liz polcha
@lpolcha.bsky.social
she/they | literary studies professor writing a book on gender & natural history | editor and co-founder @insurrecthistory.bsky.social | I mainly post about labor and cats | Tulsa & Philadelphia
Pinned
Donate to Unity Is Our Strength: Storm Melissa Relief for Jamaica, organized by Kadi -Ann Rose
Storm Melissa has devastated parts of Jamaica, flooding homes, … Kadi -Ann Rose needs your support for Unity Is Our Strength: Storm Melissa Relief for Jamaica
gofund.me
please join me in donating to this local gofundme for post Melissa relief. my dear friend Dania & her friends are gathering supplies to bring home to Jamaica. even a small donation helps: gofund.me/7fe2cc575
Reposted by liz polcha
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
Howard University AI Panel
YouTube video by Tiera Tanksley
youtu.be
November 22, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I need everyone, esp anyone working in education or tech (but really everyone) to WATCH THIS CLIP of @drtanksley.bsky.social discussing the technologies infiltrating our schools & psyches and how she is addressing it with our young people. youtu.be/5mtcSL4S3HQ
Reposted by liz polcha
The Daniel K. Richter Summer Writing Retreat will convene for the first time in June '26 at the McNeil Center. Each participant will be awarded $4,000, office space, and access to Penn's digital library holdings for one year. Applications open until Jan 15–apply here: www.mceas.org/awards/danie....
November 18, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The Daniel K. Richter Summer Writing Retreat will convene for the first time in June '26 at the McNeil Center. Each participant will be awarded $4,000, office space, and access to Penn's digital library holdings for one year. Applications open until Jan 15–apply here: www.mceas.org/awards/danie....
Reposted by liz polcha
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
Reposted by liz polcha
This is terrible. Ursinus College (where my partner works) spent last year planning a reorganization (they’re creating multidisciplinary “hubs”) only for its administration to announce layoffs this semester. I hope this isn’t in the cards for those working at Montclair State
www.wsj.com/opinion/mont...
Another one of my colleagues weighs in on the “restructuring” of our home college. This time in the Wall Street Journal. It’s paywalled, so screenshots to follow.
Another one of my colleagues weighs in on the “restructuring” of our home college. This time in the Wall Street Journal. It’s paywalled, so screenshots to follow.
Opinion | Montclair State’s Inhumanity to the Humanities
Goodbye, English department. Hello, Institute for Complex Systems and Algorithmic Infused Societies.
www.wsj.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:28 PM
This is terrible. Ursinus College (where my partner works) spent last year planning a reorganization (they’re creating multidisciplinary “hubs”) only for its administration to announce layoffs this semester. I hope this isn’t in the cards for those working at Montclair State
Drexel’s student newspaper, the Triangle, interviewed me & my brilliant colleague Linda Kim after our AAUP rally last week:
www.thetriangle.org/news/educato...
www.thetriangle.org/news/educato...
Educators rally at McCormick’s office to defend federal funding - The Triangle
Labor unions and higher education organizations rallied at Senator Dave McCormick’s offices to protest his support for funding cuts.
www.thetriangle.org
November 14, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Drexel’s student newspaper, the Triangle, interviewed me & my brilliant colleague Linda Kim after our AAUP rally last week:
www.thetriangle.org/news/educato...
www.thetriangle.org/news/educato...
Reposted by liz polcha
Always nice to find a LibGuide that's clearly a labor of love. guides.lib.berkeley.edu/twlf/home
Library Guides: The Third World Liberation Front and the Origins of Ethnic Studies and African American Studies at UC Berkeley Resource Guide: Home
A guide to library and online resources on the Third World Liberation Front and the history of Ethnic Studies and African American Studies at UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University Selected re...
guides.lib.berkeley.edu
November 12, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Always nice to find a LibGuide that's clearly a labor of love. guides.lib.berkeley.edu/twlf/home
Reposted by liz polcha
CFP: "AMERICAN REVOLUTION INTERNATIONAL" - Huntington Library, Nov. 6-7, 2006. With generous support from the Early Modern Studies Institute at USC, my co-conspirators & I look forward to two days of generative conversation. Travel & lodging included! Proposals due 1/10. Please spread the word! 🙏
November 12, 2025 at 1:42 PM
CFP: "AMERICAN REVOLUTION INTERNATIONAL" - Huntington Library, Nov. 6-7, 2006. With generous support from the Early Modern Studies Institute at USC, my co-conspirators & I look forward to two days of generative conversation. Travel & lodging included! Proposals due 1/10. Please spread the word! 🙏
a few friends reached out this week to let me know my dissertation is cited in this episode of Behind the Bastards, I’m both glad that my research is helpful in a public history context & also highly not surprised that Thistlewood is featured on this podcast podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
Part One: Thomas Thistlewood: Slave Plantation Owner and Diarist
Podcast Episode · Behind the Bastards · 11/11/2025 · 1h 14m
podcasts.apple.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:48 PM
a few friends reached out this week to let me know my dissertation is cited in this episode of Behind the Bastards, I’m both glad that my research is helpful in a public history context & also highly not surprised that Thistlewood is featured on this podcast podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...
