Esther Liberman Cuenca
@estherlcuenca.bsky.social
Writer. Historian. Author of 'The Making of Urban Customary Law in Medieval and Reformation England' (Oxford University Press, 2025).
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
There's a tendency online for people to black out the names and email addresses of people who send them notes like this but I'm all for making it public.
kind of amazing to think that there are people who wake up in the morning, get mad at a fox news post and then send this stuff
February 6, 2026 at 7:23 PM
There's a tendency online for people to black out the names and email addresses of people who send them notes like this but I'm all for making it public.
Yes. I met and had lunch with Rubenstein in 2022 at the Institute for Advanced Study, where he is a big donor and board member. He's very serious about history and the arts and storied American institutions.
The person to watch is David Rubenstein, who has poured millions in philanthropy into the Kennedy Center, is not going to be pleased about this, and has money, ego, and patriotism long enough to sustain a long-ass legal battle.
Particularly since his cash isn't crypto.
Particularly since his cash isn't crypto.
Trump: "I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of Success, Beauty, and Grandeur, is to cease Entertainment Operations for an approximately two year period of time, with a scheduled Grand Reopening that will rival and surpass anything."
February 2, 2026 at 6:20 AM
Yes. I met and had lunch with Rubenstein in 2022 at the Institute for Advanced Study, where he is a big donor and board member. He's very serious about history and the arts and storied American institutions.
What’s to become of my medieval women class now that TAMU has eliminated the women’s studies program? I don’t know. The audit of my syllabus is not done but it’ll probably be flagged because it has J Bennett’s “lesbian-like” article. Students are aware that free speech is a thing of the past in TX.
January 31, 2026 at 3:23 PM
What’s to become of my medieval women class now that TAMU has eliminated the women’s studies program? I don’t know. The audit of my syllabus is not done but it’ll probably be flagged because it has J Bennett’s “lesbian-like” article. Students are aware that free speech is a thing of the past in TX.
This is correct. Also, I took 12 years and my heart was into it but …stuff happens. Also, lots of adjuncting
I have no opinions whatsoever on taking 10 years to finish a PhD other than shit happens. The only person I knew at UCLA who had been a PhD student for over a decade didn't seem like their heart was in the research but that affected me in no way whatsoever and was generally none of my business.
January 31, 2026 at 2:20 AM
This is correct. Also, I took 12 years and my heart was into it but …stuff happens. Also, lots of adjuncting
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
vance has to stay on the good sign of the teen nazis that are his primary constituency
Legitimately a feat of carefully calculated writing to issue a Holocaust Remembrance Day statement of this length without mentioning either (1) the people who perpetrated the Holocaust or (2) the people against whom they perpetrated it
January 28, 2026 at 3:11 AM
vance has to stay on the good sign of the teen nazis that are his primary constituency
Good piece by Adam Serwer. Love this part in particular. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
January 27, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Good piece by Adam Serwer. Love this part in particular. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
A reminder that Liam Ramos, the son of legal residents in Minnesota, is still being held in a Texas prison.
A five year old little boy - and America’s global reputation - now scarred for life.
(📸 Ali Daniel’s/AP)
A five year old little boy - and America’s global reputation - now scarred for life.
(📸 Ali Daniel’s/AP)
January 27, 2026 at 1:19 PM
A reminder that Liam Ramos, the son of legal residents in Minnesota, is still being held in a Texas prison.
A five year old little boy - and America’s global reputation - now scarred for life.
(📸 Ali Daniel’s/AP)
A five year old little boy - and America’s global reputation - now scarred for life.
(📸 Ali Daniel’s/AP)
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
"Good tsar, bad boyars" has been a recurring theme of Trumpism every year the dude's been office. It's wild.
January 27, 2026 at 3:27 PM
"Good tsar, bad boyars" has been a recurring theme of Trumpism every year the dude's been office. It's wild.
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
As seen on r/nursing
Alex Pretti's coworkers taking a moment of silence to honor him
Alex Pretti's coworkers taking a moment of silence to honor him
January 26, 2026 at 10:01 PM
As seen on r/nursing
Alex Pretti's coworkers taking a moment of silence to honor him
Alex Pretti's coworkers taking a moment of silence to honor him
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
when I talk about how this is truly the only show to have a romance novel structure, this is what I mean: every other romance adaptation turns the fundamentally, crucially narrow focus of a romance novel into a broader tv world. this show feels different because it does not.
I wrote about a show about love. Maybe you've heard of it.
