Dr J. E. Nicholson
@justjenerally.bsky.social
respectably absurd | she/her | own opinions | interests: Ghibli, puns, cats | research: Shax/Marlowe's French; multilingual early modern London; whiteness, affect & ecology in The Winter’s Tale | jenniferenicholson.wordpress.com ORCID: 0000-0002-4375-2961
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Just discovering this database of books as symbols in Renaissance art--a wonderful resource #EarlyModern #HerBook basiraproject.org
BASIRA • Books as Symbols in Renaissance Art
basiraproject.org
August 27, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Just discovering this database of books as symbols in Renaissance art--a wonderful resource #EarlyModern #HerBook basiraproject.org
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Every time I sit down to write a piece I feel certain that I would rather die than actually write it and yet somehow I would rather die ten times harder before I ever let the word machine write for me.
“I am not interested, nor will I ever be interested. I'm 61, and I hope to be able to remain uninterested in using it at all until I croak. ... The other day, somebody wrote me an email, said, ‘What is your stance on AI?’ And my answer was very short. I said, ‘I'd rather die.’” 🫡
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro says 'I'd rather die' than use generative AI
Del Toro's new Frankenstein adaption reimagines Mary Shelley's 1818 Gothic novel. Frankenstein was like a tech bro: "creating something without considering the consequences," he explains.
www.npr.org
October 24, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Every time I sit down to write a piece I feel certain that I would rather die than actually write it and yet somehow I would rather die ten times harder before I ever let the word machine write for me.
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
I can't decide whose head in early modern England would explode the most watching this video.
King Charles III prayed with Pope Leo XIV in the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, marking the first time in modern history that the leaders of the Anglican and Catholic churches prayed together. Read more: nyti.ms/4o5fFwI
October 23, 2025 at 2:32 PM
I can't decide whose head in early modern England would explode the most watching this video.
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
I've updated my document that tackles four of the common arguments used to encourage teachers to use AI.
I hope this will be helpful to those educators wanting to push back on AI mania.
I hope this will be helpful to those educators wanting to push back on AI mania.
Resisting School AI Mania Help Sheet
Help Sheet: Resisting AI Mania in Schools K-12 educators are under increasing pressure to use—and have students use—a wide range of AI tools. (The term “AI” is used loosely here, just as it is by man...
docs.google.com
October 14, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I've updated my document that tackles four of the common arguments used to encourage teachers to use AI.
I hope this will be helpful to those educators wanting to push back on AI mania.
I hope this will be helpful to those educators wanting to push back on AI mania.
My Yr10 students and I recently though with Le Guin's full acceptance speech about the power of persuasion. It's a WONDERFUL piece that packs a punch with only a few succinct paragraphs, and gets extra points from me for being extremely readable for many ages/stages...
Pair with: "we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope. ...realists of a larger reality." www.ursulakleguin.com/nbf-medal
October 19, 2025 at 11:22 AM
My Yr10 students and I recently though with Le Guin's full acceptance speech about the power of persuasion. It's a WONDERFUL piece that packs a punch with only a few succinct paragraphs, and gets extra points from me for being extremely readable for many ages/stages...
Very pleased that my review of 'Shakespeare and Montaigne' is now beautifully typeset and online! You can see it now within Volume 106, Issue 6 of @englishstudies.bsky.social.
My review of 'Shakespeare and Montaigne' (Edinburgh UP 2022, eds. Engle, Gray & Hamlin) for English Studies is live! You may visit the link below to view, or contact me directly if you do not have access but want to read it. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Shakespeare and Montaigne
Published in English Studies (Ahead of Print, 2025)
www.tandfonline.com
October 19, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Very pleased that my review of 'Shakespeare and Montaigne' is now beautifully typeset and online! You can see it now within Volume 106, Issue 6 of @englishstudies.bsky.social.
Don’t forget to register your preferences for #shax2026, and feel free to come join Huw Griffiths and yours truly to talk about essaying Shakespeare!
Come join Huw Griffiths & yours truly at #shax2026 in Denver or virtually, for ‘Essaying Shakespeare’! We will be considering all things relating Shax studies & the productively ephemeral, idiosyncratic, historical, strange, & thoughtful/-provoking form of the essay.
