EarlyModernista
@ellierycroft.bsky.social
Associate Professor in Early Modern Performance at University of Bristol: early modern bodies, PaR, gender. Formerly thinking about hair, now thinking about walking: also defining 'the Predramatic'. Teacher, cat-lover, writer, and mum, in varying measures.
Further to previous post, I failed to save any of my corrections and have just lost 1 hr and 20 mins work, so I am taking that as a sign from Dog not to continue with my weekend labour.
November 29, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Further to previous post, I failed to save any of my corrections and have just lost 1 hr and 20 mins work, so I am taking that as a sign from Dog not to continue with my weekend labour.
I don't advocate working on the weekend, but I've had a disrupted week, and my family are out, so I'm taking the opportunity to start on the proofs for 'Predramatic Theatre' and, ngl, I am VERY excited about this one coming out. @gregmw4.bsky.social and I have something significant to say here!
November 29, 2025 at 11:45 AM
I don't advocate working on the weekend, but I've had a disrupted week, and my family are out, so I'm taking the opportunity to start on the proofs for 'Predramatic Theatre' and, ngl, I am VERY excited about this one coming out. @gregmw4.bsky.social and I have something significant to say here!
"Only two sleeps till Christmas!" said the insomniac.
November 28, 2025 at 3:11 PM
"Only two sleeps till Christmas!" said the insomniac.
Ok, no-one asked, but I'm going to elaborate on my 'performative' beef. It means at least 4 things: 1) related to performance, 2) related to utterance (Austin), 3) embodied social practice (Butler) and 4) in popular culture, increasingly used to mean inauthentic or 'merely for show'. It's great it
November 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Ok, no-one asked, but I'm going to elaborate on my 'performative' beef. It means at least 4 things: 1) related to performance, 2) related to utterance (Austin), 3) embodied social practice (Butler) and 4) in popular culture, increasingly used to mean inauthentic or 'merely for show'. It's great it
I'm developing a real issue with the overuse/misuse of the term 'performative', lads.
November 27, 2025 at 9:33 AM
I'm developing a real issue with the overuse/misuse of the term 'performative', lads.
How's this for an early modern name: Daubridgecourt Capability Belchier?
November 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
How's this for an early modern name: Daubridgecourt Capability Belchier?
Reposted by EarlyModernista
Newmarket MP Matt Hancock gave a £37bn Covid testing contract to Jockey Club director Dido Harding, who subcontracted it to Grand National sponsor Randox, employer of Tory MP Owen Paterson, whose late wife chaired Aintree racecourse. That's how the Tories handled the pandemic.
November 22, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Newmarket MP Matt Hancock gave a £37bn Covid testing contract to Jockey Club director Dido Harding, who subcontracted it to Grand National sponsor Randox, employer of Tory MP Owen Paterson, whose late wife chaired Aintree racecourse. That's how the Tories handled the pandemic.
Treating myself to a curry after a cold, dark, wonderful walk with a group of Leicester women.
November 18, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Treating myself to a curry after a cold, dark, wonderful walk with a group of Leicester women.
Among the worst guidance I ever got from a senior academic involved "writing with the facility of a 30 year old". I think I was 34, 35 at the time? I thought my best writing days must be behind me. I assure you, as a writer in their mid-40s, that practice only makes your writing better, and better.
November 17, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Among the worst guidance I ever got from a senior academic involved "writing with the facility of a 30 year old". I think I was 34, 35 at the time? I thought my best writing days must be behind me. I assure you, as a writer in their mid-40s, that practice only makes your writing better, and better.
Tomorrow I night-walk with Safety in Numbers, a Leicester women's collective who walk their dogs together in the dark for safety. The sound designer, Alice Boyd, will be creating a soundscape of the event so watch this space! Looking forward to a productive week and creating our first public output.
November 17, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Tomorrow I night-walk with Safety in Numbers, a Leicester women's collective who walk their dogs together in the dark for safety. The sound designer, Alice Boyd, will be creating a soundscape of the event so watch this space! Looking forward to a productive week and creating our first public output.
Lovely day spent here in the magnificent surroundings of the @britishacademy.bsky.social yesterday, meeting fellow Mid-Career Fellows and fascinating post-docs. Great conversations about what cannot be planned for during research, about obstacles, opportunities, and what should count as an output.
November 15, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Lovely day spent here in the magnificent surroundings of the @britishacademy.bsky.social yesterday, meeting fellow Mid-Career Fellows and fascinating post-docs. Great conversations about what cannot be planned for during research, about obstacles, opportunities, and what should count as an output.
