Matt Shaw
@matthewshaw.bsky.social
In a library. Most likely just off Queen's Lane. #PrintHistory #Time #Newspapers
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/an-inky-business-a-history-of-newspapers-from-the-english-civil-wars-to-the-american-civil-war-matthew-j-shaw/5911999?ean=9781789143867
https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/an-inky-business-a-history-of-newspapers-from-the-english-civil-wars-to-the-american-civil-war-matthew-j-shaw/5911999?ean=9781789143867
Reposted by Matt Shaw
My books cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com
January 18, 2026 at 4:45 PM
My books cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com
Interesting correspondence in The Times.
January 16, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Interesting correspondence in The Times.
MTC 3:1 is out. And is.quite a. Collection. mtc-journal.org/index.php/mt... (yes, there’s a great piece on punctuation)
Manuscript and Text Cultures
An open access journal for scholars of manuscripts, epigraphy, and texts from various pre-modern cultures operated by the Centre for Manuscript and Text Cultures at The Queen's College, Oxford.
mtc-journal.org
January 15, 2026 at 10:00 PM
MTC 3:1 is out. And is.quite a. Collection. mtc-journal.org/index.php/mt... (yes, there’s a great piece on punctuation)
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Sometimes when I’m feeling a little doomer I think about the folks who sat on top of Canterbury cathedral during the blitz and literally picked up incendiary devices and threw them to the ground to be extinguished
www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/firewatchers
www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/firewatchers
Firewatchers – Canterbury Historical and Archaeological Society
www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk
January 15, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Sometimes when I’m feeling a little doomer I think about the folks who sat on top of Canterbury cathedral during the blitz and literally picked up incendiary devices and threw them to the ground to be extinguished
www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/firewatchers
www.canterbury-archaeology.org.uk/firewatchers
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are paying up for ‘enterprise’ access to Wikipedia buff.ly/ap2Kj4A “It is in every AI company’s best interest to support the long-term sustainability of Wikipedia, because Wikipedia and all the other projects that we support are so core to their business,”
Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are paying up for ‘enterprise’ access to Wikipedia
Another source of revenue for the Wikimedia Foundation.
www.theverge.com
January 15, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon are paying up for ‘enterprise’ access to Wikipedia buff.ly/ap2Kj4A “It is in every AI company’s best interest to support the long-term sustainability of Wikipedia, because Wikipedia and all the other projects that we support are so core to their business,”
Reposted by Matt Shaw
"Do these people have jobs?" -- Fox News's "hard news" show sneers at peaceful protesters
January 15, 2026 at 8:14 PM
"Do these people have jobs?" -- Fox News's "hard news" show sneers at peaceful protesters
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Stunning photos from Minneapolis, including this one by John Locher for the Associated Press. www.theatlantic.com/photography/...
January 15, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Stunning photos from Minneapolis, including this one by John Locher for the Associated Press. www.theatlantic.com/photography/...
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Really - how did we end up with a system that's failing students, graduates, universities AND the Treasury? Mathematically, how is that possible?
January 15, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Really - how did we end up with a system that's failing students, graduates, universities AND the Treasury? Mathematically, how is that possible?
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Holy hell. The description of death row in apartheid South Africa was one of the most harrowing things I've ever read.
Also.
This guy wasn't fucking around.
Also.
This guy wasn't fucking around.
January 15, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Holy hell. The description of death row in apartheid South Africa was one of the most harrowing things I've ever read.
Also.
This guy wasn't fucking around.
Also.
This guy wasn't fucking around.
That looks quite a tough départs
January 15, 2026 at 7:33 PM
That looks quite a tough départs
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Saint Paul schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for optional online learning.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
January 15, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Saint Paul schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare for optional online learning.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
I’ve seen schools close for snow, for pandemic, for natural disaster. I’ve never seen schools close because of threat from our own government.
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Reform should buy the whole album in one go because its cheaper than buying individual tracks.
January 15, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Reform should buy the whole album in one go because its cheaper than buying individual tracks.
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Me on LLMs, Grok especially, as epistemic weapons:
January 14, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Me on LLMs, Grok especially, as epistemic weapons:
Reposted by Matt Shaw
"We have to deny this, for form’s sake, for domestic audiences and to reduce the chance of reprisals," the logic goes. "But we nonetheless want you to understand we did it, and that we would do it again." The purpose of a deterrent is to deter.
Why they can't even bother to come up with good lies.
Why they can't even bother to come up with good lies.
The Lies They Told
Sometimes, the implausibility is the point. Also this week: the even truer-size map; and some extremely late but mercifully-brief film reviews.
jonn.substack.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:44 PM
"We have to deny this, for form’s sake, for domestic audiences and to reduce the chance of reprisals," the logic goes. "But we nonetheless want you to understand we did it, and that we would do it again." The purpose of a deterrent is to deter.
