Joel Calahan
@joelcalahan.com
Apprentice philologist. Poetry translation and history teaching. Chair-leg hero.
Emeritus: Signal to Noise, Chicago Review
reader-in-chief of Caliber, an occasional newsletter of translation and reading
[ask at calibernewsletter at gmail dot com]
Emeritus: Signal to Noise, Chicago Review
reader-in-chief of Caliber, an occasional newsletter of translation and reading
[ask at calibernewsletter at gmail dot com]
Pinned
Joel Calahan
@joelcalahan.com
· Dec 17
Verge Books
www.vergebooks.com
Very proud to announce the publication of my chapbook The Bees, out now from Verge Books. It’s a translation of Book IV of Vergil’s Georgics, full of practical tips for beekeepers, and lovely lyric depictions of hive life.
Purchase, repost, spread the word!
www.vergebooks.com#/joel-calaha...
Purchase, repost, spread the word!
www.vergebooks.com#/joel-calaha...
Reposted by Joel Calahan
A truly moving and beautiful essay about reading by an old friend. I couldn’t recommend it higher to begin your morning.
I wrote an essay for @bostonreview.bsky.social about what I learned about close reading when I taught at West Virginia University
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
The Claims of Close Reading - Boston Review
Literary studies have been starved by austerity, but their core methodology remains radical.
www.bostonreview.net
November 26, 2025 at 3:40 PM
A truly moving and beautiful essay about reading by an old friend. I couldn’t recommend it higher to begin your morning.
Reposted by Joel Calahan
Reposted by Joel Calahan
It’s blowing my mind that schools, universities, public services would run headlong into this. We spent 15 years documenting black boxes. This is a black box in a black hole!
I don't understand how anyone can watch how blatantly Grok is manipulated to answer the way ownership desires it to and then act like the other LLM chatbots couldn't possibly be similarly but less obviously compromised to produce responses in whatever way corporate interests and priorities dictate.
November 23, 2025 at 11:16 PM
It’s blowing my mind that schools, universities, public services would run headlong into this. We spent 15 years documenting black boxes. This is a black box in a black hole!
post a famous bathroom scene
November 26, 2025 at 1:19 AM
post a famous bathroom scene
Reposted by Joel Calahan
Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller
November 25,1953
November 25,1953
November 26, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller
November 25,1953
November 25,1953
[quietly scooping up all 11th eds now marked down since the 12th dropped]
Got dictionary-pilled by an internet influencer and now I’m making my daughter read it
November 26, 2025 at 1:11 AM
[quietly scooping up all 11th eds now marked down since the 12th dropped]
For real, though, a bit of leftover cranberry sauce with chèvre on a water cracker 👌🏻
took my chèvre to the lèvre but my cracker was dry
November 26, 2025 at 12:38 AM
For real, though, a bit of leftover cranberry sauce with chèvre on a water cracker 👌🏻
Get Hawke and Delpy on that script for the next Before movie, pronto.
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Get Hawke and Delpy on that script for the next Before movie, pronto.
Morning synchronisms
November 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Morning synchronisms
My kids are starting their Christmas listicles, “65 Gifts Your Parents Could Never Afford or Store But You Want Anyway”
November 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
My kids are starting their Christmas listicles, “65 Gifts Your Parents Could Never Afford or Store But You Want Anyway”
Update: I have been folding in a slice of the plum torte into my morning oatmeal. Highest level of recommendation.
November 25, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Update: I have been folding in a slice of the plum torte into my morning oatmeal. Highest level of recommendation.
Reposted by Joel Calahan
We’re accepting applications for our (paid! remote!) summer internship! professors who follow me please share with any students interested in writing
Would You Like To Be Defector’s Sixth-Ever Editorial Intern? | Defector
Big news: Defector is looking to hire editorial interns for the summer of 2026. Wow! That could be you! How could it be you? I am here to answer that question, and many more. What will a Defector inte...
defector.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
We’re accepting applications for our (paid! remote!) summer internship! professors who follow me please share with any students interested in writing
Best Buy? More like…Worst Buy
got em
got em
November 25, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Best Buy? More like…Worst Buy
got em
got em
Reposted by Joel Calahan
November 24, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Reposted by Joel Calahan
Man Who Thought Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ Was Over In For Thrill Of His Fucking Life https://theonion.com/man-who-thought-fleetwood-macs-the-chain-was-over-in-for-thrill-of-his-fucking-life/
November 24, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Man Who Thought Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’ Was Over In For Thrill Of His Fucking Life https://theonion.com/man-who-thought-fleetwood-macs-the-chain-was-over-in-for-thrill-of-his-fucking-life/
Reposted by Joel Calahan
it's monday night, it's blossoms shanghai night www.criterionchannel.com/blossoms-sha...
Blossoms Shanghai - The Criterion Channel
In 1990s Shanghai, fortunes are waiting to be made—but not everyone can be a winner. In his first-ever television series, legendary director Wong Kar Wai (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE) orchestrates a sprawlin...
www.criterionchannel.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:03 PM
it's monday night, it's blossoms shanghai night www.criterionchannel.com/blossoms-sha...
A movie that takes place where you're from
November 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
A movie that takes place where you're from
Reposted by Joel Calahan
Julius Hemphill in a Paul Motian Quartet!! This recording is incredible!! Shame Haden isn't more audible, but still... jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/11/1980...
1980 Live at Ryles 11_23_25
Paul Motian jazz drummer archive and music
jazzcloset.blogspot.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Julius Hemphill in a Paul Motian Quartet!! This recording is incredible!! Shame Haden isn't more audible, but still... jazzcloset.blogspot.com/2025/11/1980...
Reposted by Joel Calahan
people I was listening to the franklin's tower of house music candidates and youtube just algo'd me into this truly incredible find, enjoy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hn-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hn-...
Unreal Tournament '99 Atmosphere Mix
YouTube video by juliomonk
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:02 PM
people I was listening to the franklin's tower of house music candidates and youtube just algo'd me into this truly incredible find, enjoy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hn-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hn-...
Dorsky was such lovely individual, and an incredible advocate for experimental film at the grassroots level. Here’s his notes for a Stan Brakhage series at Berkeley, reprinted in the Chicago Review issue on Brakhage:
www.jstor.org/stable/25304...
www.jstor.org/stable/25304...
November 23, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Dorsky was such lovely individual, and an incredible advocate for experimental film at the grassroots level. Here’s his notes for a Stan Brakhage series at Berkeley, reprinted in the Chicago Review issue on Brakhage:
www.jstor.org/stable/25304...
www.jstor.org/stable/25304...
Pottery at the Minghei International Museum
November 22, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Pottery at the Minghei International Museum
The plum torte is what’s up today
November 22, 2025 at 10:06 PM
The plum torte is what’s up today