Pretty sure I can justify seeing the Odyssey in working hours.

deeply annoying that creative breakthroughs don’t come on schedule from direct work but from things like “open-ended conversations with interesting people” and “doing nothing”

I cannot quote-post it, but the entire thread of @trungles.com reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time is absolutely delightful.

Darcy was at their wedding for some reason?? O…kay? Huh.

LOL just reading through comments from the copy-editor and, well, let's just say I'm not convinced that the copy-editor has really been doing much actual reading of my text here with these queries.. Screenshot of my paragraph for context here... Snort.

Love going to German conferences simply to be styled Assoc. Prof. Dr.

Any suggestions for a blackbird trapped in an office corridor? (No windows that open.)

My kingdom for a non-brioche burger bun. (Look, I LIKE brioche; but not with burgers.)

Epigraphy Peeps! Archaeological Site Photographers! Any one have a hi res of the bottom line? I want to look closer at the letter forms of MARTEI. This stone was found in the sanctuary of Apollo at Sikyon and now is in the local museum. Image source: www.jstor.org/stable/48775...

Why is it that Roman films are history films and Greek films are mythology/literature films? Where are all the Greek history films? Or Roman mythology films? (OK I admit that one is a bit harder.)

In my experience, scholars of a particular historical period are the LEAST uptight about "accuracy" in fictional representations of their period, which is why, as a medievalist, I can assure you that A Knight's Tale is the greatest movie set in medieval England that has ever been made.

In case anyone is interested in my directionality research, here is the paper I gave at the recent Grapholinguistics in the 21st Century conference in Reading: youtu.be/jeMAj0gsNYY?...

Issues with Eduroam today. Unfortunately all attempts to search for troubleshooting instructions just seem to lead to videos about how great Eduroam is.

Any linguists available for a proofreading job?

Many many things competing for my attention this week (had to write them all down to prove I was not being ridiculous to feel a bit frazzled). But I am very proud of the sleeveless jumper I finished knitting.

to everyone at risk or redundancy in academia right now:

Back in the second century, someone in ancient Nubia thought life is better with a frog mug. ❤️

Removal of cap on student numbers - most disastrous HE decision of the last two decades? - allowed Exeter to expand massively, esp. in humanities, at expense of other universities. That has slowed - notable that they’re using data from just last two years to construct financial case…

The sub-head is seriously questionable: “how changing student preferences are fundamentally reshaping universities” buys into the university’s narrative that this is driven by falling recruitment leading to deficits. How can that be, when Exeter has been eating other people’s lunch for years?

When you offer me two author copies plus £200 worth.

There's a template letter that folks might like to use to the President. Adapt at will.

This afternoon!! Come join!! 🏛️

In solidarity with @exeterucu.bsky.social against the redundancies at @exeter.ac.uk Their petition has 8000 signatures this morning. Can you add one more? www.change.org/p/stop-redun...

30 degrees + heavy thunderstorms is a bit hard to dress for.

Today I came across a freed Roman slave called Amoeba and I think that one hasn't stood the test of time really.

All welcome!

HUGE IF TRUE

UK-based early career historian in need of up to £2,000 to complete a project? Deadline for the Royal Historical Society's scheme is 4 September: royalhistorical.smapply.io/prog/early_c...

Ok, look, what's been particularly infuriating about the redundancies at Exeter (and Nottingham and Newcastle and and and) is this weird idea that it only affects those individuals and institutions. It harms us all because we are so closely interconnected.

🚨 PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🚨 If you are an Exeter alumnus, and wish to express your horror at the proposed cuts to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please sign the Google Doc petition below. Not an alumnus? You can still help by signing the Exeter UCU petition at c.org/msXfsb2g5b 🗃️

We need the support and vocal objections of all those who value what we do beyond the academy. If you’ve enjoyed reading our books, seeing us on telly, or listening to us on podcasts, please feel free to lodge your objections on social media, tagging #UniExeter

Lena’s an amazing scholar & wonderful person. She chose our repatriation project in Mitla for funding thru her ‘Imagining Futures through Un/Archived Pasts’ initiative (@exeter.ac.uk). It’s in part bc of her that we finished the Zapotec translation of our book & the community can access its heritage

Colleagues at Exeter have asked me to circulate this petition as widely as possible: www.change.org/p/stop-redun...

A brief appreciation thread for some of my colleagues in Classics at Exeter, who the University of Exeter have put at risk of redundancy @exeter.ac.uk. A few are on here, most are not, but I'm going to say nice things about them anyway.

Each uni has a consultancy in that tells them how to run a degree cheaply. They all simply say 'mega lectures' (LOL, infrastructure) & 'generic modules staff is interchangeable on'. It's pitched as rationalising, creating a 'sustainable' portfolio. But its destroying what university actually is.

These cuts are terrible for all impacted, but they will be an absolute death blow for humanities and social sciences teaching and research. (If anyone has kids planning to come to Exeter for one of these subjects next year, you might want to know about this.)

Exeter announces compulsory redundancies, overwhelmingly targeting the humanities and social sciences - 153 FTE people to be cut, 114 of which from our faculty. At-risk colleagues to be notified today.

More vandalism. To speak only of my fields, Exeter HASS has been a locus of so much agenda-setting research in history of sexuality, gender history, trans history over the last 20 years. Solidarity with all colleagues over there facing these cuts.

Solidarity with my former colleagues at Exeter. I'm old enough to remember when (c. 10 years ago) all of Exeter's marketing material proudly proclaimed how quickly they'd increased the number of academics working there, and the prestige and world-leading research they brought there.

Rounding-up heat preparedness information for the coming week here in the UK, a thread, 🧵 The best and most comprehensive guide to heatwaves is from the British Red Cross. If you only bookmark one page to come back to, make it this: www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/pre... 1/8

Interesting day to lose my phone.

I'm looking for some extra work this summer so if anyone has anything - e.g. remote research (especially London archives or Cambridge area), transcription, editing, proofing, etc, or knows of anyone looking, then feel free to let me know!

Have inadvertently got into a knitting race with @lucycmmjackson.bsky.social by making very similar items on a very similar timeline.

Discovered this at Chatsworth when a very well-spoken dog walker showed us the secret gate with a public footpath sign on it, which the estate had hidden behind another gate. "I love showing people this!" she said with glee.

Do you ever just walk home at the end of the day thinking: my job is weird.

A triumphant end to the week, as my first good draft of the article that needs to be "about 8000 words" is 7967 words. Huzzah!

Thank goodness for Trismegistos. #evergreenpost

Anyone in the ICS library (or similar large Classics-y place) who could take a photo of one (1) page for me?

Going on the lanyard today. (Thanks to @lizgloyn.bsky.social for recommending The Pin Prick.)