Dan Punday
@dan-punday.bsky.social
Professor of English at Mississippi State University. I've published on narrative theory, contemporary US (mostly) literature, and computing. Currently working on infrastructure as a narrative issue. Also sometimes makes pottery.
Finishing my American lit survey with Jesmyn Ward's *Sing Unburried Sing." What a novel! I told my students I should have required a box of tissues among the course materials.
November 16, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Finishing my American lit survey with Jesmyn Ward's *Sing Unburried Sing." What a novel! I told my students I should have required a box of tissues among the course materials.
For my birthday last month, I asked my wife for a ridiculous blazer, and my wife knocked it out of the park. Wore it tonight, and got complements at the restaurant and concert we attended. Am I brave enough to wear it to teach?
November 15, 2025 at 3:52 AM
For my birthday last month, I asked my wife for a ridiculous blazer, and my wife knocked it out of the park. Wore it tonight, and got complements at the restaurant and concert we attended. Am I brave enough to wear it to teach?
Wow, I had this on my cubical all during grad school. What a time capsule--and still good advice.
"I consider writing an act of good citizenship."
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
November 11, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Wow, I had this on my cubical all during grad school. What a time capsule--and still good advice.
Reposted by Dan Punday
Lavish.
Higher education can—and should—fight the Trump administration, but the age of lavish government support is coming to a close, Aziz Huq argues.
The Next Era of the American University
Higher education can—and should—fight the Trump administration, but the age of lavish government support is coming to a close.
bit.ly
November 1, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Lavish.
So enjoying this grad seminar on (recent) literature and infrastructure. Easiest teaching job in the world. Though there are only 6 students, class basically involves me coming in and saying, "so what did you think?" and the students cook for 3 hours. My main job is putting things on the whiteboard.
October 28, 2025 at 11:10 AM
So enjoying this grad seminar on (recent) literature and infrastructure. Easiest teaching job in the world. Though there are only 6 students, class basically involves me coming in and saying, "so what did you think?" and the students cook for 3 hours. My main job is putting things on the whiteboard.
Last night, on my way back from a local music show, country-ish, and put on the artist on Apple Music. Next song comes up, sure: another singer they worked with. Then Apple picks house music next. Tempted to skip, but I like the idea that Apple thinks this is my music.
October 24, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Last night, on my way back from a local music show, country-ish, and put on the artist on Apple Music. Next song comes up, sure: another singer they worked with. Then Apple picks house music next. Tempted to skip, but I like the idea that Apple thinks this is my music.
Some students in my lit survey clearly didn't do the reading, and were caught unawares by a pop quiz. One student asked if they could get credit by going to the poetry reading last night I was urging them to attend. I said sure, just send me a selfie from the event. Got a 8 or 9 this morning. Lovely
October 22, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Some students in my lit survey clearly didn't do the reading, and were caught unawares by a pop quiz. One student asked if they could get credit by going to the poetry reading last night I was urging them to attend. I said sure, just send me a selfie from the event. Got a 8 or 9 this morning. Lovely
I don't think I was as successful as I had hoped in convincing my students in the literature survey to love Gertrude Stein. Their loss, obviously, but I feel like I let her down a bit.
October 16, 2025 at 1:54 AM
I don't think I was as successful as I had hoped in convincing my students in the literature survey to love Gertrude Stein. Their loss, obviously, but I feel like I let her down a bit.
Enjoying the new Pynchon novel, although I'm not far in. So happy have this appear out of nowhere. He leans into the genre so joyously. I had to edit a book ms. where I referred to *Bleeding Edge* as "his most recent, and probably last" novel. Glad to be wrong.
October 11, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Enjoying the new Pynchon novel, although I'm not far in. So happy have this appear out of nowhere. He leans into the genre so joyously. I had to edit a book ms. where I referred to *Bleeding Edge* as "his most recent, and probably last" novel. Glad to be wrong.
On the "ripoff degrees" thing, I'm reminded of this data I presented when I interviewed to be dept head at Mississippi State: the difference between humanities earnings and business earnings is trivial over a career. All that matters is finding a way to graduate. Just help people find their niche.
October 11, 2025 at 12:21 PM
On the "ripoff degrees" thing, I'm reminded of this data I presented when I interviewed to be dept head at Mississippi State: the difference between humanities earnings and business earnings is trivial over a career. All that matters is finding a way to graduate. Just help people find their niche.
For the midterm and final in my American lit survey, I let students bring one page of notes with them: both sides, whatever format they want, write or type as small as they care to. Boy, I gotta tell you, 18, 19, 20-year old eyes apparently allow them to read some very small fonts.
October 9, 2025 at 1:02 PM
For the midterm and final in my American lit survey, I let students bring one page of notes with them: both sides, whatever format they want, write or type as small as they care to. Boy, I gotta tell you, 18, 19, 20-year old eyes apparently allow them to read some very small fonts.
On the one hand: yay, here's the new Pynchon novel! On the other hand, I guess I put it in my Amazon cart twice and now have two copies. I'll find someone in the department who wants a free copy.
My wife: well, you're contributing financially to helping poor Pynchon to finally retire from writing.
My wife: well, you're contributing financially to helping poor Pynchon to finally retire from writing.
