Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
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aketchum22.bsky.social
Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
@aketchum22.bsky.social
3.2K followers 1.1K following 420 posts
PhD in History, professor of Feminist + Social Justice Studies; food, environmental, gender, +tech history, queer, founder of Disrupting Disruptions
https://www.alexketchum.ca/
https://linktr.ee/aketchum
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
chanda.blacksky.app
I just want everyone to have the experience of living in dignity with access to sufficient food, safe housing, needed medical care, high quality education, and time to engage with what sparks their curiosity and spirit

this should not be controversial 🫠
November 10, 2025 at 3:16 AM
aketchum22.bsky.social
yes! also @librarypunk.bsky.social is a great podcast (honoured to have been a past guest)
jasonkoebler.bsky.social Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 4d
I talked to librarians, authors who have had their books banned, and groups that support them for this article. The glee with which schools, libraries, governments, and companies are replacing human workers and nuance with AI would not be possible w/o the successful war on schools and libraries
“One thing that I try to make clear any time I talk about book bans is that it’s not about the books, it’s about deputizing bigots to do the ugly work of defunding all of our public institutions of learning,” Maggie Tokuda-Hall, a cofounder of Authors Against Book Bans, told me. “The current proliferation of AI that we see particularly in the library and education spaces would be possible at the speed and scale that is happening without the precedent of book bans leading into it. They are very comfortable bedfellows because once you have created a culture in which all expertise is denigrated and removed from the equation and considered nonessential, you create the circumstances in which AI can flourish.” Justin, a cohost of the podcast librarypunk, told me that the project of offloading cognitive capacity to AI continues apace: “Part of a fascist project to offload the work of thinking, especially the reflective kind of thinking that reading, study, and community engagement provide,” Justin said. “That kind of thinking cultivates empathy and challenges your assumptions. It's also something you have to practice. If we can offload that cognitive work, it's far too easy to become reflexive and hateful, while having a robot cheerleader telling you that you were right about everything all along.”
November 6, 2025 at 5:18 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
Oh yes- imagine that people want to eat a muffin! Or have any moments of pleasure in their lives...Wow....

all so billionaires can hoard even more wealth that they could never spend in their lifetimes
kathleen.loadingreadyrun.com Kathleen De Vere @kathleen.loadingreadyrun.com · 9d
There is no way to win this game. There is no behavior that will satisfy them.

You are either failing to live within your means, i.e., swearing off all frivolities like some sort of financial anchorite, or you are ruining the economy by not buying things.
paleofuture.bsky.social Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 10d
“At the same time, more than half of Gen Z members say they are struggling to make ends meet, yet a majority buy themselves a small treat, such as a pastry, coffee, or sweet, at least once a week. That can lead to overspending…”

archive.ph/2TI8J
November 2, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
clancyny.bsky.social
A Nature poll found that 75% of U.S. researchers are considering leaving the country.

Guyz, even the *historians* are leaving or contemplating / likely to go. Including, at least 3 historians that I know of in my subfield. 😢
Top researchers consider leaving U.S. amid funding cuts: 'The science world is ending'
A poll from the journal Nature found that 75% of researchers in the U.S. are considering leaving the country. That includes a man who’s been dubbed the "Mozart of Math." Stephanie Sy examines what’s b...
www.pbs.org
October 31, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
heavyredaction.bsky.social
New preprint alert! 🚨