Exciting news on the public engagement front is that Calico Theatre Company are coming to the University of Bristol Theatre Department in January to deliver their brilliant VR experience, Curfew, to representatives from Avon and Somerset Police , Bristol City Council, West of England Sport Trust
November 14, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Exciting news on the public engagement front is that Calico Theatre Company are coming to the University of Bristol Theatre Department in January to deliver their brilliant VR experience, Curfew, to representatives from Avon and Somerset Police , Bristol City Council, West of England Sport Trust
Spent much of today on Roger Baynes's In praise of solitarinesse (1577) and just, yes, I agree.
November 13, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Spent much of today on Roger Baynes's In praise of solitarinesse (1577) and just, yes, I agree.
Possible rabbit hole but have been thinking a lot about student health and melancholy this past fortnight. That's the thing about walking - while all research is liable to meander, walking contains so many possible deviations that it is very hard to keep on the straight-and-narrow (puns intended).
November 13, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Possible rabbit hole but have been thinking a lot about student health and melancholy this past fortnight. That's the thing about walking - while all research is liable to meander, walking contains so many possible deviations that it is very hard to keep on the straight-and-narrow (puns intended).
In London tomorrow eve if anyone fancies a Friday night drink and catch-up... either near Trafalgar Square or Paddington.
November 13, 2025 at 11:14 AM
In London tomorrow eve if anyone fancies a Friday night drink and catch-up... either near Trafalgar Square or Paddington.
How much is ISC registration generally, folks?
November 12, 2025 at 3:13 PM
How much is ISC registration generally, folks?
Had occasion to dip into @effectdefective.bsky.social's book on herbals today, and one of the very best things about it is its clarity - definitions, key examples, classical sources, number of reprints. All information that I needed & could find due to a brilliant index. Just excellent scholarship.
November 11, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Had occasion to dip into @effectdefective.bsky.social's book on herbals today, and one of the very best things about it is its clarity - definitions, key examples, classical sources, number of reprints. All information that I needed & could find due to a brilliant index. Just excellent scholarship.
September and October were a bit rough as I shook the 1000 jigsaw pieces of my book out onto the table and looked at them individually, and in dismay. November is better, as I work towards completing small sections. This week I took the placeholder sentence 'Write about Romeo and Hamlet here' and
November 6, 2025 at 12:29 PM
September and October were a bit rough as I shook the 1000 jigsaw pieces of my book out onto the table and looked at them individually, and in dismay. November is better, as I work towards completing small sections. This week I took the placeholder sentence 'Write about Romeo and Hamlet here' and
Up to my neck in non-naturals, animal spirits and the 84 pages of research on walking and health which I amassed a number of years ago. It's been a week and I'm only up to p35. Think I need a walk to balance my own humours frankly.
November 4, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Up to my neck in non-naturals, animal spirits and the 84 pages of research on walking and health which I amassed a number of years ago. It's been a week and I'm only up to p35. Think I need a walk to balance my own humours frankly.
Mafs should be on earlier - not a fan of this 9pm start.
November 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Mafs should be on earlier - not a fan of this 9pm start.
What a shame that we seemed to be making real progress on one of the last taboos - fatphobia - and then Ozempic came along and we're somehow back to the 1990s.
November 3, 2025 at 9:51 AM
What a shame that we seemed to be making real progress on one of the last taboos - fatphobia - and then Ozempic came along and we're somehow back to the 1990s.
Half term= trying to work from a cinema foyer
October 27, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Half term= trying to work from a cinema foyer
Reposted by EarlyModernista
it's crazy that if you're a cat, your only two life outcomes are eating out of a trash can or getting treated like a little baby
October 26, 2025 at 11:37 PM
it's crazy that if you're a cat, your only two life outcomes are eating out of a trash can or getting treated like a little baby
Academic jobs are often seen as some combination of teaching, research and administration. But let's break that down a bit.
A caveat: I am not saying that this is exactly what all academics do - some do more, some do less, some just do different things. But this is what my job involved last year:
A caveat: I am not saying that this is exactly what all academics do - some do more, some do less, some just do different things. But this is what my job involved last year:
October 24, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Academic jobs are often seen as some combination of teaching, research and administration. But let's break that down a bit.
A caveat: I am not saying that this is exactly what all academics do - some do more, some do less, some just do different things. But this is what my job involved last year:
A caveat: I am not saying that this is exactly what all academics do - some do more, some do less, some just do different things. But this is what my job involved last year:
Of the Celebrity Traitors, 7 did English Drama,or Dance degrees/training, 3 did History/Art History, 1 did geophysics, and 1 didn't do a degree. Tell me again about how Arts and Humanities degrees never get people anywhere?
October 20, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Of the Celebrity Traitors, 7 did English Drama,or Dance degrees/training, 3 did History/Art History, 1 did geophysics, and 1 didn't do a degree. Tell me again about how Arts and Humanities degrees never get people anywhere?