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Matthew Cheney

@melikhovo.bsky.social

2.2K followers 810 following 820 posts

Writer, teacher, person. Books from Black Lawrence, Bloomsbury Academic, punctum, Third Man, Lethe. Horror fiction, modernism, pedagogy, weirdness. (Would love to post less about politics, but, well, look outside...) https://matthewcheney.net

matthewcheney.net

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Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · Aug 29

Kirkus gives Moon Songs a star!

"This compellingly assembled retrospective gives longtime Emshwiller fans a chance to savor her unique sensibility again, while lucky newcomers enjoy the thrill of discovery."

@thirdmanbooks.bsky.social

www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

MOON SONGS | Kirkus Reviews

A greatest hits collection of unclassifiable speculative fiction.

www.kirkusreviews.com

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Reposted by Matthew Cheney

Alan Baxter @alanbaxter.bsky.social · 1h

"Put simply, only the extremely wealthy appear to be benefiting from all of this."

Bank of England Warns of Impending AI Disaster

The Bank of England has sounded the alarm, warning of an intensifying risk of a "sudden correction" due to an AI spending frenzy.

futurism.com

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James Hell Brooks @kleinman.bsky.social · 2h

We have reclaimed the humble frog from the right

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 8h

Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight.

Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

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Alex A. Pagliuca @alexpagliuca.bsky.social · 9h

Just going to repost one of my favorite threads of all time.

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Aug 20

It seems to me that the time is ripe for a Bluesky thread about how—and maybe even why—to befriend crows.

(1/n)

Beautiful crow against a black background

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𝔻𝕖𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕟 𝕆'𝔻𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕝 @jacqbetula.bsky.social · 1d

It's a great day to remember how important a translator like @ottiliemulzet.bsky.social is for those of us who can only read in English.
Without her superb translations, we would have missed so much of the great work of László Krasznahorkai.

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Iron Curtain (Leah Abram) 🏳️‍⚧️ #BringBackLink @ironcurtainyc.bsky.social · 12h

Exactly this. I would say that I know Letitia James personally. When she was on the New York City Council, she wasn't a democrat, but a member of the @workingfamilies.org party.

This indictment is every bit the political witch-hunt Trumpy claimed was used against him, used on his political enemies

Sheryl Weikal and the colorful Parrotlegals @leftistlawyer.com · 13h

Letitia James is a former public defender and public advocate. She's spent most of her career on the side of the marginalized and underprivileged. And let's be honest: Trump is attacking her because he doesn't want Black women in positions of authority in this country.

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Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 13h

I was president of our adjunct union in better times. I do know.

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Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 13h

At an academic conference and the most common conversations I've had is stuff like, "How many faculty is your school trying to fire? Do you still have professional development funds? Do you still have an English department?" Fun times!

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Andrea Pitzer @andreapitzer.bsky.social · 22h

Trump & Co will not stop until they are stopped. Given the opportunity to do worse things, there's no endpoint at which they will not do them. Acting in your communities now—protesting and building local networks—is critical to creating a massive, visible, nationwide opposition to counter them.

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 23h

Nothing remotely resembling an insurrection is happening anywhere in the country. Any violence associated with protest has been isolated, mild, and, in nearly every case, instigated by federal law enforcement. If we let Trump get away with calling dissent an insurrection, our republic is over.

BREAKING: Trump Admin 'Seriously' Considering Using the Insurrection Act, Reports NBC

President Trump is "seriously" considering invoking the Insurrection Act in order to more easily deploy National Guard troops to major cities as part of crime crackdown, NBC reported on Wednesday

www.mediaite.com

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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 1d

Spoke with cnn while sitting on the floor of my hotel room hallway bc my family were asleep in the other room.

6a E Mark.mp4 - 6a E Mark - Frame.io

next.frame.io

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Rebecca Makkai @rebeccamakkai.bsky.social · 23h

Okay, my best attempt: CROSS-naw-hor-kaw-ee
But the first four vowels are all the same. So keep the “o” sound from “cross” and repeat it three more times. (Somewhere between “aw” and “ah”)
“Hor” gets the second most emphasis.

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Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 23h

(Ideally, Tarr would adapt Krasznahorkai's Nobel Prize speech into a very long movie.)

Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 23h

One of the interesting things about Krasznahorkai is that he's had, yes, a tremendous effect on literature — but also, thanks to his collaborations with Béla Tarr, on film. (Maybe don't start with film of "Satantango" if you're curious. "Werckmeister Harmonies" is lovely and not 9 hrs long.)

Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 23h

Nobel for Krasznahorkai. Cool! And wonderful for @ndbooks.bsky.social. Check out his story collection The World Goes On if you don't know his work.

www.ndbooks.com/book/the-wor...

The World Goes On by László Krasznahorkai | New Directions

In The World Goes On, a narrator first speaks directly, then narrates a number of unforgettable stories, and then bids farewell (“here I would leave this earth and these stars, because I would take no...

www.ndbooks.com

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

Bray is a historian at Rutgers who received death threats after landing on Turning Points USA's Professor Watchlist. As a result, he announced he was moving to Europe. And then this happened.

