New web page for the book is up, by the way. A work in progress and I have more supplemental stuff to add in the future, but fyi: beyondsteel.briem.com

“Losers and misfits gather to celebrate their ignorance.” June 1992 coverage in the Erie Daily Times of a local Ku Klux Klan rally. #ErieCountyPA #history #skystorians

From the Dating section of the Erie Daily Times. May 4, 1986. Hope he’s doing okay without New Coke. #history #skystorians

This is interesting.

My latest in the Erie Reader is on James Garfield and his homestead in Mentor, Ohio, just a short drive from #EriePA. Pick up a copy today (or catch it online later). #ClevelandOH #history #skystorians

“The single dot in the center represent the total bombs dropped by the Allies in World War II… The rest of the dots represent the world’s current nuclear weapons.” From Pax Christi USA’s 1987 publication “The Way of Peace: A Guide to Nonviolence.” #history #skystorians #nonviolence #coldwar

I’m not sure why, but I used to save all of my movie ticket stubs. These range from 1999 to 2012 (and range from Training Day to Corky Romano). #filmsky

Robert Ebert’s review of Downfall in 2004 was as absolutely masterful as the movie itself. #history #wwii #skystorians #extremism

My latest is on the “simmering” #comedy scene in #EriePA and the upcoming Flagship City Comedy Fest. “Most comedians move to New York or Los Angeles to advance their careers,” one comic told me. “We moved to Erie, Pennsylvania.” #writersky #standupcomedy www.eriereader.com/article/erie...

The entrance to the old trolley station where I grew up in NW Pennsylvania. #history #skystorians

Don’t threaten me with a good time. #foodtok #skystorians #spam

ICYMI www.wpxi.com/news/pittsbu...

My latest: “An eye-opening 2025 joint project from @muckrack.com & @rebuildlocalnews.bsky.social found a 75% decrease in local journalists since 2002. Another way to put it: there used to be about 40 journalists per 100,000 people. Now, it's less than nine.” www.eriereader.com/article/when...

This 2009 Indiana Jones magazine lists these as Indy’s funniest moments. What say you, BlueSky? #filmsky #skystorians #IndianaJones #moviesky

Jesus. Why didn’t anybody warn me?! #filmsky #skystorians

Watching this underrated gem by Scorsese before it leaves Netflix. I don’t think I’ve seen it in 20 years, so am really enjoying watching it with fresh eyes. #filmsky

Dreams really do come true. And yes, it was absolutely magnificent. #history #skystorians #IndianaJones

I made this and sent it to my friends a few years ago. Sorry. I won’t be taking questions. #history #pittsburgh #skystorians #pittsburghpa

Again, for hyperlocal peeps. Note a time change for this on Friday this week. Now 4:30-6:00pm

As he does weekly, @americanstudier.bsky.social continues putting in the WORK to promote writing and encourage reading for his #ScholarSunday series. #history #reading #skystorians #writersky #readersky

I know I’m late to the party here, as I wanted to wait until I could give it my full attention — but as somebody long fascinated by Garfield, Arthur, and Conkling… just wow. Can we get more shows and movies like this please? #history #skystorians #netflix

My latest: “[Connie Hawkins is] playing a very fast game of chess," observed one sportswriter. "He knows what's happening everywhere." #skystorians #history #basketball #Pittsburgh #NBAsky www.eriereader.com/article/squa...

My latest: “[Connie Hawkins is] playing a very fast game of chess," observed one sportswriter. "He knows what's happening everywhere." #skystorians #history #basketball #Pittsburgh #NBAsky www.eriereader.com/article/squa...

I could talk about the ABA, the Pittsburgh Pipers, and Connie Hawkins ALL DAY (and there are plenty of #EriePA connections too). In print today and online soon. #basketball #history #skystorians

January 28, 1939. When Philly discovered pizza: “What is pizza? Well, it’s just a big open-faced pie, filled with tomatoes, anchovies, muzzarella cheese, peppers, or what have you — and baked while you wait.” #history #NationalPizzaDay #skystorians

My Super Bowl aired earlier this week. #TheMuppets

Here’s my latest: “Why read John Steinbeck talking about some trip he took with his dog when we can watch a celebrity eat increasingly spicy chicken wings on YouTube? To be fair, Sean Evans is a great interviewer.” #booksky #readsky #literature www.eriereader.com/article/do-p...

Erie Daily Times. March 17, 1965. During the Civil Rights Movement's Selma Campaign, #EriePA found itself in national headlines when Hammermill Paper execs cozied up to "segregation now, segregation forever" Governor George Wallace during an announcement of the company's proposed plant in #SelmaAL.

