Courtney Johnston
@auchmill.bsky.social
Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. She / her.
Pinned
Courtney Johnston
@auchmill.bsky.social
· Jul 27
Can’t for the life of me keep my Books Thread threaded. So we start over again with a must-read: one of those ones all the American podcasts recommend and you’re like “do I really need a addiction-recovery-war-abandonment memoir” in my life? and then you read it and YES you do
Can’t for the life of me keep my Books Thread threaded. So we start over again with a must-read: one of those ones all the American podcasts recommend and you’re like “do I really need a addiction-recovery-war-abandonment memoir” in my life? and then you read it and YES you do
July 27, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Can’t for the life of me keep my Books Thread threaded. So we start over again with a must-read: one of those ones all the American podcasts recommend and you’re like “do I really need a addiction-recovery-war-abandonment memoir” in my life? and then you read it and YES you do
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
Great news that Ralph Hotere’s monumental Black Phoenix is back on show at Te Papa: check it out for Matariki! In celebration of its return here’s a poem about it from Chris Price’s 2016 collection, Beside Herself
June 19, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Great news that Ralph Hotere’s monumental Black Phoenix is back on show at Te Papa: check it out for Matariki! In celebration of its return here’s a poem about it from Chris Price’s 2016 collection, Beside Herself
Bringing the last of summer home on the train
April 13, 2025 at 6:12 AM
Bringing the last of summer home on the train
Hard agree on this assessment. The point in L:AED where Peet zooms out from two lovestruck teens to the Cuban missile crisis is extraordinary. It’s got the intense teen boy emotion of Mitchell’s “Black Swan Green” & storytelling inventiveness of Marcus Sedgwick’s “Blood Red, Snow White”. Unmissable.
Reminding myself what a great writer Mal Peet was. If you’ve never read him, you’re in for a treat. Life: An Exploded Diagram is like no YA novel you’ve ever seen.
March 24, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Hard agree on this assessment. The point in L:AED where Peet zooms out from two lovestruck teens to the Cuban missile crisis is extraordinary. It’s got the intense teen boy emotion of Mitchell’s “Black Swan Green” & storytelling inventiveness of Marcus Sedgwick’s “Blood Red, Snow White”. Unmissable.
Just spotted a man walking fast up Mt Vic AND reading a hardback Elizabeth Strout. Respect.
March 21, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Just spotted a man walking fast up Mt Vic AND reading a hardback Elizabeth Strout. Respect.
👑🐠👑 We have a winner! Is it any surprise the blobfish took out Fish of the Year for 2025? 👑🐠👑 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
March 18, 2025 at 7:46 AM
👑🐠👑 We have a winner! Is it any surprise the blobfish took out Fish of the Year for 2025? 👑🐠👑 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
'Whenever I take up a new activity, I secretly believe I am going to be brilliant at it. I go in expecting that I will nail it on my first attempt and be, even in middle age, something of a prodigy.' The great Kate Camp on swimming and writing.
thespinoff.co.nz/books/15-03-...
thespinoff.co.nz/books/15-03-...
March 15, 2025 at 2:39 AM
'Whenever I take up a new activity, I secretly believe I am going to be brilliant at it. I go in expecting that I will nail it on my first attempt and be, even in middle age, something of a prodigy.' The great Kate Camp on swimming and writing.
thespinoff.co.nz/books/15-03-...
thespinoff.co.nz/books/15-03-...
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
The Spinoff Essay: Diary of a writers’ festival
The Spinoff Essay: Diary of a writers’ festival
Adelaide Writers' Week was vibrant, resourced and thriving. So why, returning home with a head full of plans, did Claire Mabey feel unexpectedly sad?...
thespinoff.co.nz
March 7, 2025 at 8:00 PM
The Spinoff Essay: Diary of a writers’ festival
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
On the cutting room floor is the bit where the host introduced their interview series, The Interview, and I asked how long it took to come up with the name. Anyway, here’s me talking about birds and science and burnout and moving through the world. The photo’s nice! www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/m...
‘The Interview’: Ed Yong Wants to Show You the Hidden Reality of the World
The Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer talks about burnout from covering the pandemic and how bird-watching gave him a new sense of hope.
www.nytimes.com
February 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
On the cutting room floor is the bit where the host introduced their interview series, The Interview, and I asked how long it took to come up with the name. Anyway, here’s me talking about birds and science and burnout and moving through the world. The photo’s nice! www.nytimes.com/2025/02/22/m...
