Dr. Mike Sell
@profmikesell.bsky.social
English Prof, Indiana University of Pennsylvania • Writing 'Playful Literature: Stories, Games, Theories' • Founder, The Digital Storytelling Project • Co-author, 'Systemic Dramaturgy' (Southern Illinois UP) • Unionized Faculty (IUP-APSCUF) • he/him
Pinned
Dr. Mike Sell
@profmikesell.bsky.social
· Nov 13
In an era when gaming literacy is fundamental to understanding popular culture and technological power, 'Ready Reader One' examines the role of videogame literature in explaining not only how we play videogames, but the stories we tell with, about, and around them.
lsupress.org/978080718089...
lsupress.org/978080718089...
Just watched ‘The Housemaid’ and when it comes to this kind of lurid, incoherent, sexy trash, I’m little Oliver Twist.
a black and white photo of a boy with the words please sir may i have some more below him
ALT: a black and white photo of a boy with the words please sir may i have some more below him
media.tenor.com
January 7, 2026 at 3:01 AM
Just watched ‘The Housemaid’ and when it comes to this kind of lurid, incoherent, sexy trash, I’m little Oliver Twist.
The Hit (1984, dir. Stephen Frears). Vanishing Point meets Sexy Beast. John Hurt, Terence Stamp, Laura del Sol, and Tim Roth (in his film debut). On @criterionchannl.bsky.social
January 7, 2026 at 2:57 AM
The Hit (1984, dir. Stephen Frears). Vanishing Point meets Sexy Beast. John Hurt, Terence Stamp, Laura del Sol, and Tim Roth (in his film debut). On @criterionchannl.bsky.social
I’m not saying someone was fooling around on their much older husband, got pregnant, and wrote 1500 words trying to cover it up, but I’m not *not* saying someone was fooling around on their much older husband, got pregnant, etc. 👨🍳💋
www.yourtango.com/family/done-...
www.yourtango.com/family/done-...
We Were Done Having Children — Until His Vasectomy Failed
It may be rare, but sometimes vasectomies fail. My husband's did — when he was 55.
www.yourtango.com
January 7, 2026 at 2:34 AM
I’m not saying someone was fooling around on their much older husband, got pregnant, and wrote 1500 words trying to cover it up, but I’m not *not* saying someone was fooling around on their much older husband, got pregnant, etc. 👨🍳💋
www.yourtango.com/family/done-...
www.yourtango.com/family/done-...
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
Béla Tarr, 1955-2026: the great cinematic poet of despair, whose movies were as rigorously bleak as they were paradoxically invested in the infinite value of every human life. The Kafka of motion pictures. Thread of images from his masterpiece Damnation (1988).
January 6, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Béla Tarr, 1955-2026: the great cinematic poet of despair, whose movies were as rigorously bleak as they were paradoxically invested in the infinite value of every human life. The Kafka of motion pictures. Thread of images from his masterpiece Damnation (1988).
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
Last reskeets, the way people bend light around the work of Black women never fails to amaze me because the dedication to render it invisible or meaningless is unwavering.
And Black trans people only seem to exist to be erased statistically. It's as maddening as it is predictable.
And Black trans people only seem to exist to be erased statistically. It's as maddening as it is predictable.
January 6, 2026 at 5:11 PM
Last reskeets, the way people bend light around the work of Black women never fails to amaze me because the dedication to render it invisible or meaningless is unwavering.
And Black trans people only seem to exist to be erased statistically. It's as maddening as it is predictable.
And Black trans people only seem to exist to be erased statistically. It's as maddening as it is predictable.
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
The second game of 2026 was "Rules and Roberts" by @molleindustria.org - a hilarious storytelling game that uses Robert's Rule of Order as its main mechanic.
We never made it beyond point #2 of our "agenda," between motions and amendments. 😅🔥
Find it here: molleindustria.itch.io/rules-and-ro...
We never made it beyond point #2 of our "agenda," between motions and amendments. 😅🔥
Find it here: molleindustria.itch.io/rules-and-ro...
January 6, 2026 at 12:18 AM
The second game of 2026 was "Rules and Roberts" by @molleindustria.org - a hilarious storytelling game that uses Robert's Rule of Order as its main mechanic.
We never made it beyond point #2 of our "agenda," between motions and amendments. 😅🔥
Find it here: molleindustria.itch.io/rules-and-ro...
We never made it beyond point #2 of our "agenda," between motions and amendments. 😅🔥
Find it here: molleindustria.itch.io/rules-and-ro...
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
Addendum: www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
The time has come to declare war on AI
"It's now in everything, even if you don't want it there."
www.sfgate.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Addendum: www.sfgate.com/tech/article...
This rules.
Cabaret diva, star of underground films, and a staple of Andy Warhol’s Factory scene, Tally Brown! 🕶️🎙️💕 An essential snapshot of a downtown scene that has passed into legend, TALLY BROWN, NEW YORK (1979) is now playing in our "Actresses Unfiltered" collection on the Channel!
January 5, 2026 at 5:26 PM
This rules.
What's the last car you stopped to take a photo of? (Well, for me, a truck.)
January 4, 2026 at 4:41 PM
What's the last car you stopped to take a photo of? (Well, for me, a truck.)
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
I recently rediscovered this bit from the show Look Around You, and it has been stuck in my head ever since.
Machadaynu
YouTube video by kevinmurphy
youtu.be
January 4, 2026 at 8:48 AM
I recently rediscovered this bit from the show Look Around You, and it has been stuck in my head ever since.
