Dr. Emily Friedman
@friede.bsky.social
Storyteller about storytellers.
18th century to today & beyond.
J.W.Liles Prof of English
Words: Polygon (RIP), LARB, etc
Next book: THE ACTUAL HISTORY OF ACTUAL PLAY (#TTRPG digital storytelling performance)
ecfriedman.com
(free) patreon.com/ecfriedman
18th century to today & beyond.
J.W.Liles Prof of English
Words: Polygon (RIP), LARB, etc
Next book: THE ACTUAL HISTORY OF ACTUAL PLAY (#TTRPG digital storytelling performance)
ecfriedman.com
(free) patreon.com/ecfriedman
Pinned
Dr. Emily Friedman
@friede.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Howdy, y’all.
I’m a tenured prof who studies storytelling outside the rules of mass media. This has included never-published manuscripts from during the age of print (1750-1900) & of late has made me a leader in the study of #TTRPG Actual Play.
I’ve learned a lot about friendship along the way.
I’m a tenured prof who studies storytelling outside the rules of mass media. This has included never-published manuscripts from during the age of print (1750-1900) & of late has made me a leader in the study of #TTRPG Actual Play.
I’ve learned a lot about friendship along the way.
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
There’s a moment in the Chevalier d’Eon’s life where she was living in London and refused to return to France despite her government’s order. The French government tried to extradite her, but since she had broken no English law the English could do nothing.
January 18, 2026 at 6:45 PM
There’s a moment in the Chevalier d’Eon’s life where she was living in London and refused to return to France despite her government’s order. The French government tried to extradite her, but since she had broken no English law the English could do nothing.
OK, the title alone had me curious.
A friend in my cohort — a fiction writer — deals in used books and picked this up for me. It’s from 1972. I always try to read every book a friend gives me. Even though I’m sci-fi averse *and* am currently reading a sci-fi horrir book for a book club, you bet I’ll give this one a chance.
January 18, 2026 at 6:46 PM
OK, the title alone had me curious.
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
"... some people just didn’t know is so wrong. It wasn’t about knowing or not knowing, in this case. It was about believing & choosing. There were a lot of people who believed that enslavement was wrong. Enslaved people believed it was wrong. Free black people believed it was wrong."
"The cliché of judging people by the standards of their time, by working to exempt people in the past from the critical eye of the present, simultaneously obscures other historical figures who we might appraise more positively, especially knowing the context in which they were making their choices."
Don't We Have To Judge People By The Standards Of Their Time?
Many who reach for this cliché want it to function as a shield against judgment altogether.
contingentmagazine.org
January 18, 2026 at 2:04 PM
"... some people just didn’t know is so wrong. It wasn’t about knowing or not knowing, in this case. It was about believing & choosing. There were a lot of people who believed that enslavement was wrong. Enslaved people believed it was wrong. Free black people believed it was wrong."
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
I love this thread. It nails the structure of nearly every conversation I have about LLMs. It is very, very frustrating to try to have a discussion with people who make a dismissive motion with their hand and say “that will go away” when I bring up my objections.
Part of the struggle with the LLM discourse is that genuine (i.e. non-grifter) proponents talk exclusively about the possibilities of the transformer architecture in an ideal future with a rational business model.
Whereas opponents largely talk about the world we live in today, and its constraints.
Whereas opponents largely talk about the world we live in today, and its constraints.
What many of us have been saying for a while: AI*-related technologies are tools like any other technology, useful in some places, not in others. If it had been presented (and funded) as such, we'd be in a better place.
Instead, tech ideologues pushed AI* as the Second Coming, went all-in on it. /1
Instead, tech ideologues pushed AI* as the Second Coming, went all-in on it. /1
January 18, 2026 at 6:38 PM
I love this thread. It nails the structure of nearly every conversation I have about LLMs. It is very, very frustrating to try to have a discussion with people who make a dismissive motion with their hand and say “that will go away” when I bring up my objections.
The answer begins, my friends, with taking the stock-scraps bag *also* in the freezer, which made precisely enough stock to make a batch of grits.