Reposted by liz polcha
I asked about this, and one of our excellent librarians discovered that in fact AI summaries/"Research Assistant" can be switched off at the level of the library. Something to request. support.proquest.com/s/article/Eb...
November 11, 2025 at 9:44 PM
I asked about this, and one of our excellent librarians discovered that in fact AI summaries/"Research Assistant" can be switched off at the level of the library. Something to request. support.proquest.com/s/article/Eb...
Reposted by liz polcha
Ex. If you teach about gender, you run the risk of violating the compact’s principle of “Student Equality,” since “institutions [must] commit to defining and otherwise interpreting ‘male,’ ‘female,’ ‘woman,’ and ‘man’ according to reproductive function and biological processes”. YIKES (2/2)
November 8, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Ex. If you teach about gender, you run the risk of violating the compact’s principle of “Student Equality,” since “institutions [must] commit to defining and otherwise interpreting ‘male,’ ‘female,’ ‘woman,’ and ‘man’ according to reproductive function and biological processes”. YIKES (2/2)
Reposted by liz polcha
Our own Drexel faculty member Linda Kim giving a teach-in on the federal administration’s proposed “compact” —would YOUR school violate it? (1/2)
November 8, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Our own Drexel faculty member Linda Kim giving a teach-in on the federal administration’s proposed “compact” —would YOUR school violate it? (1/2)
Reposted by liz polcha
Great to see so many Philadelphia hire ed folks at yesterday’s Day of Action! Cross-union organizing makes us stronger in the fight for academic freedom and the soul of our schools
@aaup-penn.bsky.social @afscme590.bsky.social @aft.org @apscuf.org @fsfccp.bsky.social
@aaup-penn.bsky.social @afscme590.bsky.social @aft.org @apscuf.org @fsfccp.bsky.social
November 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Great to see so many Philadelphia hire ed folks at yesterday’s Day of Action! Cross-union organizing makes us stronger in the fight for academic freedom and the soul of our schools
@aaup-penn.bsky.social @afscme590.bsky.social @aft.org @apscuf.org @fsfccp.bsky.social
@aaup-penn.bsky.social @afscme590.bsky.social @aft.org @apscuf.org @fsfccp.bsky.social
Reposted by liz polcha
CFP for Slavery North conference on "Rebellion, Resistance, and Refuge: Slavery and Border-Crossing during the American Revolution" @umassamherst.bsky.social 7/9-7/12/2026, abstracts due 12/19/2025 #vastearlyamerica slaverynorth.com/event/call-f... 🗃️
Call for Abstracts: Academic Conference - Slavery North
Rebellion, Resistance, and Refuge: Slavery and Border-Crossing during the American Revolution Call for Abstracts: Academic Conference Dates: Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12, 2026 Location: Univers...
slaverynorth.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
CFP for Slavery North conference on "Rebellion, Resistance, and Refuge: Slavery and Border-Crossing during the American Revolution" @umassamherst.bsky.social 7/9-7/12/2026, abstracts due 12/19/2025 #vastearlyamerica slaverynorth.com/event/call-f... 🗃️
Reposted by liz polcha
thank you for the outpouring of support!
those of us laid off from Teen Vogue yesterday are now sharing our GoFundMe to help us cover our emergency expenses now that we've lost our incomes, as we get back on our feet.
those of us laid off from Teen Vogue yesterday are now sharing our GoFundMe to help us cover our emergency expenses now that we've lost our incomes, as we get back on our feet.
Donate to Help Laid-Off Teen Vogue Staffers Recover, organized by Lexi McMenamin
More than half the team at Teen Vogue was laid off this week by our parent co… Lexi McMenamin needs your support for Help Laid-Off Teen Vogue Staffers Recover
www.gofundme.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:17 PM
thank you for the outpouring of support!
those of us laid off from Teen Vogue yesterday are now sharing our GoFundMe to help us cover our emergency expenses now that we've lost our incomes, as we get back on our feet.
those of us laid off from Teen Vogue yesterday are now sharing our GoFundMe to help us cover our emergency expenses now that we've lost our incomes, as we get back on our feet.
