Kevin
@kmichaelwilson.bsky.social
Historical Chinese literature, poetry, and philosophy. Co-host Rereading the Stone podcast https://bsky.app/profile/rereadingstone.bsky.social
book reviews & discussion of Ming-Qing literature, science fiction, etc. https://www.patreon.com/kmichaelwilson
book reviews & discussion of Ming-Qing literature, science fiction, etc. https://www.patreon.com/kmichaelwilson
Reposted by Kevin
this keeps happening
January 2, 2026 at 5:12 PM
this keeps happening
Reposted by Kevin
Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.) is a story where they "gather a crew," except you'll be 60 chapters in and they're still gathering the crew, and there will be scenes with 20+ people listed, and even detailing table arrangements will require half a page of text
January 1, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.) is a story where they "gather a crew," except you'll be 60 chapters in and they're still gathering the crew, and there will be scenes with 20+ people listed, and even detailing table arrangements will require half a page of text
blue is winter's green
January 2, 2026 at 10:21 PM
blue is winter's green
the joke doesn't work because a *whole host* of blue collar jobs do have *these very requirements,* and everyone thinks it's fine
if anything, the joke makes the propaganda to which it's responding seem more valid than it really is
this is what happens to a mind warped by notions of "meritocracy"
if anything, the joke makes the propaganda to which it's responding seem more valid than it really is
this is what happens to a mind warped by notions of "meritocracy"
January 2, 2026 at 8:24 PM
the joke doesn't work because a *whole host* of blue collar jobs do have *these very requirements,* and everyone thinks it's fine
if anything, the joke makes the propaganda to which it's responding seem more valid than it really is
this is what happens to a mind warped by notions of "meritocracy"
if anything, the joke makes the propaganda to which it's responding seem more valid than it really is
this is what happens to a mind warped by notions of "meritocracy"
You don't have to defend the current manifestly undemocratic and anti-meritocratic system to be opposed to the even worse system that reactionaries are proposing. A functioning academic system wouldn't involve so many "smart people" "not making it" (euphemism for what, exactly?)
If you have spent any time working in academia you will have observed lots of very smart people who don't make it in the profession for one reason or another. A PhD program is moderately good at revealing who will do well. The pre-tenure stage is better. SATs are close to useless.
January 2, 2026 at 6:53 PM
You don't have to defend the current manifestly undemocratic and anti-meritocratic system to be opposed to the even worse system that reactionaries are proposing. A functioning academic system wouldn't involve so many "smart people" "not making it" (euphemism for what, exactly?)
Reposted by Kevin
currently listening; if you can skip the lengthy and silly intro music, a good discussion
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
Pierre Bourdieu, Academic Power, And Class Reproduction with Daniel Tutt - Varn Vlog
In Part 2 of our series on intellectualls, Daniel Tutt returns to talk Bourdieu. Start with the feeling that “merit” is natural and fair—and then watch it fall apart. We take Pierre Bourdieu’s s...
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:06 AM
currently listening; if you can skip the lengthy and silly intro music, a good discussion
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
currently listening; if you can skip the lengthy and silly intro music, a good discussion
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
Pierre Bourdieu, Academic Power, And Class Reproduction with Daniel Tutt - Varn Vlog
In Part 2 of our series on intellectualls, Daniel Tutt returns to talk Bourdieu. Start with the feeling that “merit” is natural and fair—and then watch it fall apart. We take Pierre Bourdieu’s s...
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com
January 2, 2026 at 12:06 AM
currently listening; if you can skip the lengthy and silly intro music, a good discussion
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/1777565/epis...
honestly, he's probably right
adulterated tea over the millennia has likely caused all kinds of health problems
even today, you really should be scrutinizing the origins and production process of just about anything that goes into your body
adulterated tea over the millennia has likely caused all kinds of health problems
even today, you really should be scrutinizing the origins and production process of just about anything that goes into your body
random diatribe against tea consumption (?), of all things, in Chapter 61 of Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.)
