To me, this looks like hands covering a face in despair. Or maybe 🫣 You need more than 2 hands because of the current state of affairs of the world. Peace? Yeah right.

Wait, MLA 2026 is in Toronto? Nothing against Canada, but why? I hope the organizers realized they are excluding swaths of US scholars who are on a visa or work permit that is expiring, folx that are in the middle of adjusting status, people who are afraid to cross the border right now...

Language & Literary studies folx, #MLA is coming up too!

How many potential peer reviewer names to give to your University Press editor, and which names to choose?

You have an academic manuscript (almost) ready to send out, but now it needs a title... Such great research-based advice from @katelynknox.bsky.social here: dissertationtobook.com/titles/

The #1 lesson from yesterday’s blowout: Humanities majors killed on the job market 1) Mamdani- Africana Studies 2) Spanberger -French 3) Sherill - Global History

it's job application season in academia. If you need last-minute developmental editing to get your humanities sample chapter or research proposal in order, I have some room in my schedule. I offer discounts for self-pay and grad students. #academicsky

Oh the cursed day hath come where I'm forced to upgrade to Windows 11 (with co-pilot! as if that's an advantage). Except my existing PC (that works just fine!) has been determined incapable of handling it so I guess I need a new one of those too, pronto.

All are invited to the first in Publishing with University Presses Webinar Series, "Turning Your Dissertation into a Book," Oct 9 at 1pm ET. Organized by our Faculty Outreach Committee with the Rutgers Ctr for Minority Serving Institutions. Register here: https://buff.ly/UiOAr5M

This looks like a wonderful resource as you are navigating the process of publishing your first book. And it's free!

A great opportunity for those working on an academic book, especially if it's the first (based on your dissertation)! Get the zoom link on Allison's profile.

My free one-hour workshop, How to Publish a Book from Your Dissertation, is coming up on September 3. Learn what academic presses are looking for when they acquire a new book project and how to avoid the dreaded “we don’t publish dissertations” rejection courses.manuscriptworks.com/courses/diss...

Ugh I hate it when I leave things at places. Like this morning, I left the head of broccoli and cucumber I bought at the farmers' market. www.npr.org/2025/08/16/n...

Indexes for non-indexers! Aimed at proofreaders, but anyone who looks at indexes and has reason to edit them (say, reviewing an index you hired out for) can get a lot out of this. I cover the best ways to edit an index. community.the-efa.org/events/Event... #edibuddies #IndexSky #academicsky #EFA

Katelyn and I run plenty of paid workshops, but we know well that not everyone can afford things like that. So we're committed to giving free workshops and making them available to watch. Here's one about book arguments!

In her latest newsletter, Emily Doucet is saying something I tell authors ALL THE TIME: "your argument needs to be a specific claim about the materials — your evidence — described in your manuscript." And guess what: Emily has a step-by-step method for examining that evidence, with a worksheet!

I'm letting Rumeysa's words speak for themselves: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025...

This looks wonderful. I'm no longer in the classroom but this sounds great for an introductory literature seminar or first-year seminar

@closereadingie.bsky.social Something to cheer you up. My 7 y/o is very into flags, and got a new book about flags of the world. He went right for the index. "The Index is 5 pages long!!!" "New Jersey page xxx! It's in here!" "There's an entry about yurts!" A 7 y/o discovering the joy of indexing.

Ooooh! I lived in an apartment* that Mr. Big (SATC) was interested in buying. The realtor gave me permission to stay home one day when he wanted to come see it again. We exchanged a few words. He didn't buy the apartment. * a whole other story

today at 12pm Pacific, so 3pm Eastern. I'd be happy to answer questions afterwards

TRUMPS BIRTHDAY PARADE All you have to do is go to america250.org to get FREE tickets for the Trump birthday military parade. After getting tickets if something else unfortunately comes up for example the NO KINGS PROTEST that very day which is all across America, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.

This thread is so depressing. If you're negotiating with a publisher about your book, stipulate you want a human copyeditor, preferably one of your own choice or in-house.

