Venus Bivar
@vbivar.bsky.social
🇨🇦 Historian of capitalism, pollution, Marseille, farming, land use, plastics, climate, and economic growth; misanthrope; hockey player; expert baker; amateur gardener; works at St Anne's College at Oxford; lives in York (the old one).
While you wait for Rudy, perhaps I can interest you in a Loki? Pictured here with one of his best friends, Lucky.
January 21, 2026 at 6:59 PM
While you wait for Rudy, perhaps I can interest you in a Loki? Pictured here with one of his best friends, Lucky.
Mes amis français: Connaissez-vous le revue historique Voici des Idées? Just wondering how popular it was, what its usual content was, and who read it. Merci bien!
January 21, 2026 at 10:18 AM
Mes amis français: Connaissez-vous le revue historique Voici des Idées? Just wondering how popular it was, what its usual content was, and who read it. Merci bien!
I am truly having an excellent time on research leave. Writing everyday is a gift! Here is an advertisement for the only French plastic (Rilsan - processed in Marseille). The flag that flew atop of the Arc de Triomph in the 1950s was made from it (not sure if it still is).
January 19, 2026 at 9:24 AM
I am truly having an excellent time on research leave. Writing everyday is a gift! Here is an advertisement for the only French plastic (Rilsan - processed in Marseille). The flag that flew atop of the Arc de Triomph in the 1950s was made from it (not sure if it still is).
Please save me. Not a ray of sun in the next week. When I left Vancouver I vowed never to live in that grey again, and our first few years in York were pretty good. But the last two winters have been warmer, and therefore greyer, and it is getting perilously close to Vancouver levels of grey ...
January 17, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Please save me. Not a ray of sun in the next week. When I left Vancouver I vowed never to live in that grey again, and our first few years in York were pretty good. But the last two winters have been warmer, and therefore greyer, and it is getting perilously close to Vancouver levels of grey ...
I kid you not, this tentacle shot up to the ceiling in less than two weeks. How? And why is it leaf-less?
January 15, 2026 at 11:54 AM
I kid you not, this tentacle shot up to the ceiling in less than two weeks. How? And why is it leaf-less?
Afternoon reading. Research sabbatical is THE BEST.
January 14, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Afternoon reading. Research sabbatical is THE BEST.
I too engaged in therapeutic cooking today. Behold the vegan pasta tray bake! For the ecipe: livingplantfully.co.uk/wellness/ann...
January 14, 2026 at 1:40 PM
I too engaged in therapeutic cooking today. Behold the vegan pasta tray bake! For the ecipe: livingplantfully.co.uk/wellness/ann...
Very excited to be hosting @maxliboiron.bsky.social next week! Come join us for what promises to be a very cool workshop. No registration required and a light lunch will be served.
January 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Very excited to be hosting @maxliboiron.bsky.social next week! Come join us for what promises to be a very cool workshop. No registration required and a light lunch will be served.
Easily the creepiest vintage plastic ad I've seen thus far.
January 9, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Easily the creepiest vintage plastic ad I've seen thus far.
Reading vintage Elle magazines for research is where it's at. I am straight-up OBSESSED with the 'all-plastic house' of 1956. If anyone has any intel on what happened to it after the Salon I'd be grateful. Bonus Formica ad just for fun.
January 7, 2026 at 11:25 AM
Reading vintage Elle magazines for research is where it's at. I am straight-up OBSESSED with the 'all-plastic house' of 1956. If anyone has any intel on what happened to it after the Salon I'd be grateful. Bonus Formica ad just for fun.
I've managed to do a bunch of reading in the last two weeks, working my way through half of the pile on my desk. The two stand-outs are these, from @inquiline.myatproto.social and Matthew Klingle. Thank you @appuhn.bsky.social for the Klingle rec.
January 5, 2026 at 3:17 PM
I've managed to do a bunch of reading in the last two weeks, working my way through half of the pile on my desk. The two stand-outs are these, from @inquiline.myatproto.social and Matthew Klingle. Thank you @appuhn.bsky.social for the Klingle rec.
It's snowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 5, 2026 at 10:49 AM
It's snowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well y'all know I can't resist an opportunity to flaunt Loki. Here we are napping on the sofa together earlier this week.
January 2, 2026 at 5:48 PM
Well y'all know I can't resist an opportunity to flaunt Loki. Here we are napping on the sofa together earlier this week.
Just filed hubby's self-assessment tax return and while I love how easy it is to do this in the UK, as compared to the US or Canada, I am always a little sad by the breakdown of where the money goes. Defense gets FOUR times as much as the environment.
December 30, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Just filed hubby's self-assessment tax return and while I love how easy it is to do this in the UK, as compared to the US or Canada, I am always a little sad by the breakdown of where the money goes. Defense gets FOUR times as much as the environment.
Incredible that this is what our garden looks like on December 26th. Easily the best thing about living in the UK (for this person who grew up in a place that proudly proclaims, 'Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver').
December 26, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Incredible that this is what our garden looks like on December 26th. Easily the best thing about living in the UK (for this person who grew up in a place that proudly proclaims, 'Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver').
Every morning we wake up to find Loki sleeping under the tree and I just can't get over the cuteness.
December 22, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Every morning we wake up to find Loki sleeping under the tree and I just can't get over the cuteness.
Loki says happy birthday!
December 21, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Loki says happy birthday!
Dublin old and new.
December 17, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Dublin old and new.
I am exceptionally grateful that our dear Loki is not a morning person.
December 15, 2025 at 11:51 AM
I am exceptionally grateful that our dear Loki is not a morning person.
Current Venus is wondering why on earth Past Venus agreed to a viva AND a peer-review deadline that coincided with the brutal Oxford admissions process.
Once again foiled by the temporality of subjectivity.
And to make matters worse, Loki is trolling me with his superior life choices.
Once again foiled by the temporality of subjectivity.
And to make matters worse, Loki is trolling me with his superior life choices.
December 7, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Current Venus is wondering why on earth Past Venus agreed to a viva AND a peer-review deadline that coincided with the brutal Oxford admissions process.
Once again foiled by the temporality of subjectivity.
And to make matters worse, Loki is trolling me with his superior life choices.
Once again foiled by the temporality of subjectivity.
And to make matters worse, Loki is trolling me with his superior life choices.
Manchester Airport is having a Black Friday Sale. This is beyond weird to me.
November 28, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Manchester Airport is having a Black Friday Sale. This is beyond weird to me.
If you're in Oxford, join us next week at the Environmental Humanities Hub for a session on pastoralism that stretches across both time and place.
November 14, 2025 at 3:35 PM
If you're in Oxford, join us next week at the Environmental Humanities Hub for a session on pastoralism that stretches across both time and place.