“Let Them Eat Large Language Models: Artificial Intelligence and Austerity in the Neoliberal University”
Let Them Eat Large Language Models: Artificial Intelligence and Austerity in the Neoliberal University Martha Kenney and Martha Lincoln Abstract This article examines the expansion of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) into higher education. We argue that genAI’s incursion into university systems represents an effort by Silicon Valley to capture lucrative new markets for their products, as well as enhanced credibility by association. Drawing on our experience as faculty in the California State University (CSU) system—the first university system to contract with OpenAI to provide ChatGPT Edu system-wide—we assess the rhetoric that justifies and legitimizes genAI contracts in higher education. We suggest that the uncritical adoption of genAI in higher education poses problems for labor conditions, the integrity of intellectual property, and student learning on campuses, particularly under the conditions of austerity that are commonly found in public universities.
October 25, 2025 at 5:05 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
Sharing again since folks ask me about organizing book events a lot (since I organize quite a few): www.historicalcookingproject.com/2023/03/orga...
Organizing a Book Tour
Historical recipes reviewed and revisited // Les recettes d'antan revues et corrigées
www.historicalcookingproject.com
October 29, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
tedmccormick.bsky.social
It is hard to overstate the stress produced by the incoherence of academic institutions pumping generative AI when they want to play business and then leaving instructors to deal with the results when they want to play school
miriamposner.com Miriam Posner @miriamposner.com · 14d
Cheating with an LLM is the easiest thing in the world for a student to do, but it creates a massive, laborious headache for a prof, if you intend to take it seriously. There’s meetings, emails, discussions, moral dilemmas. It’s just incredibly burdensome, on top of everything else right now.
corinnegressang.bsky.social Corinne Gressang @corinnegressang.bsky.social · 14d
I had 9 meetings about students using Chat GPT/LLMs on their papers today.

If you want to know why professors burn out, ask anyone trying to teach critical thinking and writing skills to Freshmen....
October 28, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
clancyny.bsky.social
It was a bitch to find. So, I wrote out the steps. You have to do it on desktop only.
clancyny.bsky.social Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 14d
It makes a huge difference in speed! I had wondered what had changed! 🙏🏼

I had trouble finding it, so here are the steps:

It's the Advanced Settings menu, click Google Drive for desktop menu.

At top right, click Settings (gear icon).

Go to Manage Apps.

Go to Gemini. Uncheck "use by default."
URL: https://drive.google.com/drive/settings Settings General Privacy Notifications Manage apps Manage apps connected to Drive AppSheet K check box Use by default .. D DocHub - PDF Sign and Edit check box Use by default Gemini check box Use by default
October 27, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
lizshannonmiller.com
friend shared this, immediately updated my settings
Screenshot of text: unfuck google drive by shooting gemini Hey folks! Google is fucking you via sneaky enshittification again! Want the shit in your google drive to load instantly again, instead of taking for-fucking-ever? Open your gdrive (web OR app) Settings > Manage Apps Gemini was checked "use as default" (and i sure the fuck didn't set it that way, this was a silent push) Nuke that, and suddenly, folders that took up to a minute to populate and sort do so in a fraction of a second.
October 27, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
moiradonegan.bsky.social
One thing I think is useful about Hoschild is that she didn’t just ask people how they divided their domestic labor, but actually tracked how they spent their time. And she found that even in marriages where both partners claimed that the work was evenly divided, in practice women did much more.
October 26, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
matthewjkuiper.bsky.social
Smart people keep saying…

“AI technologies severely impede humans’ ability to learn and retain skills… Rather than expanding our intellectual horizons, these technologies undermine the very conditions that allow us to think for ourselves.”
AI Is Hollowing Out Higher Education
Olivia Guest & Iris van Rooij urge teachers and scholars to reject tools that commodify learning, deskill students, and promote illiteracy.
www.project-syndicate.org
October 25, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
jackiantonovich.bsky.social
It's not lost on me that the part of the White House we are destroying is the part that has to do with women's history in the White House.
newseye.bsky.social News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 17d
NEW: NBC News confirms that the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, on the east side of the White House, has been destroyed as part of the demolition of the East Wing.