Nearly 25,000 votes have been counted and Aotearoa has now crowned the Ngāokeoke | Velvet Work as Bug of the Year 👑
February 21, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Nearly 25,000 votes have been counted and Aotearoa has now crowned the Ngāokeoke | Velvet Work as Bug of the Year 👑
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
And all the #FACT2025 sessions are now up online with recordings and illustrated summaries. Enjoy - there's a lot to watch and they are jam packed with ideas and hope www.acmi.net.au/projects-par...
Future of Arts, Culture & Technology Symposium
Rewatch the 2025, 2024 and 2023 Future of Arts Culture & Technology symposia
www.acmi.net.au
February 21, 2025 at 10:49 AM
And all the #FACT2025 sessions are now up online with recordings and illustrated summaries. Enjoy - there's a lot to watch and they are jam packed with ideas and hope www.acmi.net.au/projects-par...
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
New #podcast episode just dropped, coming to you live from #Antarctica!
We talk to @notothentoma.bsky.social about the amazing adaptations of #Antarctic #fish: Clear blood, antifreeze and parental care.
www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/055-...
We talk to @notothentoma.bsky.social about the amazing adaptations of #Antarctic #fish: Clear blood, antifreeze and parental care.
www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/055-...
Fishes of Antarctica — Armatus Oceanic
We talk to Antarctic fishes expert Thomas Desvignes about the fishes that are only found there and their amazing adaptations.
www.armatusoceanic.com
February 21, 2025 at 3:48 PM
New #podcast episode just dropped, coming to you live from #Antarctica!
We talk to @notothentoma.bsky.social about the amazing adaptations of #Antarctic #fish: Clear blood, antifreeze and parental care.
www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/055-...
We talk to @notothentoma.bsky.social about the amazing adaptations of #Antarctic #fish: Clear blood, antifreeze and parental care.
www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/055-...
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
We have a new newsletter about arts and culture we'd love for you to subscribe to: 51b5483c.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAJ...
February 19, 2025 at 3:48 AM
We have a new newsletter about arts and culture we'd love for you to subscribe to: 51b5483c.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAJ...
Voting for Aotearoa's Bug of the Year closes midnight tonight (17 Feb). I'm battling a colleague who is backing the Putoko ropiropi | Gherkin Slug so get in there and vote for anything else! bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-20...
Vote Here for 2025 Bug of the Year! – New Zealand Bug of the Year
bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz
February 16, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Voting for Aotearoa's Bug of the Year closes midnight tonight (17 Feb). I'm battling a colleague who is backing the Putoko ropiropi | Gherkin Slug so get in there and vote for anything else! bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-20...
Totality of my afternoon plans
February 14, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Totality of my afternoon plans
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
This was a lovely surprise! www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...
Book review: Three of the best from 2024
Harry Ricketts reviews three of his favourite books from last year: The Mermaid Chronicles: A Midlife Mer-moir by Megan Dunne, published by Penguin, The Raven's Eye Runaways by Claire Mabey, published...
www.rnz.co.nz
February 11, 2025 at 9:35 PM
This was a lovely surprise! www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...
A joy to talk to Mark Amery for RNZ's Culture101 this week, romping through Te Papa's Vivienne Westwood exhibition, the brand new book on the magnificent Eden Hore collection of vintage-yet-avant-garde Aotearoa fashion, photography exhibitions, spirituality & ecology... www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...
Te Papa's Courtney Johnston on Vivienne Westwood, podcasts and Stevie Wonder
Courtney Johnston has been the chief executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa now for five years, joining Maori co-leader Arapata Hakiwai at the helm. Johnston's career as a director, ...
www.rnz.co.nz
February 10, 2025 at 11:24 PM
A joy to talk to Mark Amery for RNZ's Culture101 this week, romping through Te Papa's Vivienne Westwood exhibition, the brand new book on the magnificent Eden Hore collection of vintage-yet-avant-garde Aotearoa fashion, photography exhibitions, spirituality & ecology... www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...
I haven’t tested how gardeny this place is. So — I’m considering embarking on chrysanthemums. Any beginner’s tips? My garden is HOT in summer and frosts in winter. Soil is clay in patches and dries out fast. (Images emphatically not my own).
February 8, 2025 at 7:50 PM
I haven’t tested how gardeny this place is. So — I’m considering embarking on chrysanthemums. Any beginner’s tips? My garden is HOT in summer and frosts in winter. Soil is clay in patches and dries out fast. (Images emphatically not my own).
I’ve lost my old book thread so let’s start again. I loved this - I think it got thrown up alongside “The Abbess of Crewe” when I was looking for “nun books” and really the only thing that links them is a fairly sacrilegious tone.
