Peter McCullough
@mcculloughp.bsky.social
Mostly post about things I like, make, or grow. 🌱🪡🏳️🌈 + climate, environment, arts, early modern culture. Prof. of English, U. Of Oxford.
I do love a bit of irony of a morning.
November 10, 2025 at 9:55 AM
I do love a bit of irony of a morning.
'A generation unkind to their parents, and their children, pure in their own eyes, cruel hearted, whose teeth were as knives to shred the poor of the earth, shred them small. Where a general corruption that way, no good to be hoped for; the country will not last long.' (Lancelot Andrewes, 1617)
November 8, 2025 at 4:04 PM
'A generation unkind to their parents, and their children, pure in their own eyes, cruel hearted, whose teeth were as knives to shred the poor of the earth, shred them small. Where a general corruption that way, no good to be hoped for; the country will not last long.' (Lancelot Andrewes, 1617)
Outlook has moved the delete icon from the solemn, easy-access splendour it deserved at the far right of a message into a crowded cluster on the left and it's doing my head in.
November 6, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Outlook has moved the delete icon from the solemn, easy-access splendour it deserved at the far right of a message into a crowded cluster on the left and it's doing my head in.
I’m determined that my 1990 grad school FQ sees me through to retirement.
November 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
I’m determined that my 1990 grad school FQ sees me through to retirement.
Tho't I'd check where Donne's sermons were in the new humanities library. Gratified that they were all checked out, but shelved under history of religion, separated by a whole floor from all of his other presumably more 'literary' works. FFS. Talk about a judgment on one's life's work. #earlymodern
November 3, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Tho't I'd check where Donne's sermons were in the new humanities library. Gratified that they were all checked out, but shelved under history of religion, separated by a whole floor from all of his other presumably more 'literary' works. FFS. Talk about a judgment on one's life's work. #earlymodern
If transitory things, which soon decay,
Age must be loveliest at the latest day.
(Donne, ‘The Autumnal’)
Age must be loveliest at the latest day.
(Donne, ‘The Autumnal’)
November 1, 2025 at 3:48 PM
If transitory things, which soon decay,
Age must be loveliest at the latest day.
(Donne, ‘The Autumnal’)
Age must be loveliest at the latest day.
(Donne, ‘The Autumnal’)
We are both swooning over the chapter titles.
October 31, 2025 at 8:54 PM
We are both swooning over the chapter titles.
Middle-class crisis: kill batch of sourdough by turning oven on to ‘take the chill off’ for proving and forget to turn it off.
October 19, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Middle-class crisis: kill batch of sourdough by turning oven on to ‘take the chill off’ for proving and forget to turn it off.
Little pleasures—for tailor’s chalk I use a piece of chalk I picked up at one of my favourite places.
October 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Little pleasures—for tailor’s chalk I use a piece of chalk I picked up at one of my favourite places.
By some fluke of scheduling I ended up with the inaugural lecture in the Faculty’s new home this morning. (People did attend, but I was there paranoid-early of course.)
October 13, 2025 at 9:12 AM
By some fluke of scheduling I ended up with the inaugural lecture in the Faculty’s new home this morning. (People did attend, but I was there paranoid-early of course.)
A touch of May in October.
October 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
A touch of May in October.
Odd to stumble on one's name in catalogue metadata. This was a copy of Andrewes' XCVI Sermons that I used almost every day during my JRF (post-doc)—I didn't damage it (!), but it seemed an obvious way to say thank you.
October 10, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Odd to stumble on one's name in catalogue metadata. This was a copy of Andrewes' XCVI Sermons that I used almost every day during my JRF (post-doc)—I didn't damage it (!), but it seemed an obvious way to say thank you.
The best thing about Oxford’s new Radcliffe Quarter development is the vista to the old OUP gate.
October 9, 2025 at 8:33 AM
The best thing about Oxford’s new Radcliffe Quarter development is the vista to the old OUP gate.
It’s clean-out-the-greenhouse night. (Not the burrata, obviously),
October 7, 2025 at 6:01 PM
It’s clean-out-the-greenhouse night. (Not the burrata, obviously),
Hadn’t realised *quite* how many quinces were on our little tree. Jelly and membrillo day it seems.
October 4, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Hadn’t realised *quite* how many quinces were on our little tree. Jelly and membrillo day it seems.
Well that almost broke me (stiff canvas, lining, zipper), but I now have a new bag ready for term to start. (Pattern and fabric from Merchant & Mills, Rye.)
Oh, and those lectures I wanted to revise . . .
Oh, and those lectures I wanted to revise . . .
October 3, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Well that almost broke me (stiff canvas, lining, zipper), but I now have a new bag ready for term to start. (Pattern and fabric from Merchant & Mills, Rye.)
Oh, and those lectures I wanted to revise . . .
Oh, and those lectures I wanted to revise . . .
We had egg hunts too, but probably more rustic in the Gold Country (e.g. always found some in the woodpile). And OMG how’s this for a 70s tragicomedy of trying to look butch with an Easter basket in the obligatory annual family photo?
September 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
We had egg hunts too, but probably more rustic in the Gold Country (e.g. always found some in the woodpile). And OMG how’s this for a 70s tragicomedy of trying to look butch with an Easter basket in the obligatory annual family photo?
And yes, about what’s beyond the hedge!
September 30, 2025 at 2:14 PM
And yes, about what’s beyond the hedge!
Autumn symmetries.
September 30, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Autumn symmetries.
The dwarf quince has been a trooper this year.
September 27, 2025 at 10:15 AM
The dwarf quince has been a trooper this year.
Last cut from sunflower ‘Claret’; so many variations from plant to plant—none of them claret though.
September 25, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Last cut from sunflower ‘Claret’; so many variations from plant to plant—none of them claret though.
Best comfort lunch ever.
September 22, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Best comfort lunch ever.
My favourite equivalent was jr high school English teacher (1970s) who had a huge poster of this w/ a piece of card taped over the weapon so when inevitably asked, she could explain phallic symbols.
September 22, 2025 at 5:23 AM
My favourite equivalent was jr high school English teacher (1970s) who had a huge poster of this w/ a piece of card taped over the weapon so when inevitably asked, she could explain phallic symbols.