(📸 Getty Images)
A picture of the garden in front of the east wing of the White House. A mix of colorful flowers and small trees
October 24, 2025 at 4:47 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
In honor of Queer History Month, we are soft launching Cafe Queer Montreal

This website showcases Montréal's 2SLGBTQ+ food and drink history, including everything from restaurants, bars, cafes, bake sales, parties, bakeries, potlucks, and more!

www.cafequeermontreal.com
@mcgillarts.bsky.social
photo of zines
October 23, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
cedarsageskoden.bsky.social
everyone read this!! there’s also a photo of the comic i contributed in here 🥰🥰💜
October 23, 2025 at 5:14 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
Grateful for this coverage: laurakitty.substack.com/p/queers-at-...

@mcgillarts.bsky.social @mcgillumedia.bsky.social @arsenalpulp.bsky.social @concordiapress.bsky.social
Queers at the Table: On LGBTQ Food, Recipes, and Comics
A conversation with Alex Ketchum and Megan Elias on their new illustrated anthology
laurakitty.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:38 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
For the Royal Society of Canada we had to make a 1 minute video describing our research: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg0g...
@src-rsc.bsky.social @mcgillarts.bsky.social @mcgillumedia.bsky.social
@concordiapress.bsky.social @arsenalpulp.bsky.social
Alex Ketchum | 2025 New RSC College Member | McGill University
YouTube video by The Royal Society of Canada
www.youtube.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:49 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
Some recent media pieces about my research/ publications!
thank you @xtramagazine.com and @autostraddle.bsky.social

xtramagazine.com/power/identi...

www.autostraddle.com/our-most-ant...

@concordiapress.bsky.social @arsenalpulp.bsky.social @transatlanticagcy.bsky.social
pink background and screenshot of piece (linked) pink background and screenshot of piece (linked) pink background and screenshot of piece (linked)
October 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
Upcoming November events!
www.queerfoodconference.com/p/additional...

@arsenalpulp.bsky.social @transatlanticagcy.bsky.social @benglishhh.bsky.social
list of the events, but the link is better https://www.queerfoodconference.com/p/additional-events.html on orange background
October 22, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
tamigraph.bsky.social
Just in time for Halloween, our @asapjournal.bsky.social cluster on Algorithms and the Occult is out! 👻

Featuring @emmaquilty.bsky.social, @aketchum22.bsky.social, @xrw.bsky.social, @drs.bsky.social, @serife.bsky.social, @thechristinet.bsky.social, @jessrauchberg.bsky.social, and more!
Algorithms and the Occult - ASAP/Review
asapjournal.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:14 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
My article “Cyber Spell Books: From Techno Pagans to AI Grimoires” discusses AI grimoires within a larger historical context of digital technology, magic practitioners, and popular culture.
asapjournal.com/node/cyber-s...

@asapjournal.bsky.social @tamigraph.bsky.social @jeffreymoro.com
new article and image of cyber spell books green background and image of the article
October 21, 2025 at 3:35 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
I am happy to share that my article "Cyber Spell Books: From Techno Pagans to AI Grimoires" is now published in Algorithms +the Occult!

asapjournal.com/node/cyber-s...

@asapjournal.bsky.social

Thank you @tamigraph.bsky.social @jeffreymoro.com

@mcgillarts.bsky.social @mcgillumedia.bsky.social
October 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Reposted by Dr. Alex Ketchum (she/her)
angrystaffer.bsky.social
Boston. Wow.
October 18, 2025 at 5:19 PM
aketchum22.bsky.social
www.eventbrite.com/e/1770916722...
www.eventbrite.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:35 AM
aketchum22.bsky.social
archestrat.us/collections/...
archestrat.us
October 16, 2025 at 1:35 AM
aketchum22.bsky.social
www.mcgill.ca/arts/article...

@mcgillarts.bsky.social @mcgillumedia.bsky.social @arsenalpulp.bsky.social
Faculty Publication Spotlight: "Queers at the Table" by Alex Ketchum
Queers at the Table is a new anthology of essays, comics, and recipes that explores the dynamic and transformative relationship between queerness and food. Co-edited by historian Megan J. Elias and Mc...
www.mcgill.ca
October 14, 2025 at 10:17 PM