Nicholas Birns
LightNews LightNews
nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns
@nicholasbirns.bsky.social
1.3K followers 2K following 630 posts

Academic, literary critic etc. teaching at NYU. Books from Cambridge UP, Bloomsbury, Broadview, Palgrave, U of South Carolina P, Sydney UP, Routledge. He/him

Videos

Nicholas Birns is a scholar of literature, including fantasy and Australian literature. As a Tolkien scholar he has written on a variety of topics including "The Scouring of the Shire" and Tolkien's biblical sources. His analysis of the writings of Anthony Powell and Roberto Bolaño has been admired by scholars. .. more

Art 28%
Political science 22%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

lanrickbennett.bsky.social
Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 5h
Geneviève Bergeron
Hélène Colgan
Nathalie Croteau
Barbara Daigneault
Anne-Marie Edward
Maud Haviernick
Maryse Laganière
Maryse Leclair
Anne-Marie Lemay
Sonia Pelletier
Michele Richard
Annie St-Arneault
Annie Turcotte
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz

#December6 #EndVAW www.cbc.ca/montreal/fea...
École Polytechnique, Montréal: Remember the 14
On Dec. 6, 1989, the country was forever changed. Fourteen women died at Montreal’s École Polytechnique, killed simply because they were women.
www.cbc.ca

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

nytpitchbot.bsky.social
NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 14h
The January 6th pipe bomber has told investigators that he was motivated by conspiracy theories that Trump won the election. So why does it feel like he was motivated by DEI and abundance liberalism?

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

adambvary.bsky.social
Adam B. Vary @adambvary.bsky.social · 17h
The great axe of modern journalism has come for me: Today was my last day at Variety. Not my choice at all and I will miss my tremendous colleagues — and friends! — there enormously.

Just figuring out my next steps now. My DMs are open for any and all opportunities.
a drag queen is wearing a pink dress with dolls on it and gloves .
ALT: a drag queen is wearing a pink dress with dolls on it and gloves .
media.tenor.com

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 20h
The tree in Rockefeller Center

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 22h
In Central Park

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 1d
NYC before dawn

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

witchspace.bsky.social
Witchspace @witchspace.bsky.social · 2d
Happy Thursday free thinkers in the sky that's blue. As a bad birder, one of the things I love about trying to follow Rob and Alan's #BirdOfTheDay theme is it forces me to learn. Today's is #Songbirds and I now know cardinals fit the ... bill ... and the beak 🐦🦉

#Photography #Birds #EastCoastKin
Color photograph of a male northern cardinal standing proud in short grass; very red!

Reposted by Steven French, Nicholas Birns

nebullama.bsky.social
Nebullama @nebullama.bsky.social · 2d
I started writing a book on lions.

It turned out to be quite tricky and, frankly, damn dangerous, so I went back to regular paper.

#WritingCommunity #BookSky #WriteSky

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Mark D. White, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 4 more

justinbaragona.bsky.social
Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 2d
Fox News' Will Cain: "I’m sure there are very honorable law-abiding upstanding citizens and contributors from the Somali community here in the United States, BUT..."

He goes on to say "we aren’t going to pretend here that all cultures are of equal value or the same."

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 3d
I guess that is what they meant by the Research Triangle.
brandyzadrozny.bsky.social Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 3d
Meet the head of a federal panel expected to upend the childhood vaccine schedule later this week. Dr. Kirk Milhoan believes that Covid was made in North Carolina and deployed to China as a bioweapon ... among other conspiracy theories. www.ms.now/news/rfk-jr-...

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Scott L. Greer, Nicholas Birns , and 3 more

brandyzadrozny.bsky.social
Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 3d
Meet the head of a federal panel expected to upend the childhood vaccine schedule later this week. Dr. Kirk Milhoan believes that Covid was made in North Carolina and deployed to China as a bioweapon ... among other conspiracy theories. www.ms.now/news/rfk-jr-...

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

lrb.co.uk
London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 3d
‘The Surrealists saw colonialism and imperialism as intrinsic to fascism, and from start to finish they campaigned against both, opposing the wars in Morocco in the 1920s and Algeria in the 1950s.’

Hal Foster:

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Hal Foster · Tightrope of Hope: Surrealism v. Fascism
The Surrealists saw colonialism and imperialism as intrinsic to fascism, and from start to finish they campaigned...
www.lrb.co.uk

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 3d
My mom with the book.

