Sara Barker
@sarakbarker.bsky.social
7.8K followers 1.7K following 790 posts
Historian of early modern print, news, translation, pamphlets. Scotland/Yorkshire hybrid. Likes old printed things, France, rugby, embroidery. Always stops to talk to cats and dogs. Series editor MUP Studies in Early Modern European History. She/her.
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Reposted by Sara Barker
sarakbarker.bsky.social
The worrying thing is, I had so many horrifying conversations with people during that time, it could be one of many posts on that thread...
sarakbarker.bsky.social
My housemates during undergraduate played the video game so much that I automatically respond in my head to the phrase "James Bond" with "her Majesty's loyal terrier"
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Genuinely thought i was losing my mind
sarakbarker.bsky.social
I'm sorry, what in the name of all that's holy was the Green Group on NYT connections today? Is this one of those days when Non-Americans need not bother?
sarakbarker.bsky.social
I appear to have come down with Freshers' Flu before I've met a single Fresher, and I'd like to know to whom I should address my complaint.
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Spending the whole day in the Prado and wondering if anyone's written a buddy movie about Jan Brueghel the Elder and Rubens
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Today I yelped so loudly at the photocopier that our office manager thought someone was having a medical incident. She then congratulated me when I finally got it to do what I needed it to and accidentally cheered.
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Started my working week off with a coffee in Esther Simpson because Leeds Campus is currently half building site, and this ended up being the simplest café to get to after I'd done various essential tasks. Now I get to try and get back to my office without too many diversions 🤞
Interior of coffee shop tables in a modern university building, including dividers made up of plants
sarakbarker.bsky.social
I was putting up w the utter codswallop that is King & Conqueror because I'm generally well disposed to a lot of the people in it (and I'm not a medievalist) but the Battle of Stamford Bridge apparently taking place by the sea (or at best a giant lake) so Tostig gets a seaside pyre? Nah.
sarakbarker.bsky.social
I'm so sorry for your loss, Rebecca
sarakbarker.bsky.social
They've mentioned the Field of the Cloth of Gold within the first few minutes of "Hostage" on Netflix, so I'm counting watching this as work
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Extra points if you get in an "oh la la"
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Aw, Google, mate, you could at least put "Sixteenth-century French serial killer" so this bloke doesn't get lots of odd looks when people search for "Gilles Garnier"
A Google search for "Gilles Garnier" who is described as "French serial killer" with most of the text links to the early modern Gilles, who was accused of cannibalism and being a werewolf, but there's also a very modern photograph of a man in a smart jacket and shirt at some kind of official event with a background showing a logo
sarakbarker.bsky.social
That is a good call - I don't know that any of my local indies do, but I will keep a look out. They will be getting into the acknowledgements, for sure 🙂
sarakbarker.bsky.social
This is why I still make databases where I have to input info into each field - there's probably a way of extracting information more quickly but I need to go through it line by line to process it in my head
profmarylewis.bsky.social
Since I was focused here on transcription, I didn't mention perhaps the most important thing: it's by reading hundreds of these documents myself that I start to formulate my arguments, get an idea of the institutional set-up, the context, and so on.
profmarylewis.bsky.social
A thread on transcription and AI. One reason I don't use AI to transcribe (besides the fact that AI is hugely detrimental to the environment & is coming for our jobs) is that it can't tell the difference between original documents & new notes added by staff members to whom documents were sent. 🗃️ 1/?
Reposted by Sara Barker
earlymodernwar.bsky.social
Just over two weeks before our CfP closes! Remember to submit your abstracts before Friday 5th September ⚔️
earlymodernwar.bsky.social
We are thrilled to announce that the Conflict, War and Violence in the Early Modern World Conference, with a keynote address by Professor Mark Stoyle, will be held on 30-31 October at the University of Exeter.

Please help us spread the world, and consider submitting a proposal!🗡️
Call for papers for the Conflict, War and Violence in the Early Modern World Conference, taking place at the University of Exeter on 30-31 October.  

We are exploring early modern conflict in all its forms. We particularly seek to unpack the interactions between the more traditional aspects of conflict, such as the political, tactical and strategic, with the more human side of it, including sociocultural approaches that explore experiences, representations and impacts of violence. As such, we particularly welcome proposals that look beyond purely military history and break chronological, geographical and disciplinary boundaries.

We welcome proposals for individual papers of up to 20 minutes, or full panels of three to four papers, on any aspect of conflict, war and violence in the early modern period. 

Speakers might consider, but are not limited to, the following themes: 
Physical, tactical, operational and strategic aspects of warfare.
Martial identities, values and motivations.
Notions of gender, race, class and religion.
Remembering, (re)imagining and representing violence and/or conflict.
The experience of violence, its impact and the everyday at war.
Popular allegiance in early modern conflict.
Maritime violence and naval warfare.
The bureaucracy of conflict, finance and the law.

Abstracts of up to 300 words, along with a biographical note, should be sent to earlymodernwar@gmail.com by Friday 5th September.
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Sadly, it's the coffeeshop environment I'm really paying for, or this would be an excellent way forward
sarakbarker.bsky.social
That makes me think of the academic i met who did their best writing in airports and who purposely booked academic travel with multiple legs and hours of layovers when they had a deadline.
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Genuinely a bit peeved that there doesn't seem to be a fund I can apply to that will just fund the coffees I need to buy in order to work in the places where I feel most comfortable writing. Atm, I don't need fancy grants, I need around £7 a day worth of caffeine.
sarakbarker.bsky.social
(Not that UK unis are in a much better place, I know)
sarakbarker.bsky.social
Long hard stare across the Atlantic
theonash.bsky.social
This isn’t an impoverished regional school – this is the University of Chicago. Devastating.
sarakbarker.bsky.social
They've just got to the Wicked Bible and my lord, the expletives that fell from my lips.