Suzanne Conklin Akbari

@sakbari.bsky.social

1.4K followers 300 following 170 posts

Living on Lunaapahkiing, faculty at IAS, servant of two cats and sometimes one dog.

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Suzanne Conklin Akbari is a medievalist, recognised for her global and comparative approach to medieval literary history. She was a Professor in English and Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto from 1995 until 2019, when she joined the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. .. more

History 44%

Political science 18%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 5h

There's a reason they tried to silence everyone talking about the role of settler colonialism in the accumulation and exercise of political power in the United States and my colleague Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles said it as clear as you can say it. @niiyokamigaabaw.bsky.social

Suzanne Conklin Akbari @sakbari.bsky.social · 18h

“The less generous interpretation is that the many systematic political and economic flaws built into our nation—investor capitalism, gerrymandering, the Electoral College, the Supreme Court—are now, at long last, bringing about the final end of the age of American global dominance.”

Patrick Hruby @patrickhruby.bsky.social · 1d

www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/we-are-the...

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Joanne Barker @joannebarker62.bsky.social · 1d

Joanne Barker, Dancing the Milky Way (2026).

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

1980/1986 News @40yearsago.bsky.social · 1d

[September 27th, 1980] Iranian soldier watches as oil refineries burn in the outskirts of the Iranian city of Abadan in SW Iran, during the siege of the city in the Iran-Iraq war

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Joanne Barker @joannebarker62.bsky.social · 1d

The admin’s use of “narco terrorism” to justify what it is doing in Venezuela is akin to its use of terrorism against Indigenous people in the US. Scary akin.

www.ucpress.edu/books/red-sc...

Red Scare by Joanne Barker - Paper

Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.

www.ucpress.edu

Reposted by Klaus Oschema

Suzanne Conklin Akbari @sakbari.bsky.social · 1d

“When answering one of the many policy questions that Trump shunted to him, Marco Rubio found himself saying, ‘It’s a country run by incompetent, senile men.’ He was talking about Cuba. But even as the words came from his mouth, you could see Rubio wishing he had phrased the point a different way.”

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

The most disturbing presidential press conference I have ever seen.

fallows.substack.com/p/blind-into...

(First 3/4ths before paywall.)

‘Blind Into Caracas’

Less than 24 hours in, members of the Trump team are celebrating victory. None of them seem to have wondered what happens a day, a month, a decade from now.

fallows.substack.com

Suzanne Conklin Akbari @sakbari.bsky.social · 1d

“‘They’re saying, ‘you gotta go in if you want to play and get reimbursed.’ The offer has been on the table for the last 10 days, the person said. ‘But the infrastructure currently there is so dilapidated that no one at these companies can adequately assess what is needed to make it operable.’”

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d

Very important signal here. You can say it's abt oil. And part of it is. But the White House is actually being forced to strongarm the oil companies to get involved. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

Trump admin sends tough private message to oil companies on Venezuela

The White House has told companies they must rebuild Venezuela's crude-pumping infrastructure if they want compensation for assets seized by Caracas.

www.politico.com

Reposted by Shibley Telhami, Steven Heydemann, Axel Bruns , and 3 more Shibley Telhami, Steven Heydemann, Axel Bruns, Rosemary A. Joyce, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Élisabeth Vallet

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d

Very important signal here. You can say it's abt oil. And part of it is. But the White House is actually being forced to strongarm the oil companies to get involved. www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

Trump admin sends tough private message to oil companies on Venezuela

The White House has told companies they must rebuild Venezuela's crude-pumping infrastructure if they want compensation for assets seized by Caracas.

www.politico.com

Reposted by Christopher Wright, Kevin Carey, Robert C. Richards , and 4 more Christopher Wright, Kevin Carey, Robert C. Richards, Kate Starbird, Matthew Bodie, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, David Darmofal

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

The most disturbing presidential press conference I have ever seen.

fallows.substack.com/p/blind-into...

(First 3/4ths before paywall.)

