Isabel Köster
@iotasubscript.bsky.social
PhD; associate professor of Roman history and literature; particularly enthusiastic about Roman religion and insults; author of Stealing from the Gods: Temple Robbery in the Roman Imagination (Michigan, 1/2026); never speak for my employer
Speaking of the grand staircase, I noticed these guys hanging out under the handrail for the first time today. Aren’t they adorable?
November 11, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Speaking of the grand staircase, I noticed these guys hanging out under the handrail for the first time today. Aren’t they adorable?
I now feel even more strongly that they should have made the Hokusai look from this summer permanent.
November 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
I now feel even more strongly that they should have made the Hokusai look from this summer permanent.
... and then you discover they have an Excel fetish...
November 10, 2025 at 2:25 PM
... and then you discover they have an Excel fetish...
I got to play with a simulation of a Korean divination technique that is based on the first animal sound you hear (in the new year, technically). The dog bark got me “Many thieves for the year,” so I’d like to remind everyone that the temple robbers are happy to go on tour for a book talk.
November 8, 2025 at 8:56 PM
I got to play with a simulation of a Korean divination technique that is based on the first animal sound you hear (in the new year, technically). The dog bark got me “Many thieves for the year,” so I’d like to remind everyone that the temple robbers are happy to go on tour for a book talk.
The first author copy has arrived!! The official publication date is Jan. 7th (and the open access— i.e., free— electronic version will become available on that date as well). I’m planning to be at the SCS in San Francisco to hold Mr. Murder Mittens’s paw. press.umich.edu/Books/S/Stea...
October 30, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The first author copy has arrived!! The official publication date is Jan. 7th (and the open access— i.e., free— electronic version will become available on that date as well). I’m planning to be at the SCS in San Francisco to hold Mr. Murder Mittens’s paw. press.umich.edu/Books/S/Stea...
China inscriptions folks, can you help me make sense of what I saw in the National Art Museum of China? The translation app would make these squeezes. Is that correct and if so, how are they made? They look incredible, and I am very jealous.
October 21, 2025 at 2:13 PM
China inscriptions folks, can you help me make sense of what I saw in the National Art Museum of China? The translation app would make these squeezes. Is that correct and if so, how are they made? They look incredible, and I am very jealous.
Oh, and, happy 2-year anniversary to the best email I've ever gotten from a bookseller as part of a rather complex effort to get a copy of Francesca Stavrakopoulou's "God: An Anatomy"
October 9, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Oh, and, happy 2-year anniversary to the best email I've ever gotten from a bookseller as part of a rather complex effort to get a copy of Francesca Stavrakopoulou's "God: An Anatomy"
The owl app is dropping essential phrases again…
October 6, 2025 at 5:20 PM
The owl app is dropping essential phrases again…
This is definitely AI.
September 27, 2025 at 1:36 PM
This is definitely AI.
Especially not those of us who learned Greek with Hansen & Quinn…
September 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Especially not those of us who learned Greek with Hansen & Quinn…
Kuang’s Katabasis (aka, hell’s academia people) is one of the finest academic satires I’ve read. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything with this bit about being required to write a dissertation (and pass the defense!) in hell, which makes me feel way too seen.
September 13, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Kuang’s Katabasis (aka, hell’s academia people) is one of the finest academic satires I’ve read. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything with this bit about being required to write a dissertation (and pass the defense!) in hell, which makes me feel way too seen.
But they are so pretty! (I’m joking— I totally get that. Once you have a paper size and a preferred line, that’s it)
September 10, 2025 at 6:18 PM
But they are so pretty! (I’m joking— I totally get that. Once you have a paper size and a preferred line, that’s it)
Happy 150th birthday, apparently not on Bluesky Smith College.
September 9, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Happy 150th birthday, apparently not on Bluesky Smith College.
Oy, some of us are trying to work on this fine Monday.
September 1, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Oy, some of us are trying to work on this fine Monday.
To the library to swap out fun reads and getting some academic stuff as well. I really don’t know what to make of Yun Ko-Eun’s The Disaster Tourist. Such a good premise, gloriously cynical, but it cannot stick the landing and the last third to quarter is a weird soap opera with crocodiles.
August 28, 2025 at 9:37 PM
To the library to swap out fun reads and getting some academic stuff as well. I really don’t know what to make of Yun Ko-Eun’s The Disaster Tourist. Such a good premise, gloriously cynical, but it cannot stick the landing and the last third to quarter is a weird soap opera with crocodiles.
Today’s fresh book smell is provided by…
August 27, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Today’s fresh book smell is provided by…
Mine aren’t ancient, but also needed.
August 23, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Mine aren’t ancient, but also needed.
Ok, that gets the owl.
August 21, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Ok, that gets the owl.
Well, I think I know one of her customers…
August 18, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Well, I think I know one of her customers…
Right this second he's hanging out with Marcus Aurelius in Trier. He's a charmer.
August 14, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Right this second he's hanging out with Marcus Aurelius in Trier. He's a charmer.
Joining #WorldLionDay with whatever this is (from the Regensburg Historical Museum.
August 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Joining #WorldLionDay with whatever this is (from the Regensburg Historical Museum.
When your department’s fondness for cute course titles yet again brings hilarity to the inbox of one of the instructors of “Bread and Circuses.” No, I don’t think we need this for the intro to the Romans.
August 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
When your department’s fondness for cute course titles yet again brings hilarity to the inbox of one of the instructors of “Bread and Circuses.” No, I don’t think we need this for the intro to the Romans.
So excited that my book has a cover. Michigan's design people have outdone themselves in their styling of Mr. Murder Mittens (a massive Roman temple key from Switzerland). Full details here (the e-version will be open access come the publication date): press.umich.edu/Books/S/Stea...
July 30, 2025 at 11:18 PM
So excited that my book has a cover. Michigan's design people have outdone themselves in their styling of Mr. Murder Mittens (a massive Roman temple key from Switzerland). Full details here (the e-version will be open access come the publication date): press.umich.edu/Books/S/Stea...
My Introduction to Sahidic Coptic finally made it from The Raven (which apparently sells through Amazon Marketplace now? Of course they can have my money) to Colorado and contains a real New England higher ed RIP (Marlboro College is relatively recently deceased).
July 29, 2025 at 10:07 PM
My Introduction to Sahidic Coptic finally made it from The Raven (which apparently sells through Amazon Marketplace now? Of course they can have my money) to Colorado and contains a real New England higher ed RIP (Marlboro College is relatively recently deceased).
Coptic is generally a trip with fun gifts from Ancient Greek sprinkled throughout, but it's blowing my mind that with all the Egyptians were up to, Coptic goes to Greek for "soul" and "flesh." (slide credit @lcbmphd.bsky.social , whose weekly vocab list I've stolen this from)
July 22, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Coptic is generally a trip with fun gifts from Ancient Greek sprinkled throughout, but it's blowing my mind that with all the Egyptians were up to, Coptic goes to Greek for "soul" and "flesh." (slide credit @lcbmphd.bsky.social , whose weekly vocab list I've stolen this from)