Lesley A. Hall | Lightnews

Lesley A Hall

@erinacean.bsky.social

12K followers 450 following 3.5K posts

Archivist, historian, reader, Londoner, feminist
@erinacean
@[email protected]
www.lesleyahall.net
https://lesleyahall.blogspot.com/

Videos

History 49%

Political science 20%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Sarah Emily Duff @sarahemilyduff.bsky.social · 3h

‘I’m sorry, but if reading theory makes writing harder for you? Good! You should think about your writing more. You should think more. You should struggle more.’

@thelincoln.bsky.social’s excellent interview with Brandon Taylor:

Processing: How Brandon Taylor Wrote Minor Black Figures

The author on embodied characters, writing process, and how “a novel should show people fighting and striving against and with and for and alongside each other.”

countercraft.substack.com

Lesley A Hall @erinacean.bsky.social · 4h

I was taking the bus to secondary school when I was 10 but had probably been taking buses solo before that!

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 4h

Glad to see what is happening to the BBC Written Archive getting a bit more coverage. Can I suggest people use the public consultation for the BBC Charter Review to raise this issue
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/9febe15...

The BBC scandal of 2025 that went unnoticed

The Written Archives Centre has closed off access to most of its treasures, leaving historians in dismay

www.telegraph.co.uk

Lesley A Hall @erinacean.bsky.social · 5h

This strikes me as being about bean-counters in charge further up. Archivists sometimes have to strike the balance between preservation and access* but this doesn't seem in play and archivists are usually keen to facilitate research access to the collections in their charge.
*& sometimes sensitivity

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Michael Lombardi-Nash @lombardinash.bsky.social · 5h

Urania Manuscripts: English translation of multi-discipline literature from the #GermanGayMovement. Paperback, hardcover, eBook formats. Sociology, #lgbtqHistory #Intersex #TransgenderStudies Magnus Hirschfeld #MagnusHirschfeld * Karl Heinrich Ulrichs www.amazon.com/dp/B083ZKCQB8

The Transvestites: The Erotic Drive to Cross-Dress

Amazon.com: The Transvestites: The Erotic Drive to Cross-Dress eBook : Hirschfeld, Magnus, Lombardi-Nash, Michael: Kindle Store

www.amazon.com

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Heather [Han] @hanhula.com · 5h

There's currently a massive existential threat to a museum in my hometown. We're hoping that online voices will help protect Banbury Museum from being defunded and shut down. This is a really special place to me & to my family, I'd appreciate help!

www.change.org/p/save-banbu...

Sign the Petition

Save Banbury & Museum and Gallery: Urge Cherwell to source alternative funding

www.change.org

Lesley A Hall @erinacean.bsky.social · 5h

Though I have had people come up and ask me about things I cannot imagine why they thought I had any special knowledge about (WW1 in German West Africa???) - but maybe archivists in particular are supposed to hold The Key To All The Knowledges.

Lesley A Hall @erinacean.bsky.social · 5h

which was way older than the age when I was considered capable of getting on a bus by myself and getting off at the right stop! So - as someone said when I responded to a post-lecture question 'it's rather more complicated' - 'historians always say it's more complicated'.

Lesley A Hall @erinacean.bsky.social · 5h

Glad to see this: as historian who has been thinking 'Huh? historical invention of adolescence as category? centuries of children being expected to be responsible providing family members?' vs recently coming across advice column re whether 15-year old was capable of managing public transport 1/2

Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 1d

I finally got some time to flesh out my rant about these headlines...
TL;DR: age differences ≠ aging
jenndowd.substack.com/p/does-adole... #demography #episky #medsky #neurosky

Does adolescence really last until age 32?

Those “turning points” in brain aging aren’t quite what you think

jenndowd.substack.com

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

(Dr) Debbie Challis @poisonchallis.bsky.social · 6h

The point of sharing this was, even then & with the immense amount of respect for the archivists who worked there, it was overlooked by the bbc. The archives are sooooo important for the political, cultural & social history of the uk they should be part of the BL or TNA. Both have their issues obvs.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 6h

Kudos to North Allerton (and to the Refugee Council). giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

‘A place of welcome’: Yorkshire town rallies round to help asylum seekers

Churches and community groups in Northallerton provide food, clothing and company for refugee families

giftarticle.ft.com

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Divorce_History @divorcehistory.bsky.social · 7h

Our FREE ‘Archives to Action’ workshop on 20th January 2026 will now be a fully virtual event. Join us and our fantastic speakers, all welcome, please register using the form below and a joining link will be sent to you.
#Archives #Museums #Policy
www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/new...

