Laurie Stras
@lauriestras.bsky.social
Feminist, musicologist, musician, extreme knitter, gardener. Not necessarily in that order. Girl groups from Ferrara to Motown; all the nuns, all the time; disability studies
Prof Emerita of Music, Uni of Southampton; director @musicasecreta.bsky.social
Prof Emerita of Music, Uni of Southampton; director @musicasecreta.bsky.social
Pinned
Laurie Stras
@lauriestras.bsky.social
· Nov 9
What Does It Mean When A Woman Sings? Keynote lecture, MedRen Music Conference 2020
YouTube video by MusicaSecreta
youtu.be
Hello to all my new followers. Want to know what I do? Here's the long version (recorded in 2020, hello Long Covid). Curtis the OG #MedRenPet makes an extended appearance halfway through #caturday #earlymodern
tl;dr in next skeet
youtu.be/5ojRaQA2b08?...
tl;dr in next skeet
youtu.be/5ojRaQA2b08?...
Reposted by Laurie Stras
At some point we will just deal with the fact that part of this is post separation abuse . They are punishing the victims for trying to “leave” the circle of silence .
They know the way the victims were treated is shameful and they want to transfer that shame
They know the way the victims were treated is shameful and they want to transfer that shame
NEW: The Justice Department published dozens of unredacted images of nude women (and possibly teens) as part of its Epstein release.
The faces of those people were also left unredacted.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
The faces of those people were also left unredacted.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/u...
The Government Published Dozens of Nude Photos in the Epstein Files
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:35 PM
At some point we will just deal with the fact that part of this is post separation abuse . They are punishing the victims for trying to “leave” the circle of silence .
They know the way the victims were treated is shameful and they want to transfer that shame
They know the way the victims were treated is shameful and they want to transfer that shame
Buckler's Hard at Beaulieu is mostly tenanted. It's fabulous. The picture here of the concert hall is just... THERE'S AN OLD KEYBOARD AT THE BACK
Sad to hear though, had a wonderful day there with my parents only a few years ago.
I always feel these museums would do better if they were lived in, I'd even pay rent to live there and I'd be old fashioned for the public all day and gladly talk history with the visitors.
I always feel these museums would do better if they were lived in, I'd even pay rent to live there and I'd be old fashioned for the public all day and gladly talk history with the visitors.
February 2, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Buckler's Hard at Beaulieu is mostly tenanted. It's fabulous. The picture here of the concert hall is just... THERE'S AN OLD KEYBOARD AT THE BACK
This is such an important read from Irish writer Emma Dabiri. Please read it. emmadabiri.substack.com/p/what-so-ma...
What so many commentators are getting wrong about the deaths of Alexi Pretti and Renée Good
And what it is imperative we understand about whiteness
emmadabiri.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:02 AM
This is such an important read from Irish writer Emma Dabiri. Please read it. emmadabiri.substack.com/p/what-so-ma...
Important thread by @willpooley.bsky.social here
Just to offer the counterpoint here, as I think it is very very important we do so: this is absolutely anticipatory obedience 101.
Much as university leaders might see it as their responsibility to “plan” for this possibility, in effect REF are getting to set the agenda without winning any election
Much as university leaders might see it as their responsibility to “plan” for this possibility, in effect REF are getting to set the agenda without winning any election
Before anyone gets too angry about this, several things. (1) Universities in the UK, unlike the US, are pretty much under the financial and admin control of central govt. If RefUK moves to wipe them out, as they will, then some will choose life. (1/3) www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...
February 2, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Important thread by @willpooley.bsky.social here
Curtis is having none of Monday.
February 2, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Curtis is having none of Monday.
Reposted by Laurie Stras
Contemporary campus novel in which a professor from the US pitches up at a British university for a year and realises that no one told them that they had to set their readings and their coursework five months earlier.
February 2, 2026 at 6:37 AM
Contemporary campus novel in which a professor from the US pitches up at a British university for a year and realises that no one told them that they had to set their readings and their coursework five months earlier.
Reposted by Laurie Stras
Both women’s history and gender studies are under attack because they are concerned with understanding structures of power that affect women and gender diverse people. But they are also threatened because they address the kind of self-oppressive ideology often described as “toxic masculinity”
February 1, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Both women’s history and gender studies are under attack because they are concerned with understanding structures of power that affect women and gender diverse people. But they are also threatened because they address the kind of self-oppressive ideology often described as “toxic masculinity”
this is a great selection of tracks! Exactly what I would have chosen to illustrate this #nuntastic repertoire
To round off our 16th-century convent-inspired weekend with Laurie Stras and Musica Secreta, check out our latest short playlist, featuring a selection of vocal music from their fantastic recordings ⛪
Listen now on our Spotify page 🎧 https://go.continuoconnect.com/continuo-connect-spotify
Listen now on our Spotify page 🎧 https://go.continuoconnect.com/continuo-connect-spotify
February 1, 2026 at 8:23 PM
this is a great selection of tracks! Exactly what I would have chosen to illustrate this #nuntastic repertoire
Reposted by Laurie Stras
This interview was so much fun! The questions really honed in on the core of what Musica Secreta does and why we do it. It’s valuable to have to articulate those.
