Matt Seybold
@mattseybold.bsky.social
American Vandal Pod | Prof of AmLit & Twain Studies + Director of Media Studies, Elmira College | Resident Scholar @MarkTwain.bsky.social | Political Economy of Mass Media
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Matt Seybold
@mattseybold.bsky.social
· Jun 20
Against Technofeudal Education
Pillars For Protecting Our "Core Infrastructure" From OpenAI
theamericanvandal.substack.com
“The logical conclusion of a technofeudal oligarchy combining forces with an authoritarian political movement is compulsory enrollment in the security state’s platform architecture of surveillance, indoctrination, and behavioral modification.”
Reposted by Matt Seybold
In 2022, Peter Thiel protégé Balaji Srinivasan—formerly of Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase—envisioned a Second American Civil War.
He predicted it would be triggered by Bitcoin.
This is how it would work:
He predicted it would be triggered by Bitcoin.
This is how it would work:
November 11, 2025 at 5:03 AM
In 2022, Peter Thiel protégé Balaji Srinivasan—formerly of Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase—envisioned a Second American Civil War.
He predicted it would be triggered by Bitcoin.
This is how it would work:
He predicted it would be triggered by Bitcoin.
This is how it would work:
Reposted by Matt Seybold
I don't know how to get people to read this article, but I really think many more should.
November 11, 2025 at 1:53 AM
I don't know how to get people to read this article, but I really think many more should.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
For University Press Week, we're highlighting the important, collaborative work that Senior Acquisitions Editor @rcolesworthy.bsky.social does to build bridges across the scholarly publishing ecosystem: tinyurl.com/3t7mdnef/
#TeamUP #ReadUP
#TeamUP #ReadUP
November 10, 2025 at 2:27 PM
For University Press Week, we're highlighting the important, collaborative work that Senior Acquisitions Editor @rcolesworthy.bsky.social does to build bridges across the scholarly publishing ecosystem: tinyurl.com/3t7mdnef/
#TeamUP #ReadUP
#TeamUP #ReadUP
Reposted by Matt Seybold
"The third graders kept a stack of worksheets tucked underneath their chapter books at all times as they took turns reading aloud with their teacher. At any moment, they knew, their teacher might get an urgent text that district officials were on campus."
Deliberate deliteracy.
This is not a fire drill, unless you mean that in the “Fahrenheit 451” sense. In which case, you’re right, that’s precisely what it is.
This is not a fire drill, unless you mean that in the “Fahrenheit 451” sense. In which case, you’re right, that’s precisely what it is.
do the highest reaches of literary studies know about this, for instance www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
November 10, 2025 at 5:45 PM
"The third graders kept a stack of worksheets tucked underneath their chapter books at all times as they took turns reading aloud with their teacher. At any moment, they knew, their teacher might get an urgent text that district officials were on campus."
Deliberate deliteracy.
This is not a fire drill, unless you mean that in the “Fahrenheit 451” sense. In which case, you’re right, that’s precisely what it is.
This is not a fire drill, unless you mean that in the “Fahrenheit 451” sense. In which case, you’re right, that’s precisely what it is.
do the highest reaches of literary studies know about this, for instance www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Falkenberg: Mike Miles takes story books from HISD kindergarteners
First HISD took the libraries. Now teachers say the district’s curriculum leaves no room for storybooks and some are secretly reading to students anyway.
www.houstonchronicle.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Deliberate deliteracy.
This is not a fire drill, unless you mean that in the “Fahrenheit 451” sense. In which case, you’re right, that’s precisely what it is.
This is not a fire drill, unless you mean that in the “Fahrenheit 451” sense. In which case, you’re right, that’s precisely what it is.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
look, when the legendary City Lights asks to record a conversation about close reading, you respond “yes, I’ll hide upstairs in a room in my parents‘ house, put on a clean shirt, and talk a lot with my hands!!!”
join @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , Yael Segalovitz, @samantharhill.bsky.social, and me!
join @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , Yael Segalovitz, @samantharhill.bsky.social, and me!
City Lights has long been a beacon of bookishness for me. It was a thrill to do CITY LIGHTS LIVE!: a conversation about close reading with Yael Segalovitz and my co-editor on Close Reading for the 21C, @johannawinant.bsky.social moderated by @samantharhill.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehZ0...
CITY LIGHTS LIVE! Close Reading Today - Celebrating University Press Week 2025
YouTube video by CityLightsBooks
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
look, when the legendary City Lights asks to record a conversation about close reading, you respond “yes, I’ll hide upstairs in a room in my parents‘ house, put on a clean shirt, and talk a lot with my hands!!!”
join @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , Yael Segalovitz, @samantharhill.bsky.social, and me!
join @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , Yael Segalovitz, @samantharhill.bsky.social, and me!
“Mamdani could, in the span of a single term, dynamically change the entirety of U.S. higher education for the better.”
Mamdani Win Could Be The First Step Towards Seizing The Means of Knowledge Production
Let CUNY socialize EdTech for all of us.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:15 PM
“Mamdani could, in the span of a single term, dynamically change the entirety of U.S. higher education for the better.”
There is no more durable misconception than believing Democratic Senators feel greater solidarity with Democratic voters than they do with Republican Senators.
November 10, 2025 at 2:18 AM
There is no more durable misconception than believing Democratic Senators feel greater solidarity with Democratic voters than they do with Republican Senators.
Synthetic Risk Transfer is a financial innovation you probably haven’t heard of, the specific variety of securitization which is beginning to look like the Credit Default Swap of the next financial crisis.
November 9, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Synthetic Risk Transfer is a financial innovation you probably haven’t heard of, the specific variety of securitization which is beginning to look like the Credit Default Swap of the next financial crisis.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
These guys are constantly saying that Dems need to abandon identity politics and run on kitchen-table issues. They get the most kitchen table-ass candidate imaginable, spend months saying he's secretly radical, then as soon as he wins they say he's secretly moderate.