(I used to be very good at this kind of thing)
(I used to be very good at this kind of thing)
I went searching for yesterday's post on this subject to solicit unorthodox uses for the boudin, tasso, and andouille in my freezer, only to find this post from *2024*:
I need the brain space currently being taken up with “why do my loved ones express their love with meat, and how am I ever going to cook this boudin/andouille/tasso/mystery sausage?” but here we are.
January 18, 2026 at 6:42 PM
The answer begins, my friends, with taking the stock-scraps bag *also* in the freezer, which made precisely enough stock to make a batch of grits.
(I used to be very good at this kind of thing)
(I used to be very good at this kind of thing)
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
Córy Doctorow with another verbal bullseye: pluralistic.net/2026/01/13/n...
January 18, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Córy Doctorow with another verbal bullseye: pluralistic.net/2026/01/13/n...
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
There's a reason why Fred Rogers used the word "neighbor." The older I get, the more powerful I realize "being a good neighbor" is... and I'm not talking about some damn State Farm.
January 18, 2026 at 5:51 PM
There's a reason why Fred Rogers used the word "neighbor." The older I get, the more powerful I realize "being a good neighbor" is... and I'm not talking about some damn State Farm.
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
My first DARE TO KARAOKE show of 2026 is this week! Now on Thursdays once a month in NYC!
Join me in the East Village on Thurs, Jan 22 for the only song night with a game show twist!
Join me in the East Village on Thurs, Jan 22 for the only song night with a game show twist!
January 18, 2026 at 5:20 PM
My first DARE TO KARAOKE show of 2026 is this week! Now on Thursdays once a month in NYC!
Join me in the East Village on Thurs, Jan 22 for the only song night with a game show twist!
Join me in the East Village on Thurs, Jan 22 for the only song night with a game show twist!
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
Any folks on here who've taught The Plow That Broke the Plains? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plo...
If so, what class was it a part of? And how did it go over?
If so, what class was it a part of? And how did it go over?
The Plow That Broke the Plains - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
January 18, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Any folks on here who've taught The Plow That Broke the Plains? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Plo...
If so, what class was it a part of? And how did it go over?
If so, what class was it a part of? And how did it go over?
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
When I asked my students (1st-years, a range of majors) to draw ChatGPT, there were some amazingly detailed renderings (vector embeddings!) & some hilarious ones, but I noticed 2 popular misconceptions: 1) that ChatGPT searches the internet to find a response; and 2) that it references a database.
January 18, 2026 at 4:22 PM
When I asked my students (1st-years, a range of majors) to draw ChatGPT, there were some amazingly detailed renderings (vector embeddings!) & some hilarious ones, but I noticed 2 popular misconceptions: 1) that ChatGPT searches the internet to find a response; and 2) that it references a database.
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
Do you want a video recommendation? How about a small documentary on a D&D community running games across India IRL?
youtu.be/l933RjFXph4?...
youtu.be/l933RjFXph4?...
How India is embracing Dungeons & Dragons!
YouTube video by Amaan HK - Products of Thought
youtu.be
January 17, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Do you want a video recommendation? How about a small documentary on a D&D community running games across India IRL?
youtu.be/l933RjFXph4?...
youtu.be/l933RjFXph4?...
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
God I wish this group had been in the room when the editorial board at Adams was giving their notes.
The rules for Oh Captain are WAY less elegant than those in FtQ. That comes from editors insisting more ideas be spelled out and codified.
The rules for Oh Captain are WAY less elegant than those in FtQ. That comes from editors insisting more ideas be spelled out and codified.
Did we play Desperation?
No.
Did a dozen people show up?
Also no.
Did we have fun?
Absolutely.
Last night our small group played:
@helloalexroberts.bsky.social For the Queen
@oneshotrpg.bsky.social Oh Captain, My Captain!
Thoughts on pivoting, being flexible, & a micro-con-crit of OCMC.
No.
Did a dozen people show up?
Also no.
Did we have fun?
Absolutely.
