Rachel E. Pollock
@labricoleuse.bsky.social
Writer/blogger, costume-maker, professor, cat mom to Clea
Pinned
My book STICKS IN PETTICOATS:PARASOL MANUFACTURE FOR THE MODERN COSTUMER is available here:
www.lulu.com/shop/rachel-...
www.lulu.com/shop/rachel-...
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
It's so fucked up to have been a kid during the D&D is the devil freakout and the Tipper Gore dirty lyrics freakout and live to see the teen suicide machine get such a pass.
December 12, 2025 at 5:40 PM
It's so fucked up to have been a kid during the D&D is the devil freakout and the Tipper Gore dirty lyrics freakout and live to see the teen suicide machine get such a pass.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Good work from @aaup.org on the uncritical infiltration of LLM/AI into ed tech www.aaup.org/reports-publ...
Artificial Intelligence and Academic Professions
Educational technology, or ed-tech, including artificial intelligence (AI), continues to become more integrated into teaching and research in higher education, with minimal oversight. The AAUP’s ad ho...
www.aaup.org
December 11, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Good work from @aaup.org on the uncritical infiltration of LLM/AI into ed tech www.aaup.org/reports-publ...
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
The handmade, human qualities of your work are more valuable than they've ever been. Don't doubt that for a second.
December 11, 2025 at 4:54 PM
The handmade, human qualities of your work are more valuable than they've ever been. Don't doubt that for a second.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
if you do this to me after I die I will find a way to kill you
IN DEPTH | If you could speak to your dead grandmother forever, would you?
If you could speak to your dead grandmother forever, would you?
www.independent.co.uk
December 10, 2025 at 10:38 PM
if you do this to me after I die I will find a way to kill you
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
I'm not invested in punishing* students for using AI to cheat so much as I'm invested in opposing its use by people who should (and are paid to) know better. Like, come on now. Every working adult who uses this shit learned how to do what they're using it for without it.
December 8, 2025 at 10:13 PM
I'm not invested in punishing* students for using AI to cheat so much as I'm invested in opposing its use by people who should (and are paid to) know better. Like, come on now. Every working adult who uses this shit learned how to do what they're using it for without it.
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.
December 8, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Today, in Understory (a support group for activists that I co-facilitate), we talked about the writing exercise I created to help folks get oriented for the year ahead. I don't think we can balance caring for ourselves, tending to our relationships, and taking action by accident in these times.
Worksheet: Staying Whole in 2026
If you want to enter 2026 with intention, I encourage you to take twenty minutes to write yourself a plan — not a resolution, but a map for staying intact. Write by hand if you can. Don’t worry about ...
docs.google.com
December 7, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Today, in Understory (a support group for activists that I co-facilitate), we talked about the writing exercise I created to help folks get oriented for the year ahead. I don't think we can balance caring for ourselves, tending to our relationships, and taking action by accident in these times.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Hugely (!) honored to have this comment from @raskin.house.gov !
This book will be out and (indeed) trying to change the game in Feb, but if you want to get ahead of things, you can find out more about it and get your own at www.emilygalvinalmanza.com
This book will be out and (indeed) trying to change the game in Feb, but if you want to get ahead of things, you can find out more about it and get your own at www.emilygalvinalmanza.com
December 7, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Hugely (!) honored to have this comment from @raskin.house.gov !
This book will be out and (indeed) trying to change the game in Feb, but if you want to get ahead of things, you can find out more about it and get your own at www.emilygalvinalmanza.com
This book will be out and (indeed) trying to change the game in Feb, but if you want to get ahead of things, you can find out more about it and get your own at www.emilygalvinalmanza.com
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Remember folks: if you have any small amount of artistic talent, any sex appeal, or can make your friends laugh, the richest man on earth is crying screaming throwing up because he can’t be you.
December 6, 2025 at 10:59 PM
Remember folks: if you have any small amount of artistic talent, any sex appeal, or can make your friends laugh, the richest man on earth is crying screaming throwing up because he can’t be you.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
I'm not exaggerating when I say following @boltsmag.org rn will unlock money for our journalism.
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
December 6, 2025 at 12:07 AM
I'm not exaggerating when I say following @boltsmag.org rn will unlock money for our journalism.
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
A generous reader, @russ41.bsky.social, has offered to donate $1 for every 1-person increase to our follower count.
If you're not following @boltsmag.org yet, it'll directly help fund our reporting!
The costume production MFA program at UNC Chapel Hill invites applications from talented theatrical & historical costumers, cosplayers, burlesque, & drag artists.
All MFA students receive a teaching assistantship or a research fellowship.
Learn more at drama.unc.edu/programs-of-...
All MFA students receive a teaching assistantship or a research fellowship.
Learn more at drama.unc.edu/programs-of-...
December 5, 2025 at 11:43 PM
The costume production MFA program at UNC Chapel Hill invites applications from talented theatrical & historical costumers, cosplayers, burlesque, & drag artists.
All MFA students receive a teaching assistantship or a research fellowship.
Learn more at drama.unc.edu/programs-of-...
All MFA students receive a teaching assistantship or a research fellowship.
