Dr. Kristina Downs
kristinadowns.bsky.social
Dr. Kristina Downs
@kristinadowns.bsky.social
Folklorist. Childless cat lady. Wine maker. Goth fairy. I research legend and crime. She/her

Thoughts are my own, not speaking for anyone else.
LOL Perhaps.

Welsh DuoLingo is weirdly fixated on parsnips, though they're usually associated with a guy named Owen. "Owen was eating parsnips in the rain." "Owen bought parsnips at the nightclub." "The Dragon ate all of Owen's parsnips."
September 24, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Wednesdays are a long day this semester, but my last thing is a discussion group for my Women's Lit class, and it's just a great group. We have fantastic conversations about women's writing and it's a fantastic way to end the day.
September 17, 2025 at 11:58 PM
I thought we had reached a place of peaceful coexistence. Until this morning when I went out to feed the feral cats and got attacked. Stung on the arm and nose. Super cute. (Though honestly, I'll take a wasp sting over a fire ant bite) Apparently peaceful coexistence is over.
August 5, 2025 at 11:14 PM
AI is learning quickly and like a child getting better at telling stories. #ISCLR2025
June 26, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Turns out Chat GPT 3.5 can tell fairy tales and legends (not well), but not jokes or contemporary legends. #ISCLR2025
June 26, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Ostling points out that the UFO tradition does have accounts of babies (or genetic materials used to make children) being stolen, but lack stories of channeling replacements #ISCLR2025
June 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Brodie uses Gary Butler's seldom used term "traditum," a belief that is known but not believed #ISCLR2025
June 24, 2025 at 11:22 AM