that victory speech was well worth staying up past my bedtime for
November 5, 2025 at 4:45 AM
that victory speech was well worth staying up past my bedtime for
Reposted by liz polcha
“What keeps us going, ultimately, is our love for each other, and our refusal to bow our heads, to accept the verdict, however all-powerful it seems. It’s what ordinary people have to do. You have to love each other. You have to defend each other. You have to fight.” —Mike Davis
November 5, 2025 at 3:50 AM
“What keeps us going, ultimately, is our love for each other, and our refusal to bow our heads, to accept the verdict, however all-powerful it seems. It’s what ordinary people have to do. You have to love each other. You have to defend each other. You have to fight.” —Mike Davis
what a relief & beautiful reminder
November 5, 2025 at 3:28 AM
what a relief & beautiful reminder
Reposted by liz polcha
Young people in NYC absolutely showed out and there should be 1000 articles and profiles about this. Because we have had to put up with 1000 MAGA diner stories for years now.
November 5, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Young people in NYC absolutely showed out and there should be 1000 articles and profiles about this. Because we have had to put up with 1000 MAGA diner stories for years now.
I can’t talk enough about how good the Lowdown is. If you’re an academic who focuses on Indigenous studies, you should be watching Sterlin Harjo’s new show. Episode 7 alone explored Oklahoma as a settler colony built on a genocide & it’s ongoing ties to white Christian nationalism
November 4, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I can’t talk enough about how good the Lowdown is. If you’re an academic who focuses on Indigenous studies, you should be watching Sterlin Harjo’s new show. Episode 7 alone explored Oklahoma as a settler colony built on a genocide & it’s ongoing ties to white Christian nationalism
Reposted by liz polcha
The only thing I have to say about Dick Cheney dying is that everyone should read Spencer Ackerman's Reign of Terror, if you have not yet. Great book that traces how we got from Bush/Cheney to Trump
November 4, 2025 at 2:03 PM
The only thing I have to say about Dick Cheney dying is that everyone should read Spencer Ackerman's Reign of Terror, if you have not yet. Great book that traces how we got from Bush/Cheney to Trump
Reposted by liz polcha
The government of Jamaica has set up a portal for contributing to official relief efforts. I will update this thread if anything analogous opens up for Haiti, Cuba, or the DR
supportjamaica.gov.jm
supportjamaica.gov.jm
Support Jamaica
supportjamaica.gov.jm
October 28, 2025 at 5:08 PM
The government of Jamaica has set up a portal for contributing to official relief efforts. I will update this thread if anything analogous opens up for Haiti, Cuba, or the DR
supportjamaica.gov.jm
supportjamaica.gov.jm
please join me in donating to this local gofundme for post Melissa relief. my dear friend Dania & her friends are gathering supplies to bring home to Jamaica. even a small donation helps: gofund.me/7fe2cc575
Donate to Unity Is Our Strength: Storm Melissa Relief for Jamaica, organized by Kadi -Ann Rose
Storm Melissa has devastated parts of Jamaica, flooding homes, … Kadi -Ann Rose needs your support for Unity Is Our Strength: Storm Melissa Relief for Jamaica
gofund.me
November 2, 2025 at 2:39 PM
please join me in donating to this local gofundme for post Melissa relief. my dear friend Dania & her friends are gathering supplies to bring home to Jamaica. even a small donation helps: gofund.me/7fe2cc575
It turns out that the trick-or-treaters of west philadelphia love Annabelle the haunted dolls. I’ve never worn a costume that was so popular it was like I was a celebrity handing out candy
November 1, 2025 at 12:33 PM
It turns out that the trick-or-treaters of west philadelphia love Annabelle the haunted dolls. I’ve never worn a costume that was so popular it was like I was a celebrity handing out candy
Today I'm teaching Tara McPherson's wonderful work on UNIX and the racial logics of modularity, in a follow-up to reading Karen Hao's Empire of AI. I want students to think about the political ideologies of AI in our own moment, like does AI also follow a lenticular model or perhaps something else
October 28, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Today I'm teaching Tara McPherson's wonderful work on UNIX and the racial logics of modularity, in a follow-up to reading Karen Hao's Empire of AI. I want students to think about the political ideologies of AI in our own moment, like does AI also follow a lenticular model or perhaps something else
Reposted by liz polcha
Important update from two months into my “experiment” (lol) assigning college juniors and seniors to read whole physical books and then having a seminar where they use the physical book and physical notebooks and their ideas and questions to fill three hours of class time:
It rules
It rules
October 25, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Important update from two months into my “experiment” (lol) assigning college juniors and seniors to read whole physical books and then having a seminar where they use the physical book and physical notebooks and their ideas and questions to fill three hours of class time:
It rules
It rules