John Kittmer
@johnkittmer.bsky.social
Greek literature and culture | Anglicanism | Pre-Raphaelites | Churches, abbeys, cathedrals | Poetry | School governor | Visiting professor | Ex-ambassador | Enthusiast for Yorkshire
Pinned
John Kittmer
@johnkittmer.bsky.social
· Dec 15
Traces of your footprints
in the sand.
I follow them.
Boundless sand.
I can’t find you.
Slowly and with great care
I place my footprints
in the traces of yours.
Got you.
Y.RITSOS
in the sand.
I follow them.
Boundless sand.
I can’t find you.
Slowly and with great care
I place my footprints
in the traces of yours.
Got you.
Y.RITSOS
Reposted by John Kittmer
The situation in Minneapolis is insane: seemingly many large convoys of heavily armed masked men, blocking off streets at random, grabbing people nearly at random, racing around the city with no discernible plan or aim. Under attack by our own government the day after it killed someone
January 8, 2026 at 9:44 PM
The situation in Minneapolis is insane: seemingly many large convoys of heavily armed masked men, blocking off streets at random, grabbing people nearly at random, racing around the city with no discernible plan or aim. Under attack by our own government the day after it killed someone
Reposted by John Kittmer
“They shall see who have never been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of him.” Epiphany always seems to me one of the strangest and most mystical of all Christian festivals, and I’m sad to leave it behind for another year
January 6, 2026 at 7:45 PM
“They shall see who have never been told of him, and they shall understand who have never heard of him.” Epiphany always seems to me one of the strangest and most mystical of all Christian festivals, and I’m sad to leave it behind for another year
Reposted by John Kittmer
Icy Skies. -2°C and a cold wind. Hares in the fields.
January 6, 2026 at 10:33 AM
Icy Skies. -2°C and a cold wind. Hares in the fields.
Reposted by John Kittmer
Joint statement on Greenland.
January 6, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Joint statement on Greenland.
Reposted by John Kittmer
'Despite persistent myths, employment rates for humanities graduates are comparable to those of STEM graduates, as Humanities Indicators data shows. Early earnings differ but the salary gap narrows significantly mid-career, particularly for graduates who pursue further study'. 1/2
How universities can cultivate arts and humanities in practical, affordable ways
Are the arts and humanities still needed as universities retrench staff and cut costs? Patty Raun explains why curtailing or eliminating these disciplines is an egregious mistake
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:46 AM
'Despite persistent myths, employment rates for humanities graduates are comparable to those of STEM graduates, as Humanities Indicators data shows. Early earnings differ but the salary gap narrows significantly mid-career, particularly for graduates who pursue further study'. 1/2
January 3, 2026 at 8:02 AM
Reposted by John Kittmer
A view across the Cliff Bridge in Scarborough shows Wood's Lodgings on 'The Cliff' where on the afternoon of 28 May 1849 aged just 29. Anne Brontë died with her sister Charlotte and friend Ellen Nussey at her bedside. The site is now the home of the Grand Hotel #Brontë
January 3, 2026 at 5:02 AM
A view across the Cliff Bridge in Scarborough shows Wood's Lodgings on 'The Cliff' where on the afternoon of 28 May 1849 aged just 29. Anne Brontë died with her sister Charlotte and friend Ellen Nussey at her bedside. The site is now the home of the Grand Hotel #Brontë
A simple font holding its own with dignity amid the jolly clutter of parish life. St Mary’s #Brandesburton, Yorkshire. #fontsonFriday
January 2, 2026 at 8:08 AM
A simple font holding its own with dignity amid the jolly clutter of parish life. St Mary’s #Brandesburton, Yorkshire. #fontsonFriday
Happy New Year to the real people (though not to the bots) who follow my account. May it bring peace, joy and health to all.
January 1, 2026 at 7:01 AM
Happy New Year to the real people (though not to the bots) who follow my account. May it bring peace, joy and health to all.
Last church-crawl of the year continued my exploration of Wm. #Butterfield’s churches for Wm. Dawnay, 7th Viscount #Downe.
Headed to the edges of the vales of York and Mowbray, to visit #Sessay and #Dalton. 1/
Headed to the edges of the vales of York and Mowbray, to visit #Sessay and #Dalton. 1/
December 31, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Last church-crawl of the year continued my exploration of Wm. #Butterfield’s churches for Wm. Dawnay, 7th Viscount #Downe.