Why they can't even bother to come up with good lies.
Why they can't even bother to come up with good lies.
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Cambridge University Librarian Francis Jenkinson (right) in his garden on Chaucer Road in June 1915. In the pot is an ‘Olearia insignis’ (a shrub native to New Zealand now known more commonly as ‘Pachystegia insignis’ or the Marlborough Rock Daisy). @theulspeccoll.bsky.social MS Add. 7671/III/F65.
January 13, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Cambridge University Librarian Francis Jenkinson (right) in his garden on Chaucer Road in June 1915. In the pot is an ‘Olearia insignis’ (a shrub native to New Zealand now known more commonly as ‘Pachystegia insignis’ or the Marlborough Rock Daisy). @theulspeccoll.bsky.social MS Add. 7671/III/F65.
Reposted by Matt Shaw
We are so excited for this lead-off event to the festival with @eve.gd and @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social! It's a bit early to grab your popcorn, but definitely put it in your calendar 📆
To say I am excited about this would be an understatement. To say I am a little bit terrified would not!
Actually, just really looking forward to it -- and really pleased to see SHARP continuing its accessible practices.
eve.gd/2026/01/10/i...
Actually, just really looking forward to it -- and really pleased to see SHARP continuing its accessible practices.
eve.gd/2026/01/10/i...
In conversation with Matthew G. Kirschenbaum
The inaugural SHARPIES, a global book history festival celebrating work in book history from around the world, will take place from July 7–9, 2026 (although ...
eve.gd
January 13, 2026 at 2:47 PM
We are so excited for this lead-off event to the festival with @eve.gd and @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social! It's a bit early to grab your popcorn, but definitely put it in your calendar 📆
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Jesus FUCKING CHRIST
Ukip have submitted a new logo and slogan to the Electoral Commission, swapping the £ pound sterling symbol for a cross, that looks very much like it is modelled on the Iron Cross used by Prussia & Germany 1871-1918 and Hitler's Nazi regime from 1933-45
January 13, 2026 at 8:46 AM
Jesus FUCKING CHRIST
January 13, 2026 at 8:57 AM
A friend has written a wonderful children's book on Walter Tull. Available for pre-order now. As Robert says, it's got ' the lyrical energy of Benjamin Zephaniah, the storytelling clarity of Julia Donaldson, and the playful rhythm of Dr. Seuss.' amzn.eu/d/a1gQk5E
Walter Tull Was Never Dull
Walter Tull Was Never Dull : Torto, Robert ON: Amazon.co.uk: Books
amzn.eu
January 12, 2026 at 12:20 PM
A friend has written a wonderful children's book on Walter Tull. Available for pre-order now. As Robert says, it's got ' the lyrical energy of Benjamin Zephaniah, the storytelling clarity of Julia Donaldson, and the playful rhythm of Dr. Seuss.' amzn.eu/d/a1gQk5E
You should hear RFK on the hypotenuse, though
You can see his grift clearly because beans are both decently high in protein AND high in fiber and his new weirdo inverted pyramid hates on beans and that's because he's part of the carnivore weirdo cult that thinks beans have anti-nutrients.
January 12, 2026 at 11:31 AM
You should hear RFK on the hypotenuse, though
On the Road scroll up for grabs press.christies.com/the-jim-irsa...
The Jim Irsay Collection - Christie's
NEW YORK – Christie’s will offer hundreds of incredible objects from The Jim Irsay Collection in a series of sales in 2026, beginning with almost 400 items tracing the 20th Century’s pivotal moments i...
press.christies.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:26 AM
On the Road scroll up for grabs press.christies.com/the-jim-irsa...
Reposted by Matt Shaw
A woman recording an ICE agent tells him "Shame on you."
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
January 10, 2026 at 2:52 PM
A woman recording an ICE agent tells him "Shame on you."
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
The agent responds, "Have you all not learned from the past couple of days?"
"Learned what?" she asks
Then he knocks her phone out of her hand
Reposted by Matt Shaw
To wit, they thought that video was exculpatory because of gender
kind of darkly funny that "gender studies" is the stereotypical "useless degree" because gender studies will help you understand a large and important chunk of the current psychosis in american life
January 9, 2026 at 7:14 PM
To wit, they thought that video was exculpatory because of gender
Reposted by Matt Shaw
Today! Happy birthday to Thomas Paine’s COMMON SENSE
The first great American 250th anniversary date of the year arrives this Friday: the publication of Thomas Paine's COMMON SENSE, which occurred on January 9, 1776.
Many sources have the date as January 10, 1776. This is incorrect. But what accounts for the confusion???? Friends, follow me.
Many sources have the date as January 10, 1776. This is incorrect. But what accounts for the confusion???? Friends, follow me.
January 9, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Today! Happy birthday to Thomas Paine’s COMMON SENSE