Sarah Pyke
@sarahpyke.bsky.social
teaching children's and YA literature at the University of Münster
london.ac.uk/seized-books | #QueerBibliography
researching and writing various things
close reading forever
london.ac.uk/seized-books | #QueerBibliography
researching and writing various things
close reading forever
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
falls of feugh all autumny
plus bonus leaping salmon
plus bonus leaping salmon
November 8, 2025 at 6:41 PM
falls of feugh all autumny
plus bonus leaping salmon
plus bonus leaping salmon
good grief Peter Corviello is a fantastic writer
November 8, 2025 at 6:31 PM
good grief Peter Corviello is a fantastic writer
late to Marriage Story, I'm a third of the way through and feel sick
November 8, 2025 at 2:46 PM
late to Marriage Story, I'm a third of the way through and feel sick
Niela Orr on Mamdani / parataxis / Whitman and more
‘The percolating instrumentation of “New York”, Ja Rule’s piercing 2004 posse cut, was playing on my TV, and Mamdani strolled out to deliver a rousing victory speech:
“New York City, breathe this moment in. We have held our breath for longer than we know.”’
Niela Orr
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
“New York City, breathe this moment in. We have held our breath for longer than we know.”’
Niela Orr
www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/no...
Niela Orr | Mamdani at the Crossroads
The percolating instrumentation of ‘New York’, Ja Rule’s piercing 2004 posse cut, was playing on my TV, and Zohran...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Niela Orr on Mamdani / parataxis / Whitman and more
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
"excluded from the world of informal exchanges" got me. That's the bit we still do really really badly. African scientists unable to get visas to attend conferences, mothers struggling with childcare, class exclusion. If we turn it into a "theft" narrative it's easy to say "oh well I don't do that".
November 8, 2025 at 7:55 AM
"excluded from the world of informal exchanges" got me. That's the bit we still do really really badly. African scientists unable to get visas to attend conferences, mothers struggling with childcare, class exclusion. If we turn it into a "theft" narrative it's easy to say "oh well I don't do that".
“Franklin did not succeed, partly because she was working on her own without a peer with whom to swap ideas. She was also excluded from the world of informal exchanges in which Watson and Crick were immersed.”
This is the painful part.
This is the painful part.
If I see one more stupid Rosalind Franklin take I'm going to lose my mind. Thank god for @matthewcobb.bsky.social and @nccomfort.bsky.social. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
What Rosalind Franklin truly contributed to the discovery of DNA’s structure
Franklin was no victim in how the DNA double helix was solved. An overlooked letter and an unpublished news article, both written in 1953, reveal that she was an equal player.
www.nature.com
November 8, 2025 at 7:59 AM
“Franklin did not succeed, partly because she was working on her own without a peer with whom to swap ideas. She was also excluded from the world of informal exchanges in which Watson and Crick were immersed.”
This is the painful part.
This is the painful part.
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
Secrecy or visibility?
As William L (sometimes K) walked the Dilly in the mid-1920s 'his face was highly powdered and he had a beauty spot tattooed on his cheek.' He was described as part of a 'gang' who 'were known by feminine names' and 'had Gertie [his camp name] tattooed on his arm.'
#20s30s
As William L (sometimes K) walked the Dilly in the mid-1920s 'his face was highly powdered and he had a beauty spot tattooed on his cheek.' He was described as part of a 'gang' who 'were known by feminine names' and 'had Gertie [his camp name] tattooed on his arm.'
#20s30s
‘The notion of the tattoo as something concealed – waiting to be uncovered – lends it an erotic quality. The association with secrecy helps to explain why tattooing became linked with queer communities.’
Em Hogan reads Matt Lodder’s 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘴.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Em Hogan reads Matt Lodder’s 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘴.
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Em Hogan · An Anchor and a Cross: Tattoo Me
The notion of the tattoo as something concealed – waiting to be uncovered – lends it an erotic quality. The...
www.lrb.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Secrecy or visibility?
As William L (sometimes K) walked the Dilly in the mid-1920s 'his face was highly powdered and he had a beauty spot tattooed on his cheek.' He was described as part of a 'gang' who 'were known by feminine names' and 'had Gertie [his camp name] tattooed on his arm.'
#20s30s
As William L (sometimes K) walked the Dilly in the mid-1920s 'his face was highly powdered and he had a beauty spot tattooed on his cheek.' He was described as part of a 'gang' who 'were known by feminine names' and 'had Gertie [his camp name] tattooed on his arm.'
#20s30s
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
This person took this when they called the race
November 5, 2025 at 6:07 AM
This person took this when they called the race
I‘m doing Noverwhelmedber
November 4, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I‘m doing Noverwhelmedber
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
News from St Pancras www.pcs.org.uk/news-events/...