This kind of harassment and abuse of scholars is Charlie Kirk's legacy and it's only getting worse.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 1d

“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’

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Kathy L Weiss @middlechildtake.bsky.social · 2d

Early Signs of a ‘Turning Point’ as Renewables Edge Out Coal www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/c...

The world generated more electricity from renewable energy than coal for the first time ever, a new report finds. The United States is lagging behind.

Early Signs of a ‘Turning Point’ as Renewables Edge Out Coal

www.nytimes.com

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✪ Jonathan H. Gray: “Professor of Halloweenery” ✪ @jongraywb.bsky.social · 1d

We have been warning y’all about cops for god knows how long.

Matt Henry 🥄 @matthenry.fyi · 19d

When the nazis were coming into power, there was a lag before local law enforcement was fully on board. People were able to get police protection from nazi-aligned paramilitaries. Here, today, police look at rising fascism and say “Finally. We’ve been waiting for this.” www.notus.org/democrats/me...

Democrats' New Fear: They Can’t Rely on Local Law Enforcement for Protection

“They called the local sheriff; they showed up and were going to arrest me,” said Rep. Steven Horsford.

www.notus.org

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Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 1d

Here's a list of recommended horror movies I made in Oct 2023 for @thirdmanrecords.bsky.social.

I'm pleased to note that one that wasn't available on streaming then, "Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker" is on Shudder & AMC+ now. Definitely worth checking out!

thirdmanrecords.com/pages/13-hor...

13 Horror Movies: A Playlist for Halloween

by Matthew Cheney October is my favorite month: it is the month I was born, it is LGBTQ+ History Month, and it is the month of Halloween, which means lots of people will be thinking about ghosts, ...

thirdmanrecords.com

Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 1d

Hard Times, dir. Walter Hill, starring Charles Bronson playing a man named "Chaney". Hmmmm...

Bo Bolander @bbolander.bsky.social · 1d

i think we should just do horoscopes based on what the number one movie at the box office was the day we were born, it seems more scientifically rigorous

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Democracy Now! @democracynow.org · 1d

“Stripped for Parts”: Secretive Hedge Fund Accused of Plundering U.S. Newspapers

“Stripped for Parts”: Film Explores How Hedge Fund Plundered U.S. Newspapers

The new documentary Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink looks at how hedge funds have gutted newsrooms across the country. The hedge fund strategy of “distressed asset investing” invo...

www.democracynow.org

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Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 1d

The Gates Foundation actually doing something good for education:

Open Access Tracking Project @oatp.fediscience.org.ap.brid.gy · 1d

The European Diamond Capacity Hub receives a 3-year grant to boost its services | EDCH https://diamas.org/european-diamond-capacity-hub-receives-3-year-grant-boost-its-services

The European Diamond Capacity Hub receives a 3-year grant to boost its services | EDCH

diamas.org

Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 1d

"Where Are We Gonna Work (When the Trees Are Gone)" performed by Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon, written by Darryl Cherney

youtu.be/6FuTiGdN-i8?...

Where Are We Gonna Work (When the Trees Are Gone?)

YouTube video by Jello Biafra - Topic

youtu.be

Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 1d

(Don't assume all readers who might be interested in scholarship have access via a university library. Even if they do happen to have access to a library, it might be one like mine: budget slashed year after year, and this summer we ended our Project MUSE subscription.)

Matthew Cheney @melikhovo.bsky.social · 1d

No surprise: only 1 of the top 10 and 4 overall are behind the paywall. If you want scholarship to reach readers, open it up.

Hopkins Press @hopkinspress.bsky.social · 1d

September's Top 20 most-read journal articles list is now live!

Old favorites like CEA Critic's investigation of undergrads reading Bleak House still dominate, alongside new entries like Postmodern Culture's Palestinian Book Forum!

See the list: tinyurl.com/cps6s3xb

Top 20 Journal Articles September 2025
Featuring a collage of covers from this month's top 20 journals

Reposted by Matthew Cheney

So Mayer @suchmayer.bsky.social · 1d

In every industry meeting I did for Raising Films some junior exec (no bosses ever attended) would ask "What's the one easy win I can take to my boss?" and we'd say "Pay people fairly, in full & on time -- that's the lowest bar." And they'd invariably say "no, not that. How about mindfulness?"

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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 2d

Six of the nine Nobel Prize winners this year work in the U.S.
Three of the six were born outside the U.S., which is the pattern most years. No country has benefited more from welcoming immigrants from around the world.
www.nobelprize.org

The official website of the Nobel Prize - NobelPrize.org

The Nobel Prize rewards science, humanism and peace efforts. This is one of the central concepts in the will of Alfred Nobel, and it also permeates the outreach activities that have been developed for...

www.nobelprize.org

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