Abigail Swingen
@abigailswingen.bsky.social
EM British & Atlantic history. Competing Visions of Empire (Yale, 2015). Now: Britain's Financial Revolution & Moral Crisis. She/her. New Englander (usually) in Texas. Views my own. Latest article: https://doi.org/10.1017/jbr.2023.74
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Job Alert! DH postdoc at Edinburgh - Post-Doctoral Research Fellow to work on the AHRC-funded project "Voices in Slavery’s Archive: Law, Place and Testimony in British Guiana", which will build a digital archive out of the recorded words of enslaved people. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPN147/p...
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The University of Edinburgh
Explore an exciting academic career as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Don't miss out on other academic jobs. Click to apply and explore more opportunities.
www.jobs.ac.uk
November 24, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Job Alert! DH postdoc at Edinburgh - Post-Doctoral Research Fellow to work on the AHRC-funded project "Voices in Slavery’s Archive: Law, Place and Testimony in British Guiana", which will build a digital archive out of the recorded words of enslaved people. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPN147/p...
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
People will die, and are currently dying, because RFK was granted one of the most powerful megaphones in the country. Two people who could have thrown barriers in front of his climb decided not to; there's a sex scandal here but it is not the biggest scandal.
November 26, 2025 at 11:30 PM
People will die, and are currently dying, because RFK was granted one of the most powerful megaphones in the country. Two people who could have thrown barriers in front of his climb decided not to; there's a sex scandal here but it is not the biggest scandal.
Last night someone asked for more food content, so here's huevos rancheros with Christmas chile in Santa Fe today. 🌶️🎄
November 26, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Last night someone asked for more food content, so here's huevos rancheros with Christmas chile in Santa Fe today. 🌶️🎄
In Texas, where basically the only thing that made it tolerable was the fact that there was usually money. Not anymore, I guess.
Where I work, grad student enrollment in Engineering and Business is down 70% and 40%, respectively.
Now, to cover the loss in revenue from these Departments, the rest of the colleges have to take MASSIVE hits. History Dept alone has cut/closed 6 TT lines. Forget about raises or salary equity. 🫠
Now, to cover the loss in revenue from these Departments, the rest of the colleges have to take MASSIVE hits. History Dept alone has cut/closed 6 TT lines. Forget about raises or salary equity. 🫠
Enrollment by international students from China dropped by 3 percent, from India by 4 percent, and enrollment from students from Mexico has flatlined. Here are the likely consequences for Texas' education and economy:
November 25, 2025 at 4:02 PM
In Texas, where basically the only thing that made it tolerable was the fact that there was usually money. Not anymore, I guess.
We Put the Spring in Springfield!
29 years ago today, Marge revealed a not-so-secret house of burlesque to the town of Springfield. “Bart After Dark” premiered November 24, 1996.
November 25, 2025 at 1:36 AM
We Put the Spring in Springfield!
Anyone in Dublin?
In the **very** unlikely event that any mutuals find themself in the National Archive of Ireland tomorrow I could use help with calling up a file! I hoped to get to Dublin but am unable to do so before I need said reference...
November 24, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Anyone in Dublin?
Highly recommend this acoustic set from Jimmy Cliff in 2012 at KCRW studios: music.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvxn...
Jimmy Cliff Special Acoustic Performance and Interview (2012, KCRW)
YouTube video by KCRW
music.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Highly recommend this acoustic set from Jimmy Cliff in 2012 at KCRW studios: music.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvxn...
Oh dear. Many Rivers to Cross.
Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican reggae singer, actor and cultural icon, dies aged 81
Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican reggae singer, actor and cultural icon, dies aged 81
Star of The Harder They Come had hits including You Can Get It If You Really Want and I Can See Clearly Now
www.theguardian.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Oh dear. Many Rivers to Cross.
My dad watched the Ken Burns American Revolution doc and remarked at how young all the historians were. They are all my age or older Lol.
November 23, 2025 at 11:43 PM
My dad watched the Ken Burns American Revolution doc and remarked at how young all the historians were. They are all my age or older Lol.
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
With zero explanation, Wellesley College closing down a beloved and successful (and donor-funded) environmental justice program that (among other things) helps Indigenous students. thewellesleynews.com/22287/news-i...
Paulson Initiative to close, Suzanne Langridge dismissed
Wellesley College rejected Paulson Initiative donor Wendy Judge Paulson ’69’s renewed offer of donation, prompting the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative to close at the end of the academic year. Pro...
thewellesleynews.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:04 AM
With zero explanation, Wellesley College closing down a beloved and successful (and donor-funded) environmental justice program that (among other things) helps Indigenous students. thewellesleynews.com/22287/news-i...
With zero explanation, Wellesley College closing down a beloved and successful (and donor-funded) environmental justice program that (among other things) helps Indigenous students. thewellesleynews.com/22287/news-i...
Paulson Initiative to close, Suzanne Langridge dismissed
Wellesley College rejected Paulson Initiative donor Wendy Judge Paulson ’69’s renewed offer of donation, prompting the Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative to close at the end of the academic year. Pro...
thewellesleynews.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:04 AM
With zero explanation, Wellesley College closing down a beloved and successful (and donor-funded) environmental justice program that (among other things) helps Indigenous students. thewellesleynews.com/22287/news-i...
Don't shit where you eat.
BTW, I watched "Moonstruck" recently (also 1987) and tho it holds up brilliantly, the professor at NYU written and played as being flawed for serially dating women "too young for him" does not come across as tragic anymore, and his long speech about why he dates students is hard to take.
November 22, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Don't shit where you eat.