‘Blind Into Caracas’

Less than 24 hours in, members of the Trump team are celebrating victory. None of them seem to have wondered what happens a day, a month, a decade from now.

fallows.substack.com

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Michael Kagan @michaelgkagan.bsky.social · 1d

Am I getting this right? The current legal position of the United States is that we can’t indict our own president or ex-president for crimes, but we can indict and arrest presidents of other countries for crimes. …

Suzanne Conklin Akbari @sakbari.bsky.social · 1d

“Rarely in the era of mass media has U.S. imperialism been as unsubtle or as blatant, defying the impulses of foreign-policy experts to overcomplicate what is unfolding before our eyes.”

Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 1d

The kidnapping of Maduro inaugurates a highly dangerous era of U.S. empire that for perhaps the first time in an era of mass media is not pretending to be anything other than a violent, extractive enterprise of domination.

A Criminal Empire

The United States launches a conquest and occupation of Venezuela to extract its oil wealth. The neocon dream is the America First dream

www.forever-wars.com

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Brendan Nyhan, Charles W. Smith , and 4 more Marc Lynch, Brendan Nyhan, Charles W. Smith, W. Andy Knight, Brian Keegan, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Annalee Newitz

Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 1d

A Criminal Empire

The United States launches a conquest and occupation of Venezuela to extract its oil wealth. The neocon dream is the America First dream

www.forever-wars.com

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Patrick Hruby @patrickhruby.bsky.social · 1d

www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/we-are-the...

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan, Shadd Maruna , and 22 more Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan, Shadd Maruna, Ian Campbell, Nicolas Véron, Michelle Everson, Jonathan Hopkin, David R. Miller, McKenzie Wark, Scott A. Imberman, Timothy Burke, Michael Jones‐Correa, Jelena Subotić, Aurélien Mondon, Federica Genovese, Niels Keijzer, Nathan Richardson, Klaus Oschema, Christina Pagel, Manisha Sinha, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Charles T. Mathewes, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Timothy D. McBride

Michael Kagan @michaelgkagan.bsky.social · 2d

I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Steve Peers, Iikka Korhonen , and 11 more Marc Lynch, Steve Peers, Iikka Korhonen, David R. Miller, Robert Wolfe, Stephen D. Murphy, Nelson Flores, Sam Kamin, Steven S. Taylor, Daxton R. Stewart, Pam Jarvis, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Aviel Roshwald, Nathan P. Kalmoe

David Darmofal @daviddarmofal.bsky.social · 2d

Bari Weiss’s CBS News directly attacking academics, subject matter experts, in the promo for her new CBS Evening News.

Reposted by W. Andy Knight, Anne Norton, Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3d

Bernie Sanders publicly swears in Zohran Mamdani as NYC mayor

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · 3d

Technofascism and antisemitism is just a new iteration of an old story. sonjadrimmer.com/blog-1/2025/...

What I hope to have shown in capsule form that is state-imposed signs of Jewish identity, mapped on to books and bodies reveal technology's place in this history. If the funding of far right wing figures like J.D. Vance by tech billionaires like Peter Thiel seems perplexing, it is because we have completely forgotten the supersessionism that makes such an unholy alliance ideologically coherent: it is not surprising that when Vance followed Thiel's advice and converted to Catholicism he chose the committed supersessionist Augustine as his patron saint; Thiel's less-subtle approach was to tout Rene Girard's Catholic anthropology and the socially redemptive role of the scapegoat.

Suzanne Conklin Akbari @sakbari.bsky.social · 3d

❤️

Roger (Perpetual Stu) @iamtherog.com · 3d

I only wrote a small handful of stuff that was published last year but this piece I did for @ihavethatonvinyl.com is by far my favorite.

ihavethatonvinyl.com/essays/on-gr...

On Grief, Neil Young's Harvest, and Folk Music

Grief can take many shapes. Thanks to therapy and pharmacological intervention, I’m finally figuring out the geometry of mine. I find myself wanting, more than anything, to discuss the things she left...

ihavethatonvinyl.com

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Roger (Perpetual Stu) @iamtherog.com · 3d

I only wrote a small handful of stuff that was published last year but this piece I did for @ihavethatonvinyl.com is by far my favorite.

ihavethatonvinyl.com/essays/on-gr...