Event Programme
One-Day Workshop: Archives to Action: Historical Evidence for Policy Reform in Marital Breakdown, Domestic Abuse, and Child Welfare
Virtual/Online
Tuesday 20 January 2026
Workshop Opens 9:00
09.20 – 10.00 - Welcome and Key Project Findings
10.00-11.00 - Session One
Fair Shares? What financial arrangements do divorcing couples make in the twenty first century?
Jenny Birchall (Fair Shares Project, University of Bristol)
Accessing Justice: Financing Divorce in England and Wales, 1858-1949
Jennifer Aston and Diane Ranyard (Northumbria University)
11.00-11.30 Break
11.30-13.00 - Session Two
Lessons from the Past: Shaping our Futures
Kate Perry-Jones (Welsh Women’s Aid)
Articulating Abuse: Evidence from the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, 1858-1914
Jennifer Aston (Northumbria University)
The Ramifications of Abolishing Marital Coercion: Convicting Our Criminally Coerced Women Defendants
Vanessa Bettison and Nicola Wake (Northumbria University)
13.00-14.00 - Lunch Break
14.00-15.30 - Session Three
Locating women's lives at The National Archives
Jessamy Carlson (The National Archives)
Children in the Archive: Hearing Children’s Voices
Jennifer Aston (Northumbria University) & Saif Ullah (CAFCASS)
Clues in the Catalogues: Detecting Diversity in the Archives
Lizzy Baker (North East Museums)
15.30-16.00 - Break
16.00-16.45 - Open Discussion
Collaborations, Methodologies, Interdisciplinary synergies and Future events and facilitation
16.45-17.00 - Closing Remarks and End of Workshop

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

(Dr) Debbie Challis @poisonchallis.bsky.social · 7h

I worked freelance for the 1st team putting the archive online (2007 & 2009). A visit to WAC was a highlight. I noticed years ago that the written archives accompanying collections were no longer online. I worked on a Margaret Thatcher one & the written docs made news: www.bbc.co.uk/webarchive/h...

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Tom Griffin

Ian Greaves @greavesian.bsky.social · 8h

The open letter is here and still open, but use the email at the top to do so. tinyurl.com/bbcwaccampaign

Reposted by Steve Peers, Lesley A. Hall, Nikki Fairchild

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 8h

Reform UK-led Derbyshire council announce closure of eight residential care homes just days before Christmas.

That's going to spell misery and considerable upset for hundreds of vulnerable people and their carers.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Reform council’s plan to shut eight care homes ‘a betrayal of local people’

Announcement after proposed sale falls through prompts backlash and union says more than 200 jobs at risk

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Leigh Sparks, Martin Paul Eve, Lesley A. Hall , and 1 more Leigh Sparks, Martin Paul Eve, Lesley A. Hall, Sabine Pahl

badly-drawn sleigh 🛷 @soapachu.bsky.social · 8h

He isn't "losing" this money. This is called "paying tax like a responsible citizen and not hiding your money offshore" and we need to start recognising and applauding it.

Manchester Evening News headline 'Anthony Joshua to lose £32m prize money after Jake Paul victory' and then goes on to clarify that this just means he'll pay tax like a responsible UK citizen.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

EveryDoctor @everydoctor.org.uk · 8h

PFI — you’ve probably heard the term, but what does it really mean for the NHS? 💷

PFIs were sold as a smart way to fund hospitals. In reality, they ended up costing the public billions more than they should have.

With PFI-style schemes back on the table, it’s time to understand what’s at stake.👇

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Anett Rode @anettrode.bsky.social · 8h

HateAid is an important and renowned NGO:
hateaid.org/en/

We strengthen human rights on the web

HateAid is a non-profit organisation that promotes human rights in digital space and stands up against digital violence. We support you!

hateaid.org

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Rick Caruso’s Private Fire Crew @amandasmith.bsky.social · 9h

I know one of you has to have a billionaire’s phone number, $1m to save one of the best fossil collections in the country is a bargain. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/s...

The Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, NY is facing foreclosure by December 31st. The Paleontological Research Institution needs to raise $1 million or their collection of 7-10 million fossils — one of the largest in North America — gets scattered across the country.

This includes world-renowned Burgess Shale specimens, the most complete eurypterid ever found, and the Hyde Park Mastodon. Many fossils came from sites that are now paved over and can never be collected again.

The NYT just covered their fight for survival. If you've ever visited or care about preserving paleontological research, they're accepting donations of any size.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

sanneru.bsky.social @sanneru.bsky.social · 11h

"We will not be intimidated by a government that exploits accusations of censorship to silence those who stand up for human rights and freedom of expression," the statement said.
#HateAid sanctioned by the US government #Germany

USA: Sanktionen gegen HateAid-Leiterinnen sorgen für Empörung

In einer ersten Stellungnahme auf die US-Sanktionen sprechen die Leiterinnen von HateAid von einem Akt, um »Kritiker mit aller Härte zum Schweigen zu bringen«. Der ebenfalls betroffene Ex-EU-Kommissar...

www.spiegel.de

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Stacy D. VanDeveer

CZEdwards @czedwards.bsky.social · 11h

I see there’s a post about microplastics going around with a photo of drinking straws, so here is my semi-regular reminder that the 3 biggest sources of microplastics are tires (45%), synthetic clothing particles (35%) and paint (~10%).
Lay article attached:

One of the biggest microplastic pollution sources isn’t straws or grocery bags – it’s your tires

Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go? The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particle...

www.pbs.org

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Larry W. Hunter

Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 13h

So I am going to say something about romance as a genre.

A lot of people think that romance is ignorable because <insert thing they think about romance> and romance authors don't count because <insert thing they think about romance>.

This thread is not about whether you have to like romance.

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Amyana Jones @amyanajones.bsky.social · 14h

It's at least partially the hard cider talking but now I really want to explore a degree in hater studies.

Anthony Moser @anthonymoser.com · 14h

It's absolutely a foundational text in the field of hater studies

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Miriam Elizabeth Burstein @miriameburstein.bsky.social · 15h

ME: Er, surely I did not discuss anything on this topic in the article you cited? I will check.
[checks own article]
ME: I...had absolutely nothing to say about that topic. It is not in the article. Anywhere. #AcademicLifeWithPeoplePretendingToHaveReadYourWork

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Research Society for Victorian Periodicals @rs4vp.org · 18h

Happy Holidays from RSVP! Our gift 🎁 to you is the debut of a new interview series, starting with @patrickleary.bsky.social, who sat down with @c19thnewshound.bsky.social this past year to discuss "Getting Started with Periodicals Research." Stay tuned for more in 2026! rs4vp.org/introducing-...

Introducing A New Interview Series – RSVP

We're launching a new series of interviews of senior RSVP members, who will discuss their advice for researching 19th-century periodicals.

rs4vp.org

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 19h

A dog in Chicago tested positive for rabies, marking the first time in than 60 years that a dog tested positive for the disease in Cook County.

Chicago dog with rabies marks first positive test in Cook County in decades

chicago.suntimes.com

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Margot C. Finn

Alan Richardson @alanrichardson.bsky.social · 19h

Reminder that within research community contexts the demand for evidence before allowing assertion is not censorship; it is upholding standards of evidence.

Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 19h

There is a direct line between Mario Rubio now weaponizing the government against “censorship,” Jay Bhattacharya crying “censorship,” M Shellenberger lying on Substack about “censorship,” and the ongoing destruction of our public health, vaccine, and science infrastructure.

Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 20h

The US State Department is now going to be deporting people and/or revoking visas over Benz, Taibbi, and Shellenberger’s “censorship industrial complex” hoax.

Let that sink in. This is what the Twitter Files pretext was actually about. Water boys for authoritarians.

www.state.gov/releases/off...

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Alan Richardson, Margot C. Finn

Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 19h

Renee DiResta @noupside.bsky.social · 20h

Announcement of Actions to Combat the Global Censorship-Industrial Complex - United States Department of State

The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose....

www.state.gov

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall

Sarah Cowley @bournemouth4eu.bsky.social · 20h

Billionaires shouldn't be able to buy a bigger voice in politics. Add your name to ‪@electoralreform.bsky.social‬'s call to put a cap on how much they can donate in the #ElectionsBill
action.electoral-reform.org.uk/page/179420/...