November 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM
These guys are constantly saying that Dems need to abandon identity politics and run on kitchen-table issues. They get the most kitchen table-ass candidate imaginable, spend months saying he's secretly radical, then as soon as he wins they say he's secretly moderate.
I didn’t take many either but I did get a video of a seemingly infinite line of tanker cars rumbling through the Emory campus.
November 9, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I didn’t take many either but I did get a video of a seemingly infinite line of tanker cars rumbling through the Emory campus.
I’m a big boy. I know humanities scholars don’t get credit for correct predictions. But I did call this.
November 9, 2025 at 12:22 PM
I’m a big boy. I know humanities scholars don’t get credit for correct predictions. But I did call this.
Y’know, just me, Terry Gross, & Dua Lipa doing basically the same work to keep book culture alive around the globe.
November 9, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Y’know, just me, Terry Gross, & Dua Lipa doing basically the same work to keep book culture alive around the globe.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
"One of the things about counterfeiting in the 19th century was that the vast majority of counterfeit detectors were created by counterfeiters, and that's precisely what we're seeing with ed-tech/AI [..] the same companies are selling us plagiarism detection that are selling students guaranteed As."
The 100th episode of American Vandal. Launching the 12th season. Live at UPenn English Faculty Lounge with @cnewf.bsky.social, @whitneytrettien.bsky.social, & an incredible assembly of faculty, students, visiting scholars, & friends of the pod.
Criticism & The Chatbot Bubble (Vandal Live at UPenn English)
with Christopher Newfield & Whitney Trettien
theamericanvandal.substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:46 AM
"One of the things about counterfeiting in the 19th century was that the vast majority of counterfeit detectors were created by counterfeiters, and that's precisely what we're seeing with ed-tech/AI [..] the same companies are selling us plagiarism detection that are selling students guaranteed As."
Reposted by Matt Seybold
Look when I say that I had a headache for two days for this, I mean it in the best way — absolutely over-full of thinkers doing some of the most good-faith work I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of.
I think it's likely that I look back on the book launch symposium for Close Reading for the Twenty-First Century as one of the absolute highlights of my career
thanks to @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , our contributors, and all the participants -- this was so incredible
thanks to @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , our contributors, and all the participants -- this was so incredible
We are underway. @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social delivers opening remarks at a packed “Close Reading For The 21st Centure” book launch symposium.
November 8, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Look when I say that I had a headache for two days for this, I mean it in the best way — absolutely over-full of thinkers doing some of the most good-faith work I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
I would pay good money for a streaming show in which the Cuomo brothers are forced to do real jobs for like one week.
November 8, 2025 at 5:28 PM
I would pay good money for a streaming show in which the Cuomo brothers are forced to do real jobs for like one week.
The NYT is a ragebait troll farm. This is the business model they have chosen, at least for this stretch of history. There is only one rationale response. I’m sorry, but we gotta muzzle the gray lady.
November 8, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The NYT is a ragebait troll farm. This is the business model they have chosen, at least for this stretch of history. There is only one rationale response. I’m sorry, but we gotta muzzle the gray lady.
The raw audio from this is soooo good it’s going to make you glad you weren’t there.
We are underway. @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social delivers opening remarks at a packed “Close Reading For The 21st Centure” book launch symposium.
November 8, 2025 at 4:53 PM
The raw audio from this is soooo good it’s going to make you glad you weren’t there.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
I think it's likely that I look back on the book launch symposium for Close Reading for the Twenty-First Century as one of the absolute highlights of my career
thanks to @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , our contributors, and all the participants -- this was so incredible
thanks to @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , our contributors, and all the participants -- this was so incredible
We are underway. @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social delivers opening remarks at a packed “Close Reading For The 21st Centure” book launch symposium.
November 8, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I think it's likely that I look back on the book launch symposium for Close Reading for the Twenty-First Century as one of the absolute highlights of my career
thanks to @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , our contributors, and all the participants -- this was so incredible
thanks to @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social , our contributors, and all the participants -- this was so incredible
Twain was an early proponent of the “let’s just let women fix it” brand of proto-feminism.
November 8, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Twain was an early proponent of the “let’s just let women fix it” brand of proto-feminism.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
Because, as I have said, it’s only good universal use case is disciplining labor.
November 8, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Because, as I have said, it’s only good universal use case is disciplining labor.
Airports used to have an illustrated map of the terminal. This was an effective solution to the information problem.
I do not want to put my fingers on a touchscreen that thousands of people use everyday, directly after they exit the restroom, in order to know where the bookstore is.
I do not want to put my fingers on a touchscreen that thousands of people use everyday, directly after they exit the restroom, in order to know where the bookstore is.
November 8, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Airports used to have an illustrated map of the terminal. This was an effective solution to the information problem.
I do not want to put my fingers on a touchscreen that thousands of people use everyday, directly after they exit the restroom, in order to know where the bookstore is.
I do not want to put my fingers on a touchscreen that thousands of people use everyday, directly after they exit the restroom, in order to know where the bookstore is.
Reposted by Matt Seybold
Omg 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭😭😭😭
@mattseybold.bsky.social I just read your new AV blog post about CUNY stepping in for public ed-tech. 1) Bold, love it; 2) Lina Khan, who is in the transition team, might be into it. Anyone we know has an in with her? Maybe @moacir.com who's doing digital librarian type work for the DSA...
Mamdani Win Could Be The First Step Towards Seizing The Means of Knowledge Production
Let CUNY socialize EdTech for all of us.
theamericanvandal.substack.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Omg 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭😭😭😭