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Karin Wulf

Karin Wulf

@kawulf.bsky.social

13K followers 2.6K following 11K posts

Historian of #VastEarlyAmerica, gender, family & politics | Director & Librarian @ JCBLibrary | History Prof @ Brown U

#LineageTheBook OUP July, 2025 | On some other platforms and also @ karinwulf.com | Opinions here just mine. .. more

Karin A. Wulf is an American historian and the Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director and Librarian of the John Carter Brown Library in Providence, Rhode Island. She was the executive director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia from 2013 through 2021. She is also one of the founders of Women Also Know History, a searchable website database of women historians. Additionally, Wulf worked to spearhead a neurodiversity working group at William & Mary in 2011. She is currently writing a book about genealogy and political culture in Early America titled, Lineage: Genealogy and the Politics of Connection in British America, 1680-1820. Her work examines the history of women, gender, and the family in Early America. .. more

Political science 42%

Sociology 16%

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Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · Dec 28

It’s been a long time coming… so thrilled to share the cover (and Oxford UP website last in 🧵) for my book, _Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America_, pub date 7.2.25 (but will ship, so they say very enticingly, mid-June. 1/ #VastEarlyAmerica 🗃️

Book cover with various kinds of evidence of family history arrayed around the author and title, the latter is _Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America_. The kinds of materials include printed texts, manuscripts, a red book (shhhhh that figures largely in the Introduction!), a watercolor family record, Fraktur, gravestone, and a sampler. One repeated text says "born free, born free (etc)"

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 7d

This cohort will focus on one of our themes for 2026: religions and freedom in the early Americas. Not (only) for folks whose own research is square in that area. Full details to come, and feel free to reach out to me (after the new year). W/in our capacity, we're determined to try new things. 3//

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 7d

As early as next week we'll be advertising a new model, two positions as 3 yr Research Associates focused on collaborative research. Expectations for scholarly + public outputs, w teamwork to coordinate & design those paths. Salary + benefits. 2/

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn , and 1 more Anna O. Law, Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn, Talia Schaffer

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 7d

Last post for the year to say that @jcblibrary.bsky.social we've been thinking hard about how to support scholars and scholarship amidst the multi-dimensional crises for humanities research. We remain committed to our traditional fellowships (indeed in the wake of NEH revocation we expanded), but 1/

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 7d

So much to say about this year, by turns marvelous, enraging, and heartbreaking. At every turn I'm beyond grateful for communities of family & dearest friends always, and so many colleagues and friends who make life joyful and meaningful. One more (work) post and I'm out for 2025. Peace to you. ❤️💔

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 7d

There are so many ways that archival collections and thus histories can be amplified or silenced --including digitization.

This was one of my efforts at describing how that works, and the implications. www.historians.org/perspectives...

Archival Shouting – AHA

Some collections of historical sources have been given a microphone, with profound consequences for the practices of history.

www.historians.org

Reposted by Karin Wulf

Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 8d

Seen a lot of people I like argue with idiots here this morning, so this is a Christmas message imploring you not to do that. The best outcome is that you win an argument with an idiot. That is a waste of time. The other outcomes are worse. Just block them, sing another carol, have a wee sherry 🎅🏻🎄🎁

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Roopika Risam, Karin Wulf

Dorothy Berry @dorothyjberry.bsky.social · 8d

I feel once again compelled to emphasis the digitizing in the literal scanning sense is fairly unimportant if it is not accompanied with metadata providing context for discovery. Both humans and AI will make things up when they don't know what they are looking at.

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 8d

Which should be the most basic expectation of a citation and yet.

Josh Shepperd @joshshepperd.bsky.social · 10d

Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it

AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals

Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.

www.rollingstone.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Scott L. Greer, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 2 more Anna O. Law, Scott L. Greer, Rosemary A. Joyce, David S. Tanenhaus, Karin Wulf

Gautham Rao @gauthamrao.bsky.social · 8d

Brilliant from @adamserwer.bsky.social: the Roberts Court's attack on the Reconstruction Amendments are "consistent with the Antebellum Constitution’s narrow definition of who “We the People” are."

Here are some legal historians exploring the Antebellum Const.

www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

Conservatives Want the Antebellum Constitution Back

The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments are in trouble.

www.theatlantic.com

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 8d

Love to see @rezekjoe.bsky.social in the NYT w some Common Sense about T Paine! Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/b...

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 9d

Ofc!!

Reposted by Kevin Kenny, P. L. Thomas, Karin Wulf

Ben Railton @americanstudier.bsky.social · 9d

Here it is, the final regular #ScholarSunday thread of 2025, my 255th thread of great public scholarly writing, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️

blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...

