Philip Nel
LightNews LightNews
banner
philnel.bsky.social
Philip Nel
@philnel.bsky.social
780 followers 590 following 720 posts

👨🏼‍🏫 Prof. he/him.
📚 Books on children's books & comics: https://philnel.com/writing/books/
📷 IG: thephilnel
🐘 Mastodon: @philnel@mastodon.green
🎵 Spotify: thephilnel
🐦 Twitter (deleted acct in 2022): @philnel

Videos

Philip W. Nel is an American scholar of children's literature and University Distinguished Professor of English at Kansas State University. He is best known for his work on Dr. Seuss and Harry Potter, which has led to him being a guest on such media programs as CBS Sunday Morning, NPR's Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, and CNN's Don Lemon Tonight. .. more

Art 33%
Communication & Media Studies 22%
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
philnel.bsky.social
Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · Jul 26
1/2 ⬇️ This is an excellent idea & I am co-signing & invite my fellow academics to join me. Academia depends on a lot of unpaid labor. Withhold your labor from Columbia. ⬇️
jtlg.bsky.social James Grimmelmann @jtlg.bsky.social · Jul 25
In light of Columbia's capitulation to the Trump regime's illegal and extortionate demands, I have resolved not to write for Columbia publications, speak at Columbia events, or perform other free labor for a university that has repudated its values.

3d.laboratorium.net/2025-07-25-c...
Columbia’s Capitulation
Universities exist to promote the discovery, preservation, and transmission of knowledge. While they can help make to make a society virtuous, prosperous, and free, they do so by pursing their mission...
3d.laboratorium.net

Reposted by Philip Nel

organizer.bsky.social
frontline intellectual | critical management theory | abolition @organizer.bsky.social · 1d
unsolicited advice in hindsight |
lesson from my body

do one less thing even if something isn't going to get done |
even something in the Signal

we haven't done 2026 before |
we're just humans

i know

i see you, hear you

(together) we keep us safe/r

Reposted by Philip Nel, Rebecca Tushnet

analiliafornj.bsky.social
Analilia Mejia for New Jersey @analiliafornj.bsky.social · 1d
I’m Analilia Mejia and I approve this message.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Philip Nel, Brian Keegan

owasow.bsky.social
Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 2d
In light of Trump’s post yesterday, some history:

“On Memorial Day 1927, 1,000 white-robed Klansmen marched through the Jamaica neighborhood, eventually spurring an all-out brawl in which seven men were arrested. One of those arrested was Fred Trump.” www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix...
In 1927, Donald Trump’s father was arrested after a Klan riot in Queens
On Sunday, Trump declined to disavow the support of white supremacists.
www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Philip Nel

zinnedproject.bsky.social
Zinn Education Project @zinnedproject.bsky.social · 2d
"This crusade is much more important than the anti-lynching movement, because there would be no lynching if it did not start in the schoolroom." — Carter G. Woodson

#tdih 1926, Woodson initiated Negro History Week which led to Black History Month. 🧵
www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/ca...
Feb. 7, 1926: Carter G. Woodson Launched Negro History Week
Carter G. Woodson initiated the first celebration of Negro History Week which led to Black History Month.
www.zinnedproject.org

philnel.bsky.social
Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · 3d
“How to Resist Like Minneapolis.” There are many versions of this advice floating around out there. But I’ll share this, since it’s good & since I’m a Dessa fan. (She wrote this.) www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
How to resist like Minneapolis
Meet the block, shop the indies, and check on your people.
www.motherjones.com

Reposted by Philip Nel

smashfizzle.bsky.social
Ashley C. Ford @smashfizzle.bsky.social · 4d
I do not think the most significant cultural shifts will come from a World War, Class War, Race War, or whatever other battle people weirdly fantasize about. I think it’ll be an integration of the idea that children are people and not the property of their parents.

Reposted by Philip Nel

thedailyshow.com
The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 5d
Exciting announcement from Jeff Bezos's reimagined Washington Post!

philnel.bsky.social
Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · 5d
2/2
How things happen has always been
unclear. Hurricanes begin
in a place where no one lives.
Agents of the government start
to wear masks. Fascism is
a word my neighbors won’t use
yet. They are following
the law, they say, and the sirens
are coming for someone else.