"...Women’s voices were very much part of the sound of the Renaissance city"
Read part two of our fantastic interview with Laurie Stras of Musica Secreta now, exclusively on Continuo Connect 👉 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-two
Read part two of our fantastic interview with Laurie Stras of Musica Secreta now, exclusively on Continuo Connect 👉 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-two
February 1, 2026 at 9:15 AM
This interview was so much fun! The questions really honed in on the core of what Musica Secreta does and why we do it. It’s valuable to have to articulate those.
Reposted by Laurie Stras
1/ This pause is obviously concerning to researchers & universities & I’d like to specifically register the point that if the reason of ‘aligning with national priorities’ means more policy-driven & less free ideas-driven research then this move is of even more concern.
www.msn.com/en-in/politi...
www.msn.com/en-in/politi...
February 1, 2026 at 10:25 AM
1/ This pause is obviously concerning to researchers & universities & I’d like to specifically register the point that if the reason of ‘aligning with national priorities’ means more policy-driven & less free ideas-driven research then this move is of even more concern.
www.msn.com/en-in/politi...
www.msn.com/en-in/politi...
This interview was so much fun! The questions really honed in on the core of what Musica Secreta does and why we do it. It’s valuable to have to articulate those.
"...Women’s voices were very much part of the sound of the Renaissance city"
Read part two of our fantastic interview with Laurie Stras of Musica Secreta now, exclusively on Continuo Connect 👉 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-two
Read part two of our fantastic interview with Laurie Stras of Musica Secreta now, exclusively on Continuo Connect 👉 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-two
February 1, 2026 at 9:15 AM
This interview was so much fun! The questions really honed in on the core of what Musica Secreta does and why we do it. It’s valuable to have to articulate those.
Thank you @naomialderman.bsky.social
I poured my heart out about Marty Supreme, Jewish identity, why the Old Testament isn’t the same book as the Torah and what it takes to survive trauma
open.substack.com/pub/naomiald...
open.substack.com/pub/naomiald...
look at me. I’m here. I’m the ultimate product of Hitler’s defeat
Marty Supreme is the most intensely Jewish movie I’ve ever seen in my life, and I ended up writing 5,000 words about it. buckle up.
open.substack.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:07 AM
Thank you @naomialderman.bsky.social
Reposted by Laurie Stras
SO SO GLAD to see a PROPER rebuttal against Silvia Federici's very wrong scholarship in the latest Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft! Thank you, Rita Voltmer!
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
January 31, 2026 at 3:51 PM
SO SO GLAD to see a PROPER rebuttal against Silvia Federici's very wrong scholarship in the latest Magic, Ritual and Witchcraft! Thank you, Rita Voltmer!
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
muse.jhu.edu/pub/56/artic...
Reposted by Laurie Stras
"I have documents that show exactly what the Archbishop of Florence was down with and what he was not" 🕵️
Musica Secreta Director Laurie Stras takes us deep into the world of Renaissance musical detective work...
Part one 🔗 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-one
Musica Secreta Director Laurie Stras takes us deep into the world of Renaissance musical detective work...
Part one 🔗 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-one
January 31, 2026 at 9:00 AM
"I have documents that show exactly what the Archbishop of Florence was down with and what he was not" 🕵️
Musica Secreta Director Laurie Stras takes us deep into the world of Renaissance musical detective work...
Part one 🔗 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-one
Musica Secreta Director Laurie Stras takes us deep into the world of Renaissance musical detective work...
Part one 🔗 https://go.continuoconnect.com/sisters-of-polyphony-part-one
Welp, I didn't think I could be astonished by the warped and coercive advice books written for #earlymodern nuns anymore, but I shake my head at this latest: Paolo Botti, writing in 1688, saying that "Laudate eum in tympano et Coro" means to *use yourself as a drum* and sing as you self-flagellate.
January 30, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Welp, I didn't think I could be astonished by the warped and coercive advice books written for #earlymodern nuns anymore, but I shake my head at this latest: Paolo Botti, writing in 1688, saying that "Laudate eum in tympano et Coro" means to *use yourself as a drum* and sing as you self-flagellate.
This applies to the arts and humanities just as much as the sciences in the UK, instigated by research assessment (RAE/REF) and publications/metrics-based promotion and (gah) redundancy selection criteria. /1
The reality is that we have failed to teach, incentivize, and practice principled science, and prioritized quantity, prestige, performative acts and heuristics of success over thoughtfulness, diligence, curiosity, honest exploration, and humility. This is a disaster we have already created.
January 30, 2026 at 11:10 AM
This applies to the arts and humanities just as much as the sciences in the UK, instigated by research assessment (RAE/REF) and publications/metrics-based promotion and (gah) redundancy selection criteria. /1
Reposted by Laurie Stras
Apparently history profs are eligible to make nominations.
