Isabel “Izzy” Black (Joely)

Exciting news! I got the final list of objects and papyri documents for the @thejohnrylands.bsky.social catalogue.
It's got three magical amulets showing the full progression of change from 150BCE to 500CE Egypt. I can now write about the whole transition. #AcademicSky #ClassicsSky

This is such a crime against humanity. Like listening to stuff on the bus out loud.

So I didn’t get the fellowship I applied for.

Haven’t managed to get any job (academic and not) I’ve applied for in 18 months of applying.

Feeling kind of dreadful. Please don’t do the getting a job in academia is hard. It’s bollocks awful everywhere. #AcademicSky

I should be working on a book proposal, a catalogue essay, and a book chapter.

My brain can't stop planning a book that's all about the Moomin House. A whole book.

I'm starting to think the spectre of Marx doesn't want me reading Specters of Marx.

Or maybe it's another ghost. This week I've got a GP appointment to look at my dodgy foot (a real medical term). @lizgloyn.bsky.social @bigfridge224.bsky.social

We are now 50% funded!

To get us through the next 50%:

www.kickstarter.com/projects/str...

The Butlerian Jihad should embrace this kind of disruption. Fill the internet with terrible information for the bots to scrape and feed to other bots.

We dont often in life get to work with actual real-world heroes. That happened for us yesterday when Jenna and 300 of her brave #NIH colleagues allowed us to stand up with them against the Trump regime's war on science and health in America.

TY Jenna & all #NIHheroes

#StandUpForScience
#SaveNIH

If I had money I would get one of these.

Maybe that was why Rafe seemed to think Indi was his mum.

Apparently rats think humans and cats are just very big and very daft rats. They are insanely smart and curious but males especially are often too big for cats to consider taking on as prey.

We had a cat and four rats at one point. When she first encountered them, Rufus was still a baby. He nipped her on the nose and it definitely set the tone. Rafe meanwhile thought she was a big fluffy bed to sleep in.

This June is very weird for weather.

Also I’m not going to make it to today’s reading group I’m afraid. Been a bit of an intense few days and Derrida is just too much!

Yeah that's accurate!

It's warm now here. The rain was hard enough to bring down a tree last night but now it's like wandering around in a bath.

I'll say this for Derrida. He's horrible to read but the horror did compel me to go out for a run.

So there's that. #AcademicSky #Hauntology

Yesterday I submitted the edits for my first academic article to Studia Scandinavica. Moomins ahoy!

Now I have finally opened the review, edit, and notes on my proposal for @edinburghup.bsky.social's editors. With deep apologies for my procrastination.

*Bows* #AcademicSky

How lockdowns through history have led to revolt and misinformation

A History of the World in Six Plagues explores the myriad ways in which people people exerted their agency during the pandemic lockdown.

My first academic article has been accepted for publication by Studia Scandinavica.

It’s about Moominmamma’s handbag.

Revisions due in three weeks. After @theconversation.com’s event last week I guess this makes me a Moominologist now. #academicsky

Yes that is absolutely factual and how we all live.

Presumably she doesn’t get 100 emails a day about referencing from students either.

My not-hot take on the ‘why don’t UK universities aggressively pursue American academics cut adrift’ discussion is three-fold.
One: there are a lot of brilliant un- and under-employed academics here already.
Two: have you *seen* what’s happening in HE here?
Three: immigrating isn’t that easy.

With Moominmama, Tove Jansson created a hero who wields a handbag instead of a sword Moominmama is resourceful, and shows it is possible to survive a long and arduous journey without a weapon, instead using her bag.

It's been a minute, but here I am writing about Moominmamma's handbag for @theconversation.com:

theconversation.com/with-moominm...

Breakthrough as life-size sculptures discovered in Pompeii tomb New discoveries are overturning the assumptions that used to be made about a woman’s place in society, writes Emily Hauser

'Archaeologists make breakthrough as life-size sculptures discovered in Pompeii tomb'

Crabs out here fighting the good fight.

@moudhy.bsky.social’s Between Two Rivers has me doing one of my favourite things: hunting museum online catalogues for stuff. Usually for me it’s papyri and terracottas. Now it’s cuneiform tablets. I want to LOOK AT THEM ALL.

Thank you! I shall look out for that next.

I’m really only here to say I decided to pick up @chuckwendig.bsky.social’s Wanderers a couple of months back because it was on offer.

It’s mind-bendingly good so far. Very much recommend.

No #DigitalFriday today because it is a public holiday in the UK; take that work/life balance seriously and I'll see you all next week ;)

Welcome to the Locus Awards Poll. Deadline for voting is April 15. You can return and edit or add to your ballot up until the deadline.

Public voting for the 2025 Locus Awards is open till April 15.

THE SENTENCE has been long-listed in the best SF novel category, along with a ton of great work.

If you’re so inclined, the voting link (open to all) is available here: poll.voting.locusmag.com

This. I teach because being with the students and helping them learn is the best bit.

The elites pointing at people who got into university saying “them, it’s all their fault because they did better than you at school.”