Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

S.J. Pearce

@homophonous.bsky.social

6K followers 3.8K following 4K posts

Andalusi lit and cultural history at NYU. Medieval, but not like that. Trying to strike a balance between critical and creative writing. Chaos muppet, always. Still perfecting my gazpacho.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · Jul 21

Here’s the pre-order link for my poetry chapbook, Incident Names, out with @finishinglinepress.bsky.social in November. It’s discounted now but I know individual book budgets are tight, so I’d love it if folks suggested their local libraries order a copy! www.finishinglinepress.com/product/inci...

5 19

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

History Workshop @historyworkshop.org.uk · 8d

How has paperwork served as a tool of empowerment for people who often find power elusive?

In our latest podcast, a group of historians, archivists, and activists met at the Raphael Samuel History Centre (@rshc.bsky.social) to discuss the hidden history of paperwork 🗃️🎙️

Changing The Record

How has paperwork served over time as a radical tool for empowerment and change?

www.historyworkshop.org.uk

1 49 89

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

Karen Melchior @karmel80.bsky.social · 5h

Pritzker also responded on social media, saying: “I will not back down. Trump is now calling for the arrest of elected representatives checking his power. What else is left on the path to full-blown authoritarianism?”

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump calls for jailing of Chicago mayor and Illinois governor as national guard arrives in city

President accused Brandon Johnson and JB Pritzker of failing to protect Ice officers as troops deploy to Chicago

www.theguardian.com

14 110 290

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 21h

Kristi Noem confronts enemy combatants in the Portland war zone today.

4.7K 7.9K 26K

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 17h

a stuffed animal is laying in a bathtub

ALT: a stuffed animal is laying in a bathtub

media.tenor.com

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 18h

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 20h

Here’s video of the incident

880 9.2K 17K

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

Deborah McDowell @dem8z.bsky.social · 1d

“Any university leader who signs on to this compact wld betray everything good and solid about the university & would do deep and permanent harm to the United States & the world.”

Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down newrepublic.com/article/2013... via @newrepublic.com

Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down

How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education

newrepublic.com

1 31 72

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 18h

I normally use this refrán in a class I teach in Spanish but I needed it for an English-language class today; not a half-bad translation job, if I do say so myself.

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 20h

Vicious Tuna is going to be the name of my band.

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 20h

Hard to say, so to speak.

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 20h

Just heard Vichyssoise pronounced on tv as “viscous soy.” And then when I went to double check the spelling, google corrected me to “vicious tuna.”

2 14

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 23h

KBJ’s blunt question today about the Supreme Court’s culture war hypocrisy kind of floored me, because it’s the kind of meta-criticism that we aren’t used to hearing from the justices.

It’s the second day of the term, and things are that dire already. slate.com/news-and-pol...

With One Damning Question, Ketanji Brown Jackson Defined the Supreme Court’s New Term

The justice stripped the veneer of constitutional principle from the court’s latest blatant culture war.

slate.com

7 140 430

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

Andy Dehnart @andydehnart.com · 21h

On today’s show: the happy accident I made when I started writing about reality TV on the internet, and how that connects to why I think Substack is full of shit and not the best place for your writing.

My happy blogging accident

www.realityblurred.com

1 3

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 22h

Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst noticed that Bondi flipped open a file during the Senate hearing and he zoomed in.

Inside were her crib notes for attacking the senators.

The GOP now practicing Cliff's Notes Fascism

In other words, under oath Bondi was purely a performance.

Bondi senate hearing had a folder full of notes for attacking the senators

750 6.4K 15K

Reposted by S.J. Pearce

Donovan Schaefer @feelingtheory.bsky.social · 1d

"Cultural Christianity's Secular Cathedral"

Thrilled to have this new piece out with the Political Theology Network, written with my collaborator Yasemin Ural at the University of Leipzig!

politicaltheology.com/cultural-chr...

Cultural Christianity’s Secular Cathedral | Political Theology Network

Macron’s speech in Notre Dame on the occasion of its reopening was a transgression of the principles of French laïcité, confirming the worldwide tendencies towards the increasing culturalization of…

politicaltheology.com

1 4 11

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

a man is standing in front of a drum set

ALT: a man is standing in front of a drum set

media.tenor.com

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

(Actually, what I think you need is one of these, but I can’t imagine you going for it: mybirdbuddy.com/product/smar...)

Birdbuddy : Smart Hummingbird Feeder Pro

Bird Buddy’s Smart Hummingbird Feeder is designed to give you the most intimate look at our tiny feathered friends. Package includes: - 1x Hummingbird Feeder Housing - 1x Smart Camera module - 1x Nect...

mybirdbuddy.com

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

We have curried pumpkin soup.

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

Still vastly superior to AI, though!

1 1

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

I’ll never forget the time I said ardilla when I meant fuego because es lo que arde. Fortunately I was among friends. 🤦🏻‍♀️🐿️🔥

1 1

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

I hope so! I’m pulling together some bibliography for Part II. (They also weren’t at all aware of any of the environmental issues, so I’m hoping something will stick…)

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

Also, sorry, please pretend the first half of that sentence is in something resembling English syntax.

1 1

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

Just putting it out in the world that I’d like some of the people who have been sitting on my work for 6-10 months to hurry up and make a (positive, ideally!) decision.

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

I just had this argument with a colleague I actually really respect otherwise this week, and it was somewhere between enraging and heart-breaking.

2 6

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 1d

💜

Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 2d

There are so few people actually asking, “is this any good for what we do?” Instead people give lip service to “responsible use” while plowing ahead with punching “AI” into everything. This isn’t just about selling a product; it’s about co-opting humanities researchers to train “AI” models.

S.J. Pearce @homophonous.bsky.social · 2d

I think that would be worse