Karen Leick
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kleick.bsky.social
Karen Leick
@kleick.bsky.social
1.5K followers 4.3K following 300 posts
Teaches at University of Illinois at Chicago. Modernism, Professional Writing, Gertrude Stein, middle-brow writers, periodical studies, DH. Always happy to see your pets. she/her
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kleick.bsky.social
Peters really gives away the game when he responds to people in the comments. I gasped at “groupthink.”
Jeremy Peters G Free speech and education reporter • last week @Margaret Melville In my experience, having spent a lot of time with college students and the parents who pay their tuition, you can believe something is broken with our higher education system and most definitely not be "anti-education." As one of Mamdani's professors told me for this article, there's no question that faculty overwhelmingly skew left. And we can't ignore the fact that a lot of people find that uniformity troubling. Most colleges seemed to be doing little about that until the Trump administration forced them to -- by exceeding their authority and violating the Constitution in many cases, of course. Then you have many academics saying the groupthink isn't a real issue. When a society's institutions start to fail, it's often because they lose credibility with the people they serve. I know a lot of leaders of higher education who are really paying attention to that now.
November 9, 2025 at 2:24 PM
kleick.bsky.social
I mean he looks all right here!
Image of Robert Redford as Gatsby (1974), floating in his pool, looking amazing, moments before Wilson shoots him.
November 1, 2025 at 11:29 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Job posting! Assistant Professor in Creative Writing – English Department, University of Illinois - Chicago.

To apply, submit an online application including cover letter, CV, letters of recommendation and a 20-page writing sample by November 1, 2025.

jobs.uic.edu
Position Summary The Department of English/Program for Writers at the University of Illinois-Chicago seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Creative Writing (prose fiction). PhD is preferred, though MFA with suitable experience will be considered; degree must be conferred by time of appointment. At least one book published or under contract is expected, as is a demonstrated record of teaching and mentoring. UIC faculty are expected to carry out their responsibilities in person and onsite as part of a vibrant and collegial on-campus community. Our new colleague will teach courses unless otherwise specified in the fields of Creative Writing and American Literature and will engage in ongoing research in an area of expertise. Responsibilities include: teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels (2-2 load); mentoring and advising students; providing service to the university; and actively contributing to the intellectual life of the department and the broader campus.
September 24, 2025 at 8:07 PM
kleick.bsky.social
The Random House advertisement for Ulysses in 1934 had a summary! hrc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...
1934 poster from Random House: "How to enjoy James Joyce's Ulysses": includes a summary of each chapter with themes and a map of Dublin.
September 12, 2025 at 10:39 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Map showing the location of the North Chicago military base, 1 hour and 16 minute drive to downtown Chicago.
September 3, 2025 at 12:08 PM
kleick.bsky.social
LOL. No.
Suggestion from LinkedIn to follow Bari Weiss.
August 15, 2025 at 2:10 AM
kleick.bsky.social
LOL. It’s bad! He thinks books aren’t good any more, and this is the reason:
Furthermore, the literary world is a progressive world, and progressivism - forgive me, left-wing readers - has a conformity problem. Even more than on the right, there are incredible social pressures in left-wing circles to not say anything objectionable.
July 11, 2025 at 1:01 PM
kleick.bsky.social
This is all you need to know about the framing of the story:
Along the road to Skrmetti, some believe, the L.G.B.T.Q. movement drove itself toward a cliff - and took the Democratic Party with it, chaining the Biden administration to one of the most divisive issues in American politics at a moment of shifting medical consensus and fierce polarization. "It's one of the biggest mistakes in the history of trans activism," said Brianna Wu, a trans woman who serves on the board of Rebellion PAC, a Democratic political-action committee. Strangio and other advocates for trans rights have cast Skrmetti as the case they had to bring. It may also have set their movement back a generation.
June 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Great! Lots of joy in Chicago yesterday. Didn't Jon drink some Malört at a show you did here? He might enjoy this sign: "No ICE in my Malört" -- LOL.
Signs at the rally in Chicago on 6/14/25. "No ICE in my Malört"!
June 15, 2025 at 5:42 PM
kleick.bsky.social
What is going on here.
developing habits of mind. When ideology seeps into education, it has the opposite effect. I would rather my fellow citizens understand why it is wrong to kidnap babies and grandmothers than to be fluent in the subtleties of postcolonialism.