—CHARLES RAFFERTY

philnel.bsky.social
Philip Nel @philnel.bsky.social · 5d
1/2
“The Problem with Early Warnings”
CHARLES RAFFERTY

People don’t like to leave a party
unless the house is actually
on fire. Even then, if the flames
are far enough away
to be pretty, they’ll finish
their drink, take one more pass
at the hors d’oeuvres.

Reposted by Philip Nel, Melanie C. Green, Laurent Dubois , and 1 more

emilynussbaum.bsky.social
Emily Nussbaum @emilynussbaum.bsky.social · 6d
This made me weepy

Reposted by Philip Nel, Nelson Flores, Nathan P. Kalmoe

streetsdept.bsky.social
Conrad Benner @streetsdept.bsky.social · 6d
Philadelphians are bringing the history back to the President’s House. 🦅

Reposted by Philip Nel

mostlybree.kitrocha.com
Mostly Leftist Supply Depot Bree @mostlybree.kitrocha.com · 6d
Some wildly generous person just spent a bunch of their credit card points and bought us a huge gift card to Polymaker so we can buy filament!

I did not know that was a thing you can do (I'm afraid of cards b/c ADHD trauma) but HOLY SHIT?? BRILLIANT???

More gift card links are now added here!
WhistleWishLists | Linktree
We're the Whistle Avengers. We turn each spool of filament into 400-700 whistles which we send out into the world. Sponsor whistles in your favorite colors!
linktr.ee

Reposted by Philip Nel

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d
New in PN: The regime moves to make journalism a crime

"The way he’s targeting the press isn’t just about quieting criticism so he doesn’t have to hear people being mean to him. It’s the same impulse we see on the streets of Mpls: He wants to dominate those who oppose him and force them to submit."
The regime moves to make journalism a crime
But try as they might, they won't silence the voices of dissent.
www.publicnotice.co

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Mark Bray, Philip Nel

deardara.bsky.social
Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl @deardara.bsky.social · 7d
Greetings from inside the economic blockade zones of Minneapolis and St Paul! Don’t look away, please. We need you. It’s been a month and they’re trying to destroy us.

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Ben H. Ansell, Brendan Nyhan , and 9 more

ariehkovler.com
Arieh Kovler @ariehkovler.com · 7d
If a university student group had celebrated Charlie Kirk being killed, complete with a graphic made from an actual picture of the killing, the whole lot of them would have been expelled before the ink on the digital story was dry.

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Steven Heydemann, Jonathan M. Gilligan , and 7 more

liberalcurrents.com
Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 7d
“Let us be clear: we want the power of the state. We wish to hold the criminals of the regime accountable. We wish to seize back the public funds looted by Trump and his cronies. We wish to undo the damage he has done to the government. More than any of that we wish to rebuild.”
From Powerlessness to Power
We will not achieve any of our ultimate goals without exercising state power, and the most effective way to take state power is through nonviolent but confrontational resistance.
www.liberalcurrents.com

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Timothy Snyder, Steven Heydemann , and 16 more

ianbassin.bsky.social
Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 8d
I was a White House ethics lawyer.

I used to advise people not to even accept a free cup of coffee from someone who had interests before them. And staff followed those rules.

I can’t even find the words to describe the scale of Trump’s corruption here.
vanhollen.senate.gov Senator Chris Van Hollen @vanhollen.senate.gov · 8d
Foreign countries are bribing our president to sell out the American people.
 
Trump family businesses made $187 MILLION from this deal, and just months later he gave the UAE some of our most top-secret AI tech.
 
They are selling our national security to the highest bidder.

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Lisa W. Fazio, Ben H. Ansell , and 24 more

royalpratt.bsky.social
Gregory Pratt @royalpratt.bsky.social · 8d
University of Illinois college republicans advocate for executing protesters as “traitors” with art that takes a disturbing killing and makes it even more extreme.
dailyillini.com/news-stories...
‘Fell the enemies:’ Illini Republicans support ICE amid killings - The Daily Illini
In a post that included a graphic of a presumed officer holding a gun to someone's head, Illini Republicans stated that they “stand with ICE."
dailyillini.com

Reposted by Melissa Johnson, Philip Nel

joycewhitevance.bsky.social
Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 8d
The Judge who ordered the release of five-year-old Liam wrote quite an opinion. Come read it with me.
open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
The Week Ahead
February 1, 2026
open.substack.com

Reposted by Philip Nel, Sebastiaan Faber, Claire L. Adida , and 1 more

timothysnyder.bsky.social
Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 8d
In Springfield, Ohio, people are preparing in advance of a “large deportation” promised by the president. To all appearances, the city is 2 or 3 days from a federal ethnic cleansing, grounded in a hate campaign organized by the vice-president and American Nazis.
snyder.substack.com/p/ethnic-cle...
Ethnic Cleansing in Ohio?
Nazi Lies in Vance's America
snyder.substack.com

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Anna O. Law, Scott L. Greer , and 17 more

robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 8d
ICE now confirming that there is a measles outbreak at the Texas concentration camp where young Liam was held.

