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Maya Soifer Irish

@msoiferirish.bsky.social

1.2K followers 430 following 150 posts

History professor at Rice University. Russian-Jewish American, "rootless cosmopolitan." I study medieval Iberia and its history of religious coexistence and confrontation. I love cats, nature, art, historical fiction, travel, and classical music. 📚🖼️🌊🎼🌸🐈

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Maya Soifer Irish @msoiferirish.bsky.social · Nov 25

Hello new followers! I'm an academic historian studying medieval Spain, especially Jewish-Christian relations in Castile. My first book was published in 2016. At Rice University, I teach the history of Europe and the Mediterranean ca. 300 to ca. 1500. www.cuapress.org/978081323633...

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Robert Gallagher @hwaetspur.bsky.social · 9d

Interested in letter-writing in early medieval Britain? A three-year postdoc on @francescatinti.bsky.social’s and my project is now available. Apps close on 17th Oct. Let me know if you have any questions and please circulate! 🙂 jobs.kent.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...

Job Opportunity at the University of Kent: Postdoctoral Research Associate

Are you passionate about early medieval Britain? Do you have advanced knowledge of Medieval Latin and interested in the analysis of Latin letter-writing? If yes, then you may be interested in this f...

jobs.kent.ac.uk

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Medievalist.net @medievalists.bsky.social · 10d

When the Groom Paid the Dowry: New Study Rethinks Marriage in Medieval Catalonia www.medievalists.net/2025/07/when... #MedievalMarriage

When the Groom Paid the Dowry: New Study Rethinks Marriage in Medieval Catalonia - Medievalists.net

A new study reveals that in 13th- and 14th-century Catalonia, some grooms brought dowries to their brides, challenging long-held assumptions about gender and wealth in medieval marriage

www.medievalists.net

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Middle East Medievalists @mideastmedieval.bsky.social · 10d

Three-year VAP in Medieval Middle East/Islamic History at Colby's History Department
jobs.chronicle.com/job/37887745...

Visiting Assistant Professor of Medieval Middle East-3 year - Waterville, Maine, United States job with Colby College | 37887745

Description Visiting Assistant Professor in Middle East/Islamic History The Department of History at Colby College invites applications for a...

jobs.chronicle.com

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Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 12d

Is the Book of Kells from Pictland rather than Ireland? Great to see this @theguardian.com piece about @victoriawhitworth.bsky.social's new book on Kells, published by @headofzeus.bsky.social next month: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/book-of-k... www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

New research may rewrite origins of the Book of Kells, says academic

Exclusive: Author challenges assumption monks on Iona created manuscript, instead positing its origins are Pictish

www.theguardian.com

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 15d

The much-anticipated news is now here. I am very excited to announce that my book, soon out with York Medieval Press, is now available for pre-order! Hats off to @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social and the awesome Mont-Saint-Michel design team for the cover!

boydellandbrewer.com/book/robert-...

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Penn Press @pennpress.bsky.social · 20d

Penn Press and @katzcenterupenn.bsky.social are delighted to announce that @thejqr.bsky.social will become fully Open Access beginning with the winter 2026 issue (coming in January)!

www.pennpress.org/blog/jewish-...

Jewish Quarterly Review to become Open Access in 2026 - University of Pennsylvania Press

Penn Press and the Katz Center are delighted to announce a new chapter in the history of the Jewish Quarterly Review. Beginning with the winter 2026 issue

www.pennpress.org

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The Medieval Academy of America @medievalacademy.bsky.social · 20d

K-12 Updates and Call for Proposals

K-12 Updates and Call for Proposals
The Medieval Academy’s K-12 Committee is testing ways to best engage with K-12 educators. We are currently developing two modes of engagement.
www.themedievalacademyblog.org/k-12-updates...

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Molly Warsh @mwarsh.bsky.social · 21d

Does your teaching touch upon the Black Death? Then don't miss the one and only Dr. Monica Green's open-access, introductory teaching module for the History for the 21st Century (H21) project! www.history21.com/owit-module/... #earlymodern #histmed #medhumanities #medieval #worldhistory

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The Medieval Academy of America @medievalacademy.bsky.social · 23d

The Multicultural Middle Ages Podcast welcomes proposals of single episodes for its fifth season.

After four successful seasons, The Multicultural Middle Ages Podcast (MMA) will return for its fifth in 2026.
www.themedievalacademyblog.org/the-multicul...

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Laura Morreale @lauramorreale.bsky.social · Apr 29

So proud to have co-written this newly published book w/my brilliant friend Anne E. Lester; I just remembered the book came into being largely b/c of an #NEH grant Anne received in 2020-2021, allowing us to follow up on our pandemic zoom calls together.
cornellpress.manifoldapp.org/projects/a-c...

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Maya Soifer Irish @msoiferirish.bsky.social · 22d

Good morning! Rise and shine!