#ScholarSunday Thread 255 (12/21/25) – Black and White and Read All Over

Here it is, the final regular #ScholarSunday thread of 2025, my 255th thread of great public scholarly writing, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, please sha...

blackwhiteandread.com

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 9d

Congratulations! Looking forward to it!

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, David R. Miller

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 9d

NIST having to say to the media "time is not broken." That's 2025 all over. The venn of people who know what NIST is, and are so certain of tech is just two circles.
www.cbsnews.com/colorado/new...

Power outage in Boulder area affects atomic clock, "Time is not broken" NIST says

Due to the power outage, time (very) briefly stood still at the NIST Internet Time Service facility in Boulder.

www.cbsnews.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Manisha Sinha, Karin Wulf

Joanne Freeman @jbf1755.bsky.social · 9d

Here’s an article that I wrote five years ago in which I call MYSELF Cassandra.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Reposted by Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 10d

There’s a lot of complex stuff going on but gosh yes basically this.

Aaron Bady @zunguzungu.bsky.social · 10d

I feel like "academic hiring" discourse is always kind of downstream of the fact that in the 50s we started building a giant public system to make a college education almost universally available and in the 80s and 90s we started taking it apart to go back to the only-the-rich model

Reposted by Rebecca Tushnet, Adrian Vickers, Kathleen Kennedy , and 4 more Rebecca Tushnet, Adrian Vickers, Kathleen Kennedy, Stephen Pimpare, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Karin Wulf

Aaron Bady @zunguzungu.bsky.social · 10d

I feel like "academic hiring" discourse is always kind of downstream of the fact that in the 50s we started building a giant public system to make a college education almost universally available and in the 80s and 90s we started taking it apart to go back to the only-the-rich model

Reposted by Laurent Dubois, Kathleen Kennedy

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 10d

I’m glad I didn’t log out this morning. Just joy and creativity and love.

Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 10d

THREAD.

My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.

I've collected his work here...

Bridget the cat infiltrates the 'Abbey Road' cover shoot and becomes THE definitive fifth Beatle.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Steve Peers, Kelly Smith , and 3 more Anna O. Law, Steve Peers, Kelly Smith, Alessandro Nai, Daxton R. Stewart, Karin Wulf

Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 10d

THREAD.

My parents' cat Bridget vanished. As the weeks dragged on they became ever more worried, so to distract himself my dad began to paint Bridget's adventures, imagining her travelling through time and popping up at some of art & music's most important moments.

I've collected his work here...

Bridget the cat infiltrates the 'Abbey Road' cover shoot and becomes THE definitive fifth Beatle.

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Martin Paul Eve, Alan Lester , and 2 more Rosemary A. Joyce, Martin Paul Eve, Alan Lester, Mark Rice, Karin Wulf

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 10d

'Though completely eclipsed by Don Quixote, Cristalián de España, which was first published in 1545, has a unique claim to fame. Its 800 pages, bristling with swords, sorcerers, dragons and damsels, make up the earliest known work by a female Spanish novelist.' 1/2

‘From her pen sprang unforgettable females’: 16th-century Spanish author’s knight’s tale given reboot

Beatriz Bernal’s pioneering novel features brave, chivalrous women who ride dragons and her adapter wants his illustrated version to reach young readers

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Alan Richardson, Margot C. Finn , and 1 more Robert C. Richards, Alan Richardson, Margot C. Finn, Karin Wulf

Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 10d

As everywhere:

carolinapublicpress.org/73953/cultur...

Culture of fear in places of learning. Faculty at NC colleges report anxiety over threats to academic freedom.

Faculty at both public and private colleges in NC express concerns about politicized attacks on academic freedom and limits to free speech.

