Maura Elizabeth Cunningham
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mauracunningham.bsky.social
Maura Elizabeth Cunningham
@mauracunningham.bsky.social
2.5K followers 910 following 940 posts
She/her. China historian and writer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Also reader, knitter, Phillies/Flyers fan, road tripper.

https://mauracunningham.org/
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mauracunningham.bsky.social
Gritty can’t believe what he’s seeing. How is the game going *this* badly?!?
A stuffed Gritty doll sits on a sofa
January 17, 2026 at 7:25 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Thanks so much to @josephtorigian.bsky.social for inviting me to moderate his book talk at Three Cats in Clawson, MI last weekend—as I told the audience, I was excited to see THE PARTY'S INTERESTS COME FIRST enter the world and am glad that others have appreciated the book as much as I did!
A woman and man stand in front of a theater marquee that reads "Today: Joseph Torigian" A table features a stack of books, THE PARTY'S INTERESTS COME FIRST A man and woman sit on bar stools at the front of a room, talking with each other in front of an audience.
January 7, 2026 at 1:21 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Back in August, I took a week-long road trip from Ann Arbor to Philadelphia, stopping at National Parks along the way. Here's the first journal entry from that trip, featuring Ohio's Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial.

mauracunningham.org/2026/01/02/r...
The tower of Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial on a sunny blue-sky day, with the flag of Canada visible in the foreground A view of land and water looking down from a great height A close-up view of white geode crystals A ferry sits at a dock, its exterior bathed in pink light from a rising sun.
January 2, 2026 at 1:40 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Oh dear.
A screenshot of the word “moribund.”
January 1, 2026 at 10:42 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Extremely satisfying meal at Philadelphia's new Uyghur Noodle King (on Chestnut between 38th and 39th). The 大盘鸡 (big plate chicken) stood out as the favorite, but both cold noodle dishes were excellent, too. Give them a visit!
A bowl full of cold jelly noodle salad, covered in cilantro and chili oil A dish of big plate chicken, with potatoes and noodles Golden noodles with chunks of grilled lamb on top Menu for Uyghur Noodle King restaurant
December 31, 2025 at 10:05 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
One week from (checks calendar) *right now*, @josephtorigian.bsky.social and I will be at Three Cats Restaurant in Clawson, MI talking about THE PARTY'S INTERESTS COME FIRST. You, too, could be eating brunch (cornflake French toast!!) and learning about the life of Xi Zhongxun. Join us.
Promotional poster for a book event with Joseph Torigian in conversation with Maura Cunningham at Three Cats Restaurant in Clawson, MI on January 4, 2026 at 1:30pm.
December 28, 2025 at 6:41 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Samantha accompanied me to Easter dinner one year! We didn't have the official AG matching dresses, but my mom found something similar to her fancy tea dress for me.
A photo from the late 1980s/early 1990s of a red-headed girl clutching a Samantha American Girl doll, both of them wearing long white dresses; the other two people in the photo are her father in a suit and younger brother wearing dark pants and a dark jacket.
December 13, 2025 at 1:02 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
I seem to be over-booked. In 2026. Already.

😬😅😵‍💫
Screenshot of a to-do list labeled "2026 Q1," indicating 14 items/63 subitems
December 13, 2025 at 12:07 AM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Folks in Southeast Michigan/Northwest Ohio: on January 4, I'll be at Three Cats Restaurant in Clawson to moderate a book talk by @josephtorigian.bsky.social on THE PARTY'S INTERESTS COME FIRST. Good food, drinks, and Xi Zhongxun—a perfect Sunday afternoon to end the holiday season.
Poster advertising a book event by Joseph Torigian, in conversation with Maura Cunningham
December 11, 2025 at 2:46 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
My Slack status: "Mashed potato mindset" for sure. Please don't give me any complex tasks.
A list of humorous Thanksgiving-themed status updates on Slack: Mashed potato mindset Gratitude is the attitude Feasting on my backlog Snowed under Slow to respond. In a feast-induced haze.
November 25, 2025 at 5:03 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Sure. Okay. Whatever.
A calendar block for Wednesday, November 19 reads "International Men's Day"
November 18, 2025 at 6:59 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
If you're in need of a book that succinctly and clearly explains China's gaokao to a non-specialist reader, THE HIGHEST EXAM: HOW THE GAOKAO SHAPES CHINA, by Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li with Claire Cousineau, is the answer.

