Shannon McSheffrey
@medievalmcsheff.bsky.social
Professor of Medieval History, Concordia U, Montreal; president of the Canadian Society of Medievalists, 2024-26. Spend most waking hours thinking about London riots early 16thc., Dutch immigrants, sex, gender, and the like. Knitster. She/her.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Everyone should be submitting this to Apple and Google.
January 7, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Everyone should be submitting this to Apple and Google.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
I know that this is about the sciences and maybe things are different there but this sure did not pan out for the humanities.
👀
“If you are a 75-year-old professor reading this, now would be a good time to take emeritus status. It’s something that a lot of people could do that would contribute enormously. The job market for young people would be in much better shape if most people over 75 retired.”
“If you are a 75-year-old professor reading this, now would be a good time to take emeritus status. It’s something that a lot of people could do that would contribute enormously. The job market for young people would be in much better shape if most people over 75 retired.”
January 6, 2026 at 11:27 PM
I know that this is about the sciences and maybe things are different there but this sure did not pan out for the humanities.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Spring semester starting so need to know whether faculty are allowed to say in class that Greenland is ruled by Denmark.
January 6, 2026 at 9:27 PM
Spring semester starting so need to know whether faculty are allowed to say in class that Greenland is ruled by Denmark.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Considering "Veganuary"? Read Krista Kesselring's new post!
A New Year’s Gift: Fish, Flesh, and ‘Unlawful Diet’ in Early Modern England legalhistorymiscellany.com/2026/01/06/a...
A New Year’s Gift: Fish, Flesh, and ‘Unlawful Diet’ in Early Modern England legalhistorymiscellany.com/2026/01/06/a...
A New Year’s Gift: Fish, Flesh, and ‘Unlawful Diet’ in Early Modern England
Tracing the phenomenon of Protestant ‘fish days’, this post explores why some people in early modern England believed that changing their diet could promote a public good–and how they brought…
legalhistorymiscellany.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Considering "Veganuary"? Read Krista Kesselring's new post!
A New Year’s Gift: Fish, Flesh, and ‘Unlawful Diet’ in Early Modern England legalhistorymiscellany.com/2026/01/06/a...
A New Year’s Gift: Fish, Flesh, and ‘Unlawful Diet’ in Early Modern England legalhistorymiscellany.com/2026/01/06/a...
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Another exodus from the other site, from the sounds of it? If you're looking for the #EarlyModern gang, we've got three starter packs that compile a bunch of them. I can keep adding to the third, just poke.
Here's the OG: go.bsky.app/VQeQbbF 1/3
Here's the OG: go.bsky.app/VQeQbbF 1/3
January 5, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Another exodus from the other site, from the sounds of it? If you're looking for the #EarlyModern gang, we've got three starter packs that compile a bunch of them. I can keep adding to the third, just poke.
Here's the OG: go.bsky.app/VQeQbbF 1/3
Here's the OG: go.bsky.app/VQeQbbF 1/3
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Yep, I've got a History degree and the lessons from it are far less predictive of what will happen in contemporary society than Gender Studies and Critical Race Theory, which are like that sports almanac in Back to the Future II.
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 6, 2026 at 11:06 AM
Yep, I've got a History degree and the lessons from it are far less predictive of what will happen in contemporary society than Gender Studies and Critical Race Theory, which are like that sports almanac in Back to the Future II.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
I'm not repeating my prior findings every time I publish, so I have to cite them.
Who thinks this is "bad practice"?
Who thinks this is "bad practice"?
I saw a LinkedIn post making fun of senior scholars for citing themselves, but I've seen academics Columbus entire well developed fields of study and be applauded for it by the AHA, so...?
January 5, 2026 at 5:10 PM
I'm not repeating my prior findings every time I publish, so I have to cite them.
Who thinks this is "bad practice"?
Who thinks this is "bad practice"?
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
All it takes for evil to thrive is for mediocre world leaders to say “I’d rather not say”
January 4, 2026 at 11:39 AM
All it takes for evil to thrive is for mediocre world leaders to say “I’d rather not say”
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
"Peaceful transition" via bombs and egregious breach of international law. Just not up to this moment.
I spoke with María Corina Machado today. I affirmed Canada’s support for a peaceful, Venezuelan-led transition of power — one that respects the democratic will of the Venezuelan people.
January 5, 2026 at 1:28 AM
"Peaceful transition" via bombs and egregious breach of international law. Just not up to this moment.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Leaders who have fallen over themselves to normalize Trump's illegal action in Venezuela -- including Carney -- are enabling and emboldening Trump's next imperialist actions -- very plausibly in Cuba, Colombia, Greenland, Mexico, and yes Canada.
A serious threat to Venezuela's new leader and a totally unhinged, “We do need Greenland, absolutely.”
Trump continues to decompensate and is so dangerous.
Canadian and European leaders must understand that nothing is off the table for Trump now.
#GiftLink 🎁
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
Trump continues to decompensate and is so dangerous.