You know what to do, folks: MOAR nominations for the city and people of Minneapolis, and the state and the people of Minnesota!
#skystorians
You know what to do, folks: MOAR nominations for the city and people of Minneapolis, and the state and the people of Minnesota!
#skystorians
As longtime observers of struggles to establish peace and justice in the US and around the world, The Nation is honored to nominate the city of Minneapolis and its people for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
“The Nation” Nominates Minneapolis for the Nobel Peace Prize
With their resistance to violent authoritarianism, the people of Minneapolis have renewed the spirit of Dr. King’s call for “the positive affirmation of peace.”
www.thenation.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Apparently history profs are eligible to make nominations.
You know what to do, folks: MOAR nominations for the city and people of Minneapolis, and the state and the people of Minnesota!
#skystorians
You know what to do, folks: MOAR nominations for the city and people of Minneapolis, and the state and the people of Minnesota!
#skystorians
Reposted by Laurie Stras
Learn more about the artist-nun in this #ArtHerstory blog post:
Plautilla Nelli and the Workshop of Santa Caterina in Cafaggio
by Alessia Motti
artherstory.net/plautilla-ne...
Plautilla Nelli and the Workshop of Santa Caterina in Cafaggio
by Alessia Motti
artherstory.net/plautilla-ne...
Plautilla Nelli | Her Altarpiece Madonna del Rosario, Restored
Jane Adams discusses the ongoing rediscovery of Renaissance artist-nun Plautilla Nelli, and efforts to restore her extant paintings.
artherstory.net
January 29, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Learn more about the artist-nun in this #ArtHerstory blog post:
Plautilla Nelli and the Workshop of Santa Caterina in Cafaggio
by Alessia Motti
artherstory.net/plautilla-ne...
Plautilla Nelli and the Workshop of Santa Caterina in Cafaggio
by Alessia Motti
artherstory.net/plautilla-ne...
Reposted by Laurie Stras
It's last-minute, but I'm giving a talk today about #DHmakes and craft and what the humanities can do in a crisis from 12:15-1:15 Pacific (3:15-4:15 Eastern). All are welcome, Zoom registration link below!
Craftivism in a Crisis: Making the Humanities Matter When It's All Falling Apart | Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis
The longstanding rhetoric of the "crisis of the humanities" has been largely drowned out by an omnicrisis equally affecting the sciences, the stability of the university, and society as a whole. What ...
cesta.stanford.edu
January 29, 2026 at 5:35 PM
It's last-minute, but I'm giving a talk today about #DHmakes and craft and what the humanities can do in a crisis from 12:15-1:15 Pacific (3:15-4:15 Eastern). All are welcome, Zoom registration link below!
Reposted by Laurie Stras
For reasons, decided to check in on my Small Business Administration Woman Owned Small Business certification --- and guess what? DOGE wants women to get their spouses to sign off on their certification, despite them not having anything to do with the business!
So that's retrograde.
So that's retrograde.
January 28, 2026 at 8:06 PM
For reasons, decided to check in on my Small Business Administration Woman Owned Small Business certification --- and guess what? DOGE wants women to get their spouses to sign off on their certification, despite them not having anything to do with the business!
So that's retrograde.
So that's retrograde.
Alas for the punctuation.
Fear, not bum fans; the sex scenes continue apace.
Fear not, bum fans! The sex scenes continue apace.
I read the post the first way and thought it a bit odd, but since I've never watched this programme I was open to it becoming body horror.
Fear, not bum fans; the sex scenes continue apace.
Fear not, bum fans! The sex scenes continue apace.
I read the post the first way and thought it a bit odd, but since I've never watched this programme I was open to it becoming body horror.
Bridgerton season four review – fear not bum fans, the sex scenes continue apace
Bridgerton season four review – fear not bum fans, the sex scenes continue apace
This period drama’s puddingy mix of clunking soap and fairytale wish-fulfilment is hard to resist. It is, however, utterly bananas
www.theguardian.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Alas for the punctuation.
Fear, not bum fans; the sex scenes continue apace.
Fear not, bum fans! The sex scenes continue apace.
I read the post the first way and thought it a bit odd, but since I've never watched this programme I was open to it becoming body horror.
Fear, not bum fans; the sex scenes continue apace.
Fear not, bum fans! The sex scenes continue apace.
I read the post the first way and thought it a bit odd, but since I've never watched this programme I was open to it becoming body horror.
Good morning from researchweird: trying to find a late 17th-cen Theatine essayist I find his relative instead, also a Theatine, who died in the desert somewhere near "Bagdat" between 14-16 August 1643 with two other missionaries, having been abandoned by the caravan they were following. #earlymodern
January 29, 2026 at 9:31 AM
Good morning from researchweird: trying to find a late 17th-cen Theatine essayist I find his relative instead, also a Theatine, who died in the desert somewhere near "Bagdat" between 14-16 August 1643 with two other missionaries, having been abandoned by the caravan they were following. #earlymodern