An audience member asked me about leftist pronatalism.

Rabbit spotted

Rabbit spotted

Started the day with a great thesis defense. It's such a pleasure to see a talented student write a beautiful, thought-provoking paper about something deeply meaningful to them. It's really what I want them, really.

A super interesting opportunity at the Whitney Humanities Center. The deputy director there, @dianeberrettbrown.bsky.social, is awesome and you know I <3 New Haven. Please repost and spread the word!!

So much respect for this exceptional leader! Mamdani disputes Reagan claiming the 9 scariest words are “I’m from the government & I’m here to help,” saying: “9 more terrifying words are actually 'I worked all day, and can't feed my family.' Share everywhere! #uspoli substack.com/@rawstory/no...

STOP MAKING EVERYTHING WORSE

Well said. Another of my recent readings makes the point that the oligarchic worldview has, however, found a symbiotic host in white Christian nationalism’s view of the world .

Always enjoyed the student paper that flouted the usual conventions of academic writing but was nonetheless intellectually engaged and delighted in language. These feel even more precious now.

More than 100K children separated from parents during Trump immigration crackdown: Report ground.news/article/more...

American Kestrels have super head stabilization skills [📹 Paige Bucalo / pythonpaige] Original post

“Also, Middlemarch is better than Moby-Dick,” the Pope stated, conclusively resolving the debate.

This morning in the iris corner

The whole dumb conversation about "woke" was a precursor to this absolutely sinister anti black institutionalized racism and so many people gave that segregationist logic credibility.

Every university should have broad subject coverage; that's what a university is

“Hey, we saw you from across the bar and really dig your vibe. Can we buy you a drink?”

Just saw that Bebel Gilberto is doing a tour to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Tanto Tempo, and remember when that seemed to be the background music at so many restaurants and loungey places.

Clematis is escaping from the trellis #bloomscrolling

The iris corner awakens

Monday May 18 at @intellpublics.bsky.social I'm in conversation with the brilliant Kandice Chuh on writing & publishing at this challenging moment, on the occasion of the @dukepress.bsky.social centennial. Coming from @thegraduatecenter.bsky.social by Zoom webinar 6:30 pm ET Register: bit.ly/3ORvTxg

I first met Clark Reynolds when he was just three years old at our Black History Month reception at the White House. Over the last ten years, it's been wonderful getting updates about his life through his letters. Check out how he’s doing now:

Last class done.

Last slide for the last class.

Dahlias

Nice coverage in The Atlantic “The country’s commitment to the humanities has been affirmed in court, and I love that.” (Me)

Dahlias

This is going in my treasured screenshots album and I‘ll post a link to my AI reference guide page for my CW students, on Canvas.

First iris bloomed in the garden today.

First iris bloomed in the garden today.

get caught up on the backstory while you can't get caught up on grading theamericanvandal.substack.com/p/historyofc...

universities have the brainpower, resources,+ community obligation to develop on-site secure NON PROFIT learning management systems + ed tech overseen by actual educators, not data-extraction censorious surveillance profiteers! VOID THE CONTRACTS theamericanvandal.substack.com/p/mamdani-wi...

A Pulitzer for Julie K. Brown. Richly deserved, and overdue!

Coming soon! I wrote the Foreword to the new edition of Lauren Berlant’s first book, The Anatomy of National Fantasy. Dig the killer new cover design, where Liberty is in a scaffold that looks a lot like a cage.

An ad for the Providence airport asks, “do you leave for Logan three hours early and still are running late? You may have IBOS (Irritable Boston Syndrome)”

This is so beautiful.

Love the neighbor’s tree this time of year.

Chonkers the ‘Food-Motivated’ Sea Lion Plops Into San Francisco www.nytimes.com/2026/04/30/u...

Odd that Yale seems to think that the first step at rebuilding societal trust is to remove any desire to contribute to the public good from its mission statement www.forbes.com/sites/michae...

At Queens College CUNY for Emo Trans 4, yeah (emo as in Early Modern! And some medieval !)

Squirrel friends

As a young dog, Fergus always dreamt of travelling.

I’ve shared elsewhere and am super grateful for everyone that has already pre-ordered. Nevertheless, my book is coming out in September 2026 and ready to be purchased! uncpress.org/978146969385...

MIDDLEMEN: LITERARY AGENTS AND THE MAKING OF AMERICAN FICTION is out today! Today marks the culmination of a decade's worth of work on this project: I conducted my first interview in fall of 2016. I'm so thrilled to share it with you.

Congratulations to Prof. Sophie Maríñez, who has received a 2026 ACLS Fellowship for her new project on Dominican political leader José Francisco Peña Gómez! www.gc.cuny.edu/news/graduat... @smarinez.bsky.social @acls1919.bsky.social

Greater Blue-Eared Starling Bird Nature's living gem: sparkling sapphire feathers and bright eyes