Austin Benson
@austinbenson.bsky.social
UVA Medievalist. Dad. Philologist. Language collector. Mediocre chess player.
Medieval lyric—English, French, Latin, Welsh, Irish, and Hebrew.
I like manuscripts.
Medieval lyric—English, French, Latin, Welsh, Irish, and Hebrew.
I like manuscripts.
RESOLVED: 2026 is the year where I read a bunch of excessively long novels that demand slow, sustained attention
December 31, 2025 at 12:16 PM
RESOLVED: 2026 is the year where I read a bunch of excessively long novels that demand slow, sustained attention
Reposted by Austin Benson
my article on John Gower and late medieval archives is out as part of the new issue of Studies in the Age of Chaucer! muse.jhu.edu/pub/102/arti...
Project MUSE - “The bokes duelle”: John Gower, Futurity, and the Development of the Late Medieval Archive
muse.jhu.edu
December 15, 2025 at 8:59 PM
my article on John Gower and late medieval archives is out as part of the new issue of Studies in the Age of Chaucer! muse.jhu.edu/pub/102/arti...
Reposted by Austin Benson
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
December 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
Reposted by Austin Benson
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
December 10, 2025 at 8:31 AM
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Fascinating to see the entire educational apparatus of central Virginia brought to its knees by two inches of snow
December 9, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Fascinating to see the entire educational apparatus of central Virginia brought to its knees by two inches of snow
Reposted by Austin Benson
Happy 76th Birthday, Tom Waits!
December 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Happy 76th Birthday, Tom Waits!
Having children and a long commute to their preschool has destroyed my Spotify wrapped
December 4, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Having children and a long commute to their preschool has destroyed my Spotify wrapped
Reposted by Austin Benson
Babe, look, early Christian monasticism is back
December 3, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Babe, look, early Christian monasticism is back
Reposted by Austin Benson
fwiw this has not been my experience at all
An issue we're seeing at all levels of university is that many students are simply refusing to do *anything*. They aren't reading the syllabus, aren't following assignment guidelines, aren't engaging with material, ignoring deadlines. And this might seem like old news, but it truly has ramped up.
November 29, 2025 at 12:44 PM
fwiw this has not been my experience at all
85% of what I know about English grammar I learned in high school and college Latin. Glad to see it’s not just me!
Still think about my Latin professor who 5 weeks into the semester realized that the class didn’t know English grammar well enough for him to be able to explain Latin, so the class suddenly became a simultaneous English grammar & Latin class
November 28, 2025 at 3:27 AM
85% of what I know about English grammar I learned in high school and college Latin. Glad to see it’s not just me!
Reposted by Austin Benson
The @rialibrary.bsky.social Book of Ballymote (MS 23 P 12) is a fantastic 14th-century compilation of biblical texts, saints’ lives, topographical works, and even a table of the Ogham alphabet! Love the fun initials and illustration possibly depicting Noah’s ark 📜🎉
November 27, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The @rialibrary.bsky.social Book of Ballymote (MS 23 P 12) is a fantastic 14th-century compilation of biblical texts, saints’ lives, topographical works, and even a table of the Ogham alphabet! Love the fun initials and illustration possibly depicting Noah’s ark 📜🎉
Reposted by Austin Benson
Reposted by Austin Benson
A friend who teaches theology shared with me a post about CS Lewis's Mere Christianity, which discusses foundational Christian logic across denominations. It reminded me of Dale's tweet below, and I wanted to share some thoughts here regarding modesty and respectability, which are often hot topics.
November 23, 2025 at 7:35 PM
A friend who teaches theology shared with me a post about CS Lewis's Mere Christianity, which discusses foundational Christian logic across denominations. It reminded me of Dale's tweet below, and I wanted to share some thoughts here regarding modesty and respectability, which are often hot topics.
Reposted by Austin Benson
What an absolutely stunning opening statement the first two tracks are
November 21, 2025 at 5:43 PM
What an absolutely stunning opening statement the first two tracks are
Reposted by Austin Benson
Teaching post-doc position in UVa’s College, renewable for up to three years total. Apply!
Post-doctoral Research Associate and Lecturer - Engagements, College of Arts & Sciences in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America | Research at University of Virginia
Apply for Post-doctoral Research Associate and Lecturer - Engagements, College of Arts & Sciences job with University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America. Research at Un...
jobs.virginia.edu
November 20, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Teaching post-doc position in UVa’s College, renewable for up to three years total. Apply!
Reposted by Austin Benson
Earliest Latin translation of 'Tao Te Ching' published
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
Earliest Latin translation of 'Tao Te Ching' published
The book launch for the transcription of the earliest Latin translation of the
news.cgtn.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Earliest Latin translation of 'Tao Te Ching' published
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
news.cgtn.com/news/2025-11...
First 10k in three years, after a major foot injury and new baby together took me off of running for the long term. Was it on a treadmill and was my pace basically a crawl? Sure. I’ve a long way to go from here to get back to where I was, but it feels good to be on my way
November 4, 2025 at 3:05 PM
First 10k in three years, after a major foot injury and new baby together took me off of running for the long term. Was it on a treadmill and was my pace basically a crawl? Sure. I’ve a long way to go from here to get back to where I was, but it feels good to be on my way
Reposted by Austin Benson
All the scrolls in the Library at Alexandria could probably have fit on a 16 GB hard drive, how important could it have been, honestly
August 28, 2023 at 9:28 PM
All the scrolls in the Library at Alexandria could probably have fit on a 16 GB hard drive, how important could it have been, honestly
Reposted by Austin Benson
Mar Awa III, patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, also born in Chicago, gave Pope Leo a Cubs jersey.
October 28, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Mar Awa III, patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, also born in Chicago, gave Pope Leo a Cubs jersey.
This is such a tragedy. Danya was a once-in-a-generation teacher whose knowledge and passion helped make his sport accessible to everyone. I owe my love for chess in part to him, and will miss him terribly.
Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster, the highest title given to competitors by the International Chess Federation, and a former Junior World Champion, has died at 29.
Daniel Naroditsky, Chess Grandmaster, Dies at 29
He earned the highest title in the chess world as he built a career as an accomplished chess teacher, commentator and author.
nyti.ms
October 21, 2025 at 1:52 AM
This is such a tragedy. Danya was a once-in-a-generation teacher whose knowledge and passion helped make his sport accessible to everyone. I owe my love for chess in part to him, and will miss him terribly.
Reposted by Austin Benson
I don't think students should be asked to rhetorically analyze poetry in a class before they get practice experiencing poetry without imagining it as a rhetorical structure.
Like, cooking is so much better if you begin by first developing a relationship to the pleasure of food.
Like, cooking is so much better if you begin by first developing a relationship to the pleasure of food.
October 20, 2025 at 11:53 PM
I don't think students should be asked to rhetorically analyze poetry in a class before they get practice experiencing poetry without imagining it as a rhetorical structure.
Like, cooking is so much better if you begin by first developing a relationship to the pleasure of food.
Like, cooking is so much better if you begin by first developing a relationship to the pleasure of food.
Reposted by Austin Benson
UVA says no to the compact
October 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
UVA says no to the compact
Reposted by Austin Benson
UVA says NO to the "compact"
October 17, 2025 at 8:50 PM
UVA says NO to the "compact"
Reposted by Austin Benson
BREAKING: UVA rejects the Trump Administration's Compact.
October 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
BREAKING: UVA rejects the Trump Administration's Compact.
Reposted by Austin Benson