carolinapublicpress.org

Reposted by Reece Jones, Guntram B. Wolff, Richard S.J. Tol , and 59 more Reece Jones, Guntram B. Wolff, Richard S.J. Tol, Dorothy Bishop, Peter Thorne, Mor Naaman, Suzana J. Camargo, Steve Peers, Brad R. Humphreys, Evelyne de Leeuw, Jonathan Wolff, Mary Feeney, Olivier Corneille, Kai Arzheimer, Ian Hall, Henning Melber, Julian Webb, Patricia Aufderheide, Lesley A. Hall, Juan Cole, John Mullahy, Valerie Mueller, James Grimmelmann, Smith, Silvia Secchi, Robert Wolfe, Ariadne Vromen, Trevor A. Branch, Aileen McHarg, Stacy D. VanDeveer, Margot C. Finn, Marina Costa Lobo, Howard Stevenson, Michael H. Whitworth, Melanie Simms, Stephen Jones, Miranda J. Lubbers, Maria Abreu, Jen Schneider, Anders Sundnes Løvlie, Michael Jones‐Correa, Aurélien Mondon, Kevin Manaugh, David Bartram, Yue Qian, Helen Schwenken, Henrik Skaug Sætra, Urška Demšar, Jeremy J. Schmidt, Judith Freedman, Hisham Zerriffi, Klaus Oschema, Daxton R. Stewart, Pádua Fernandes, Annette Yoshiko Reed, Lisa A. Kramer, Aidan O’Sullivan, Karin Wulf, Giulio Mattioli, Catherine Spooner, Clark Gray, David Spurrett

Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social · 10d

Closing out my year with a journal editor shocker 🧵

Checking new manuscripts today I reviewed a paper attributing 2 papers to me I did not write. A daft thing for an author to do of course. But intrigued I web searched up one of the titles and that's when it got real weird...

Josh Shepperd @joshshepperd.bsky.social · 10d

Do not cite an academic paper unless you’ve read it

AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don't Exist -- And They're Being Cited in Real Journals

Academic articles from authors using large language model are creating an ecosystem of fake research that threatens human knowledge itself.

www.rollingstone.com

Reposted by Mark Rice, Kate Lowe, Karin Wulf

Nathan Ellstrand @nellstra.bsky.social · 10d

***My department is hiring***

Assistant Professor of the History of Brazil

networks.h-net.org/jobs/69649/s...

San Diego State University - Assistant Professor of History of Brazil | H-Net

networks.h-net.org

Reposted by Andrew L. Whitehead, Julie Novkov, Daxton R. Stewart , and 3 more Andrew L. Whitehead, Julie Novkov, Daxton R. Stewart, Manisha Sinha, Susan D. Amussen, Karin Wulf

David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 11d

THERE ARE NO JOBS IN ACADEMIA! NO JOBS! DOZENS OF HYPER QUALIFIED APPLICANTS PER JOB!

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Karin Wulf

John Garrison Marks @johngmarks.com · 11d

When @clintsmithiii.bsky.social agreed to blurb my book, I NEVER imagined he’d call it “exceptional” and certainly not “how history should be done.” Clint’s amazing work is read and respected by every public historian I know. Having kind words from him is a real honor. bookshop.org/p/books/thy-...

“In Thy Will Be Done, John Marks paints a nuanced, three-dimensional picture of George Washington. He helps us understand him as both revolutionary and enslaver, as president and as captor, as a man who was troubled by the institution even as he continued to participate in it. Marks shows us that we must hold all these parts of Washington alongside one another. We cannot avoid these contradictions; we must lean into them. Thy Will Be Done is an exceptional book. This is how George Washington should be taught. This is how history should be done.”—Clint Smith, New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 11d

Instant order - huge congrats!

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Philip N. Cohen, Robert C. Richards , and 10 more Anna O. Law, Philip N. Cohen, Robert C. Richards, Kevin Kenny, Duncan Bell, Jacob T. Levy, Margot C. Finn, Frederik Dhondt, Robert L. Tsai, David S. Tanenhaus, Aviel Roshwald, Karin Wulf, Melinda Baldwin

Holly Brewer @earlymodjustice.bsky.social · 11d

My forthcoming book—
For which I began research in 2006.
Is now posted on the website for Princeton University Press.

Cover will be added soon.

The King’s Slaves: The British Empire & the Origins of American Slavery

The King's Slaves

A provocative account of how empire and absolutism institutionalized slavery in America

press.princeton.edu

Reposted by Catherine J. Frieman, Karin Wulf

Justin Weinberg @dailynous.com · 11d

At least one academic publisher is now outsourcing article production to an AI firm. How's it going?

Problems with Publishers Moving to AI-Based Production - Daily Nous

Straive is a firm that uses AI to, among other things, help publishers with various tasks "across the publishing value chain". One of its clients is Springer Nature, the publisher of many philosophy j...

Reposted by Aviel Roshwald, Karin Wulf

Brandy Schillace @bschillace.brandyschillace.com · 11d

Are you a professor planning to incorporate THE INTERMEDIARIES (medical #history, Weimar, #Jewish history, #transgender history, #LGBTQ fighting Nazis) into your course? I have pdf to share, additional teaching materials, images, and resources for use. Please ping me.

wwnorton.com/books/978132...