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Dr. Paula R. Curtis

@paularcurtis.bsky.social

6.4K followers 800 following 16K posts

Medievalist. Historian. Japan. Project Juggler. DH. Extremely Tired. Good & Bad cats. 🐾 Rock art. 🎨 Operations Leader @jppinfo.bsky.social, UCLA http://prcurtis.com/ Support open-access projects: http://patreon.com/prcurtis, http://ko-fi.com/prcurtis

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · Nov 21

Hello new folks! If you've just followed, I'm a historian of medieval Japan working on metal caster networks & documentary forgery. I manage @jppinfo.bsky.social, which facilitates greater equity and inclusion in the Japanese humanities. I also do East Asia + digital humanities and post cat chaos. 🐾

Four images side by side. The first is a photo of a cream tabby named Fox who is making a one-brain-cell face with his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. The second is a medieval Japanese handwritten document with black calligraphy on dark gray recycled paper. The third is a tortie cat named Rigatoni, gazing sadly at the viewer from her Trash Jail (a black mesh trash can turned upside down on top of her because she is a naughty demon child). The fourth is an early modern painting of several Japanese metal casters in various states of sweaty dress pouring hot metal into a mold.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 11h

Uh oh, I've figured out I can do this with wellness influencers.

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 19h

Thanks! Sounds like it might have recommendations for me, too.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 19h

To be clear, I'd love to have some legit counter-examples from the West (not from a Buzzfeed list) about how ALL humans are gross, so we can avoid Orientalist assumptions that Japan was weird.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 19h

Those #medievalsky folks who teach medieval European medical practices--out of curiosity, what are some of the foulest treatments/remedies you encounter? Doing a session on medieval Japanese medical practices and my students are about to read fun things like rubbing newborn infant shit into wounds!

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Reposted by Dr. Paula R. Curtis

Cindy Anh Nguyen @cindyanguyen.bsky.social · 1d

DH as critical praxis and worldbuilding with @laurenfklein.bsky.social and @roopikarisam.bsky.social. An intellectual-pedagogical-feminist dream symposia come true through, hosted through my Critical Data Lab at UCLA Data X. datax.ucla.edu/news-events/...

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Reposted by Dr. Paula R. Curtis

Jacqueline Antonovich @jackiantonovich.bsky.social · 1d

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

look at these hams dirtying up my carpet, not paying rent

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Reposted by Dr. Paula R. Curtis

Association for Asian Studies @asianstudies.org · 1d

If you're planning to attend #AAS2026 in Vancouver but need some help financing your trip, check out our conference funding opportunities. We are committed to facilitating the attendance of as many people as our resources allow!

buff.ly/PlY9wnE

A red Japan passport, travel documents, and a toy airplane on a laptop keyboard symbolizing travel for the AAS 2026 Annual Conference in Vancouver.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 1d

While looking up something for class I stumbled upon this figurine representation of Abe no Seimei's shikigami rituals (created for an exhibition on onmyōji at Rekihaku in 2023). It's kind of amazing and I want it badly??

A 3D model using figurines representing an onmyoji shikigami ritual, with two diviners in formal white and black robes respectively sitting in front of a stand with various implements on top, and surrounding them are small supernatural beings, some looking demonic, some with way too many eyes, some with red skin, etc.

The original painting (from Fudo-Rieki-Engi) of Abe no Seimei performing a shikigami ritual. It depicts an onmyoji shikigami ritual, with two diviners in formal white and black robes respectively sitting in front of a stand with various implements on top, and surrounding them are small supernatural beings, some looking demonic, some with way too many eyes, some with red skin, etc.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Solid rock work.

David A. Conrad, Ph.D. @davidaconrad.bsky.social · 2d

"Better a pig than a fascist."

(We painted rocks with the kids today.)

Painting on a rock of the anime character Porco Rosso. The rock is sitting in the palm of a hand for size comparison.

Painting of the Studio Ghibli character Porco Rosso, done on a 2-inch rock.

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Hot tip: Liquid chalk is the way to go for really vibrant and long-lasting colors. But I do mean long lasting! It will fade in time but may take some months if you don't hose and scrub it. :)

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Public space. About a year ago a neighbor and I renovated the dusty poop- and garbage-filled dirty plots between the sidewalk/street. City land, so our complex nearby wouldn't do anything about them. We filled them with plants and art and the community joined in! www.instagram.com/rocks_onthe_...

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

🥹 I love folks loving it!

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

dog-style void, very good

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

let there be good doggos! bsky.app/profile/hmac...

H Mac @hmac.bsky.social · 2d

Hey neighbor! This is one good dog!

White dog standing on sidewalk chalk art that says good dog

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

yessssssss the vibes come full circle on socials 😍

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

these vibes are west LA-based, but I encourage others to also bring random fun and joy to their communities!

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

I'd do it for cats too if I could, though I am waiting for someone to put their man in there.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

People are delivering pictures of their good dogs by night and I love that for me.

A photo of a golden retriever standing in the middle of brightly colored sidewalk chalk designs that say GOOD DOG in yellow, pink, and black, with an arrow pointing at said dog.

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

I'm still slowly chipping away at this year's data report, which will be a 5 year (!) look at the East Asian Studies job data. In the meanwhile, this week's patrons-only post was on the social science category of job ads! Check it out on my Patreon & support the work! www.patreon.com/posts/job-ad...

Job ads in PoliSci/Anthro/Socio by Location | Paula R. Curtis

www.patreon.com

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

East Asia/Asia-related job ads:
TT
🔹Religious Studies: DePauw University
🔹PoliSci: North Carolina State University
🔹East Asian Studies: University of Tokyo
🔹Art History: Kenyon College

non-TT
🔹East Asian Studies: National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan (x2) (Asia Pacific)

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Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Korea-related job ads:
TT
🔸Language: Kyushu University

non-TT
🔸Language: Beijing Foreign Studies University

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

non-TT
🔹Language: Hebei University; Meikai University; Hiroshima University

postdoc
🔹Any: Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (x2)

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

Japan-related job ads:
TT
🔹Language: Temple University, Japan; Hiroshima Bunkyo University
🔹Film Studies: Tohoku University
🔹Lit & Culture: Yasuda Women's University; Nishogakusha University
🔹Economics: Niigata Sangyo University

Dr. Paula R. Curtis @paularcurtis.bsky.social · 2d

China-related job ads:
TT
🔸Translation: City University of Macau
🔸Language: City University of Macau
🔸History: City University of Macau; Middle Tennessee University (China or Japan)

non-TT
🔸Translation: University of Hong Kong

N/A
🔸Admin: Drake University