Last night our small group played:
@helloalexroberts.bsky.social For the Queen
@oneshotrpg.bsky.social Oh Captain, My Captain!
Thoughts on pivoting, being flexible, & a micro-con-crit of OCMC.
Gathering My Parties, Part Four: PIVOT! [For the Queen and Oh Captain My Captain!]
YouTube video by Critical Prof
youtu.be
January 18, 2026 at 3:34 PM
God I wish this group had been in the room when the editorial board at Adams was giving their notes.
The rules for Oh Captain are WAY less elegant than those in FtQ. That comes from editors insisting more ideas be spelled out and codified.
The rules for Oh Captain are WAY less elegant than those in FtQ. That comes from editors insisting more ideas be spelled out and codified.
Did we play Desperation?
No.
Did a dozen people show up?
Also no.
Did we have fun?
Absolutely.
Last night our small group played:
@helloalexroberts.bsky.social For the Queen
@oneshotrpg.bsky.social Oh Captain, My Captain!
Thoughts on pivoting, being flexible, & a micro-con-crit of OCMC.
No.
Did a dozen people show up?
Also no.
Did we have fun?
Absolutely.
Last night our small group played:
@helloalexroberts.bsky.social For the Queen
@oneshotrpg.bsky.social Oh Captain, My Captain!
Thoughts on pivoting, being flexible, & a micro-con-crit of OCMC.
Gathering My Parties, Part Four: PIVOT! [For the Queen and Oh Captain My Captain!]
YouTube video by Critical Prof
youtu.be
January 18, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Did we play Desperation?
No.
Did a dozen people show up?
Also no.
Did we have fun?
Absolutely.
Last night our small group played:
@helloalexroberts.bsky.social For the Queen
@oneshotrpg.bsky.social Oh Captain, My Captain!
Thoughts on pivoting, being flexible, & a micro-con-crit of OCMC.
No.
Did a dozen people show up?
Also no.
Did we have fun?
Absolutely.
Last night our small group played:
@helloalexroberts.bsky.social For the Queen
@oneshotrpg.bsky.social Oh Captain, My Captain!
Thoughts on pivoting, being flexible, & a micro-con-crit of OCMC.
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
This was such a clever design for a museum show. The pockets of the c18th were suspended from the waist so here, a recreation of the various layers, like an anatomical illustration. The yellow quilted pockets are original amongst the grey blue of the facsimile, #1740s #VandA #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡
January 18, 2026 at 2:15 PM
This was such a clever design for a museum show. The pockets of the c18th were suspended from the waist so here, a recreation of the various layers, like an anatomical illustration. The yellow quilted pockets are original amongst the grey blue of the facsimile, #1740s #VandA #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
I have been tasked with developing a course for English majors that is a book historical approach to 19c women's writing and touches on some heavy hitters like Austen and Eliot. Which means I have to make a decision I do not know how to make: which Eliot??
January 17, 2026 at 4:03 PM
I have been tasked with developing a course for English majors that is a book historical approach to 19c women's writing and touches on some heavy hitters like Austen and Eliot. Which means I have to make a decision I do not know how to make: which Eliot??
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
Back in 2016, Nursing Clio put together a series called Protest: Past & Present. It was one of the most powerful series we've ever done, showing the power of protest (for good and bad). I'm going to post the essays below 🧵
January 18, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Back in 2016, Nursing Clio put together a series called Protest: Past & Present. It was one of the most powerful series we've ever done, showing the power of protest (for good and bad). I'm going to post the essays below 🧵
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
Everything's terrible, but you can buy Girls Scout cookies from Troop 6000, a group of girls in NYC's shelter system. It's totes for a good cause and you can also donate the cookies if you are watching your girlish figure.
cc @joshuajfriedman.com
cc @joshuajfriedman.com
Troop 6000
www.girlscoutsnyc.org
January 17, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Everything's terrible, but you can buy Girls Scout cookies from Troop 6000, a group of girls in NYC's shelter system. It's totes for a good cause and you can also donate the cookies if you are watching your girlish figure.
cc @joshuajfriedman.com
cc @joshuajfriedman.com
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
I̵͎̿͂͝N̸̙͛͌͜C̸̪̰̔̉Ǫ̸͒͝M̷͓̦̈́I̵̠̮͋̍N̴̈́G TRANS̽M̶̑I͛S̷̨͂̔̀Š̵IO͙̫̞N̶̏̆
Audio artifact ProjectECCO_01.17.26 has been recovered but is damaged beyone repair due to chronological distortion.
