Catherine Spooner

@catherinespooner.bsky.social

1.9K followers 380 following 120 posts

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Art 39%

Sociology 17%

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Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · 5d

Strong editorial in the Independent today www.independent.co.uk/voices/edito...

You don’t need a master’s degree to see Britain depends on foreign students

Editorial: The government’s effort to drive down the number of student visas coming to study in this country is misguided and self-defeating – it will do untold damage to our universities and communit...

www.independent.co.uk

Reposted by Kori Schake, Joanna Bryson, Meredith Broussard , and 46 more Kori Schake, Joanna Bryson, Meredith Broussard, Katharine Hayhoe, Christian Odendahl, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Richard S.J. Tol, Brendan Nyhan, Richard J. Butler, Steve Peers, Steven French, Melissa Terras, Simon J. Greenhill, Harvey J. Miller, Philippe Huneman, Simon Otjes, Dustin Mulvaney, Mirco Tonin, Janne Tukiainen, Paul Matthews, Rachel C. Nethery, Lilian Edwards, Julia Lynch, Caroline T. Schroeder, Bessma Momani, Brian Keegan, Olivier Morin, Peter D. Howe, José Antonio Noguera, Alberto Corsín Jiménez, Lex Heerma van Voss, Catherine J. Frieman, Mauro Gatti, Anthony Burke, Jack Stilgoe, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Brooke Harrington, Christopher Zorn, Alexander Woywodt, James A. Benn, Charles T. Mathewes, Seth Frey, Jani Erola, Aidan O’Sullivan, Catherine Spooner, Will M. Gervais, David Spurrett, José Pina-Sánchez, Valeria Mazza

Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 8d

Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · 11d

I contributed to this one… guess what I chose?

The Conversation UK @uk.theconversation.com · 12d

From gruesome portraits to creepy critters, these are the paintings that have stayed with our experts long after their first glimpse.

The painting that haunts me – seven experts share their favourite scary artwork

From gruesome portraits to creepy critters, these are the paintings that have stayed with our experts long after their first glimpse.

tcnv.link

Reposted by Catherine Spooner

The Conversation UK @uk.theconversation.com · 12d

From gruesome portraits to creepy critters, these are the paintings that have stayed with our experts long after their first glimpse.

The painting that haunts me – seven experts share their favourite scary artwork

From gruesome portraits to creepy critters, these are the paintings that have stayed with our experts long after their first glimpse.

tcnv.link

Reposted by Catherine Spooner

Eddie Robson @eddierobson.bsky.social · 15d

#BlackCatAppreciationDay

Big black cat on a window sill sniffing a pumpkin

Reposted by Catherine Spooner

Present & Correct @presentcorrect.bsky.social · 16d

How to Hibernate.

Scanned by us from the 1952 book Animal Fair, by the Provensens.

It’s time.

Reposted by Tim Bale, Martin Paul Eve, Ernesto Priego , and 5 more Tim Bale, Martin Paul Eve, Ernesto Priego, Lynn Abrams, Kelly Smith, Colin M. Beale, Stephen Jones, Catherine Spooner

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 18d

So I've been reading the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. There's some good things in there. But when it comes to universities there's very little to cheer. The situation is very tough and will get worse. The last chance to preserve what we've got has passed. Let me explain why. (1/?)

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · 25d

My fab colleague Sharon Ruston on the new Guillermo Del Toro Frankenstein: theconversation.com/guillermo-de...

Guillermo de Toro’s Frankenstein: beguiling adaptation stays true to heart of Mary Shelley’s story

Guillermo del Toro’s retelling of the story about a scientist trying to create life is a visual treat and a rousing adaptation.

theconversation.com

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Oct 7

´It’s not about knowing. It’s about being present.´ Devastating essay on the power of gaps, errors, mishearing in the way we teach.

Simon Kövesi @kovesi.bsky.social · Oct 7

This beautiful, honest, tender essay is the best rebuttal of AI infected teaching and learning, by Sean Cho A. The happy accident of the seminar - best when it's a bit of a mess.
therumpus.net/2025/10/02/h...

Human Error Is the Point: On Teaching College During the Rise of AI - The Rumpus

My syllabus is a mess of half-remembered intentions. I re-use icebreakers that I know don’t work. I forget to grade the first assignment until Week Four. I write emails that begin with “So sorry for t...

therumpus.net

Reposted by Catherine Spooner

Simon Kövesi @kovesi.bsky.social · Oct 7

Human Error Is the Point: On Teaching College During the Rise of AI - The Rumpus

therumpus.net

Reposted by Euan G. Ritchie, Lesley A. Hall, Roger Luckhurst , and 10 more Euan G. Ritchie, Lesley A. Hall, Roger Luckhurst, Bryan Fanning, R. M. Wilson, Richard Davy, Brian Keegan, Fiona Moore, Thomas Masterson, Brooke Harrington, Karen O’Leary, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Catherine Spooner

Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · Oct 6

Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...

Post from Threads user rodneyowl: "Ireland has declared the Basic Income for Artists scheme permanent. This will be officially announced in tomorrow’s budget. Details to follow. Congratulations to all who fought for it and the present and future artists of all sorts in Ireland. That includes me 👌We’re just comin to the end of a 3 year pilot scheme. It’s been a roaring success. For every €1 paid out to the 2000 participants, the government got €1.46 back. Can’t argue with that. Other countries are already taking note."