This is HUGELY good news, and reading notes from the trial is infuriating. Could be any of dozens of friends/colleagues from my graduate program. 8.5 weeks in jail with minimal medical treatment for writing an op-ed.

The man at left separated the mother and baby at right. The mother is now in Venezuela. Baby daughter, in foster care in the US, exact location unknown. Dad? He's in CECOT prison without trial — because he had tattoos.

Many of our members have had grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities abruptly terminated. In response, the AHA, @modernlanguage.bsky.social, & @ach.bsky.social are convening an Information Exchange about the NEH Appeal Process on Wednesday, April 30th at 11am ET on Zoom. Register now 🗃️

They’re taking *our* investment—the money that we spent months writing grants for, the hours and hours we all spent reviewing each others’ work, the money that was supposed to go to libraries and community groups—and blowing it on this nonsense.

Academic authors! Are you thinking about working with a developmental editor—someone you hire to work with you on your book's big picture and give you suggestions for improving your drafts? If so, I can help connect you! I know a number of editors, and I'm offering to be your matchmaker!

Sage advice for those trying to get multiple projects out the door.

"Mahdawi asked university administrators to help him find a safe place to live so he would not be taken by ICE agents.... The school did nothing in response."

Dear NAVSA friends: Please know that that the organizers of the 2025 conference are monitoring this dynamic as closely as is humanly possible & are deeply aware of the uncertainty & fear in our membership now. + @navsa2025.bsky.social / @navsa.bsky.social

What happens to people who are "out of status" but who have a petition in progress? People whose visa gets terminated but need to file taxes for the current (and/or previous) year?

They're trying to kill Rumeysa Ozturk for writing a fucking op ed

So many American stories have student visas in them, people who came temporarily, but stayed and formed families and communities, who broke barriers and created new knowledge, asked new questions. Revoking student visas is an extension of birtherism, a war against pluralistic America.

From the department of Are You Freaking Kidding Me?

NEW: Tufts files a declaration in support of Rümeysa Öztürk: "The University has no information to support the allegations that she was engaged in activities at Tufts that warrant her arrest and detention." www.tufts.edu/president/sp...

#IndexDay “qualities in the indexer who creates…Empathy: the ability to put oneself in the place of the reader…Judgement: the ability to make rational decisions about what to include in the index…Understanding: the content of a book and implications of a text” www.thebookseller.com/comment/the-...

This is an incredible opportunity for academic book authors who are in the stage of trying to get from "idea" to "proposal"! And the application looks very straightforward--I encourage everyone who thinks they might be eligible to check it out!

If you've ever wondered what the process of obtaining a green card or U.S. citizenship is like, I have an article for you. I do want to stress that this is an UNcomplicated case! www.njpen.com/obtaining-pe...

You finished your manuscript, but now you don't have time to do all the tedious final tasks... Erin Maher is ready to help you!

I would like to nominate Maxwell Smart for national security advisor.

When I was writing my dissertation, I sometimes started to just writewritewrite. Then later I figured out why what I had written was important and where it fit. I didn't know what I know now, which is that it has a name: reverse outlining.

Columbia grad student with a green card and a pregnant US citizen wife, abducted by ICE because of his political organizing, and now his lawyers can't find him. Hey, @schumer.senate.gov. This is your constituent. Bring him back home.

Great advice! If you'd like help polishing your sample chapter, hit me up!

This happened in my small town on the outskirts of Philly. There is a sign on the door that says "Free to anyone with a disability, or homeless, or simply cannot afford it." Now, there's also a sign that says "Closed until further notice." It is gutting and galling. share.inquirer.com/bHOUW4

Grad school friends / professors who just joined, here's a community of French/Francophone colleagues here!

I truly think people don’t realize how many universities and colleges — especially public ones — may shut down if restrictions on and withholding of federal funding persists for even one presidency We are facing the demolition of American higher education

While we are all dealing with the Great Destruction — of NIH and US science and the US economy — we have been hearing from NIH people who want to write things for the outside world. If you are an NIH person that wants to share a blog post with the world anonymously, please let us know.

All of these! Also, shameless self-promotion, I can help you fix these issues!