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Latest update from @britishlibrary.bsky.social says they are launching a new version of their main catalogue on Monday 8 December and around that time also launch an interim version of their Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue. Hooray!
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
Restoring our services – November 2025 update
In the coming weeks and months we will be restoring a number of key functions.
www.bl.uk
November 22, 2025 at 12:19 PM
Latest update from @britishlibrary.bsky.social says they are launching a new version of their main catalogue on Monday 8 December and around that time also launch an interim version of their Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue. Hooray!
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
www.bl.uk/stories/news...
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Also breaking, arguably a bigger deal than the news from Georgia tonight: www.texastribune.org/2025/11/21/t...
Supreme Court temporarily restores Texas’ new congressional map
The administrative ruling is a first step before the court decides whether to pause the use of the 2025 map, drawn to increase GOP seats in the U.S. House, for the rest of the legal battle.
www.texastribune.org
November 22, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Also breaking, arguably a bigger deal than the news from Georgia tonight: www.texastribune.org/2025/11/21/t...
She's still an antisemitic looney toon.
November 22, 2025 at 3:22 AM
She's still an antisemitic looney toon.
Also breaking, arguably a bigger deal than the news from Georgia tonight: www.texastribune.org/2025/11/21/t...
Supreme Court temporarily restores Texas’ new congressional map
The administrative ruling is a first step before the court decides whether to pause the use of the 2025 map, drawn to increase GOP seats in the U.S. House, for the rest of the legal battle.
www.texastribune.org
November 22, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Also breaking, arguably a bigger deal than the news from Georgia tonight: www.texastribune.org/2025/11/21/t...
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care?
The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity
www.cityam.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:27 AM
I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
www.cityam.com/the-british-...
Trump might be untouchable, but stuff like this still makes it worthwhile. Bring em all down.
#BREAKING: Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Dhruv T. Patel and Cam N. Srivastava report.
Summers Will Not Finish Semester of Teaching as Harvard Investigates Epstein Ties | News | The Harvard Crimson
Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will immediately leave his role as an instructor at Harvard while the University investigates his ties to child sex trafficker Jeffrey E. Epstein.
www.thecrimson.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Trump might be untouchable, but stuff like this still makes it worthwhile. Bring em all down.
Alabama Shakes
Lucy Dacus
Paul Simon
Rufus Wainwright
Wilco
(and Cyndi Lauper the week beforehand)
Lucy Dacus
Paul Simon
Rufus Wainwright
Wilco
(and Cyndi Lauper the week beforehand)
Introduce yourself with the last five concerts you saw
I think it's three Elvis Costello shows (solo, w/ the Imposters, w/guests), one Rickie Lee Jones, one Bob Mould.
I think it's three Elvis Costello shows (solo, w/ the Imposters, w/guests), one Rickie Lee Jones, one Bob Mould.
Introduce yourself with the last five concerts you saw
Green Day
Springsteen
Springsteen
Third Eye Blind
Rolling Stones
Green Day
Springsteen
Springsteen
Third Eye Blind
Rolling Stones
November 20, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Alabama Shakes
Lucy Dacus
Paul Simon
Rufus Wainwright
Wilco
(and Cyndi Lauper the week beforehand)
Lucy Dacus
Paul Simon
Rufus Wainwright
Wilco
(and Cyndi Lauper the week beforehand)
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
NEW:
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
“Ticking Time Bomb”: A Pregnant Mother Kept Getting Sicker. She Died After She Couldn’t Get an Abortion in Texas.
Walker is one of several women ProPublica found with underlying health conditions who died when they couldn’t access abortions.
www.propublica.org
November 19, 2025 at 11:08 AM
NEW:
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
In 2024, Tierra Walker was sick and getting sicker. She was also pregnant.
She knew abortion was illegal in Texas, but thought there was an exception for women like her, whose health was at risk. Doctors told her there was no emergency.
Then she died.
www.propublica.org/article/texa...
Reposted by Abigail Swingen
Few things bug me more than higher ed leaders saying that we lost our mission and lost the trust of the public, when we have actually been the target of a decades-long smear campaign by the right wing that worked. The moment we’re losing our mission is right now, in capitulation.
November 19, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Few things bug me more than higher ed leaders saying that we lost our mission and lost the trust of the public, when we have actually been the target of a decades-long smear campaign by the right wing that worked. The moment we’re losing our mission is right now, in capitulation.
Faith, not works, right?
But overwhelmingly, with the exception of that little Appalachian family church and the Black Churches, the Protestants asked if she was a member, or hung up on her.
One pastor told her, verbatim: “Benevolence is for our members.”
One pastor told her, verbatim: “Benevolence is for our members.”
November 18, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Faith, not works, right?
Well, well, well...
Breaking: Federal court blocks Texas from using new congressional gerrymander in 2026 midterms.
Federal court blocks new Texas congressional map for 2026
The decision is a major blow for Republicans, in Texas and nationally, who pushed through this unusual mid-decade redistricting at the behest of President Donald Trump.
www.texastribune.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Well, well, well...
I need a new show to watch. Just finished the Lowdown, so a light comedy would be good. Suggestions?
November 18, 2025 at 12:08 AM
I need a new show to watch. Just finished the Lowdown, so a light comedy would be good. Suggestions?
I mean, not haha funny.
very funny to read these emails and then remember summers wondering whether the leaky pipeline in stem was because women are inherently bad at math
The emails have Summers reporting to Epstein about his attempts to date a Harvard economics student & to hit on her during a seminar she was giving.
November 16, 2025 at 3:12 AM
I mean, not haha funny.