Jon Dell Isola
@medievaljon.bsky.social
PhD Medieval History. I work on early medieval politics and society. I think about the meaning and purpose of history a lot. I have a blog called Among the Ruins: among-the-ruins.ghost.io
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
I didn't get a chance to write a roundup for the end of the year, the holidays were quite busy/exhausting. But I wanted to share my favorite piece of writing I did this year: #history #medievalsky
Were you there? The case for knowing things about the past
Imagine you are watching a movie set in the Middle Ages. Something seems off so you dutifully Google "movie + historical accuracy," giving you plenty of results that emphasize the mistakes in the film...
among-the-ruins.ghost.io
January 1, 2026 at 3:57 PM
I didn't get a chance to write a roundup for the end of the year, the holidays were quite busy/exhausting. But I wanted to share my favorite piece of writing I did this year: #history #medievalsky
Remember all, in 2026 if you see bait posting, you can just block/hide it. No need to reshare a dunk. Don't give it oxygen
January 1, 2026 at 11:52 PM
Remember all, in 2026 if you see bait posting, you can just block/hide it. No need to reshare a dunk. Don't give it oxygen
I didn't get a chance to write a roundup for the end of the year, the holidays were quite busy/exhausting. But I wanted to share my favorite piece of writing I did this year: #history #medievalsky
Were you there? The case for knowing things about the past
Imagine you are watching a movie set in the Middle Ages. Something seems off so you dutifully Google "movie + historical accuracy," giving you plenty of results that emphasize the mistakes in the film...
among-the-ruins.ghost.io
January 1, 2026 at 3:57 PM
I didn't get a chance to write a roundup for the end of the year, the holidays were quite busy/exhausting. But I wanted to share my favorite piece of writing I did this year: #history #medievalsky
Some accomplishments this year:
1) finished my PhD
2) went to Munich at the MGH
3) have two articles in pretty complete form
4) book proposal almost finished
But one thing this year was a creeping depression, that stubbornly remains. Probably the state of the US/academia, it's hard most days
1) finished my PhD
2) went to Munich at the MGH
3) have two articles in pretty complete form
4) book proposal almost finished
But one thing this year was a creeping depression, that stubbornly remains. Probably the state of the US/academia, it's hard most days
January 1, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Some accomplishments this year:
1) finished my PhD
2) went to Munich at the MGH
3) have two articles in pretty complete form
4) book proposal almost finished
But one thing this year was a creeping depression, that stubbornly remains. Probably the state of the US/academia, it's hard most days
1) finished my PhD
2) went to Munich at the MGH
3) have two articles in pretty complete form
4) book proposal almost finished
But one thing this year was a creeping depression, that stubbornly remains. Probably the state of the US/academia, it's hard most days
Fields change, obviously, but I don't think this is straightforwardly "good." You can't have just a bit of teleology, as a treat. Any discussion of changing disciplinary trends needs to grapple with massively reduced public funding and political pressures (from both directions).
January 1, 2026 at 3:33 PM
Fields change, obviously, but I don't think this is straightforwardly "good." You can't have just a bit of teleology, as a treat. Any discussion of changing disciplinary trends needs to grapple with massively reduced public funding and political pressures (from both directions).
New Year. Clean desk.
December 31, 2025 at 7:41 PM
New Year. Clean desk.
Seeing posts about the academic job market got me like:
December 30, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Seeing posts about the academic job market got me like:
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Humanities programs have ceded scholarship of the premodern to bad actors on the right. This is a serious problem, not only because it represents a loss of current and future knowledge, but also because it enables white supremacists and Christian nationalists to twist history to their own ends.
Three, it is a big problem for the humanities that the only programs that appear to be robustly hiring medievalists and classicists are places like the Hamilton Center and its sister programs that are sprouting up at campuses across the country.
December 30, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Humanities programs have ceded scholarship of the premodern to bad actors on the right. This is a serious problem, not only because it represents a loss of current and future knowledge, but also because it enables white supremacists and Christian nationalists to twist history to their own ends.
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Not gonna repost that "the crusades were a way of sending away sources of domestic instability" post because I dont know them, but it assumes everyone in the past was simply self-interested, operating in "optimal" ways without any ideology or agenda beyond "more" power
December 30, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Not gonna repost that "the crusades were a way of sending away sources of domestic instability" post because I dont know them, but it assumes everyone in the past was simply self-interested, operating in "optimal" ways without any ideology or agenda beyond "more" power
I find writing cover letters, etc. really hard. I believe I am good at what I do, and should be given money, but that is hard to say without sounding conceited!
December 30, 2025 at 12:29 AM
I find writing cover letters, etc. really hard. I believe I am good at what I do, and should be given money, but that is hard to say without sounding conceited!
