Elise Wang
@elisewang.bsky.social
medievalist. law & history (old) | conspiracy theories (old and new) | taiwan (new and yet to be) | chicago —> los angeles
carnegie fellow ‘24-‘26, writing a book on medieval conspiracy theories
elisedwang.com
carnegie fellow ‘24-‘26, writing a book on medieval conspiracy theories
elisedwang.com
Pinned
Elise Wang
@elisewang.bsky.social
· Jul 4
Someone asked for a thread of my medieval story times (twist my arm!), so here they are. I’ll pin and add as I go!
You know what would really soothe me (and perhaps everyone else)? If everyone described their system of little notebooks, in as much detail as possible. Please?
u heard sharon, everyone post about their esoteric interests right fucking now. for the good of the community, we need to be hyperfixationmaxxing.
i think this site really needs to figure out how to grow the non-politics verticals (the baseball moment was a good thing!) because i suspect a lot of the bad clusters come out of the political clusters driving 95% of ENG-lang posts
January 6, 2026 at 3:03 AM
You know what would really soothe me (and perhaps everyone else)? If everyone described their system of little notebooks, in as much detail as possible. Please?
Reposted by Elise Wang
Once again, this obsession with the “deserving/undeserving poor” is at least as old as the Black Death and has always been a thinly veiled attack on labor power (see my original thread below)
No. No. No.
Punitive processes make narrowly targeted programs *less* efficient and *more* costly. Because more scrutiny requires more bureaucracy.
Punitive processes also make it *less* likely that people will get aid for which they qualify. Because of the roadblocks and stigma scrutiny creates.
Punitive processes make narrowly targeted programs *less* efficient and *more* costly. Because more scrutiny requires more bureaucracy.
Punitive processes also make it *less* likely that people will get aid for which they qualify. Because of the roadblocks and stigma scrutiny creates.
January 4, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Once again, this obsession with the “deserving/undeserving poor” is at least as old as the Black Death and has always been a thinly veiled attack on labor power (see my original thread below)
Reposted by Elise Wang
The one comfort after having to listen to the establishment right's maddening insistence that Rubio would "moderate the administration" is that every time there is something totally indefensible to be defended they make him do it like some kind of ritual humiliation exercise
WELKER: Mr. Secretary, are you running Venezuela right now?
MARCO RUBIO: Yeah. People are fixating on that. Here's the bottom line -- we expect to see changes in Venezuela
MARCO RUBIO: Yeah. People are fixating on that. Here's the bottom line -- we expect to see changes in Venezuela
January 4, 2026 at 8:34 PM
The one comfort after having to listen to the establishment right's maddening insistence that Rubio would "moderate the administration" is that every time there is something totally indefensible to be defended they make him do it like some kind of ritual humiliation exercise
Reposted by Elise Wang
I ordered a 2026 and seem to have been shipped a damaged 2003
Yes, hello? I don’t think 2026 is working properly. I’d like to cancel my free 5 day trial please.
January 4, 2026 at 6:24 PM
I ordered a 2026 and seem to have been shipped a damaged 2003
Reposted by Elise Wang
Went to the Yale Art Gallery for a bit today, and while looking at medieval European art I overheard someone loudly say, “Didn’t they know Jesus wouldn’t have dressed like he lived in the Middle Ages?!”
You’re definitely smarter than them. You should invent a time machine to go back and tell them.
You’re definitely smarter than them. You should invent a time machine to go back and tell them.
January 4, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Went to the Yale Art Gallery for a bit today, and while looking at medieval European art I overheard someone loudly say, “Didn’t they know Jesus wouldn’t have dressed like he lived in the Middle Ages?!”
You’re definitely smarter than them. You should invent a time machine to go back and tell them.
You’re definitely smarter than them. You should invent a time machine to go back and tell them.
The one comfort after having to listen to the establishment right's maddening insistence that Rubio would "moderate the administration" is that every time there is something totally indefensible to be defended they make him do it like some kind of ritual humiliation exercise
WELKER: Mr. Secretary, are you running Venezuela right now?