Headed to the edges of the vales of York and Mowbray, to visit #Sessay and #Dalton. 1/
Headed to the edges of the vales of York and Mowbray, to visit #Sessay and #Dalton. 1/
Reposted by John Kittmer
The York Mystery Plays return this coming summer. They are a cycle of medieval dramas telling the story of the Bible from Creation to the Last Judgement, each play focusing on a single episode. In medieval York they were traditionally performed for the Feast of Corpus Christi, turning the city into
December 29, 2025 at 5:50 AM
The York Mystery Plays return this coming summer. They are a cycle of medieval dramas telling the story of the Bible from Creation to the Last Judgement, each play focusing on a single episode. In medieval York they were traditionally performed for the Feast of Corpus Christi, turning the city into
Reposted by John Kittmer
Hagia Sophia was inaugurated by Justinian on December 27, 537
December 27, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Hagia Sophia was inaugurated by Justinian on December 27, 537
Reposted by John Kittmer
Grateful for a rich 2025. Fine students at Bath Uni; new ventures with Heni www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WIH... and a most exciting Heni project with @edwinheathcote.bsky.social for 2026; some new discoveries in medieval/ Tudor material culture, a book ahead. Look forward to sharing enthusiasms in 2026.
Inside Pugin’s St Giles: The Dazzling Gothic Revival Church That Stunned Victorian Britain
YouTube video by HENI Talks
www.youtube.com
December 20, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Grateful for a rich 2025. Fine students at Bath Uni; new ventures with Heni www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WIH... and a most exciting Heni project with @edwinheathcote.bsky.social for 2026; some new discoveries in medieval/ Tudor material culture, a book ahead. Look forward to sharing enthusiasms in 2026.
Reposted by John Kittmer
Doing this soon!:
Save the date! Join us on 29 January at the Schwarzman Centre for our next Professor of #Poetry lecture by A.E. Stallings @aestallings.bsky.social. The title of the lecture is 'People Poems: Portraits in Verse'.
ALL WELCOME! Booking details will be confirmed in the new year.
ALL WELCOME! Booking details will be confirmed in the new year.
December 20, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Doing this soon!:
Reposted by John Kittmer
📚 Publication alert!
Rebecca Sweetman’s new book, The Archaeology of the Cyclades in the Roman and Late Antique periods has recently been published by @cambridgeuniversitypress - congratulations Rebecca!
👉 Now available on the shelf in the BSA Library and via CUP!
Rebecca Sweetman’s new book, The Archaeology of the Cyclades in the Roman and Late Antique periods has recently been published by @cambridgeuniversitypress - congratulations Rebecca!
👉 Now available on the shelf in the BSA Library and via CUP!
December 19, 2025 at 8:21 AM
📚 Publication alert!
Rebecca Sweetman’s new book, The Archaeology of the Cyclades in the Roman and Late Antique periods has recently been published by @cambridgeuniversitypress - congratulations Rebecca!
👉 Now available on the shelf in the BSA Library and via CUP!
Rebecca Sweetman’s new book, The Archaeology of the Cyclades in the Roman and Late Antique periods has recently been published by @cambridgeuniversitypress - congratulations Rebecca!
👉 Now available on the shelf in the BSA Library and via CUP!
Reposted by John Kittmer
Ravenserodd or Ravenser Odd was a settlement around Spurn point. It was was founded around 1230 and became a borough in the 1240s. It was a successful port. Sadly storms during the 14th century caused many to leave. A storm In the winter of 1356–57 completely flooded the town
December 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Ravenserodd or Ravenser Odd was a settlement around Spurn point. It was was founded around 1230 and became a borough in the 1240s. It was a successful port. Sadly storms during the 14th century caused many to leave. A storm In the winter of 1356–57 completely flooded the town
Traces of your footprints
in the sand.
I follow them.
Boundless sand.
I can’t find you.
Slowly and with great care
I place my footprints
in the traces of yours.
Got you.
Y.RITSOS
in the sand.
I follow them.
Boundless sand.
I can’t find you.
Slowly and with great care
I place my footprints
in the traces of yours.
Got you.
Y.RITSOS
December 15, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Traces of your footprints
in the sand.
I follow them.
Boundless sand.
I can’t find you.
Slowly and with great care
I place my footprints
in the traces of yours.
Got you.
Y.RITSOS
in the sand.
I follow them.
Boundless sand.
I can’t find you.
Slowly and with great care
I place my footprints
in the traces of yours.
Got you.