Canadian and European leaders must understand that nothing is off the table for Trump now.
#GiftLink 🎁
www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...
January 5, 2026 at 1:43 AM
Leaders who have fallen over themselves to normalize Trump's illegal action in Venezuela -- including Carney -- are enabling and emboldening Trump's next imperialist actions -- very plausibly in Cuba, Colombia, Greenland, Mexico, and yes Canada.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
NO. NO. WE ARE NOT DOING THE "ASYLUM" THING AGAIN. I CAN PUT UP WITH QUITE A LOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT HERE I DRAW THE LINE.
Q: You've talked about returning some control to American companies. Did that play at all into your decision to capture Maduro?
TRUMP: No. What really played is the fact he sent millions of people into our country from prisons and mental institutions
TRUMP: No. What really played is the fact he sent millions of people into our country from prisons and mental institutions
January 5, 2026 at 1:23 AM
NO. NO. WE ARE NOT DOING THE "ASYLUM" THING AGAIN. I CAN PUT UP WITH QUITE A LOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BUT HERE I DRAW THE LINE.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Old enough to remember the Knowing Commentator position that taking the constant verbiage about Greenland or Canada at least a little bit seriously was a sign of terminal online neuroticism
January 3, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Old enough to remember the Knowing Commentator position that taking the constant verbiage about Greenland or Canada at least a little bit seriously was a sign of terminal online neuroticism
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Mark Carney turns off geolocation on phone just in case
Mark Carney turns off geolocation on phone just in case
OTTAWA - This morning, in an unscheduled press statement, the Prime Minister's Office has said that Prime Minister Mark Carney has turned off geolocation services for all his electronic devices "for n...
www.thebeaverton.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Mark Carney turns off geolocation on phone just in case
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
This Trump speech is much bigger than Venezuela. He talked about the Monroe Doctrine - about America’s sphere of influence. He’s warning that any country close to the US must bow to the needs of America or power will be exerted.
January 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM
This Trump speech is much bigger than Venezuela. He talked about the Monroe Doctrine - about America’s sphere of influence. He’s warning that any country close to the US must bow to the needs of America or power will be exerted.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
People are going to try and lure you into debates about whether Maduro was a good guy or not and the thing is, it doesn’t matter for the purposes of discussing whether violent kidnappings and extrajudicial murders by the US government are ok. No, they aren’t! End of convo.
January 3, 2026 at 2:01 PM
People are going to try and lure you into debates about whether Maduro was a good guy or not and the thing is, it doesn’t matter for the purposes of discussing whether violent kidnappings and extrajudicial murders by the US government are ok. No, they aren’t! End of convo.
Weak-ass response. Embarrassing
January 3, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Weak-ass response. Embarrassing
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
This is the feast of Geneviève, patron saint of Paris, d. early 6th c. Here's a scene of a bishop and people praying to Geneviève, who looks pretty skeptical, from BNF lat. 1023, le Bréviaire de Philippe le Bel, from the end of the 13th c. #medievalsky
January 3, 2026 at 4:46 PM
This is the feast of Geneviève, patron saint of Paris, d. early 6th c. Here's a scene of a bishop and people praying to Geneviève, who looks pretty skeptical, from BNF lat. 1023, le Bréviaire de Philippe le Bel, from the end of the 13th c. #medievalsky
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Specifically, a protest song about how the sons of the rich were able to avoid fighting, like fighting-age Donald Trump who got four deferments for being in college and another for bone spurs.
Trump posts footage of the Maduro raid set to "Fortunate Son" -- a protest song about the Vietnam War draft
January 3, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Specifically, a protest song about how the sons of the rich were able to avoid fighting, like fighting-age Donald Trump who got four deferments for being in college and another for bone spurs.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Great 🧵— leading me to wonder why we don’t see predictions of life in 2126. Are we so pessimistic about the future that we don’t want to think about it? Or is that just me?
A List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026
🧵
🧵
January 1, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Great 🧵— leading me to wonder why we don’t see predictions of life in 2126. Are we so pessimistic about the future that we don’t want to think about it? Or is that just me?
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
I find that there is nothing almost but bawdry at Court from top to bottom. How much of this is true, God knows, but it is common talk.
January 1, 2026 at 1:40 PM
I find that there is nothing almost but bawdry at Court from top to bottom. How much of this is true, God knows, but it is common talk.
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
Can’t see what could go wrong with the chatbot that tells people to kill themselves also pushing DraftKings
December 31, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Can’t see what could go wrong with the chatbot that tells people to kill themselves also pushing DraftKings
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
I bring you a holiday #disability story that I’m convinced has trans bathroom panic at its center (w/ maybe ten percent due to my not communicating well.) 1/
December 31, 2025 at 1:40 PM
I bring you a holiday #disability story that I’m convinced has trans bathroom panic at its center (w/ maybe ten percent due to my not communicating well.) 1/
Reposted by Shannon McSheffrey
My cartoon for the latest @newscientist.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:40 PM
My cartoon for the latest @newscientist.com