Conrad Phillip Kottak
@conradk30030.bsky.social
I’m a cultural anthropologist and a writer, with 80 entries in the LOC catalog. For decades, I’ve studied how cultures adapt, resist, and evolve—from remote villages in Madagascar, to televiewing in Brazil, to homes and classrooms in the American Midwest.
American popular culture is staging a new morality play: petty gatekeepers policing who belongs. From HOA tyrants to first-class humiliations, these stories turn class and race into status “tests” with satisfying reversals.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/who-belong...
conradkottak.substack.com/p/who-belong...
January 26, 2026 at 9:26 PM
American popular culture is staging a new morality play: petty gatekeepers policing who belongs. From HOA tyrants to first-class humiliations, these stories turn class and race into status “tests” with satisfying reversals.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/who-belong...
conradkottak.substack.com/p/who-belong...
Introducing my latest post, “Wild Things: A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
Wild Things
A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 10:58 PM
Introducing my latest post, “Wild Things: A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
Introducing my latest post, “Wild Things: A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
Wild Things
A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 10:57 PM
Introducing my latest post, “Wild Things: A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
Introducing my latest post, “Wild Things: A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
Wild Things
A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Introducing my latest post, “Wild Things: A journey through five centuries of art, from Bosch’s monsters to Sendak’s beasts, and what they reveal about how humans build meaning and what happens when it breaks.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
conradkottak.substack.com/p/wild-things
substack.com/home/post/p-...
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. Reflections on Bizarroland explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. Reflections on Bizarroland explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos
Escape (Temporary) from Bizarroland
When the Golden Globes Became a Brief Refuge from the Absurdity of Everyday Life
substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:22 PM
substack.com/home/post/p-...
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. Reflections on Bizarroland explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. Reflections on Bizarroland explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. Reflections on Bizarroland explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
Escape (Temporary) from Bizarroland
When the Golden Globes Became a Brief Refuge from the Absurdity of Everyday Life
conradkottak.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:19 PM
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. Reflections on Bizarroland explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. This essay explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
Escape (Temporary) from Bizarroland
When the Golden Globes Became a Brief Refuge from the Absurdity of Everyday Life
conradkottak.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:15 PM
In a year when reality feels increasingly distorted, the 83rd Golden Globe Awards offered a rare sense of grace and unity. This essay explores how one glittering night of storytelling and art became a sanctuary from chaos.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
conradkottak.substack.com/p/escape-tem...
@culanth.bsky.social
My newest Substack post. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are reposts.
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
My newest Substack post. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are reposts.
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
Monet and Boas: Painting Light, Studying Culture
An Artist and an Anthropologist Transform How We See the World
conradkottak.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:26 PM
@culanth.bsky.social
My newest Substack post. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are reposts.
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
My newest Substack post. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are reposts.
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
My newest Substack post. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are sharing, restacks, and reposts.
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
Monet and Boas: Painting Light, Studying Culture
An Artist and an Anthropologist Transform How We See the World
conradkottak.substack.com
December 30, 2025 at 9:21 PM
My newest Substack post. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are sharing, restacks, and reposts.
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
Claude Monet and Franz Boas revolutionized how we see the world. Monet turned light into perception; Boas turned anthropology toward cultural context
conradkottak.substack.com/p/monet-and-...
@anthropocenemag.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
A 6-Month Retrospective
By Conrad Phillip Kottak
conradkottak.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:24 PM
@anthropocenemag.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
@culanth.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
A 6-Month Retrospective
By Conrad Phillip Kottak
conradkottak.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:21 PM
@culanth.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
@anthrodesires.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
A 6-Month Retrospective
By Conrad Phillip Kottak
conradkottak.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:21 PM
@anthrodesires.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
@appliedanthro.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
A 6-Month Retrospective
By Conrad Phillip Kottak
conradkottak.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:20 PM
@appliedanthro.bsky.social Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
A 6-Month Retrospective
By Conrad Phillip Kottak
conradkottak.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Six months ago, I launched my Substack with the goal of bringing anthropology into conversation with everyday life. Since then, 17,400+ views and hundreds of readers.
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Subscriptions remain free, and sharing is appreciated.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Check out my new Substack post! Free subscriptions, restacks, reposts, and sharing are invited.
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
From “Chad” to “AI Slop”: What Our Words of the Year Say About Us
What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload. Even “6-7,” which claims to mean nothing, turns out to mean something when enough people share it.
conradkottak.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Check out my new Substack post! Free subscriptions, restacks, reposts, and sharing are invited.
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Check out my new Substack post! Free subscriptions, restacks, reposts, and sharing are invited.
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
December 16, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Check out my new Substack post! Free subscriptions, restacks, reposts, and sharing are invited.
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
Words of the Year trace how Americans think, argue, and cope. What began as language tied to events now reflects fatigue, irony, and digital overload.
conradkottak.substack.com/publish/post...
conradkottak.substack.com/p/6-when-dis...
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
We inhabit a world where distant events feel personal and global lives unfold in quiet, everyday ways.
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
We inhabit a world where distant events feel personal and global lives unfold in quiet, everyday ways.
6. When Distant Stories Become Our Own
What anthropology reveals about the moments that collapse distance and the stories that bind us across continents.
conradkottak.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:52 PM
conradkottak.substack.com/p/6-when-dis...
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
We inhabit a world where distant events feel personal and global lives unfold in quiet, everyday ways.
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
We inhabit a world where distant events feel personal and global lives unfold in quiet, everyday ways.
conradkottak.substack.com/p/6-when-dis...
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
6. When Distant Stories Become Our Own
What anthropology reveals about the moments that collapse distance and the stories that bind us across continents.
conradkottak.substack.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:51 PM
conradkottak.substack.com/p/6-when-dis...
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
My latest Substack post, a day early this week. Subscriptions are free and appreciated, as are restacks, reposts, and sharing.
November 25, 2025 at 10:43 PM