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Oct 2

Free Gothic event alert! Panel discussion on Gothic Italy, in person at Goldsmiths or hybrid, Tuesday 7 October: bads.gold.ac.uk/gothic-italy

2025: Gothic Italy — BADS

BADS Jeudis 2025

bads.gold.ac.uk

Reposted by Justin Lewis, Catherine Spooner

Eddie Robson @eddierobson.bsky.social · Sep 30

My new novel, The Heist Of Hollow London, is published TODAY. The hardback may not be out in the UK yet - it's listed for the end of October here - but the ebook is certainly available now. Here are some links but please feel free to buy wherever you can find it: amzn.to/3IOGJRw

The Heist of Hollow London

The Heist of Hollow London eBook : Robson, Eddie: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

amzn.to

Reposted by Tim Bale, Michael H. Whitworth, Catherine Spooner

Prof Katherine Schofield 🇬🇧🇦🇺🇪🇺 @katherineschof8.bsky.social · Sep 27

I am genuinely baffled and distressed as to why the UK government is intent on destroying UK's genuinely world-leading universities, who bring £265 billion into the economy and support more than 250,000 jobs.

This tax will kill us.

www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...

Student visas crackdown and new levies to cause ‘£1.8bn loss’ to UK economy

The Government has proposed a 6 per cent tax on international student tuition fees and a reduction in graduate visas

www.standard.co.uk

Reposted by Catherine Spooner

Scarred For Life @scarredforlife.bsky.social · Sep 21

ANIMAL GHOSTS (1980): Spooky short story anthology centred around, well... animal ghosts. The cover is particularly striking - those animals are freaking out, man!

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 18

🦇🎶It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Kevin Corstorphine @drkevcorstorphine.bsky.social · Sep 18

Heads up @igagoths.bsky.social - delighted to announce the CFP for IGA 2026: 'Gothic Selves/Artificial Others' hosted at the University of Hull 28-31 July! hullgothic.wordpress.com

Gothic Selves/Artificial Others

18th Biennual Conference of the International Gothic Association: 28-31 July, 2026. Hull, UK

hullgothic.wordpress.com

Reposted by Bernice M. Murphy, Catherine Spooner

Kevin Corstorphine @drkevcorstorphine.bsky.social · Sep 18

Heads up @igagoths.bsky.social - delighted to announce the CFP for IGA 2026: 'Gothic Selves/Artificial Others' hosted at the University of Hull 28-31 July! hullgothic.wordpress.com

Gothic Selves/Artificial Others

18th Biennual Conference of the International Gothic Association: 28-31 July, 2026. Hull, UK

hullgothic.wordpress.com

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 18

Wrong emoji! 😢

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 18

😥

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 18

My sense is that there are still jobs to be had if you work in digital, medical or environmental humanities. Universities are thinking strategically about growth areas. None of this helps you or me!

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 18

But this was early 2000s - then fixed term lectureships were regarded as a prerequisite for longer term employment. This has changed simply because there are no jobs in our field at the moment - see comment about redundancies above. It’s the wider economic situation rather than ECRs at fault.

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 18

Hi Sam, my own career trajectory started with hourly-paid teaching then fixed term lectureships before my current post at Lancaster - I would hesitate to call it ‘permanent’ as 25% of academic staff are about to be made redundant.

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 13

Thanks Jen - and congrats on the great placing. ♥️

Reposted by Michael H. Whitworth, Catherine Spooner

Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · Sep 13

Warwick English came 5th in The Guardian today, which is great for us.
But also notice that Lancaster came 3rd for Creative Writing & 7th for English - but the university is decimating programmes & firing 1/3 of academic staff over the next six months 🤔🤔🤔 @lancasterucu.bsky.social
#saveartsandhums

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 13

Early 20C Marxist Gothic. Here for it.

Sardonicus @sardonicus.eu · Sep 13

Victims of capitalism. Hell before death. 1908.

archive.org/details/hell...

column of skuls
the victims who were crushed under capitalism

Reposted by Justin Lewis, Catherine Spooner

Eddie Robson @eddierobson.bsky.social · Sep 13

Started the day with a free gig at the Lancaster Jazz Festival - Johanna Burnheart at the Herbarium cafe, in a rammed side room I didn't know was there until today. She was superb. tidal.com/browse/artis...

Woman in black performing on violin for an audience in a stone walled room

Reposted by Catherine Spooner

Sardonicus @sardonicus.eu · Sep 13

Victims of capitalism. Hell before death. 1908.

archive.org/details/hell...

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 10

Thank you so much for including me - OGOM conferences are always among the most rewarding to attend and our conversations have really helped shape my thinking over the years! I can’t wait for whatever you decide to do next! ✨

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 9

Right?! He was writing like 5x1000-page novels concurrently at his peak.

Catherine Spooner @catherinespooner.bsky.social · Sep 9

When you’re researching in the British Library and you discover the copy of the 1853 novel you’ve called up is inscribed by the author…

Flyleaf of novel with handwritten message reading ‘with the author’s just compliments’.

Title page of The Seamstress by G. W. M. Reynolds.

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