Kitten update. Six months old: affectionate, smart, and energetic. Can retrieve toy mice, bring them upstairs and downstairs; and hide them under the fridge. On a good day, Mizuki (front) can guess which held out hand holds the mouse, and will bump your fist gently with her nose to tell you.

Not sure what I'm doing yet on this site, but it's certainly a great place to celebrate. Our new lecturer @mairistirlinghill.bsky.social gave her first and fabulous lecture in our shared subject, Romancing the Medieval, and the students gave her a warm round of applause. Very exciting for everyone!

Call for Papers for Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies in beautiful Melbourne this December. Send us a proposal!

Here they are at last! Blue-eyed chocolate point sun god Apollo and green-eyed lilac mink moon maiden Mizuki... Let the reign of the kittens begin! We begin quietly, though, with a period of reflection and observation before leaving the carry case after a long journey.

Let the kitten countdown begin. Just three more days...

Happy Wednesday from these Nahema roses, climbing over the farm gates...

Always knew my honours student was a brilliant writer; she's nearly finished her MA before heading off to do her PhD in the UK (and gave a great talk on Jessica Au at our symposium). But wow: what a wonderful essay! Congrats, Isabella!
sydneyreviewofbooks.com/reviews/her-...

I've only been here five minutes but it's still a pleasure to welcome the celestial companion of my happiest working hours: @levostregc.bsky.social

Thanks to my co-hosts and our fabulous speakers. Such an obvious topic in some ways, but generating some unexpected trans-historical and trans-cultural exchanges. It was just the right size, too, in terms of hours, days, and bodies in the room. Phew!!

This is a really beautiful video: these panels and altarpieces just float up out of the darkness.

This is just hideous.

Possibly the most exciting news I've ever been able to post on social media:
arts.unimelb.edu.au/news/dr-mair...

Look! A message from Chaucer's horse! Sent from my successor as president of the New Chaucer Society, the fabulous Candace Barrington, drawn by the talented @hellomizk.bsky.social, and referencing the talk I gave to the Society in July. Chaucer and the Giant Emu constellation...

Poorly thought-out policy on capping international students has played absolute, needless havoc on higher education in Australia. Policy won't be approved but reputational and financial damage has already been done. Arts Faculty employment and research budgets here have been slashed for 2025. Grrr

It's been three years since we bought this farm in the Otways, which we are converting to grassland, native plant and animal sanctuary. Yesterday was our first fire evacuation. No immediate danger to us but thanks to the CFA for keeping us all safe. www.cfa.vic.gov.au

Registrations are open for our capstone conference for the ARC project 'Literature and the Face: A Critical History'

Figurements: A Symposium on Literature and the Face

👁️ ⭐ 📚 ✍️

27th - 29th November
University of Melbourne

www.eventbrite.com.au/e/figurement...

What we're working on at the moment: face.hypotheses.org/figurements-...

Here I am! What's up? Is Bluesky going to be good for the things I liked best about that other place? Learning what my medievalist friends and scholars are up to? Admiring images from medieval manuscripts? Posting pics of my new kittens (three weeks to go)?