Penn State students write letters in the student newspaper following Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. #MLKDay #history #skystorians

My wife: “You have no fashion sense.” Me: “Pfft. Oh YEAH?!” #gamersky #gaming

My latest: "There's a few new shows everybody's been talking about around the water cooler. Folks seem to really enjoy Wheel of Fortune, but that whole Saturday Night Live thing that the kids seem to love? There's no way that show lasts." #history #skystorians www.eriereader.com/article/erie...

I call this genre “Humanity Needs to Figure Its Shit Out ASAP.” What third movie would you add to complete the trilogy? #FilmSky #Skystorians #HATM

I’m all for talking about my research & writing process when asked, but it’s, uh… a bit unconventional & chaotic & probably won’t make much sense even if it all makes perfect sense in my brain. Here’s a time-lapse that’ll give you a peek at how my latest story came together. #writersky #skystorians

Here's my latest story which includes a history of the Erie Playhouse in #EriePA. "For a town that they say is beer and bowling … the Playhouse is doing real well," executive director David Matthews said in 1983. #theatersky #history #skystorians www.eriereader.com/article/true...

On this day in 1969, the greatest television show of all time, Sesame Street, premiered. Here’s a story that I wrote about the show (and public television) last year. Seems more relevant than ever: www.eriereader.com/article/how-... #history #skystorians #sesamestreet

On this day in 1859, John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry began. A few years ago, I wrote this story about Brown, his final days, & the influence of his time spent living in Pennsylvania. If you missed it, I hope you’ll check it out. #history #skystorians www.eriereader.com/article/a-he...

First horror movie of the #Halloween season: Fright Night (1985). I haven’t watched this since I was 13 or 14 when I rented a beat up old VHS copy of it, but I remember loving it and its darkly comedic vibe. #HalloweenSky

Canada Lee was an esteemed Broadway actor who, among other roles, was the lead in Orson Welles's Native Son adaptation. In Hollywood, he worked with Alfred Hitchcock & alongside Sidney Poitier. Before this though? A scrappy boxer. My latest. #history #skystorians www.eriereader.com/article/cana...

Got my copy of the second volume of The Triangle. I’m in good company. And everybody else involved — editors, photographers, the absolutely indispensable archivists and researchers — sure did make this magazine look SLICK. #history #skystorians #EriePA

Without my editor, I get a little carried away. But here’s my perspective on the whole echo chambers discussion. I have a lot of thoughts. A.I. slop! Algorithms! Dead Internet Theory! The World Wide Web! RSS feeds! Journalistic codes of ethics! Read on: www.jonathanburdick.com/words/echo-c...

New magazine dropped with my story “Ink & Imagination Built Erie” covering many of Erie’s notable past architects. Unfortunately though, the magazine is sent to Erie County Historical Society members and only available to buy at the museum, so no link of it to share (yet?). #history #skystorians

Got to see Morgan Freeman talk about Mississippi, blues music, and his Ground Zero Blues Club. Then watched Keith Johnson (great-nephew of Muddy Waters) and others with the Symphonic Blues Experience perform “I Lied to You” from Sinners. So, that was a pretty solid Tuesday. #filmsky #musicsky

These 1990s READ posters for the American Library Association were amazing. #litsky #readsky #writersky

I don’t know who can relate, but I think my kids think Spirit Halloween’s opening day is a national holiday and that it’s our patriotic duty to go.

This John Brown children’s book I snagged has some major Touchdown for Tommy vibes. But I’m here for it. #history #skystorians #ushistory

Eighty years ago, World War II ended. My latest, in which I reflect on it all, is up: “‘If [Hitler] were killing a mouse he would know how to make it seem like a dragon,’ quipped George Orwell.” #history #skystorians #WWII www.eriereader.com/article/80-y...

Dreams really do come true.

Eighty years ago, World War II ended. My latest, in which I reflect on it all, is up: “‘If [Hitler] were killing a mouse he would know how to make it seem like a dragon,’ quipped George Orwell.” #history #skystorians #WWII www.eriereader.com/article/80-y...

I recently reread George Orwell’s “Why I Write,” a favorite of mine as a teenager. It inspired me to do something that I haven’t done much of in the last decade: write something personal. If you enjoy it, let me know. #writing #writersky #writingcommunity www.jonathanburdick.com/words/why-i-...

I’m going to actively encourage students this year to use multiple search engines beyond Google. I might even tie-in some sort of comparison between what they find on the first pages of each search. So, Bluesky, what’s your favorite non-Google search engine (and why)? #skystorians #edusky #research