On Grief, Neil Young's Harvest, and Folk Music

ihavethatonvinyl.com

Reposted by Peter Thorne, Mary Feeney, Ralf Michaels , and 5 more Peter Thorne, Mary Feeney, Ralf Michaels, R. M. Wilson, Michael H. Whitworth, Alfie Kohn, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Susan D. Amussen

Defence Scheme Enjoyer 🇨🇦🇺🇦🇬🇱🇲🇽🇵🇸 @maxp94.bsky.social · 3d

Why do I have to read an Irish paper for a feature about this?

‘It’s surreal’: US sanctions lock International Criminal Court judge out of daily life

Canadian judge Kimberly Prost is unable to use credit cards, transfer money or book everyday services in what she calls an attack on the independence of the judiciary

www.irishtimes.com

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Thiago Krause @thiagokrause.bsky.social · 3d

“At the moment, though, AI seems destined to squeeze the livelihoods of creative professionals who spend decades mastering a craft. Executives in Silicon Valley and Hollywood don’t seem to understand that the cultivation of art also requires the cultivation of artists.”

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Thiago Krause @thiagokrause.bsky.social · 3d

The problem is that entry-level creative jobs are much more than grunt work. Working within established formulas and routines is how young artists develop their skills.Low-level creative jobs offer practice time and pathways for mentorship that side gigs such as waiting tables and tending bar do not

The Problem With Letting AI Do the Grunt Work

Artificial intelligence is destroying the career ladder for aspiring artists.

www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by James Goodwin, Seth Masket, Suzanne Conklin Akbari

The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 4d

As Zohran Mamdani became the mayor of New York City at a small ceremony shortly after midnight Thursday, the clock started ticking on his pledges to make the city more affordable.

Mamdani Takes Office and Must Now Try to Deliver on His Boldest Promises

The clock is ticking on the new mayor’s pledges to make New York City more affordable, including expanded child care and free buses.

on.wsj.com

Reposted by Suzanne Conklin Akbari

Bulletin of the History of Archaeology @bhajournal.bsky.social · 4d

Happy New Year from the BHA! Check out the five articles we published this year, available #OpenAccess (as always!) 🗃️📚🏺🧵👇 on 🇬🇧🇯🇲🇪🇬🇪🇹🇧🇦

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Bryan D. Jones, David Rothschild , and 5 more Anna O. Law, Bryan D. Jones, David Rothschild, Lesley A. Hall, Robert C. Richards, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Susan D. Amussen, David Darmofal

Mark D. Levine @marklevinenyc.bsky.social · 4d

A remarkable trend that will come as a shock to you if your only info about NYC is from this Fox News.

Homicides in NYC...
1990: 2,262
1993: 1,927
1998: 629
2001: 649
2013: 335
2019: 320
2021: 488
2024: 382
2025 (as of 12/28): 302

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Joanna Bryson, Kim L. Scheppele , and 10 more Michael E. Mann, Joanna Bryson, Kim L. Scheppele, Steven French, Michael A. Clemens, American Library Association, Juan Cole, Daniel W. Drezner, David R. Miller, Julia Lynch, Margot C. Finn, Suzanne Conklin Akbari, Charles T. Mathewes

Brooke Harrington @ebharrington.bsky.social · 4d

They're going to *throw out* one-of-a-kind NASA archives?!

Not even a year since the Inauguration & we're already at the 2nd-time-as-farce version of the burning of the Library of Alexandria.

Suzanne Conklin Akbari @sakbari.bsky.social · 4d

Excellent read

Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 5d

As it happens, I have experience with high-level government demands to stop an explosive, accurate story from running, and I also have experience with 60 Minutes spiking a story I was involved in, so I have thoughts about the travesty at CBS. If you want some journalism anecdotes, here are a lot: