Dr. Rita Shah
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theritaphd.bsky.social
Dr. Rita Shah
@theritaphd.bsky.social
2.5K followers 920 following 2.3K posts
She/Her(s). Academic. Fulbright Scholar. Book nerd (IG: @TheRitaReads). Weights. Climbing. Photography. Women’s soccer. Random nonsense. I wrote a book: https://tinyurl.com/2p23j48t #CeasefireNow
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theritaphd.bsky.social
Ummm…

Well, at least they’re saying the quiet parts out loud and showing us exactly who they are? (Not that we didn’t already know…)
Update from Huffington Post that reads: Trump Talks About 'N-Words' In Long Ramble To Troops During a long and subdued ramble about nuclear weapons, Trump referred to "nuclear" as one of two "N-words." "There are two N-words and you can't use either of them. You can't use either of them," he said.
September 30, 2025 at 1:59 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
In case anyone is wondering, the sequel is just as fun. (IG review at theritareads will be up soon.) 🐑📖 #FridayReads
A photo of Three Bags Full and Big Bad Wool by Leonnie Swann with a crocheted sheep in front of both.
September 26, 2025 at 7:31 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
First attempt at something flat (supposed to be a bookmark). It’s wonky but not as bad I thought it’d be! Gonna work on version 2.0 later this week. (And if that works, gonna make an Ukraine version for a friend.) #CrochetSky
A crocheted bookmark that looks like a Palestinian flag.
July 21, 2025 at 12:30 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
What a cool profile of @leahlitman.bsky.social!
Leah Litman profiled in the Ann Arbor Observer.
July 19, 2025 at 2:49 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
I don’t even know where to start with this. How do you have conversations with people who see PBS and NPR as enemies (and use racist stereotypes as a comparison to boot)?
Photo of fb post by national review that reads “much as we did against the mullahs, America has won an unexpected triumph over the seemingly well entrenched forces of government-funded broadcasting.” The post includes a link to an article for which the headline is “the corporation for public broadcasting has been defunded—for now.”
July 18, 2025 at 9:17 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Everything is terrible but I think my crocheting is getting better. (Though, I did give up on the reverse single crochet.) #CrochetSky 🧶
Crocheted gnome with a tea cup for a hat in blue and yellow.
July 4, 2025 at 5:08 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Thoughts as I’m sitting in a “they’re trying to dismantle DEI and higher so what do we do?” zoom call. #AcademicSky
I’m glad people are pushing against attempts to re-segregate but I’m also frustrated. How many times over the years have we pointed out the flaws with existing approaches and weren’t listened to? Maybe if we’d (re)built more robust and actually equitable systems we’d be in a better place to handle this. But here we are instead. And now my only hope is that as everything burns down, we work to built something better (even as I am skeptical that people will put in the work to do so).
March 28, 2025 at 3:10 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Let’s forking go! #USWNT #SheBelievesCup
She believes cup banner
February 27, 2025 at 2:00 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Cowbee? Beeboy? #CrochetSky 🧶🧶
February 16, 2025 at 2:09 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
After basically being told to shut up and be patient during what I thought was an organizing meeting I decided to finish my last Woobles kit and made myself a llama. Also, this cute llama needs a name and I’m happily taking suggestions #CrochetSky 🧶🧶
Cute little crocheted llama in need of a name
February 8, 2025 at 2:16 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Annnnnd done. #CrochetSky 🧶
Crocheted sunflowers in a purple pot
February 6, 2025 at 5:44 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Happy book birthday to Vyacheslav Karpov’s and my friend and colleague (or, as I like to say, my frolleague) Rachel Schroeder’s new book! #PublicationDay #BookBirthday #RutgersUPress #IconsAxedFreedomsLost #Sociology #SociologyOfReligion #CulturalSociology #PoliticalSociology #AcademicSky #BookSky
January 14, 2025 at 1:17 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Worth it. #CrochetSky 🧶🧶 (Pattern Sierra’s Stitches)
Little purple crocheted flower pot with crocheted dirt sticking out.
December 28, 2024 at 8:44 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
After waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many hours, it is done. Except I had to hand wind the last bit cause it was TOO MUCH YARN for my winder. *sigh*

Also, note to self: get swift. #CrochetSky 🧶🧶
A brown hand badly needing a new manicure holding a giant ball of dark purple yarn.
December 21, 2024 at 4:52 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
When you attempt to wind your yarn for the first time but you completely misunderstand how to hold the yarn so you end up having to untangle, well, everything. 🤦🏽‍♀️ #CrochetSky 🧶🧶
A messy skein.
December 21, 2024 at 12:12 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
First Woobles pattern fail. It’s supposed to be an elephant and it’s…definitely not. 🤣🤣 #CrochetSky 🧶🧶
December 18, 2024 at 1:26 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Reposted with alt text.
So, I mean, I have some things that I think are just good for people all the time: I think people should read as many books — on paper- as they possibly can. I think that building that form of attention in yourself, even aside from what you learn from the books, <highlighted>building the ability to focus and think for long periods of time, is so valuable <highlighted>. And it is only getting more valuable as TikTok and the internet and A.I. and a million other things train us out of that. <highlighted> As everybody's brain is being adapted to a much more hyperstimulated, short-form world, the ability to think in long form becomes that much more valuable <highlighted>.
December 15, 2024 at 12:19 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
This is bullshit.
Temperature 12 degrees. Feels like -4 degrees.
December 12, 2024 at 2:25 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Barbie me watching #NWSL championship.
Crocheted brown Barbie watching tv.
November 24, 2024 at 1:50 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Well, after a bit of advice from my local yarn store and going rrrreeealllyyy slow, I managed to do it. If you hold it right (and not accidentally upside down), it kinda looks like the Palestinian flag? The color proportions are off, though. #Crochet #CrochetSky 🧶🧶
November 22, 2024 at 4:36 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Post a picture of yourself to show the newbies what they’re dealing with. (I couldn’t pick just one.)
Me dressed as Gandalf in the woods where they filmed Lothlórien. Naturally. Me being a goofball in a giant hat.
November 18, 2024 at 2:47 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Legends. #USWNT
Photo of Brandi Chastain’s Bay Area Hall of Fame plaque at SFO. Photo of Julie Foudy’s Bay Area Hall of Fame plaque at SFO.
November 16, 2024 at 6:45 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
If I were a Barbie… #CrochetSky 🧶🧶
November 12, 2024 at 4:26 AM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Sure, Jan.
HuffPost news notification: “it’s terrible” Melania Trump said on Fox News that her husband is “not Hitler,” adding that his supporters only want to see the U.S. “successful.”
October 29, 2024 at 4:50 PM
theritaphd.bsky.social
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #596,589!

Not too shabby, actually.
Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #596,589!
September 17, 2024 at 1:00 AM