Learn more at drama.unc.edu/programs-of-...
If you see this, repost with your model of positive masculinity.
December 5, 2025 at 10:28 PM
If you see this, repost with your model of positive masculinity.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
We interviewed the leader of the Carrboro Cardboard Wars. triangleblogblog.com/2025/12/04/i...
Interview: The leader of the Carrboro Cardboard Wars - Triangle Blog Blog
A group civics blog covering town council, education, transportation, and recreation in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, NC.
triangleblogblog.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:14 AM
We interviewed the leader of the Carrboro Cardboard Wars. triangleblogblog.com/2025/12/04/i...
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
And ppsssttt... if you're an author and you love AABB but can't afford to donate, maybe go nudge your editors, agents, publicists, publishers to see if they're following along with @pubprosabb.bsky.social - when we work together, we change worlds.
What can your #GivingTuesday donation to AABB accomplish? A few examples:
$25: One regional leader email address for coordinating local action
$50: 250 stickers for a national conference
$500: Travel for one author to speak to state legislators
Little things that add up to big wins
$25: One regional leader email address for coordinating local action
$50: 250 stickers for a national conference
$500: Travel for one author to speak to state legislators
Little things that add up to big wins
Donate - Authors Against Book Bans
Thank you for donating to Authors Against Book Bans. Your donation directly supports the freedom to read by powering our work with our partner organizations, bringing the author muscle to the fight…
www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:42 PM
And ppsssttt... if you're an author and you love AABB but can't afford to donate, maybe go nudge your editors, agents, publicists, publishers to see if they're following along with @pubprosabb.bsky.social - when we work together, we change worlds.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Well this year we CAN participate in the #GivingTuesday flood so we probably SHOULD. With your support we can do even more to protect, celebrate, & elevate the right to read.
Donate - Authors Against Book Bans
Thank you for donating to Authors Against Book Bans. Your donation directly supports the freedom to read by powering our work with our partner organizations, bringing the author muscle to the fight…
www.authorsagainstbookbans.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Well this year we CAN participate in the #GivingTuesday flood so we probably SHOULD. With your support we can do even more to protect, celebrate, & elevate the right to read.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.
December 2, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
Pssssst
Buy books from indie booksellers
❌⭕️
Buy books from indie booksellers
❌⭕️
November 30, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Pssssst
Buy books from indie booksellers
❌⭕️
Buy books from indie booksellers
❌⭕️
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
There is hope for the future
There was an article in The Guardian a few weeks back about how Gen Z find bookshops preferable to online shopping, and a key factor was that an algorithm will offer you 6000 books identical to the one you just finished whereas a bookseller will offer you three that are different but meet the vibe.
November 30, 2025 at 12:19 AM
There is hope for the future
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
my “AI is over” anecdote is that my wife was hired over the summer to write scripts for a big tech company explaining how to use their AI tools and after many rounds of revisions, the latest notes said “we’re finding a lot of AI fatigue among our users” and to remove all references to AI
Anecdotally on twitter seeing a big shift the last few days from every AI slop account saying every other creative field is “over” and they’re in control now to now posting about how nobody likes them and it’s not fair and they’ll persevere and real artists respect and uplift eachother
November 30, 2025 at 12:27 AM
my “AI is over” anecdote is that my wife was hired over the summer to write scripts for a big tech company explaining how to use their AI tools and after many rounds of revisions, the latest notes said “we’re finding a lot of AI fatigue among our users” and to remove all references to AI
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
The OpenAI ruling writers should know about 👀 (if your work was scraped for LLM training, this affects you). www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
OpenAI Loses Key Discovery Battle as It Cedes Ground to Authors in AI Lawsuits
The issue has been a major battleground in discovery. OpenAI could be on the hook for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars if it was aware it was infringing on copyrighted material.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
The OpenAI ruling writers should know about 👀 (if your work was scraped for LLM training, this affects you). www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
My most recent book is A HISTORY OF THE THEATRE COSTUME BUSINESS, currently on sale from the publisher.
November 27, 2025 at 1:28 AM
My most recent book is A HISTORY OF THE THEATRE COSTUME BUSINESS, currently on sale from the publisher.
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
"As long as policymakers continue to flood money into AI, small press publishers will only grow in importance. The quality of the books they produce, driven by that creative, alternative thinking & integrative design focus is only set to become more in demand." www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Don’t invest in AI, invest in the future of the book
Why the publishing industry must back small presses, rather than LLMs.
www.thebookseller.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:19 PM
"As long as policymakers continue to flood money into AI, small press publishers will only grow in importance. The quality of the books they produce, driven by that creative, alternative thinking & integrative design focus is only set to become more in demand." www.thebookseller.com/comment/dont...
Reposted by Rachel E. Pollock
This is not the way, and @cnygren.bsky.social and I lay out in detail why it isn’t in this essay here. static1.squarespace.com/static/55577...
November 24, 2025 at 1:16 PM
This is not the way, and @cnygren.bsky.social and I lay out in detail why it isn’t in this essay here. static1.squarespace.com/static/55577...