Reposted by Maya Soifer Irish

Yorkist History Trust @yorkisthistory.bsky.social · 26d

Just under a week left to submit a proposal for our sessions at @imc-leeds.bsky.social next year and to apply for a bursary! #Skystorians #MedievalSky

Yorkist History Trust @yorkisthistory.bsky.social · Sep 2

We're seeking proposals for papers on the long fifteenth century for Trust-sponsored panels at next year's @imc-leeds.bsky.social, as well as offering bursaries of £300 for speakers! Please see here for more info: yorkisthistorytrust.org/2025/09/02/y... @jllaynesmith.bsky.social #MedievalSky

Proposals are sought for 20-minute papers on new research on the period 1399-1525. Topics within the IMC 2026 theme of ‘Temporalities’ are encouraged, but any subject within the relevant time frame is welcome.

Bursaries of £300 are available for scholars without institutional funding (at any stage of their career). Please note the IMC’s proposal criteria at www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/proposals/criteria.

Please send a 150-200 word abstract and short biography to Dr Joanna Laynesmith at j.l.laynesmith@reading.ac.uk by 18th September 2025 stating whether you wish to apply for a bursary or just to propose a paper.

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The Medieval Academy of America @medievalacademy.bsky.social · 28d

Jobs For Medievalists

Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Classical Studies: Medieval Literature
Department of English: Trinity University, San Antonio TX
Review of applications will begin November 10, 2025

Tenure-trackAssistant Professor of
www.themedievalacademyblog.org/jobs-for-med...

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Maya Soifer Irish @msoiferirish.bsky.social · Sep 7

So far my time in WI has been great. The weather’s been beautiful, and I added 2500 words to my book manuscript.
irh.wisc.edu/current-irh-...

Reposted by Maya Soifer Irish

Hadas Weiss @hadas.bsky.social · Sep 7

how it feels to contribute to an edited volume

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Arc Humanities Press @archumanities.bsky.social · Sep 7

{Coming very soon} Public Engagement in the European Middle Ages: Medieval Solutions for a Modern Crisis by Christopher D. Fletcher -This manual uses the medieval past to teach modern scholars how to succeed in public engagement. www.arc-humanities.org/978180270096...

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Maya Soifer Irish @msoiferirish.bsky.social · Aug 15

share.google/VyOycVUPi5T8...

UChicago Freezing Ph.D. Admissions for Multiple Programs

The indebted institution tasked committees of faculty and staff with planning for changes. But this week, a dean forged ahead and announced broad cuts. Two other units are also pausing admissions.

share.google

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Maya Soifer Irish @msoiferirish.bsky.social · Aug 15

Medieval Studies is one of the eliminated programs.
hartfordbusiness.com/article/ucon...

UConn closes 7 academic programs after low-enrollment review

The University of Connecticut has permanently closed seven academic programs and placed dozens more under monitoring following a comprehensive review of low-enrollment offerings, according to meeting ...

hartfordbusiness.com

Reposted by Maya Soifer Irish

Jay Rubenstein @medievaljay.bsky.social · Aug 14

A stunning and infuriating analysis of what’s wrong with the University of Chicago, with no doubt some relevance to other places too. www.compactmag.com/article/the-...

The Crisis of the University Started Long Before Trump

The University of Chicago is in crisis. Under extraordinary financial strain, it has diminished its faculty-student ratio and hired hundreds of “lecturers”: teachers whom it pays little and whom it do...

www.compactmag.com

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Maya Soifer Irish @msoiferirish.bsky.social · Aug 13

Why not go all the way and sever the hard sciences from Humanity - not just the Humanities.* If AI is good at anything, it's cold rationality. Let robots teach other robots sciency stuff, and have universities focus on something that only humans can do well - the study of humans.
*insert sarcasm

Matthew J Kuiper @matthewjkuiper.bsky.social · Aug 13

In which a Yale prof calls for jettisoning humanities to make way for science-only universities.

“scientists… are being punished for the sins of [humanities scholars] because we all live under one roof. I cannot see a compelling reason for our continued cohabitation.”

Unyoke the Sciences From the Humanities

Arts and sciences typically cohabitate. Should they?

thedispatch.com

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Medieval and Early Modern Orients (MEMOs) @memorients.bsky.social · Aug 13

Professor - Late Antiquity, University of Toronto:

memorients.com/news/profess...

Professor - Late Antiquity, University of Toronto | MEMOs

UoT Full Professor of Late Antiquity

memorients.com

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Insta Science @instascience.bsky.social · Aug 11

Ducks walking on Hydrangea petals.

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Maya Soifer Irish @msoiferirish.bsky.social · Aug 4

My Kingdon Fellow profile at the U of Wisconsin-Madison is up on the IRH website, but I'm still in Texas. Moving there by the end of the month!
irh.wisc.edu/staff/soifer...

Soifer Irish, Maya

The Politics of Antisemitism in Medieval Spain and the Riots of 1391

irh.wisc.edu

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The Fake History Hunter @fakehistoryhunter.net · Jul 31

Oh dear, someone hasn't bothered to study any Visigoth history...

To me it's always a bit iffy when people can't write about how cool one civilisation/culture/religion was/is without having to bash/downplay/insult another.

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Judith Weisenfeld @judithweisenfeld.com · Jul 30

My department is searching for a tenure-track assistant professor in early Christianity (our search last year was among those canceled because of budgetary uncertainty). Review of applications begins September 3, 2025. Full job description and application requirements in the link. #AcRel

puwebp.princeton.edu

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