Your experience of the story may be inhibited by your linear perspect-- wait...what is that?
open.spotify.com/episode/4pA4...
Audio artifact ProjectECCO_01.17.26 has been recovered but is damaged beyone repair due to chronological distortion.
Your experience of the story may be inhibited by your linear perspect-- wait...what is that?
open.spotify.com/episode/4pA4...
DATE NOT FOUND | January 17th
open.spotify.com
January 18, 2026 at 2:05 PM
I̵͎̿͂͝N̸̙͛͌͜C̸̪̰̔̉Ǫ̸͒͝M̷͓̦̈́I̵̠̮͋̍N̴̈́G TRANS̽M̶̑I͛S̷̨͂̔̀Š̵IO͙̫̞N̶̏̆
Audio artifact ProjectECCO_01.17.26 has been recovered but is damaged beyone repair due to chronological distortion.
Your experience of the story may be inhibited by your linear perspect-- wait...what is that?
open.spotify.com/episode/4pA4...
Audio artifact ProjectECCO_01.17.26 has been recovered but is damaged beyone repair due to chronological distortion.
Your experience of the story may be inhibited by your linear perspect-- wait...what is that?
open.spotify.com/episode/4pA4...
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
January 18, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
What tabletop roleplaying games are there that use multiple GMs?
January 18, 2026 at 11:43 AM
What tabletop roleplaying games are there that use multiple GMs?
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
"In 30 years, we will look back, and this era – the wild west of the tech princes’ smash-and-grab into our hearts, souls and relationships – will be difficult to explain to our grandkids."
How can we defend ourselves from the new plague of ‘human fracking’?
Big tech treats our attention like a resource to be mercilessly extracted. The fightback begins here
www.theguardian.com
January 18, 2026 at 1:12 PM
"In 30 years, we will look back, and this era – the wild west of the tech princes’ smash-and-grab into our hearts, souls and relationships – will be difficult to explain to our grandkids."
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
I wrote about my experiences being sexually exploited as a child, and what we need to do to make sure AI doesn’t make that a reality for millions of children.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
My picture was used in child abuse images. AI is putting others through my nightmare | Mara Wilson
I was a child actor, exploited by strangers on the internet. Now millions of children face the same danger
www.theguardian.com
January 18, 2026 at 2:20 AM
I wrote about my experiences being sexually exploited as a child, and what we need to do to make sure AI doesn’t make that a reality for millions of children.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Content creators who deal in “drama” often cloak themselves in righteous “service to the community” — but generally their targets have already been blasted to obscurity.
I wonder sometimes if they understand that they need to weigh the impact of making someone’s name trend upwards for good OR ill.
I wonder sometimes if they understand that they need to weigh the impact of making someone’s name trend upwards for good OR ill.
January 18, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Content creators who deal in “drama” often cloak themselves in righteous “service to the community” — but generally their targets have already been blasted to obscurity.
I wonder sometimes if they understand that they need to weigh the impact of making someone’s name trend upwards for good OR ill.
I wonder sometimes if they understand that they need to weigh the impact of making someone’s name trend upwards for good OR ill.
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
More people should know about the day 90% of Icelandic women went on strike, forcing real political change towards gender equality:
www.bbc.com/news/magazin...
www.bbc.com/news/magazin...
January 18, 2026 at 4:32 AM
More people should know about the day 90% of Icelandic women went on strike, forcing real political change towards gender equality:
www.bbc.com/news/magazin...
www.bbc.com/news/magazin...
Reposted by Dr. Emily Friedman
