Dennis Duncan
@djbduncan.bsky.social
Associate Prof @ucl.ac.uk | FRHistS | INDEX, A HISTORY OF THE | NYT, LRB, Guardian, WaPo, TLS | Book history, Oulipo, translation | Rep: Anna Webber/A.M.Heath
Such a lot of bastards
November 20, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Such a lot of bastards
November 12, 2025 at 11:21 PM
"That enormous large Serpent, 16 feet long, that was shot in the act of killing a Deer, near LYNN, in Norfolk"! 😬
November 11, 2025 at 12:23 PM
"That enormous large Serpent, 16 feet long, that was shot in the act of killing a Deer, near LYNN, in Norfolk"! 😬
Form declaring America's independence and renouncing allegiance to the King. Includes blank spaces to insert your name [“I ___ do acknowledge”] and job [“the office of ___ which I now hold”]. But what’s the middle blank for? “I do ___ that I will…”. Swear/declare/promise? Why does it need a blank?
November 11, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Form declaring America's independence and renouncing allegiance to the King. Includes blank spaces to insert your name [“I ___ do acknowledge”] and job [“the office of ___ which I now hold”]. But what’s the middle blank for? “I do ___ that I will…”. Swear/declare/promise? Why does it need a blank?
Named after Leigh Catt apparently. Notorious hanging judge, but loved inventing games. Great with children.
November 2, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Named after Leigh Catt apparently. Notorious hanging judge, but loved inventing games. Great with children.
Did the Middle Ages really happen? Couple of recent reviews of Marcus Glatt's "The Greatest Hoax in History".
September 11, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Did the Middle Ages really happen? Couple of recent reviews of Marcus Glatt's "The Greatest Hoax in History".
Much to love in this "Out of the Ordinary" auction catalogue, but the thing that tickled me the most is this advertising poster for lemonade "bottled by pretty girls". The past sure is a foreign country. www.sworder.co.uk/auction/lot/...
August 5, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Much to love in this "Out of the Ordinary" auction catalogue, but the thing that tickled me the most is this advertising poster for lemonade "bottled by pretty girls". The past sure is a foreign country. www.sworder.co.uk/auction/lot/...
[Lady Bracknell voice]: “A yearwig?!”
July 22, 2025 at 12:55 PM
[Lady Bracknell voice]: “A yearwig?!”
Looking at guitars on the internet. Here’s a brand I hadn’t heard of before.
June 23, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Looking at guitars on the internet. Here’s a brand I hadn’t heard of before.
I read this whole book thinking it was a novel. Can’t remember why I thought that but I went out and bought it specially, thinking it was a novel I’d enjoy. And I did. In particular I thought it was very clever & playful the way it embeds its fiction within fact. Just found out it’s a history book.
May 12, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I read this whole book thinking it was a novel. Can’t remember why I thought that but I went out and bought it specially, thinking it was a novel I’d enjoy. And I did. In particular I thought it was very clever & playful the way it embeds its fiction within fact. Just found out it’s a history book.
If you pick up a New York Times today, have a look at the books section. I’ve got a fun piece in it about spelling reforms.
May 4, 2025 at 11:52 AM
If you pick up a New York Times today, have a look at the books section. I’ve got a fun piece in it about spelling reforms.
… then this a few pages later. If only the @Lit_Review’s editors had used *this* headline for *that* article!
April 4, 2025 at 2:39 PM
… then this a few pages later. If only the @Lit_Review’s editors had used *this* headline for *that* article!
“You’ve Got Male (Erectile Dysfunction)”
April 4, 2025 at 2:32 PM
“You’ve Got Male (Erectile Dysfunction)”
Spring has sprung so I’ve gambolled off to @gladlib.bsky.social to do some book-writing. It’s gwychaf!
March 31, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Spring has sprung so I’ve gambolled off to @gladlib.bsky.social to do some book-writing. It’s gwychaf!
Went to the Literature & Puzzles conf at @magdalenoxford.bsky.social. Met my literary hero, @johnfinnemore.bsky.social!
March 21, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Went to the Literature & Puzzles conf at @magdalenoxford.bsky.social. Met my literary hero, @johnfinnemore.bsky.social!
Am delighted at how Cornelis Gijsbrechts's "Open Cupboard Door" (1665) looks so much like Joanne Leonard's "Memo Center with Bee" (1979).
January 14, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Am delighted at how Cornelis Gijsbrechts's "Open Cupboard Door" (1665) looks so much like Joanne Leonard's "Memo Center with Bee" (1979).
It's literally the perfect winter's day in London. Like the start of Little Gidding: "A brief sun flames the ice ... A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon." Just blissful.
January 11, 2025 at 2:05 PM
It's literally the perfect winter's day in London. Like the start of Little Gidding: "A brief sun flames the ice ... A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon." Just blissful.
My lovely editor at Penguin knows I’m fascinated by “dummies”. These are the completely blank mock-ups that publishers make to see how a book will look and feel if they make it in such-and-such a format or on a certain type of paper. She just sent me these fine specimens.
January 10, 2025 at 2:30 PM
My lovely editor at Penguin knows I’m fascinated by “dummies”. These are the completely blank mock-ups that publishers make to see how a book will look and feel if they make it in such-and-such a format or on a certain type of paper. She just sent me these fine specimens.
My dad’s budgies have started eating his poetry books
December 24, 2024 at 5:18 PM
My dad’s budgies have started eating his poetry books
My dad’s budgies have started eating his poetry books
December 24, 2024 at 5:05 PM
My dad’s budgies have started eating his poetry books
Can anyone read this for me?
December 20, 2024 at 6:12 PM
Can anyone read this for me?
Are you called Chris? Bored with your name but looking for something that’s still Chris-adjacent? Have you considered PHRIS?
November 21, 2024 at 9:03 PM
Are you called Chris? Bored with your name but looking for something that’s still Chris-adjacent? Have you considered PHRIS?
"Où est le ??? du monde, ou est l'humanisme?"
Can anyone help me transcribe this? It's Georges Perec talking about "La Vie mode d'emploi" and how critics lazily attack things if they know they're written using constants.
Can anyone help me transcribe this? It's Georges Perec talking about "La Vie mode d'emploi" and how critics lazily attack things if they know they're written using constants.
November 21, 2024 at 6:39 PM
"Où est le ??? du monde, ou est l'humanisme?"
Can anyone help me transcribe this? It's Georges Perec talking about "La Vie mode d'emploi" and how critics lazily attack things if they know they're written using constants.
Can anyone help me transcribe this? It's Georges Perec talking about "La Vie mode d'emploi" and how critics lazily attack things if they know they're written using constants.
They’re running an old Routemaster from Muswell Hill to Camden Town, collecting for #ChildrenInNeed. It’s lovely!
November 17, 2024 at 2:25 PM
They’re running an old Routemaster from Muswell Hill to Camden Town, collecting for #ChildrenInNeed. It’s lovely!