Alex West
@ajw87.bsky.social
Interested in the Columbian exchange. Philology. Manuscripts. Plants. #OldSundanese #MedievalIndonesia #TupianLanguages Old site: https://indomedieval.medium.com/ New site: https://medium.com/@WestsWorld he/him
Book: https://brill.com/display/title/68202
Book: https://brill.com/display/title/68202
According to Wiki, it's /ˈplæstaʊ/, like the "plast" in "plastic" and the "ou" in "ouch".
December 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
According to Wiki, it's /ˈplæstaʊ/, like the "plast" in "plastic" and the "ou" in "ouch".
I know, I know, nobody's interested in what you did this year, I just wanted to have a record somewhere of the things I got through in 2025
December 21, 2025 at 2:53 PM
I know, I know, nobody's interested in what you did this year, I just wanted to have a record somewhere of the things I got through in 2025
(I've also asked around to make sure that nobody else is doing this so I won't be stepping on any toes)
December 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
(I've also asked around to make sure that nobody else is doing this so I won't be stepping on any toes)
I haven't done any Indonesia-related activities in a while, now that I think about it. Haven't kept up with the field at all this year. But I have thought about writing something on the Old Sundanese language—a brief textbook on it, something like that. I've already got an outline and notes for it.
December 20, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I haven't done any Indonesia-related activities in a while, now that I think about it. Haven't kept up with the field at all this year. But I have thought about writing something on the Old Sundanese language—a brief textbook on it, something like that. I've already got an outline and notes for it.
Reposted by Alex West
Of course, it's different if you have a family to support (or a house to pay off, or...) and your department has evaporated. There's no real silver lining there. Just have to hope it will all turn around at some point.
December 20, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Of course, it's different if you have a family to support (or a house to pay off, or...) and your department has evaporated. There's no real silver lining there. Just have to hope it will all turn around at some point.
I've always had lots of scholarly interests (outside of pre-colonial Indonesian history) but I used to feel guilty about pursuing them. Not always for career reasons; I used to feel that I had some sort of duty to my subject matter. And now I don't feel that at all. That's a good thing!
December 20, 2025 at 10:56 AM
I've always had lots of scholarly interests (outside of pre-colonial Indonesian history) but I used to feel guilty about pursuing them. Not always for career reasons; I used to feel that I had some sort of duty to my subject matter. And now I don't feel that at all. That's a good thing!
I'm relatively privileged in this regard because I already have a non-academic job. It doesn't pay very well, but I get by and I have time to do the things I like doing, which at this point means scholarship-adjacent activities.
December 20, 2025 at 10:53 AM
I'm relatively privileged in this regard because I already have a non-academic job. It doesn't pay very well, but I get by and I have time to do the things I like doing, which at this point means scholarship-adjacent activities.
Additionally: I reckon Amol Rajan should take a refresher course in French. There are lots of French names on University Challenge and his pronunciation is bad.
(Aside from that he's fine though)
(Aside from that he's fine though)
December 20, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Additionally: I reckon Amol Rajan should take a refresher course in French. There are lots of French names on University Challenge and his pronunciation is bad.
(Aside from that he's fine though)
(Aside from that he's fine though)
I used to teach an undergrad historical methods class and their favorite day was always the one where we listen to @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social telling Naomi Wolf (live, on air on the BBC) that she misinterpreted her data and based her whole book around something that didn’t happen
You’ll never guess who else experienced ‘racism’ on the job market despite their unimpeachable academic credentials.
December 19, 2025 at 4:33 PM
in case you haven't heard it
Author realizes her new book contains gross inaccuracies on live radio
YouTube video by dumpbox
www.youtube.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:42 PM
in case you haven't heard it
The 2019 interview with Matthew Sweet is *the* most embarrassing thing I've ever listened to with my own ears. If anything similar happened to me, I'd move into a cave and never be heard from again.
December 19, 2025 at 12:03 PM
The 2019 interview with Matthew Sweet is *the* most embarrassing thing I've ever listened to with my own ears. If anything similar happened to me, I'd move into a cave and never be heard from again.
I'm missing out on this person's creativity. A real pity.
December 19, 2025 at 11:53 AM
I'm missing out on this person's creativity. A real pity.