MARCO RUBIO: Yeah. People are fixating on that. Here's the bottom line -- we expect to see changes in Venezuela
MARCO RUBIO: Yeah. People are fixating on that. Here's the bottom line -- we expect to see changes in Venezuela
January 4, 2026 at 8:34 PM
The one comfort after having to listen to the establishment right's maddening insistence that Rubio would "moderate the administration" is that every time there is something totally indefensible to be defended they make him do it like some kind of ritual humiliation exercise
Writing about the 1321 Leper’s plot and I just wanna say that tales of contamination and invasion are the most boring conspiracy theories. Oh the lepers are poisoning the wells? Why? Not important. Oh, and the Jews and Muslims are in on it too? Sure, whatever.
My kingdom for some creativity!
My kingdom for some creativity!
January 4, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Writing about the 1321 Leper’s plot and I just wanna say that tales of contamination and invasion are the most boring conspiracy theories. Oh the lepers are poisoning the wells? Why? Not important. Oh, and the Jews and Muslims are in on it too? Sure, whatever.
My kingdom for some creativity!
My kingdom for some creativity!
Buzelis is still as uneven as all hell (he’s just 21!) and Donovan’s coaching style isn’t doing him any favors but when he’s good he’s spectacular. I hope he gets to develop, he’s so fun to watch.
January 3, 2026 at 3:50 AM
Buzelis is still as uneven as all hell (he’s just 21!) and Donovan’s coaching style isn’t doing him any favors but when he’s good he’s spectacular. I hope he gets to develop, he’s so fun to watch.
Yes, it definitely only took me a few YouTube videos to learn to read this, those years of weeping over transcriptions in grad school were just for fun
January 3, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Yes, it definitely only took me a few YouTube videos to learn to read this, those years of weeping over transcriptions in grad school were just for fun
Reposted by Elise Wang
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
January 2, 2026 at 2:26 AM
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
Reposted by Elise Wang
Magic Johnson was the grand marshal of the Rose Parade today, and as someone who remembers his November 1991 HIV announcement: if you had told anybody that day that he would be alive and healthy 34+ years later, I don't think they would have believed you. Medicine and research—they work.
January 1, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Magic Johnson was the grand marshal of the Rose Parade today, and as someone who remembers his November 1991 HIV announcement: if you had told anybody that day that he would be alive and healthy 34+ years later, I don't think they would have believed you. Medicine and research—they work.
Not to pile on but I think it’s notable that the NYT (and other outlets) treat Mamdani promising the same things on both sides of the election as daring or a “high bar.” Isn’t this what we should expect? That our politicians don’t lie to us?
January 2, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Not to pile on but I think it’s notable that the NYT (and other outlets) treat Mamdani promising the same things on both sides of the election as daring or a “high bar.” Isn’t this what we should expect? That our politicians don’t lie to us?
Reposted by Elise Wang
They gentrified the tinfoil hat
January 1, 2026 at 8:57 PM
They gentrified the tinfoil hat
Speculative fiction, one might say
I’m really into writing short fiction, mainly to-do lists.
January 1, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Speculative fiction, one might say
Reposted by Elise Wang
We talk about this in our episode with @elisewang.bsky.social!! It’s very bad!
December 31, 2025 at 1:52 PM
We talk about this in our episode with @elisewang.bsky.social!! It’s very bad!
Appropriate that they used a Japanese artist’s work to promote internment and deportation. Steal the creativity and labor, cleanse the people.
This looks like something you'd see in a museum about fascism after 100 million people have died to defeat it
January 1, 2026 at 12:21 AM
Appropriate that they used a Japanese artist’s work to promote internment and deportation. Steal the creativity and labor, cleanse the people.
Went to see my Bulls last night and it really was the sort of game to make you philosophize fandom.
What really are “field goal percentages” and “standings” in the face of true devotion I say to myself as we lose by 30 pts
What really are “field goal percentages” and “standings” in the face of true devotion I say to myself as we lose by 30 pts
December 31, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Went to see my Bulls last night and it really was the sort of game to make you philosophize fandom.
What really are “field goal percentages” and “standings” in the face of true devotion I say to myself as we lose by 30 pts
What really are “field goal percentages” and “standings” in the face of true devotion I say to myself as we lose by 30 pts
This conspiracy theory is specifically designed to incite violence against Somalis and immigrants more generally. The way that you can tell is the appeal to vulnerability and purity (children, pets, etc).