October 8, 2025 at 11:05 PM
On the one hand: yay, here's the new Pynchon novel! On the other hand, I guess I put it in my Amazon cart twice and now have two copies. I'll find someone in the department who wants a free copy.
My wife: well, you're contributing financially to helping poor Pynchon to finally retire from writing.
My wife: well, you're contributing financially to helping poor Pynchon to finally retire from writing.
Reposted by Dan Punday
Taylor Swift admitted that she didn’t re-read Hamlet for her Ophelia single which is inexcusable really for an “English teacher,” but someone on her team must have been googling images (just like me) and asked her to reproduce hamlet’s posture in this illustration of him killing Polonius.
October 7, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Taylor Swift admitted that she didn’t re-read Hamlet for her Ophelia single which is inexcusable really for an “English teacher,” but someone on her team must have been googling images (just like me) and asked her to reproduce hamlet’s posture in this illustration of him killing Polonius.
Also, said a slightly critical thing about how a student approached a presentation (should have used the MLA Directory of Periodicals, which was in the prompt, rather than just Googling around) and one student responded "Wow, thanks reviewer 2." These students get it.
October 7, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Also, said a slightly critical thing about how a student approached a presentation (should have used the MLA Directory of Periodicals, which was in the prompt, rather than just Googling around) and one student responded "Wow, thanks reviewer 2." These students get it.
Teaching a grad seminar this semester on infrastructure and literature, and the students are amazing. One of the students told me last night that she'd decided on the title for her paper: "a machine called fiction." Not sure where she's going, but talk about a killer start.
October 7, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Teaching a grad seminar this semester on infrastructure and literature, and the students are amazing. One of the students told me last night that she'd decided on the title for her paper: "a machine called fiction." Not sure where she's going, but talk about a killer start.
Obviously, I didn't marry my wife because she had an original Mac, but it didn't hurt. But talk about being a geek princess, referencing the computer by its RAM size.
October 5, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Obviously, I didn't marry my wife because she had an original Mac, but it didn't hurt. But talk about being a geek princess, referencing the computer by its RAM size.
In my American lit survey this week had a bro-y guy always in a ball cap who I assumed was kind of sulky about the class suddenly have like a ton to say about The Waste Land, of all things. Gotta try harder not to infer what's going on in student's heads.
October 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM
In my American lit survey this week had a bro-y guy always in a ball cap who I assumed was kind of sulky about the class suddenly have like a ton to say about The Waste Land, of all things. Gotta try harder not to infer what's going on in student's heads.
I'm the last person qualified to post about the new Taylor Swift album. But I do make a point in my classes for English majors that the literary essay is one of the art forms that they're doing (and they may have others). Swift is an amazing example of productivity: just constantly knocking it out.
October 4, 2025 at 5:31 PM
I'm the last person qualified to post about the new Taylor Swift album. But I do make a point in my classes for English majors that the literary essay is one of the art forms that they're doing (and they may have others). Swift is an amazing example of productivity: just constantly knocking it out.
Listening to yet another podcast reference university endowments as a reason why they don't need to worry about federal funding. Endowments are incredibly legalistic, and tied to very specific spending guides. Every donation has so many rules. It's not like a pool of money you can do whatever with.
October 4, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Listening to yet another podcast reference university endowments as a reason why they don't need to worry about federal funding. Endowments are incredibly legalistic, and tied to very specific spending guides. Every donation has so many rules. It's not like a pool of money you can do whatever with.
Reposted by Dan Punday
Very exciting to see two @columbiaup.bsky.social books shortlisted for the ASAP Book Prize! Congratulations to Chris Fan (@chrisfan.bsky.social) author of ASIAN AMERICAN FICTION AFTER 1965 and Sarah Dimick, author of UNSEASONABLE.
October 3, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Very exciting to see two @columbiaup.bsky.social books shortlisted for the ASAP Book Prize! Congratulations to Chris Fan (@chrisfan.bsky.social) author of ASIAN AMERICAN FICTION AFTER 1965 and Sarah Dimick, author of UNSEASONABLE.
Grad students were over on the weekend to throw some pottery, then trim. Should be ready to glaze next week. Tonight the kid has a house full for D&D. Plus my wife has someone coming over tonight to learn to quilt. I know, the world is terrible but this is a great night in my house. So much life.
October 2, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Grad students were over on the weekend to throw some pottery, then trim. Should be ready to glaze next week. Tonight the kid has a house full for D&D. Plus my wife has someone coming over tonight to learn to quilt. I know, the world is terrible but this is a great night in my house. So much life.
Hadn't seen this before. I guess I'll go ahead and submit a claim.
Let's play "how many books do you have in the Anthropic settlement"? I have 4. I bet some of you have many many more than that secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup
Submit a Claim
secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Hadn't seen this before. I guess I'll go ahead and submit a claim.
Richardson is, of course, an American treasure. But yesterday's substack is unusually great and timely.
September 27, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Richardson is, of course, an American treasure. But yesterday's substack is unusually great and timely.
Update. gaillardia, great coneflower, and lavender popped up right away. Yucca, butterfly bush, and others are dragging their feet.
September 26, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Update. gaillardia, great coneflower, and lavender popped up right away. Yucca, butterfly bush, and others are dragging their feet.