Irritating queer studies Published in Safundi (Ahead of Print, 2026)

Hugo ka Canham writes lovely and generous things about Frottage.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

We will not cower or lay down before Donald Trump. Thank you @repkweisimfume.bsky.social❗️ #baltimore #nokings

Holy New York.

This is Nathan Cavanaugh, another DOGE staffer explaining how he flagged grants at NEH for "DEI" which would be reviewed for termination. 404 Media has reviewed hours of this footage and we'll have more soon.

Part of a lawsuit by @acls1919.bsky.social, @modernlanguage.bsky.social + @historians.org

A 1,500-bed detention facility is coming to rural Maryland. We’re calling on ICE to account for what that means — and asking you to do the same. An Open Letter to DHS's Sustainability Team from Project Salt Box

⚫🟡MARYLANDERS🔴⚪

ICE wants to convert a package warehouse into a facility holding 1,500 people and calls it an "in-kind" change. We disagree.

The public comment window to share open comments closes Thursday 3/5.

Tell ICE what you think — we've made it easy.

Read more over at Project Salt Box.

Have my copy & can’t wait to dig in over break next week!

5 women authors I’ve read at least 5 books by:

Edith Wharton
Fay Weldon
Adrienne Rich
Toni Morrison
Octavia Butler

Cover image of Cane by Jean Toomer

Hands down, Cane by Jean Toomer, and bonus points because it wins for all genres!

UT Head of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Speaks Out • The Austin Chronicle On Monday, the Chronicle spoke with Lisa Moore, who has served since 2023 as the chair of UT-Austin’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department – a department that is now being collapsed with ...

Now that Faculty Council has been dissolved and our administrators from the Dean level up have been replaced by political appointees, a free press is the only place UT Austin faculty have to speak up.
www.austinchronicle.com/news/ut-head...

An open letter from the team at Project Salt Box in support of MD House Bill 630 The testimony we will be submitting tomorrow in support of this emergency measure

This is the testimony our team will be submitting tomorrow in support of HB 630. We are providing this to other Marylanders to use for inspiration, or to model their own submissions on.

crickets from the free speech crowd, of course

Something I've been trying to impart on people is that the ICE occupation in Minnesota is both an ethnic cleansing and an ideological terror campaign. It's clear that the second part has utterly failed; the community is not terrified. But ICE is now desperately trying to salvage the first part.

Meanwhile Baltimore is actively purchasing hotels to convert them into shelters and affordable housing. This is the safety we should all be seeking.

Protect Trans Care Now As wave after wave of extreme measures to criminalize and strip trans people of rights and safety continue, tell Congress to act.

Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that bans gender-affirming medical care for any transgender person under 18, and threatens any medical professional providing this care to youth with 10 years in prison.

Tell Congress to protect trans youth and vote NO.

Artificial Intelligence and Academic Professions Educational technology, or ed-tech, including artificial intelligence (AI), continues to become more integrated into teaching and research in higher education, with minimal oversight. The AAUP’s ad ho...

This is one of the most important documents produced this year.

At a time when many of our professional organizations are punting, @aaup.org has been leading on EdTech, AI, academic freedom & faculty governance.

I'm humbled to be joining the team that authored this report.

The most salient point this article makes is understated, but needs to be stressed: the effects that ChatGPT is having in academic systems are to accelerate and triple down on rot that was already happening. This matters, because that rot was a necessary precondition for what's happening now...(1)

Great colleagues, great city, super cool job title!

ACADEMIC JOB ALERT: My department (Loyola University Maryland) is searching for a senior faculty member to serve as the next Gerard Manley Hopkins Chair in English. We’re searching in pre-1800 British Literature. I’m chairing the search & would be happy to answer questions. Details in the ad.

AI Data Centers Are Sending Power Bills Soaring Wholesale electricity costs as much as 267% more than it did five years ago in areas near data centers. That’s being passed on to customers.

Electricity now costs up to 267% more than it did five years ago in areas near data centers.

www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

Title page of our presentation slides. On a collage background is the title “Spread the Word: A Zine for Every Poster” with the author names listed (Julie Setele, PhD, MLIS; Jex Calvert, RDN) and the date (April 17, 2025)

The back and front cover of the zine Jex made to accompany our presentation. An arrow labeled “distribution” on the back cover extends onto the front cover. Zine distribution suggestions are provided: make copies and fold to share at your poster session; donate a copy to the zine library on campus; and leave copies to be found in fun places! A ko-fi donation link for Jex is included: https://ko-fi.com/AceOfMugs

I co-facilitated a workshop last night on how to transform one’s research poster (or paper) into a zine!

Here are the slides and zine we created:

Slides:
library.buffalostate.edu/ld.php?conte...

Zine:
library.buffalostate.edu/ld.php?conte...

Photo of Senator Chris Van Hollen with Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance. I have called his wife, Jennifer, to pass along his message of love. I look forward to providing a full update upon my return.

Opinion | Junot Díaz’s Forced Disappearing Act The great writer has been exiled from the Norton anthology.

I've been uneasy about Junot Díaz's treatment by the mainstream media for a while now, but seeing him get nixed from the Norton anthology was the last straw for me. I've put my thoughts down here. Thanks, as usual, to my editor, Len Gutkin!
www.chronicle.com/article/juno...

Most Higher Ed Workers Still Paid Less Than Before Pandemic Although raises for most higher education employees last academic year beat inflation, most are still effectively earning less than they were in 2019–20, according to new salary survey data released M...

"Adjusting for inflation, tenure-track faculty are now paid 10.2 % less than before Covid... While 'median pay increases for most higher education employees in 2024–25 remained strong, they have dropped...” www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t... #edsky #highered

So many foundational books being banned, but I was especially shocked to see Jim Miracky, S.J. on this list…My first Dean, who supported me as a new faculty member at Loyola University Maryland. Jesuit teachings are too radical for the Naval Academy.

Going green: University of Maryland announces Kermit the Frog as commencement speaker Prominent political figures and lawmakers on the commencement speaker circuit are about to have some friendly, froggy competition — Kermit the Frog will deliver the address to the University of Mar…

Man, universities are really scared of controversy right now. Literal puppets, geez.

Would really love to hear responses to this from @vanhollen.senate.gov @alsobrooks.senate.gov @repkweisimfume.bsky.social and others.

I learned about it in Harvey Levenstein’s Paradox of Plenty. I don’t think it’s discussed that much.

Nixon also oversaw the largest expansion of food aid in American history. His policies came so close to eliminating food insecurity in the US that Reagan was able to convince the public that they were wasteful and unnecessary. Straight out of the current MAGA playbook.

9-5, and I am so bad at singing that the crowd invariably joins in to help, and we all become part of Dolly’s revolution.