My WSJ review: www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Cover of THE HIGHEST EXAM: HOW THE GAOKAO SHAPES CHINA, by Ruixue Jia and Hongbin Li, with Claire Cousineau
September 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
The Phillies didn’t score 19 runs tonight, but there’s still something extra-satisfying about a win over the Braves.
Scene of a baseball game between the Phillies and Braves at Citizens Bank Park.
August 30, 2025 at 1:35 AM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
📍Bryn Mawr, PA
A cartoon of Gritty throwing a Tesla Cyber truck off a boat. Caption: “we used to dump things in harbors over tariffs.”
August 29, 2025 at 7:12 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
📍 Harpers Ferry, Weet Virginia
A wide river with tree-covered hills lining both banks.
August 27, 2025 at 3:38 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
📍South Bass Island, Ohio
A fiery early sunrise over water, with a small bit of tree-covered land visible on the left.
August 25, 2025 at 10:59 AM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Saturday book mail: thanks to @wwnorton.com for an advance copy of BREAKNECK: CHINA'S QUEST TO ENGINEER THE FUTURE, by Dan Wang. It immediately went into my vacation reading tote bag.
A copy of BREAKNECK: CHINA'S QUEST TO ENGINEER THE FUTURE, by Dan Wang, sits on a dark wooden desk.
July 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Currently on my reading screen: REBUILDING NEW ORLEANS, coming in June from @uncpress.bsky.social. A great exploration by Sarah Fouts of food and labor, race, migration, discrimination, and local government in New Orleans.

uncpress.org/book/9781469...
A social media graphic has a black-and-white picture of bookshelves in the background, with the cover image of REBUILDING NEW ORLEANS by Sarah Fouts in color in the foreground. Text: April 2, 2025 and #WhatImReadingWednesday.
April 2, 2025 at 12:45 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
I didn’t make it up to campus for the Michigan China lunchtime lecture by @bennoweiner.bsky.social, but am luckily able to listen in via Zoom.
Photo of a computer screen showing a PowerPoint slide and inset of a man standing at a lectern.
March 25, 2025 at 4:04 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
It’s even more shit to see it in person.
Interior of Chicago’s United Center, with the Blackhawks playing the Philadelphia Flyers in a hockey game.
March 23, 2025 at 9:14 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
If you’re at #AAS2025 and need help, the @asianstudies.org staff is easy to spot! We’re all wearing snazzy matching jackets this year to make us easy to identify.
A woman with red hair and glasses wears a burgundy fleece jacket that reads “Association for Asian Studies”
March 13, 2025 at 5:07 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Setting out from the @asianstudies.org office on my #AAS2025 road trip. Columbus, here I come!
A woman wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses stands in front of a blue Subaru in a parking lot, with a brick building behind her.
March 11, 2025 at 2:47 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
"The Economie journals were among the few surviving primary sources written by the community activists themselves. The books contained a history that revealed the multiracial character of New Orleans and a Creole identity that had been prized and debated." — Fatima Shaik

https://buff.ly/4gaR2Ku
January 22, 2025 at 12:45 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
Eight years in Michigan has taught me I need at least one long weekend of sunshine and above-freezing temperatures to make it through a Midwest winter. I'm in New Orleans until Tuesday.

Which means I'm going to see what it's like when Louisiana gets snow. 🫣
Screenshot of a news story. Text: New Orleans police ask residents to prepare for road closures due to winter weather. The New Orleans Police Department is asking residents to stay home and avoid the roads at the beginning of next week due to the possibility of winter weather.
January 17, 2025 at 10:33 PM
mauracunningham.bsky.social
"It was fatalism that caused the dice to roll, a fatalism born of the mud-perch precariousness of a city site on a continental ledge where deluges and disease, and the occasional fire, fostered a laissez les bons temps rouler stance toward life."

#NewOrleans #History

https://buff.ly/3Pygajj
A graphic shows a black-and-white bookshelf photo in the background, with a full-color image of THE ACCIDENTAL CITY: IMPROVISING NEW ORLEANS in the foreground. Text: #WhatImReadingWednesday - January 15, 2025
January 15, 2025 at 12:15 PM