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
No, Progressive commercial, I know they're doing their best and are underpaid, but sometimes you need to tell grocery food baggers how to properly stack items in the bag. Tough truth.
January 4, 2026 at 1:29 AM
No, Progressive commercial, I know they're doing their best and are underpaid, but sometimes you need to tell grocery food baggers how to properly stack items in the bag. Tough truth.
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
many Americans will concede that imperialism is the price we all pay to maintain a certain quality of life but I just spent 5 weeks in Europe using public transport and eating food that doesn’t taste like shit so I dunno man.
January 3, 2026 at 9:56 PM
many Americans will concede that imperialism is the price we all pay to maintain a certain quality of life but I just spent 5 weeks in Europe using public transport and eating food that doesn’t taste like shit so I dunno man.
I don’t do this often, but it’s a double Dungeons & Dragons day! Playing in the finale of our 16th-century Timbuktu murder mystery, then DMing the first session of Curse of the Sugarplum Fairy (which you can purchase here: www.dmsguild.com/en/product/3...).
two cartoon characters from adventure time standing next to each other in a field
ALT: two cartoon characters from adventure time standing next to each other in a field
media.tenor.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:58 PM
I don’t do this often, but it’s a double Dungeons & Dragons day! Playing in the finale of our 16th-century Timbuktu murder mystery, then DMing the first session of Curse of the Sugarplum Fairy (which you can purchase here: www.dmsguild.com/en/product/3...).
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
Excoriating, en pointe and hilariously funny in a dreadfully bleak way. Read and weep.
The FAFO Boys Are About to Find Out
The US is being run by a bunch of guys from the back of high school detention room
davidrothkopf.substack.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Excoriating, en pointe and hilariously funny in a dreadfully bleak way. Read and weep.
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
As we approach the start of a new semester, I thought this a timely moment to think about how you can design in-class, small-team learning activities to maximize engagement and accountability. 🧵
I’ve been a university-level teacher for over 30 years. Part of that work is observing and mentoring new and experienced teachers. One lesson I’ve learned? Small-team tasks are where good teaching goes to die. A thread on how to make small-team tasks work in the classroom. 🧵 1/38
January 3, 2026 at 10:21 PM
As we approach the start of a new semester, I thought this a timely moment to think about how you can design in-class, small-team learning activities to maximize engagement and accountability. 🧵
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
In preparation for a new semester, a thread on how you can implement simple syllabus design principles to improve student accountability, mitigate cheating, and maximize engagement. 🧵
A proposal to address student cheating, improve instructor-student relations, and push back against carceral pedagogy: radical honesty.
1/18
1/18
January 3, 2026 at 10:26 PM
In preparation for a new semester, a thread on how you can implement simple syllabus design principles to improve student accountability, mitigate cheating, and maximize engagement. 🧵
Every single one.
American voters will lose more than just elections if they don't vote to get every Republican out of congress as they can in 2026. They will erode any chance we have at fair and free elections in 2028. And that is because too many of you apathetic assholes don't vote like your lives depend on it!
a little girl is sitting on a couch and making a funny face and saying period .
ALT: a little girl is sitting on a couch and making a funny face and saying period .
media.tenor.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Every single one.
This👇
All the latin speaking Soccer/Football nations should boycott the US World Cup right now. If we don't even follow our own laws we obviously will ignore the international ones. This makes us a rogue nation. Make America Great, my ass. He has turned us into a damn untrustworthy POS
January 4, 2026 at 12:14 AM
This👇
In preparation for a new semester, a thread on how you can implement simple syllabus design principles to improve student accountability, mitigate cheating, and maximize engagement. 🧵
A proposal to address student cheating, improve instructor-student relations, and push back against carceral pedagogy: radical honesty.
1/18
1/18
January 3, 2026 at 10:26 PM
In preparation for a new semester, a thread on how you can implement simple syllabus design principles to improve student accountability, mitigate cheating, and maximize engagement. 🧵
As we approach the start of a new semester, I thought this a timely moment to think about how you can design in-class, small-team learning activities to maximize engagement and accountability. 🧵
I’ve been a university-level teacher for over 30 years. Part of that work is observing and mentoring new and experienced teachers. One lesson I’ve learned? Small-team tasks are where good teaching goes to die. A thread on how to make small-team tasks work in the classroom. 🧵 1/38
January 3, 2026 at 10:21 PM
As we approach the start of a new semester, I thought this a timely moment to think about how you can design in-class, small-team learning activities to maximize engagement and accountability. 🧵
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
an “inherent power” to respond to an “imminent” attack is just a license for aggressive war on the president’s whim
How does launching air strikes and a commando raid fall under the remit of self defense for an arrest operation
January 3, 2026 at 12:39 PM
an “inherent power” to respond to an “imminent” attack is just a license for aggressive war on the president’s whim
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.
January 3, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.
Was walking out of Marty Supreme last night and one of my kids pondered whether it wasn't just a film about Jews but about Judaism, with Marty as God. I'm normally averse to allegorical readings, but there's a lot to work with on this one.
January 3, 2026 at 12:13 PM
Was walking out of Marty Supreme last night and one of my kids pondered whether it wasn't just a film about Jews but about Judaism, with Marty as God. I'm normally averse to allegorical readings, but there's a lot to work with on this one.
Reposted by Dr. Mike Sell
2049 is going to be the third year of rest after 2046 rolls through . . .
January 2, 2026 at 6:01 PM
2049 is going to be the third year of rest after 2046 rolls through . . .