September 7, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Don’t forget to register your preferences for #shax2026, and feel free to come join Huw Griffiths and yours truly to talk about essaying Shakespeare!
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
How it feels to write "my translation"
September 6, 2025 at 2:18 AM
How it feels to write "my translation"
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Thank you for sharing this @equintero.bsky.social!
And thank you to @carlhendrick.substack.com for the thought-provoking essay: "Deep reading..trains us in the moral dispositions that public life requires: attention, imagination, restraint." substack.com/home/post/p-...
And thank you to @carlhendrick.substack.com for the thought-provoking essay: "Deep reading..trains us in the moral dispositions that public life requires: attention, imagination, restraint." substack.com/home/post/p-...
July 31, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Thank you for sharing this @equintero.bsky.social!
And thank you to @carlhendrick.substack.com for the thought-provoking essay: "Deep reading..trains us in the moral dispositions that public life requires: attention, imagination, restraint." substack.com/home/post/p-...
And thank you to @carlhendrick.substack.com for the thought-provoking essay: "Deep reading..trains us in the moral dispositions that public life requires: attention, imagination, restraint." substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
This is excellent
“we need more evidence before drawing sweeping conclusions about the impact of generative AI—and I agree. But that caution should cut both ways. If we're going to question the limitations of this early research, we must also scrutinize the uncritical embrace of AI in classrooms.”
“we need more evidence before drawing sweeping conclusions about the impact of generative AI—and I agree. But that caution should cut both ways. If we're going to question the limitations of this early research, we must also scrutinize the uncritical embrace of AI in classrooms.”
Today in The Important Work, Samantha Collins reflects on what she took away from the AI & Digital Literacy Institute at the University of Kansas this summer and makes the case for viewing AI as text not tool. Bonus: Art by @kconrad.bsky.social! theimportantwork.substack.com/p/prove-to-m...
Prove to Me You Aren’t a Robot
Humanities as a CAPTCHA Test in the Age of AI
theimportantwork.substack.com
July 28, 2025 at 11:27 AM
This is excellent
“we need more evidence before drawing sweeping conclusions about the impact of generative AI—and I agree. But that caution should cut both ways. If we're going to question the limitations of this early research, we must also scrutinize the uncritical embrace of AI in classrooms.”
“we need more evidence before drawing sweeping conclusions about the impact of generative AI—and I agree. But that caution should cut both ways. If we're going to question the limitations of this early research, we must also scrutinize the uncritical embrace of AI in classrooms.”
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
The nemesis of Comicon ys Tragicon
July 27, 2025 at 4:12 AM
The nemesis of Comicon ys Tragicon
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Every. Single. Story. about women not using AI as much as men portray it as bad for their future career prospects (without a shred of evidence) and a result of women being fearful little ladies rather than looking at AI's output and saying "this sucks, it's not going to help me."
For women, the increase of AI use in the workplace may affect their careers: Harvard study
Women are using AI significantly less then men and it’s going to have a major impact on their careers, according to extensive research on the topic.
www.ctvnews.ca
July 26, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Every. Single. Story. about women not using AI as much as men portray it as bad for their future career prospects (without a shred of evidence) and a result of women being fearful little ladies rather than looking at AI's output and saying "this sucks, it's not going to help me."
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Yep, 100% this. Also some fun witchcraft allusions if you're looking for them
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell is a love story and about family conflict, but also, like… a really great introduction to labor organization. Unions should have book clubs and this should be one of the books.
July 26, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Yep, 100% this. Also some fun witchcraft allusions if you're looking for them
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Sometimes the historical dictionary offers solace through the existence of an obsolete word that is sorely needed now. One of them is ‘respair’, recorded just once, in the 15th century. It means fresh hope, and a recovery from despair.
July 26, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Sometimes the historical dictionary offers solace through the existence of an obsolete word that is sorely needed now. One of them is ‘respair’, recorded just once, in the 15th century. It means fresh hope, and a recovery from despair.
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Spent 40m today reading a kid’s essay and writing to her about it. The takeaway won’t be better writing—it’ll be that someone who cares about her thinks she’s on the right track. Everyone who thinks they’re smart thinks so because someone took time w their work and told them so.