May 3, 2025 at 12:21 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Love the title of this book (haven’t read it yet)
AI Snake Oil: what artificial intelligence can do, what it can’t, and how to tell the difference
March 28, 2025 at 12:30 AM
kleick.bsky.social
#caturday picture of the week!
apnews.com/article/glob...
A cat is silhouetted as he sits in front of The Pyramid of Cestius, an ancient monument built in about 18–12 B.C. as a tomb for Gaius Cestius, in Rome, Monday, March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
March 9, 2025 at 6:35 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Happy #caturday from Olive.
Tortie curled up in a Pyrex blue bowl.
March 8, 2025 at 1:28 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Pinball kitty. #caturday
March 1, 2025 at 3:13 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Op-Ed in the Chicago Tribune supporting trans youth: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/28/o...
We are calling out these bullying tactics for what they are and asking courts to block their enforce-ment. Most of all, we hope that Americans will see that problems of our nation are not improved by picking on youths - especially the 0.0009% of youths in Illinois who already are vulnerable to harassment and harm. This is certainly not making America great. Aisha N. Davis is a senior policy counsel and Edwin C. Yohnka the director of communications and public policy at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.
February 28, 2025 at 6:08 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Quote post with a picture you took in a National Park.
Picture of a trail at Zion National Park with mossy red clay cliffs to one side, and a river on the other.
February 25, 2025 at 4:39 AM
kleick.bsky.social
Gambling kitty!!!! Happy #caturday
Calico cat curled up on a mini craps table. She looks a little bit alarmed.
February 23, 2025 at 2:04 AM
kleick.bsky.social
#caturday blep
Tortie facing camera with tiny pink tongue poking out.
January 19, 2025 at 5:08 AM
kleick.bsky.social
It was a very popular choice for freshman composition anthologies for many years (I'm not sure if it still is) ... This is the TOC of the Longman Reader, 10th Ed. (just happened to see it on my shelf).
"Narration" section of the Longman Reader, 10th Ed.: Audre Lorde, "The Fourth of July," George Orwell, "Shooting an Elephant," Joan Murray, "Someone's Mother," Langston Hughes, "Salvation," Barbara Ehrenreich, "Serving in Florida"
December 31, 2024 at 4:33 PM
kleick.bsky.social
😔
"The episode in its final form was so beautiful — and beautifully illustrated some of the experiences of being trans - and it was literally going to save lives by showing those who feel alone and unloved, that there are people out there who understand" says one former Pixar employee who did not work directly on the show but had seen it and asked to remain anonymous.
December 27, 2024 at 11:27 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Her strange argument is that Disney doesn’t *really* respect moms like her - the choice is just about money. Also this paragraph made me LOL - such a funny non sequitur.
Disney+, the future home of “Win or Lose,” runs about $120 to $160 a year. That’s actually a bargain compared with the cost of visiting Disney World or Disneyland, where a family can burn through thousands of dollars in a few days.
December 24, 2024 at 10:46 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Don't read the comments. 😬
Biological males who identify as women should not be able to change and shower with biological females just because they identify as female. I say this as a liberal activist. My female friends have had this happen to them and it freaks them out. Same with competing in women's sports. I'm happy to treat transgender people with dignity and respect, but there are limits to everyone's rights. --Oregon During a visit to the pediatrician for a regular checkup for my two-year-old granddaughter, her parents were asked "what gender does your child identify with?" Not only were her parents shocked, but we all left the Democratic party that very day. Enough! - New York
November 27, 2024 at 8:50 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Happy #caturday from Marlowe.
Dilute calico cat draped over an open stair with one white paw hanging down.
November 23, 2024 at 6:49 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Hello from Marlowe and Olive.
Dilute calico and her Tortie sister sitting on a cube by the screen door so they have a nice view.
November 11, 2024 at 11:24 PM
kleick.bsky.social
Front page coverage in the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday 10/29. Headline: "Puerto Ricans Decry Joke at Trump Rally" (above the fold), followed by one story about the rally and one about the local reaction to it.
Chicago Tribune headline 10/29: Puerto Ricans decry joke at Trump Rally. Smaller headline "Area residents 'It's a disrespect to the people.'"
October 31, 2024 at 12:03 PM