Me, on HEATED RIVALRY, for @newrepublic.com newrepublic.com/article/2055...
Me, on HEATED RIVALRY, for @newrepublic.com newrepublic.com/article/2055...
The Narrative Genius of Heated Rivalry
The show is physical and intimate, surprisingly quiet, and rarely looks beyond the two leads. Somehow it works.
newrepublic.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:35 PM
when I talk about how this is truly the only show to have a romance novel structure, this is what I mean: every other romance adaptation turns the fundamentally, crucially narrow focus of a romance novel into a broader tv world. this show feels different because it does not.
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is 30 year old today. with an inception date of 26th January 1996.
It turns out that although not in any sense breaking new scholarship, it remains my most longstanding contribution to the republic of letters.
sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook.asp
It turns out that although not in any sense breaking new scholarship, it remains my most longstanding contribution to the republic of letters.
sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook.asp
January 26, 2026 at 12:44 PM
The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is 30 year old today. with an inception date of 26th January 1996.
It turns out that although not in any sense breaking new scholarship, it remains my most longstanding contribution to the republic of letters.
sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook.asp
It turns out that although not in any sense breaking new scholarship, it remains my most longstanding contribution to the republic of letters.
sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook.asp
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
imgaine getting sent packing with your ass in your own two hands by some of the nicest people in the world and then showing up in a city that is famous for booing santa claus
January 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM
imgaine getting sent packing with your ass in your own two hands by some of the nicest people in the world and then showing up in a city that is famous for booing santa claus
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
until recently, i was a dumbass. but no longer.
January 26, 2026 at 2:49 AM
until recently, i was a dumbass. but no longer.
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
During the Soviet era, at times of govt instability, the state broadcaster would typically preempt scheduled broadcasts by airing performances of Swan Lake
And, tonight, the network's flagship news program -- 60 Minutes -- ran a clip show of old celeb interviews to "celebrate the movies" rather than put together an episode focused on what's going on in Minnesota.
The person who publishes the Free Press — where the words “Minneapolis” and “Minnesota” never appear tonight — also runs CBS News.
January 26, 2026 at 2:59 AM
During the Soviet era, at times of govt instability, the state broadcaster would typically preempt scheduled broadcasts by airing performances of Swan Lake
ICE delenda est
January 26, 2026 at 2:04 AM
ICE delenda est
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
what do you mean 🧍🏽♀️
January 26, 2026 at 1:44 AM
what do you mean 🧍🏽♀️
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdami advises New Yorkers to stay home and read ‘Heated Rivalry’ during the winter storm
via hearts530
via hearts530
January 25, 2026 at 6:38 PM
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdami advises New Yorkers to stay home and read ‘Heated Rivalry’ during the winter storm
via hearts530
via hearts530
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
Now requires a disambiguation page
January 25, 2026 at 3:02 AM
Now requires a disambiguation page
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
How many January 6 insurrectionists were armed? Is the position now that Capitol police could have shot them all? Just trying to keep up
January 24, 2026 at 11:49 PM
How many January 6 insurrectionists were armed? Is the position now that Capitol police could have shot them all? Just trying to keep up
Something I needed to write to a prospective author: "Let me contact you next week. There might be a hiccup: TX is expected to freeze this weekend. My hope is that the electric grid holds up. It didn’t in 2021 and it was traumatic (no water, electricity, etc.). So fingers crossed I don’t die? haha."
January 22, 2026 at 9:38 PM
Something I needed to write to a prospective author: "Let me contact you next week. There might be a hiccup: TX is expected to freeze this weekend. My hope is that the electric grid holds up. It didn’t in 2021 and it was traumatic (no water, electricity, etc.). So fingers crossed I don’t die? haha."
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
Had to bring this over for "rinses his ass" 🤌
January 22, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Had to bring this over for "rinses his ass" 🤌
Reposted by Esther Liberman Cuenca
“Look: Rome wasn’t burned in a day.”
Vance on the economy:
"You don't turn the Titanic around overnight"
"You don't turn the Titanic around overnight"
January 22, 2026 at 7:04 PM
“Look: Rome wasn’t burned in a day.”
I had a dream that an article I submitted to the "Journal of Reassessing the Passion Narrative" got a good response from readers and that its publication was imminent. Paging Dr. Freud...?
January 20, 2026 at 5:30 PM
I had a dream that an article I submitted to the "Journal of Reassessing the Passion Narrative" got a good response from readers and that its publication was imminent. Paging Dr. Freud...?