“…faculty members will be able to click an icon that connects them with various AI features…, like a grading tool, a discussion-post summarizer… Canvas’s parent company, Instructure, is also in partnership w/ OpenAI… so instructors can use generative-AI technology as part of their assignments.”
Instructors Will Now See AI Throughout a Widely Used Course Software
New features integrated into Canvas include a grading assistant, a discussion-post summarizer, and even a way to pair assignments with generative AI tools.
www.chronicle.com
July 24, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Spent 40m today reading a kid’s essay and writing to her about it. The takeaway won’t be better writing—it’ll be that someone who cares about her thinks she’s on the right track. Everyone who thinks they’re smart thinks so because someone took time w their work and told them so.
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
AI is Iago and we're all Roderigos
Uh... I'm pretty sure there's no line in Othello that goes "I'll let loose the forces of Iago." Though it is iambic pentameter.
(why I was googling that exact phrase is a longer story, but I was struck to see this laughably false answer pushed to me at the very top of the page)
(why I was googling that exact phrase is a longer story, but I was struck to see this laughably false answer pushed to me at the very top of the page)
July 18, 2025 at 5:15 PM
AI is Iago and we're all Roderigos
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
I post this to say: I know a human voice when I hear one. this is because of my training in the humanities & precisely why we should all train in the humanities.
I’m an English professor at William & Mary & for the first writing assignment in all my classes, I tell students to give me their version & a version written by AI. I tell them not to indicate which is which & I grade them both & make a guess.
it’s never been hard to tell.
it’s never been hard to tell.
July 23, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I post this to say: I know a human voice when I hear one. this is because of my training in the humanities & precisely why we should all train in the humanities.
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
You will be shocked to learn that universities that disproportionately recruit from independent schools and higher socio-economic groups are less likely than universities that recruit from less favoured pupil populations to have high student drop-out rates in year 1. Shocked.
The 20 UK universities where the most students stick with their studies
Lots of students staying on after the first year can be a good sign 🎓
www.scotsman.com
July 23, 2025 at 9:01 AM
You will be shocked to learn that universities that disproportionately recruit from independent schools and higher socio-economic groups are less likely than universities that recruit from less favoured pupil populations to have high student drop-out rates in year 1. Shocked.
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
#PhD opportunity at University of Queensland (domestic students) on the theme of race, translation and adaptation, and tragedy - esp. tragedy, translation and adaptation, and Indigeneity - with Dr Emma Cole - see www.acrsn.org/news.html
July 20, 2025 at 8:52 AM
#PhD opportunity at University of Queensland (domestic students) on the theme of race, translation and adaptation, and tragedy - esp. tragedy, translation and adaptation, and Indigeneity - with Dr Emma Cole - see www.acrsn.org/news.html
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
I am extremely fortunate to have a continuing position outside of the academy at present. However, if you are aware of early modern / literary roles in HE (Europe or Aus areas, ideally), please don't be a stranger!!
July 17, 2025 at 7:46 AM
I am extremely fortunate to have a continuing position outside of the academy at present. However, if you are aware of early modern / literary roles in HE (Europe or Aus areas, ideally), please don't be a stranger!!
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
Wow ok unfollowing now. Loved his refusal of servitude in heaven, did not know he was responsible for the fall of man
July 19, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Wow ok unfollowing now. Loved his refusal of servitude in heaven, did not know he was responsible for the fall of man
*me and my book project (courtesy of the legendary John Austen)
July 19, 2025 at 4:25 AM
*me and my book project (courtesy of the legendary John Austen)
Reposted by Dr J. E. Nicholson
'there has been a lot less public focus on the students who don’t want to have A.I. baked into their education—who wish to make the most of their schooling, and say no to the tech on principle'.
What Higher Ed Is Like for Students Who Don’t Want to Use A.I.
“Everyone is using it”—almost everyone.
slate.com
July 18, 2025 at 12:39 PM
'there has been a lot less public focus on the students who don’t want to have A.I. baked into their education—who wish to make the most of their schooling, and say no to the tech on principle'.