Thread: Seventy years ago, Tolkien imagined a world defined largely by the racial ideas of his time. White is broadly speaking good. Dark or black is broadly speaking bad. It's not 'woke' for us to reimagine his world. It's the very definition of art. 1/ cnn.com/2022/09/03/ent…

Tolkien knew this. His own stories were in many ways reimaginings of other stories, other myths, including Christian tales but also incorporating a broad range of other influences. His own beliefs about the meaning of his stories changed over time. 2/

The idea Tolkien was establishing an imaginary orthodoxy from which we are not allowed to deviate as our own imaginations change and evolve isn't just wrong, it's terrifying. Imagine if someone had come to Tolkien and said, Christian stories aren't appropriate for your dreams. 3/

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Brian Mann

@BrianMannADK

Sep 3

I'm really enjoying Rings of Power. That's it. That's the tweet. 🧙‍♂️

Okay this is going to be a thread. Sorry. Non-nerds look away. First happy observation. Rings gets dwarves right. Durin is a charming character, his relationship with Elrond lovely and fragile. Khazad Dum is fun...and poignant because doomed...second happy observation...

Galadriel is a wonderful character. Yes building a strong powerful angry woman into the heart of the story is a stretch of Tolkien's vision...and that's a good thing. But setting that aside she's just badass and fun. Third happy observation....

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Brian Mann

@BrianMannADK

Jun 17

Thread: I believe there's room in objective factual journalism for more and better reporting on the 1/6 insurrection that focuses on why people should care. We all get it. This stuff (the integrity of elections, the institutions that underlie democracy) feels abstract. 1/

When we talk to voters it often comes down to a reflexive idea that Americans are going to support their political team regardless of what that team has done. It's also common for people to say that more immediate issues (gas prices, inflation, covid policy) take precedent. 2/

And I get all that. It's human to say, I'm more concerned about not being able to fill my gas tank and take my family out for dinner on Friday night than I am about the future of American democracy. 3/

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Brian Mann

@BrianMannADK

Jun 15

@ONDCP

Thread: At 2pm eastern the White House @ONDCP will answer lawmakers' questions about a plan the @JoeBiden team says will cut drug overdose deaths by 13% by 2025. Goals are ambitious. Some Senators and drug policy experts are skeptical 1/ @npr

@ONDCP

@ONDCP @JoeBiden @NPR I'll live tweet as much of today's Senate hearing as I can and I'll have a report on the White House drug control strategy later today on @npr and tomorrow on @MorningEdition. More soon 2/

@ChuckGrassley

Hearing now underway with @ChuckGrassley suggesting that White House "harm reduction" strategies could actually make dangerous drugs more widely available. Points to deep ideological differences between "drug war" and "harm reduction" approaches. 3/

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Brian Mann

@BrianMannADK

May 1

@NPRWeekend

Thread: this morning on @NPRWeekend Sunday my story from the battle zone in southern #Ukraine, where elderly villagers are slammed daily by Russian artillery @npr 1/

@NPR

During our @NPR team's reporting trips we were forced to take shelter in a bombed school when Russian forces targeted the village with rockets 2/ #Ukraine

@NPRWeekend

Please tune in to @NPRWeekend and listen. And special deep gratitude to my team Polina, Yuri and Shane who went above and beyond to get this story and to the #Ukrainian soldiers who helped get us home safe. /end @NPR

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