BREAKING
The Trump administration says it has frozen all childcare payments to Minnesota in the aftermath of allegations of fraud by some in the Somali community.
Important: allegations along these lines have existed for years, which has resulted in prosecutions starting with the Biden DOJ.
The Trump administration says it has frozen all childcare payments to Minnesota in the aftermath of allegations of fraud by some in the Somali community.
Important: allegations along these lines have existed for years, which has resulted in prosecutions starting with the Biden DOJ.
December 30, 2025 at 11:52 PM
This conspiracy theory is specifically designed to incite violence against Somalis and immigrants more generally. The way that you can tell is the appeal to vulnerability and purity (children, pets, etc).
In my personal experience this is a huge problem among non-medievalists. Hiring committees see the medievalist as the person who will hold down the fort on the “classics,” not someone expanding the field, so they *always* hire more conservative than is actually representative of the field.
I *do* think it is indicative of a broader conviction among academics of all stripes that medieval history and classics are white history for white people that jobs in those fields became even scarcer in post-2020 hiring cycles. And guess who is best equipped to challenge that mistaken belief?
December 30, 2025 at 10:34 PM
In my personal experience this is a huge problem among non-medievalists. Hiring committees see the medievalist as the person who will hold down the fort on the “classics,” not someone expanding the field, so they *always* hire more conservative than is actually representative of the field.
Reposted by Elise Wang
Humanities programs have ceded scholarship of the premodern to bad actors on the right. This is a serious problem, not only because it represents a loss of current and future knowledge, but also because it enables white supremacists and Christian nationalists to twist history to their own ends.
Three, it is a big problem for the humanities that the only programs that appear to be robustly hiring medievalists and classicists are places like the Hamilton Center and its sister programs that are sprouting up at campuses across the country.
December 30, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Humanities programs have ceded scholarship of the premodern to bad actors on the right. This is a serious problem, not only because it represents a loss of current and future knowledge, but also because it enables white supremacists and Christian nationalists to twist history to their own ends.
This is a delusion made by someone who has never had to secure childcare. What do you mean, every child in the country has to be supervised 24/7??
Trump guys are about to Comet Pizza every third daycare center because they think they are all fronts for Somali money laundering. They're only doing this near cities with progressive mayors. This is straight up Government by LibsOfTikTok.
December 30, 2025 at 10:16 PM
This is a delusion made by someone who has never had to secure childcare. What do you mean, every child in the country has to be supervised 24/7??
Reposted by Elise Wang
When mothers admitted their children to the London Foundling Hospital, they often left tokens. Sometimes, just a cut of the child's clothing, as in this case. This child was reclaimed by its mother in 1760. Seeing the fabric in the archive this week was incredible.
April 16, 2025 at 10:25 AM
When mothers admitted their children to the London Foundling Hospital, they often left tokens. Sometimes, just a cut of the child's clothing, as in this case. This child was reclaimed by its mother in 1760. Seeing the fabric in the archive this week was incredible.
Reposted by Elise Wang
We need your help! So far, we’ve raised $16,000 from 164 donors, which tells us that a lot of people understand the importance of this work. We train incarcerated writers and publish their stories. Our goal is to raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Can you support our work?
Donate | Prison Journalism Project
Prison Journalism Project is supported by people like you. Support Prison Journalism Project today.
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December 8, 2025 at 10:09 PM
We need your help! So far, we’ve raised $16,000 from 164 donors, which tells us that a lot of people understand the importance of this work. We train incarcerated writers and publish their stories. Our goal is to raise $50,000 by Dec. 31. Can you support our work?
I also want to say that this level of control (as an untenured prof) is entirely down to two things: an extremely supportive department and a transparent, union-negotiated tenure standard.
Unions are good for academic freedom!
Unions are good for academic freedom!
This year I was lucky enough to get to choose to do mostly things that aligned with my beliefs and values. I’m grateful, because the year was a doozy in all other ways. Here are a few I’m most proud of:
December 28, 2025 at 1:15 AM
I also want to say that this level of control (as an untenured prof) is entirely down to two things: an extremely supportive department and a transparent, union-negotiated tenure standard.
Unions are good for academic freedom!
Unions are good for academic freedom!