interesting, makes an epistemological argument about its effects, and effectively calls it a "silent killer," indeed, a "poison olive 毒橄欖"
interesting, makes an epistemological argument about its effects, and effectively calls it a "silent killer," indeed, a "poison olive 毒橄欖"
January 1, 2026 at 9:16 PM
honestly, he's probably right
adulterated tea over the millennia has likely caused all kinds of health problems
even today, you really should be scrutinizing the origins and production process of just about anything that goes into your body
adulterated tea over the millennia has likely caused all kinds of health problems
even today, you really should be scrutinizing the origins and production process of just about anything that goes into your body
Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.) is a story where they "gather a crew," except you'll be 60 chapters in and they're still gathering the crew, and there will be scenes with 20+ people listed, and even detailing table arrangements will require half a page of text
January 1, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.) is a story where they "gather a crew," except you'll be 60 chapters in and they're still gathering the crew, and there will be scenes with 20+ people listed, and even detailing table arrangements will require half a page of text
Reposted by Kevin
tying off some readerly loose ends, here are some initial Impressions on Lin Lan Xiang 林蘭香 (19th C.)
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
First Impressions on Lin Lan Xiang 林蘭香 (19th C.) | kmichaelwilson
Get more from kmichaelwilson on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:01 AM
tying off some readerly loose ends, here are some initial Impressions on Lin Lan Xiang 林蘭香 (19th C.)
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
tying off some readerly loose ends, here are some initial Impressions on Lin Lan Xiang 林蘭香 (19th C.)
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
First Impressions on Lin Lan Xiang 林蘭香 (19th C.) | kmichaelwilson
Get more from kmichaelwilson on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:01 AM
tying off some readerly loose ends, here are some initial Impressions on Lin Lan Xiang 林蘭香 (19th C.)
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
www.patreon.com/posts/first-...
Challenging times! This whole year has been bathed in shit and hatred. I feel as if my heart has aged permanently, and I worry about how centrally everyday feelings of anger, resentment, rage, and disgust have begun figuring
December 31, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Challenging times! This whole year has been bathed in shit and hatred. I feel as if my heart has aged permanently, and I worry about how centrally everyday feelings of anger, resentment, rage, and disgust have begun figuring
Reposted by Kevin
I scared myself into insight by shouting (in my head) "Quick, don't think! what's the main theme of Hongloumeng?," and it worked, because the first word that came to me was "suspension," and, yeah, that's a pretty good answer
December 31, 2025 at 4:35 AM
I scared myself into insight by shouting (in my head) "Quick, don't think! what's the main theme of Hongloumeng?," and it worked, because the first word that came to me was "suspension," and, yeah, that's a pretty good answer
See, this isn't true. I see no evidence that people with bad politics consistently produce good scholarship, and, actually, future scholars are left now with the mess of determining how much even the neutral-seeming work has been warped by delusion and hate (spoiler: probably a lot)
The politics here are reprehensible but also really sad. He was a great scholar once. He had philological skills that no one has anymore. There are very few people who could produce that kind of work today. And to some extent, that's what this is about. He's mad that our field lost its former status
The reason this Harvard history professor decided he was done with one of the best and most privileged jobs in the world was, in his own words, because he was forced to lecture in a mask during peak Covid.
I’m not making this up.
I’m not making this up.
December 31, 2025 at 3:50 PM
See, this isn't true. I see no evidence that people with bad politics consistently produce good scholarship, and, actually, future scholars are left now with the mess of determining how much even the neutral-seeming work has been warped by delusion and hate (spoiler: probably a lot)
in one video, there are visibly more police officers dedicated to the apprehension of one underpaid fruit vendor than there are specialists employed in my field across all universities in the United States
December 31, 2025 at 3:24 PM
in one video, there are visibly more police officers dedicated to the apprehension of one underpaid fruit vendor than there are specialists employed in my field across all universities in the United States
I scared myself into insight by shouting (in my head) "Quick, don't think! what's the main theme of Hongloumeng?," and it worked, because the first word that came to me was "suspension," and, yeah, that's a pretty good answer
December 31, 2025 at 4:35 AM
I scared myself into insight by shouting (in my head) "Quick, don't think! what's the main theme of Hongloumeng?," and it worked, because the first word that came to me was "suspension," and, yeah, that's a pretty good answer
so is chomsky's magnum opus _manufacturing consent_ invalidated now, or is it *more valid* than ever before?
is this set supposed to contain itself as a member, or not
is this set supposed to contain itself as a member, or not
December 31, 2025 at 4:24 AM
so is chomsky's magnum opus _manufacturing consent_ invalidated now, or is it *more valid* than ever before?
is this set supposed to contain itself as a member, or not
is this set supposed to contain itself as a member, or not
Reposted by Kevin
Wheel of Time. . .you mean like a clock?
