winter is also the season when cultures across the world conjure up creatures;
Amelia Earhart, Anne Lindbergh & The Nazi Question
Amelia Earhart, Dorothy Putnam, Dan Schaeffer, Betty Brainerd, Anne Lindbergh, and Charles Lindbergh The Company We Keep: Amelia & Anne Lindbergh I awake in a panic. What if Amelia was a Nazi? I don’t want to uncover that about my heroine. But by the transitive property of friendship, she certainly
