Sebastian Stockman
@substockman.bsky.social
BLM. Teaching Prof., Northeastern. Reviewer @nytbooks @washpost @BostonGlobe, elsewhere. he/him
Newsletter at https://sebastianstockman.substack.com/
Newsletter at https://sebastianstockman.substack.com/
Pinned
Finally finishing MASTER OF THE SENATE, lol at this part where LBJ, in courting Arthur Schlesinger, basically portrays himself as Bugs Bunny
Found another great text exchange with Dan
February 10, 2026 at 12:49 AM
Found another great text exchange with Dan
Yeah, I might've tried someone else first...
February 9, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Yeah, I might've tried someone else first...
Where there was only one set of footprints, that’s where DFW ran into the ocean and said “this is water.”
February 9, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Where there was only one set of footprints, that’s where DFW ran into the ocean and said “this is water.”
(Dan’s on the left)
February 9, 2026 at 5:38 PM
(Dan’s on the left)
This whole thread is an amazing instant close read of Bad Bunny’s performance. So good
First shot: sugarcane
The backbone of Puerto Rico's agricultural economy since colonial times
Still used to make rum of course!
The backbone of Puerto Rico's agricultural economy since colonial times
Still used to make rum of course!
February 9, 2026 at 5:11 AM
This whole thread is an amazing instant close read of Bad Bunny’s performance. So good
This was totally great, thank you!
February 9, 2026 at 5:10 AM
This was totally great, thank you!
![We first identified our shared appreciation of the cringeworthy journalistic opener in the conference room at the paper, where we happened to catch this lead-in to a local news report of some tragedy : “Little [Name Redacted] wanted a pony for his eighth birthday. Instead, he’ll get a funeral for himself and his mother.”
I assume the rest of the story was macabre, but we didn’t hear it. We were both cackling. “A funeral for himself and his mother” — In the reporter’s setup, this is the surprise gift the little boy got instead of a pony! It’s so wildly off base.
We’ve referenced it to make each other laugh for the last nearly 25 years.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:z6nbbystmeo7uhbj57zo4slz/bafkreieupdifs5meyhfpnbmpwgnhswmdhz64tssq2df47yw55ono2inave@jpeg)
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
What he said
there isn’t a better Books desk in the country than the one at the Washington Post. I’m not really sure there’s anything else to say
February 4, 2026 at 3:13 PM
What he said
Dan McQuade
My friend — and yours, and his, and hers, and hers, and ....
sebastianstockman.substack.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:51 PM
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
BREAKING: 4 students at the University of Minnesota are currently chained to Morrill Hall, demanding that their school end all cooperations with ICE and establish itself as a sanctuary campus.
February 6, 2026 at 8:08 PM
BREAKING: 4 students at the University of Minnesota are currently chained to Morrill Hall, demanding that their school end all cooperations with ICE and establish itself as a sanctuary campus.
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
Leftists: No person should go hungry or unhoused.
Liberals:
Liberals:
February 6, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Leftists: No person should go hungry or unhoused.
Liberals:
Liberals:
Leftists: No person should go hungry or unhoused.
Liberals:
Liberals:
February 6, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Leftists: No person should go hungry or unhoused.
Liberals:
Liberals:
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
What he said
there isn’t a better Books desk in the country than the one at the Washington Post. I’m not really sure there’s anything else to say
February 4, 2026 at 3:13 PM
What he said
"Period, sis." — a thing I hear my college students say all the time.
Of all the things in the history of the world that definitely did not happen - this is the pinnacle.
February 3, 2026 at 3:32 AM
"Period, sis." — a thing I hear my college students say all the time.
Love to do completely deniable Nazi trolling at our Free Speech University
February 2, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Love to do completely deniable Nazi trolling at our Free Speech University
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
I think Dan would have thought this was ridiculous and also deeply loved it, which is perfect because that’s how he felt about Philadelphia.
January 30, 2026 at 4:11 PM
I think Dan would have thought this was ridiculous and also deeply loved it, which is perfect because that’s how he felt about Philadelphia.
I think Dan would have thought this was ridiculous and also deeply loved it, which is perfect because that’s how he felt about Philadelphia.
January 30, 2026 at 4:11 PM
I think Dan would have thought this was ridiculous and also deeply loved it, which is perfect because that’s how he felt about Philadelphia.
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
A legal asylum-seeker who works at Chipotle and plays music at a church in Maine went missing. His pastor searched and searched, eventually finding his abandoned car with the keys on the floor.
ICE grabbed him. No criminal record. No explanation.
ICE grabbed him. No criminal record. No explanation.
January 29, 2026 at 3:58 PM
A legal asylum-seeker who works at Chipotle and plays music at a church in Maine went missing. His pastor searched and searched, eventually finding his abandoned car with the keys on the floor.
ICE grabbed him. No criminal record. No explanation.
ICE grabbed him. No criminal record. No explanation.
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
I tried to address this exactly in the last paragraph of my note to last spring’s English grads at my institution.
open.substack.com/pub/sebastia...
open.substack.com/pub/sebastia...
January 29, 2026 at 12:47 AM
I tried to address this exactly in the last paragraph of my note to last spring’s English grads at my institution.
open.substack.com/pub/sebastia...
open.substack.com/pub/sebastia...
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
conventional wisdom when I was in college was majoring in theater was "useless". It was the reason my parents made me double major (which I am glad for bc I did film and it was amazing).
After school I learned my theater degree meant any sales dept in any field would hire me, if I wanted the job
After school I learned my theater degree meant any sales dept in any field would hire me, if I wanted the job
Indeed, I think a core part of our problem right now is that people with humanities degrees and humanities jobs have felt obligated to constantly *apologize* for it for a long time now.
January 28, 2026 at 2:37 AM
conventional wisdom when I was in college was majoring in theater was "useless". It was the reason my parents made me double major (which I am glad for bc I did film and it was amazing).
After school I learned my theater degree meant any sales dept in any field would hire me, if I wanted the job
After school I learned my theater degree meant any sales dept in any field would hire me, if I wanted the job
Reposted by Sebastian Stockman
The people who are “not proud” working at Palantir could … just stop.
January 28, 2026 at 9:51 PM
The people who are “not proud” working at Palantir could … just stop.
The people who are “not proud” working at Palantir could … just stop.
January 28, 2026 at 9:51 PM
The people who are “not proud” working at Palantir could … just stop.