Y.RITSOS
Reposted by John Kittmer
John Carey: The last public critic
John Carey: The last public critic
A distinguished Oxford academic and newspaper critic, Carey has been a cultural influencer for 50 years. He is a high-establishment insider – and yet has never forgotten the social slights he experienced as a young man.
www.newstatesman.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:52 PM
John Carey: The last public critic
Reposted by John Kittmer
Dickens’ classic is reborn in 1900s northern Greece, where stone-built villages and mountain mist set the stage for a magical new adaptation. The filmmakers explain how they blended tradition, fantasy and a distinctly Greek sensibility
How Dickens’ 'A Christmas Carol' Found Magic in Zagorochoria - tovima.com
ebx.sh
December 13, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Dickens’ classic is reborn in 1900s northern Greece, where stone-built villages and mountain mist set the stage for a magical new adaptation. The filmmakers explain how they blended tradition, fantasy and a distinctly Greek sensibility
Reposted by John Kittmer
Nativity plays have been a much-loved part of the school year in infant and junior schools across the UK for many years. These performances brought the Christmas story to life with a mix of earnestness and unintentional comedy. Classrooms buzzed with excitement as tea towels and
December 12, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Nativity plays have been a much-loved part of the school year in infant and junior schools across the UK for many years. These performances brought the Christmas story to life with a mix of earnestness and unintentional comedy. Classrooms buzzed with excitement as tea towels and
Reposted by John Kittmer
The Eurogroup elected Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of Economy and Finance of Greece, as President of the Eurogroup. The new President will take office as of 12 December 2025 and will serve a two-and-a-half-year term.
@press.consilium.europa.eu
@press.consilium.europa.eu
December 11, 2025 at 5:04 PM
The Eurogroup elected Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of Economy and Finance of Greece, as President of the Eurogroup. The new President will take office as of 12 December 2025 and will serve a two-and-a-half-year term.
@press.consilium.europa.eu
@press.consilium.europa.eu
Reposted by John Kittmer
'The Roman mosaic discovered in the Roman villa of Rutland contains a lost version of the Trojan War that does not appear in the Iliad' 🏺
#ClassicsBluesky
#ClassicsBluesky
The Roman mosaic discovered in the Roman villa of Rutland contains a lost version of the Trojan War that does not appear in the Iliad
An academic study by the University of Leicester has conclusively determined that the celebrated Roman mosaic discovered in Ketton, Rutland, does not depict scenes from Homer’s Iliad, as initially…
www.labrujulaverde.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:08 PM
'The Roman mosaic discovered in the Roman villa of Rutland contains a lost version of the Trojan War that does not appear in the Iliad' 🏺
#ClassicsBluesky
#ClassicsBluesky
Reposted by John Kittmer
Reminder!
Online Launch: Thurs 12 Dec
Join us to celebrate the latest issue of MPT, The Antidote to Agony: Focus on the Poetry of Greece and Cyprus
With Phoebe Giannisi, Brian Sneeden, Dimitra Kotoula, Maria Nazos, chaired by issue editor Jessica Sequeira.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launching-...
Online Launch: Thurs 12 Dec
Join us to celebrate the latest issue of MPT, The Antidote to Agony: Focus on the Poetry of Greece and Cyprus
With Phoebe Giannisi, Brian Sneeden, Dimitra Kotoula, Maria Nazos, chaired by issue editor Jessica Sequeira.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launching-...
December 9, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Reminder!
Online Launch: Thurs 12 Dec
Join us to celebrate the latest issue of MPT, The Antidote to Agony: Focus on the Poetry of Greece and Cyprus
With Phoebe Giannisi, Brian Sneeden, Dimitra Kotoula, Maria Nazos, chaired by issue editor Jessica Sequeira.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launching-...
Online Launch: Thurs 12 Dec
Join us to celebrate the latest issue of MPT, The Antidote to Agony: Focus on the Poetry of Greece and Cyprus
With Phoebe Giannisi, Brian Sneeden, Dimitra Kotoula, Maria Nazos, chaired by issue editor Jessica Sequeira.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launching-...
Reposted by John Kittmer
🌌 Why do dark skies matter? It’s not just about seeing stars (though that’s amazing!). Dark skies are vital for nature, wildlife, and our well-being.
By reducing light pollution, we protect ecosystems, improve health, and keep the universe visible for future generations 🌍💫
By reducing light pollution, we protect ecosystems, improve health, and keep the universe visible for future generations 🌍💫
December 6, 2025 at 5:35 PM
🌌 Why do dark skies matter? It’s not just about seeing stars (though that’s amazing!). Dark skies are vital for nature, wildlife, and our well-being.
By reducing light pollution, we protect ecosystems, improve health, and keep the universe visible for future generations 🌍💫
By reducing light pollution, we protect ecosystems, improve health, and keep the universe visible for future generations 🌍💫