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 4d
Great to see this finally appear!

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 4d
Only tuxedo cats!

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 4d
Just came in the mail @elizfoxwell.bsky.social

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

dan-sinnamon.bsky.social
Dan Sinykin @dan-sinnamon.bsky.social · 5d
A lovely brief excerpt from @natanlast.bsky.social's new book about how crossword puzzles are responsible for "three of the most prominent houses in American letters" lithub.com/how-crosswor...
How Crossword Puzzles Underwrote Three of America’s Major Publishers
One winter evening in 1924 Mr. Richard L. Simon came home from dinner at his aunt Wixie’s house with an idea. He was a man of letters, now, and that’s why Wixie had invited him over. After Columbia…
lithub.com

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

markharris.bsky.social
Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 6d
I’m dumbstruck by news of the death of Tom Stoppard—maybe because he hoarded all the words and knew how to use them better than just about anyone. I hope we savor his spectacular wit and erudition and argue about the politics of his plays forever. He was monumental, and also a kind and curious man.

Reposted by Nicholas Birns, Daniel S. Goldberg

spavel.bsky.social
Pavel @spavel.bsky.social · 6d
Headline: "AI can replace 11.7% of workforce"

Actual study: Anthropic paid MIT to use a "labor simulation tool" that said 11.7% of TASKS could be done by AI
MIT study finds AI can already replace 11.7% of U.S. workforce
Artificial intelligence can already replace 11.7% of the U.S. labor market, across finance, health care and professional services, according to MIT's study.
www.cnbc.com

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 6d
From 2015-my lone sighting of the late, great Sir Tom Stoppard.

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

bvzw.bsky.social
Bart van Zwieten @bvzw.bsky.social · 7d
The Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque Chiapas, with its staircases and the funerary chamber of the ruler of Lakamha: Kinich Jannab Pakal. Discovery by archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhullier in 1952, when he accessed the funerary chamber. I saw this chamber in 1987, before it was closed to the public!

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

sarahebond.bsky.social
Sarah E. Bond @sarahebond.bsky.social · 9d
To know Susanna Elm is to stand in awe of her writing, kindness, & depth. Her new book from @ucpress.bsky.social is out now and open access: The Importance of Being Gorgeous: Gender and Christian Imperial Rule in Late Antiquity. I do love a tale of Theodosian beauty
luminosoa.org/books/m/10.1... 📕
SUSANNA ELM IMPORTANCE NOF BEING GORGEOUS GENDER AND CHRISTIAN IMPERIAL RULE IN LATE ANTIQUITY

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 9d
Me with Nepalese poet Yuyutsu R. D. Sharma.

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 9d
Two great books to teach.

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 9d
Two great books to teach

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 10d
I never managed to meet Graeme Turner but his work taught me a lot about Australian culture. So sorry to hear of his passing..
humanitiesau.bsky.social Australian Academy of the Humanities @humanitiesau.bsky.social · 10d
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner AO FAHA FQA — one of Australia’s most influential humanities scholars and a towering figure in the Academy’s history. humanities.org.au/our-communit...

Reposted by Amanda Lotz, Dave O’Brien, Nicholas Birns , and 1 more

humanitiesau.bsky.social
Australian Academy of the Humanities @humanitiesau.bsky.social · 10d
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner AO FAHA FQA — one of Australia’s most influential humanities scholars and a towering figure in the Academy’s history. humanities.org.au/our-communit...

Reposted by Nicholas Birns

mst-writes.bsky.social
Michelle Scott Tucker @mst-writes.bsky.social · 10d
Finally found a use for the marble and pewter Selangor thingy for serving pate which we were given as a wedding present (so approx a thousand years ago).
Photo of a wooden bathroom bench. A hair straightener rests on a decorative marble disc.

nicholasbirns.bsky.social
Nicholas Birns @nicholasbirns.bsky.social · 11d
peopleandpaintings.com/exhibitions/... you can vote for my mom’s painting” Pavel and Peter throw the bride to the wolves” (of course, from Cather’s My Antonia) at the above link.
Exhibition: From the Gallery's Storeroom 2025 | People And Paintings
peopleandpaintings.com