I’m a sociologist studying how mental health care breaks down when knowledge is uncertain and institutions don’t align.
My new book, A Mad Mess (University of Chicago Press, Dec), looks at why the mental health “system” isn’t a system at all.
A thousand NYU contingent faculty went on strike Monday and today they have a real contract with real security in one of the most expensive places on earth
One consequence of the fact that more and more elected officials and civil society groups are finding their voice to resist Trump is that the fact that most university Presidents continue to say absolutely nothing (cc: Linda Mills at NYU) becomes more visible and shameful.
Some notes:
Yes, that’s a typo on the month. Date is correct on page 1 and other docs.
Also, the scripture:
Matthew 19:14 ~ Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
John 11:35 ~ Jesus wept.
Ultimately, Petitioners may, because of the arcane United States immigration system, return to their home country, involuntarily or by self-deportation. But that result should occur through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place. Philadelphia, September 17, 1787: "Well, Dr. Franklin, what do we have?" "A republic, if you can keep it." With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike, It is so ORDERED. SIGNED this 31st day of February, 2026. 7um Jing FRED BIERY UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE Credit: Bystander Matthew 19:14 John 11:35 There is also the photo of the boy from the viral stories included.
Federal judge has ordered the release of Liam Ramos (the bunny hat boy) and his father. A brief and rather remarkable order. Clearly written to be shared widely, so please do. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Leading democratic politicians should make plans to be in Springfield on February 4th
I get the wider cultural resonance of Springsteen, but for early 2000s punk rock kids, the fact that NOFX came out of retirement to put out a song about Minnesota Nazis is also an exciting development in the resistance. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU6s...
I know all eyes are on Minneapolis, but there's a fast-approaching nightmare in Springfield, Ohio.
Trump is revoking protected status for tens of thousands of Haitians living there on Feb. 3.
Reportedly, on Feb. 4, 1000 ICE agents are arriving to remove this population. Ethnic cleansing.
Congress is not powerless. Democrats must unify around an actual agenda.
1. Vote no on DHS funding bill.
2. Repeal the multi-year $75 billion funding for ICE.
3. End qualified immunity for ICE agents.
4. Investigate and prosecute every single ICE agent who broke the law.
If they are doing this to white people in broad daylight imagine what they are doing to non-white people in detention facilities.
ICE is now responsible for 66% of the homicides in Minneapolis this year.
If the US were a geopolitical rival the headlines would be like: US Secret Police Execute Second Dissident In the Streets As Militarized Occupation Enters Sixth Week
Unequivocally recommend. I banned laptops and phones last semester and forgot how much it changes the experience of lecturing to have students actually looking at me and responding to what I was saying. I get way more questions now.
I hate this so, so much.
This is the sort of statement that was expected from every university president and law firm partner over the last year. That those statements weren’t made played a huge part in where we are now and people will remember.
See you there!
A remarkable trend that will come as a shock to you if your only info about NYC is from this Fox News.
Homicides in NYC...
1990: 2,262
1993: 1,927
1998: 629
2001: 649
2013: 335
2019: 320
2021: 488
2024: 382
2025 (as of 12/28): 302
It certainly appears that the United States government is run by neo-Nazis.
Actually that's just JD Vance's life because people yell at him everywhere he goes
The EO is also *wasteful*. It takes a subset of people who have needs that can't be met by independent supportive housing and uses them as justification for abandoning Housing First, which remains the most effective approach we have for most.
As a reminder, a psych hospitalization costs $1000/day+.
The EO is *cruel*. It follows the recent Supreme Court decision in Grant's Pass to ramp up encampment sweeps, even though scholars like Chris Herring have shown how forcing people to move, throwing away all their stuff (like IDs!), and piling up fines makes it harder to get into housing.
The executive order is *incoherent*. It follows Trump's pet project of expanding involuntary ttt (which he evoked after the Parkland shooting), even though it is governed by state law and depends on infrastructure (like psych hospitals) that his Medicaid cuts are simultaneously going to gut.
Today I fulfilled my millennial dream and appeared on @vox's Today, Explained podcast, talking about Trump's executive order around homelessness and civil commitments. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
Honorable Mention, 2025 Best Book Award, Sociology of Mental Health Section, American Sociological Association. Includes the cover to Conservatorship: Inside California’s System of Coercion and Care for Mental Illness, by Alex V. Barnard. Save 20% with code CUP20SM at cup.columbia.edu
We are pleased to announce that Alex Barnard's CONSERVATORSHIP was named Honorable Mention for the 2025 Best Book Award from the Sociology of Mental Health Section, American Sociological Association. buff.ly/LqsQROV @avbsoc.bsky.social @asasmh.bsky.social #MentalHealth #PublicPolicy
Going to revisit my notes from reading "Citizen and Subject" from qualifying exams to try to make sense of NYC Mayoral Election.
the books – even for seminars in recent trends in the area, then the books aren’t selling. The Press might as well price them like Cambridge or Routledge, at a level that assumes no one will buy them. In my view, we need a Bandcamp moment – people realizing their friends won’t have bands ... 9/
Here's a long thread on an issue dear to my heart. This Tuesday evening I’m doing an Intellectual Publics with Macarena Gomez-Barris on publishing. Like last year’s conversation with Denise Cruz, or the prior year’s with Racquel Gates, we will talk about how to find a publisher, turn a thesis... 1/
Glad my alma mater is mobilizing alums for higher ed.
Admin should be doing the same with faculty: giving stipends to write op eds, go back to our hometowns to talk about the value of what we do, blasting us with e-mails to call Congress.
NYU admin, meanwhile, doing zilch.
standup.princeton.edu