April 20, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Wheel of Time. . .you mean like a clock?
random diatribe against tea consumption (?), of all things, in Chapter 61 of Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.)
interesting, makes an epistemological argument about its effects, and effectively calls it a "silent killer," indeed, a "poison olive 毒橄欖"
interesting, makes an epistemological argument about its effects, and effectively calls it a "silent killer," indeed, a "poison olive 毒橄欖"
December 31, 2025 at 12:10 AM
random diatribe against tea consumption (?), of all things, in Chapter 61 of Flowers in the Mirror 鏡花緣 (19th C.)
interesting, makes an epistemological argument about its effects, and effectively calls it a "silent killer," indeed, a "poison olive 毒橄欖"
interesting, makes an epistemological argument about its effects, and effectively calls it a "silent killer," indeed, a "poison olive 毒橄欖"
Reposted by Kevin
If you're in a grad program and you think most of your colleagues don't deserve positions in academia, you're a fascist. Your values are Nazi-adjacent.
If you're a professor and you think most grad students don't deserve academic jobs? Again, you're a fascist.
If you're a professor and you think most grad students don't deserve academic jobs? Again, you're a fascist.
December 30, 2025 at 6:38 PM
If you're in a grad program and you think most of your colleagues don't deserve positions in academia, you're a fascist. Your values are Nazi-adjacent.
If you're a professor and you think most grad students don't deserve academic jobs? Again, you're a fascist.
If you're a professor and you think most grad students don't deserve academic jobs? Again, you're a fascist.
if I had to guess, I don't think I know anyone who identifies as a Nazi
I do know people, though, who vote Republican, and it seems the space between these two categories is right now what's most worrisome, what's most dangerous
I do know people, though, who vote Republican, and it seems the space between these two categories is right now what's most worrisome, what's most dangerous
December 30, 2025 at 6:19 PM
if I had to guess, I don't think I know anyone who identifies as a Nazi
I do know people, though, who vote Republican, and it seems the space between these two categories is right now what's most worrisome, what's most dangerous
I do know people, though, who vote Republican, and it seems the space between these two categories is right now what's most worrisome, what's most dangerous
Are there any jobs I could get, that would allow me to keep being a world-leading expert in Ming-Qing novels and novellas, just in disguise? I don't want the title; I want the real thing, to preserve what is already a reality. I want culture to survive, up to and including myself.
December 30, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Are there any jobs I could get, that would allow me to keep being a world-leading expert in Ming-Qing novels and novellas, just in disguise? I don't want the title; I want the real thing, to preserve what is already a reality. I want culture to survive, up to and including myself.
Reposted by Kevin
Every academic who pretends that everything is all right in academia should have their narcissistic little performance disrupted. Every job announcement should be ridiculed for how opaque the proceedings were. The fundamental "wrongness" of academia needs to be reiterated at every possible moment.
December 30, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Every academic who pretends that everything is all right in academia should have their narcissistic little performance disrupted. Every job announcement should be ridiculed for how opaque the proceedings were. The fundamental "wrongness" of academia needs to be reiterated at every possible moment.
Reposted by Kevin
I'm a real intellectual, but I consented to participating in a system that stole all of my future potential and gave the title to a more reactionary, far wealthier version of myself, a doppleganger that now pretends that its privilege, and all privilege, is justified and meritocratic
December 30, 2025 at 4:36 PM
I'm a real intellectual, but I consented to participating in a system that stole all of my future potential and gave the title to a more reactionary, far wealthier version of myself, a doppleganger that now pretends that its privilege, and all privilege, is justified and meritocratic