February 6, 2025 at 6:35 AM
I’ve lost my old book thread so let’s start again. I loved this - I think it got thrown up alongside “The Abbess of Crewe” when I was looking for “nun books” and really the only thing that links them is a fairly sacrilegious tone.
Nothing makes me feel more like my 9 year-old self than having too many books from the library to choose between
January 31, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Nothing makes me feel more like my 9 year-old self than having too many books from the library to choose between
It brings me such joy to see this show bringing others such joy. Thanks @clairemabey.bsky.social and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith for sharing the love (I want to join your orb tattoo gang ...)
thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/...
thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/...
Behold, the orb! Vivienne Westwood at Te Papa, reviewed
Notes from the sparkliest new exhibition in Aotearoa.
thespinoff.co.nz
January 31, 2025 at 12:23 AM
It brings me such joy to see this show bringing others such joy. Thanks @clairemabey.bsky.social and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith for sharing the love (I want to join your orb tattoo gang ...)
thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/...
thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/...
Piriwai, Pūngawerewere, Rō or Whe; Frosted Phoenix, Giant Springtail or Gravel Maggot? It's Bug of the Year time people! Get voting!! bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-20...
Vote Here for 2025 Bug of the Year! – New Zealand Bug of the Year
bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz
January 27, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Piriwai, Pūngawerewere, Rō or Whe; Frosted Phoenix, Giant Springtail or Gravel Maggot? It's Bug of the Year time people! Get voting!! bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz/vote-here-20...
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
I hope our lure attracts squi...
THUNK!
#ProjectESCA works! Squid like the lure and a 360 camera means nowhere to hide.
Likely a glacial or clubhook #squid, this is 200m in #Antarctica
#AntarcticClimateConnections
#SchmidtOcean
#PureOceanFund
#Te_Papa
@autsquidsquad.bsky.social
THUNK!
#ProjectESCA works! Squid like the lure and a 360 camera means nowhere to hide.
Likely a glacial or clubhook #squid, this is 200m in #Antarctica
#AntarcticClimateConnections
#SchmidtOcean
#PureOceanFund
#Te_Papa
@autsquidsquad.bsky.social
January 26, 2025 at 6:35 AM
I hope our lure attracts squi...
THUNK!
#ProjectESCA works! Squid like the lure and a 360 camera means nowhere to hide.
Likely a glacial or clubhook #squid, this is 200m in #Antarctica
#AntarcticClimateConnections
#SchmidtOcean
#PureOceanFund
#Te_Papa
@autsquidsquad.bsky.social
THUNK!
#ProjectESCA works! Squid like the lure and a 360 camera means nowhere to hide.
Likely a glacial or clubhook #squid, this is 200m in #Antarctica
#AntarcticClimateConnections
#SchmidtOcean
#PureOceanFund
#Te_Papa
@autsquidsquad.bsky.social
A book list to keep you going after you've done Claire Keegan! I can vouch for "Kick The Latch" (intimate, engrossing), "When We Cease to Understand the World" (disorienting in a mostly great way) and "Ash" (quietly riveting). thespinoff.co.nz/books/21-01-...
One simple trick to conquer your reading goals: read shorter books
Ten brilliant – and brilliantly short – books to kickstart the year.
thespinoff.co.nz
January 21, 2025 at 11:33 PM
A book list to keep you going after you've done Claire Keegan! I can vouch for "Kick The Latch" (intimate, engrossing), "When We Cease to Understand the World" (disorienting in a mostly great way) and "Ash" (quietly riveting). thespinoff.co.nz/books/21-01-...
Reposted by Courtney Johnston
Large, deep-sea squids tend to be camera shy so if we want to see them we have to get creative... so @deepseapod.com & I made A Thing and now we're off to Antarctica to see whether anyone comes to take a look! Huge thanks to @PureOceanFund for the support; stay tuned! #ProjectESCA
#ProjectESCA lives! @autsquidsquad.bsky.social
and I developed this novel light lure with support from the #PureOceanFund. It uses illumination invisible to the animals, a 360-degree camera, and simulated #bioluminescence to attract #deepsea animals.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8PU...
and I developed this novel light lure with support from the #PureOceanFund. It uses illumination invisible to the animals, a 360-degree camera, and simulated #bioluminescence to attract #deepsea animals.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8PU...
Project ESCA testing at Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
YouTube video by Thom Linley
www.youtube.com
January 16, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Large, deep-sea squids tend to be camera shy so if we want to see them we have to get creative... so @deepseapod.com & I made A Thing and now we're off to Antarctica to see whether anyone comes to take a look! Huge thanks to @PureOceanFund for the support; stay tuned! #ProjectESCA