Reposted by Philip Nel, Lisa Diedrich

christinenorrie.bsky.social
christine e. norrie @christinenorrie.bsky.social · 8d
Maybe Liam is too wee yet for Spider-Verse, but I ❤️ Miles Morales and Nueva York is covered in snow too!

Much thanks to @julioanta.bsky.social for the translation so that I could include both spideys.

#Comics4Liam FREE THE CHILDREN!!! Shutter forever these evil detention centers; ABOLISH ICE.
Christine Norrie illustration of Liam Ramos sailing through the air in a Spidey costume wearing his flannel coat and bunny hat, smiling. Text reads: "Para Liam, Eres más valiente que Spider-Man. Eres más fuerte que el Hulk. Nos inspiras a ser mejores. Por eso eres nuestro superhéroe favorito. —Tus amigos"

Reposted by Philip Nel

mattmfm.bsky.social
Matt McDermott @mattmfm.bsky.social · 9d
A must read investigation into a Mexican immigrant with no criminal record who was hospitalized in Minneapolis with multiple skull fractures while in ICE custody.

Federal agents claim he ran headfirst into a wall. Doctors determined that was impossible.

abc7ny.com/post/ice-min...

Reposted by Philip Nel

washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 9d
If you're watching this, the government is shut down.

Reporter Jacob Bogage breaks down which services are open and which are closed during the shutdown. https://wapo.st/4alk8qJ

Reposted by Reece Jones, Ben H. Ansell, Tom Clark , and 17 more

jcollins.bsky.social
Jon Collins @jcollins.bsky.social · 9d
"MPR News has learned that the police chief in the small southern Minnesota city of St. Peter intervened Thursday afternoon to prevent federal immigration agents from arresting a local resident" who had been observing federal agents. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
St. Peter police chief intervenes, prevents federal agents from arresting resident
The police chief of St. Peter intervened to prevent federal agents from taking a local resident who was observing ICE enforcement actions into custody. It is believed to the first time local police in...
www.mprnews.org

Reposted by Philip Nel

propublica.org
ProPublica @propublica.org · 9d
NEW: Our photojournalists @cengizyar.com and @peterdicampo.bsky.social were on the ground in Minneapolis, covering what they saw in the days before and after the shooting of Alex Pretti.

Read their accounts below:
What We Saw in Minneapolis
Our visual journalists documented the days surrounding Alex Pretti’s killing in Minneapolis.
www.propublica.org

Reposted by Philip Nel

susanmarieswanson.bsky.social
Susan Marie Swanson @susanmarieswanson.bsky.social · 9d
Four minutes of your day. Watch this video of children at Valley View Elementary in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, reading their beautiful writing aloud.

To ICE: "I think you should make friends with the world."

What a privilege to get a glimpse of this sunlit, caring school community.
Opinion | ICE Took Their Classmate. They Started Writing Letters.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Philip Nel

wired.com
WIRED @wired.com · 10d
With federal agents storming the streets of American communities, we decided to write a guide on what to do if ICE invades your neighborhood. There’s no single right way to approach a dangerous moment, but there are steps you can take to stay safe. www.wired.com/story/what-t...
What to Do if ICE Invades Your Neighborhood
With federal agents storming the streets of American communities, there’s no single right way to approach this dangerous moment. But there are steps you can take to stay safe—and have an impact.
www.wired.com

Reposted by Philip Nel, Sarah Roberts, Christina Pagel

wired.com
WIRED @wired.com · 10d
Since last year, we’ve been reporting on ICE extensively. But every week brings new information, and it’s getting harder to keep track of what’s happening, let alone remember what’s already happened.

So here’s a quick thread to help.

Reposted by Philip Nel

in-otter-news.bsky.social
In Otter News @in-otter-news.bsky.social · 11d
Steve would like to show you his favourite rock.
Thanks, Steve. It's a great rock.