Just turned 35 π
@wmstell
Teaching at NYU | scholar of religion, sexuality, disability, and race in the US | author of βBorn Again Queer: A History of Evangelical Gay Activism and the Making of Antigay Christianityβ (May 12, 2026) | π³οΈβπππ»ββοΈπΎ
Just turned 35 π
Just submitted final grades, and thatβs a wrap on my second year of teaching at NYU! Truthfully, there is no other placeβno other studentsβIβd rather be teaching.
Some of the texts we practiced reading scripturally in my βWhat Is a Scripture?β class
Had class outside today π
On my way to Worcester, MA, to attend this groundbreaking conference and give a presentation on Deaf queer religious life in the 1970s and 80s. Especially excited for this first lecture!
Wonder how many times my email has told me βIt seems you forgot to attach a file.β Many, many times.
Fastest time in a LONG time today!
Beginning a 2-week unit on Mormonism in one of my classes today!
Something awful special about playing with my nephew in my childhood home π₯°
Any and every day is a good day to be loving this man.
One of the few sentences that Iβve drafted for βThe Moses of the Gay Liberation Movementβ is the first line of the preface: βI first learned about Rev. Troy Perry because I told a lie.β
MY PHONE JUST AUTOCORRECTED βUNTENUREDβ TO βINDENTUREDβ β οΈ
Lovely email today from a former student (one of my best) who said that βyour teaching and one-on-one support inspired and solidified my commitment to Jewish American studies.β Very excited to see where this student goes.
Hmmm these AAR CFPs are just not inspiring me like they usually doβ¦
Recurring conversation while watching the Super Bowl last nightβ¦
Husband: I donβt understand what just happened.
Me: Do you want me to explain it to you?
Husband: No.
I hate hate hate waking up in the middle of the night to thoughts of our presidentβs attacks on humans and on our governmentβs institutions.
I did it, I got back in the pool
Today, I feel like I have the best job in the world.
Trump is calling for ethnic cleansingββclean out that whole thingβ was his phrase!βbut the NYT manages to make him sound like a humanitarian.
Bringing legos to one of my classes tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Some of the books weβll be reading in my two courses this semester: ββCultsβ and Religious Panicsβ and βWhat Is a Scripture?β
i donβt understand how, psychologically, a person gets to a place where they interpret sign language as some kind of attack or imposition on their life. like, what the fuck is wrong with you?
Itβs gonna be a WILD semesterβ¦
I wonβt teach it again til next fallβ¦but Iβm planning a repeat π
The room was packed for our session on βFinding the Mainstream within the Margins.β Never given a conference presentation in a room like this before!
Today I get to give a presentation titled βOn Teaching Anita Bryant and Getting Pied in the Face,β and Iβm convinced itβs downhill from here.
My last week in two photos β€οΈ
Final grades submitted, another semester in the books!
I LOVE MY JOB.