Not gonna repost that "the crusades were a way of sending away sources of domestic instability" post because I dont know them, but it assumes everyone in the past was simply self-interested, operating in "optimal" ways without any ideology or agenda beyond "more" power
December 30, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Not gonna repost that "the crusades were a way of sending away sources of domestic instability" post because I dont know them, but it assumes everyone in the past was simply self-interested, operating in "optimal" ways without any ideology or agenda beyond "more" power
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Like basically there's a kind of vulgar materialism that can't admit that crusaders (at least some set of them) had sincere religious motives, as if to recognize these motives means to condone them or to endorse their belief. I mean, kings, literal kings, went on crusade.
December 29, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Like basically there's a kind of vulgar materialism that can't admit that crusaders (at least some set of them) had sincere religious motives, as if to recognize these motives means to condone them or to endorse their belief. I mean, kings, literal kings, went on crusade.
My cable company is apparently in a dispute with the company distributing Fox, meaning I cant watch the one Patriots game a year that isn't on CBS
December 28, 2025 at 6:14 PM
My cable company is apparently in a dispute with the company distributing Fox, meaning I cant watch the one Patriots game a year that isn't on CBS
Whenever I led sections of undergrads, I found one of the most effective things was openly admitting I didn't have all the answers, but I could teach them how an expert (and them!) might find out. The content is often secondary to the scaffolding of knowledge creation and discovery
To pick Scalzi’s example: the goal of a clash on Joseph Conrad is to read and discuss and think hard and challenge and learn about Joseph Conrad and his craft and perhaps the things he wrote about.
The prof here designed a class to assess whether you knew the content. A waste.
The prof here designed a class to assess whether you knew the content. A waste.
December 27, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Whenever I led sections of undergrads, I found one of the most effective things was openly admitting I didn't have all the answers, but I could teach them how an expert (and them!) might find out. The content is often secondary to the scaffolding of knowledge creation and discovery
why did past me not note down the page numbers in editions, what was I thinking? It isn't difficult work, just tedious!
December 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
why did past me not note down the page numbers in editions, what was I thinking? It isn't difficult work, just tedious!
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
"You rest your bones, my brave little knight. I'll finish your quest for you."
December 26, 2025 at 4:10 AM
"You rest your bones, my brave little knight. I'll finish your quest for you."
Its Christmas which means its time for a rewatch:
December 26, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Its Christmas which means its time for a rewatch:
There are more but Alejo Carpentier, Explosion in a Cathedral and Jorge Luis Borges, Collected Fictions
Please tell me your faves of the year so I can load up my library holds for 2026
Just finished my 150th book of the year so here are my faves!
Headshot, Rita Bullwinkel
Woodworking, @emilystjams.bsky.social
A/S/L, @jeannethornton.bsky.social
Real Americans, Rachel Khong
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Kiran Desai
and, if I’m being honest, all of Dungeon Crawler Carl
Headshot, Rita Bullwinkel
Woodworking, @emilystjams.bsky.social
A/S/L, @jeannethornton.bsky.social
Real Americans, Rachel Khong
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Kiran Desai
and, if I’m being honest, all of Dungeon Crawler Carl
December 24, 2025 at 3:45 PM
There are more but Alejo Carpentier, Explosion in a Cathedral and Jorge Luis Borges, Collected Fictions
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Opened the latest issue of Speculum and wasn't expecting this downright Borgian alt-history about the end of the Medieval Academy in 2083: #medievalsky
December 24, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Opened the latest issue of Speculum and wasn't expecting this downright Borgian alt-history about the end of the Medieval Academy in 2083: #medievalsky
This is correct, it is an addition, not a replacement. The discipline is better served when different methods are taught together. I may be a political historian (hire me/us!) but I depend on cultural, religious, and gender history all the time!
We could teach more of all the kinds of history if we weren’t systematically defunding the humanities and the public universities
December 24, 2025 at 2:20 PM
This is correct, it is an addition, not a replacement. The discipline is better served when different methods are taught together. I may be a political historian (hire me/us!) but I depend on cultural, religious, and gender history all the time!
Opened the latest issue of Speculum and wasn't expecting this downright Borgian alt-history about the end of the Medieval Academy in 2083: #medievalsky
December 24, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Opened the latest issue of Speculum and wasn't expecting this downright Borgian alt-history about the end of the Medieval Academy in 2083: #medievalsky
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
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December 23, 2025 at 8:00 PM
📣 LOST: 51,000+ former DCist readers are out there — and we know we can find them.
Do you know someone who loved DCist? Introduce them to The 51st. 👀 👉 51st.news/signup
Do you know someone who loved DCist? Introduce them to The 51st. 👀 👉 51st.news/signup
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
The whole “6-7” fad teens love is simply the Central-Eastern airing time of their favorite news program, 60 Minutes
December 23, 2025 at 12:06 AM
The whole “6-7” fad teens love is simply the Central-Eastern airing time of their favorite news program, 60 Minutes
Uhhhhhh trying to delete
Its somehow getting worse
Ugly game so far for the Patriots
December 22, 2025 at 4:21 AM
Uhhhhhh trying to delete