British Library chief executive quits midway through PCS strike
The British Library has been thrown into further turmoil midway through a two-week PCS strike with the resignation of its chief executive Rebecca Lawrence.
www.pcs.org.uk
November 3, 2025 at 4:55 PM
News from St Pancras www.pcs.org.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
The good news is they will still (as always) accept trans students. The bad news is they won't affirm that position for new fellows, for whom "following the Supreme Court’s decision...when we refer to 'women' we mean those assigned female at birth."
Source: newn.cam.ac.uk/research/res...
Source: newn.cam.ac.uk/research/res...
November 3, 2025 at 4:20 PM
The good news is they will still (as always) accept trans students. The bad news is they won't affirm that position for new fellows, for whom "following the Supreme Court’s decision...when we refer to 'women' we mean those assigned female at birth."
Source: newn.cam.ac.uk/research/res...
Source: newn.cam.ac.uk/research/res...
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
Good news.
Cambridge University's oldest women-only college, Newnham, stands firm for trans inclusion
Cambridge University's oldest women-only college, Newnham, has reaffirmed its commitment to trans inclusivity by continuing to admit students who self-identify as women - despite a recent Supreme Cour...
www.scenemag.co.uk
November 3, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Good news.
✨✨I’m going to learn so much! I can’t wait
My book is now available open access on project muse, with OAPen launch coming soon. Hard copies should start going out this week (if they have not already): you can get yours for 50% off with code SAR50.
November 3, 2025 at 3:07 PM
✨✨I’m going to learn so much! I can’t wait
out: working at the weekend
in: lying on the sofa weeping through the end of Derry Girls
in: lying on the sofa weeping through the end of Derry Girls
November 2, 2025 at 9:12 PM
out: working at the weekend
in: lying on the sofa weeping through the end of Derry Girls
in: lying on the sofa weeping through the end of Derry Girls
how about, because sex between men was yet to be decriminalised?
November 2, 2025 at 4:37 PM
how about, because sex between men was yet to be decriminalised?
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
A page is a marvelous thing.
October 31, 2025 at 2:00 PM
A page is a marvelous thing.
Last week I posted that the image on the left was one of the single greatest pages in twentieth century literature, and I stand by that! But look what I noticed for the very first time: Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are closes with an almost-identical page layout, to wildly different ends
October 31, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Last week I posted that the image on the left was one of the single greatest pages in twentieth century literature, and I stand by that! But look what I noticed for the very first time: Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are closes with an almost-identical page layout, to wildly different ends
one of the most comforting sounds in the world is hearing my cat crunching on her biscuits in the small hours
October 31, 2025 at 10:08 AM
one of the most comforting sounds in the world is hearing my cat crunching on her biscuits in the small hours
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
Caged Pie. Wayne Thiebaud, 1961, currently at the Courtauld. Made me tear up a bit, weirdly.
October 30, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Caged Pie. Wayne Thiebaud, 1961, currently at the Courtauld. Made me tear up a bit, weirdly.
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
October 30, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Genuinely delighted to download a PhD thesis from a university repository where the author has neglected to remove the words "BITCH THIS IS YOUR THESIS" from the filename.
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
I just designed a class for my “Fascism in America“ course on how contemporary formations of fascism can‘t just be understood as mere repetitions of Germany‘s fascism in the 30s
Meanwhile ICE:
Meanwhile ICE:
Here is Gregory Bovino, the man in charge of ICE agents in Chicago.
October 28, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I just designed a class for my “Fascism in America“ course on how contemporary formations of fascism can‘t just be understood as mere repetitions of Germany‘s fascism in the 30s
Meanwhile ICE:
Meanwhile ICE:
Had a good time talking about Nancy Garden's ANNIE ON MY MIND as part of our Banned Books in Conversation series last week, covering: lesbian love stories with happy endings, proto-queer YA, new PEN America data, Mahmoud v. Taylor, recent developments in Texas, Lori the Librarian, soft censorship,
October 27, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Had a good time talking about Nancy Garden's ANNIE ON MY MIND as part of our Banned Books in Conversation series last week, covering: lesbian love stories with happy endings, proto-queer YA, new PEN America data, Mahmoud v. Taylor, recent developments in Texas, Lori the Librarian, soft censorship,
on reflection, perhaps this is more of a Monday morning question than a Friday night one
I'm teaching a UG course on POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE next semester and I am very excited! Do you have recommendations for critical readings either on poems for kids & teenagers, or on reading and writing about poetry for the first time, please? (yes, the new close reading book is already on my list!)
October 27, 2025 at 10:09 AM
on reflection, perhaps this is more of a Monday morning question than a Friday night one
Reposted by Sarah Pyke
I'm teaching a UG course on POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE next semester and I am very excited! Do you have recommendations for critical readings either on poems for kids & teenagers, or on reading and writing about poetry for the first time, please? (yes, the new close reading book is already on my list!)
October 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
I'm teaching a UG course on POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE next semester and I am very excited! Do you have recommendations for critical readings either on poems for kids & teenagers, or on reading and writing about poetry for the first time, please? (yes, the new close reading book is already on my list!)