Michael Erard
@michaelerard.bsky.social
Writer, linguist. 3rd book: BYE BYE I LOVE YOU. The Economist: "Beautiful & strangely comforting." LARB: "Wise & gracefully written." Others: "Indelible." To buy: https://bit.ly/4kN0PKa
Explore www.michaelerard.com
Explore www.michaelerard.com
Pinned
In the new Onze Taal, @fonolog.bsky.social had this to say about BYE BYE I LOVE YOU: "One of the most human and moving books on language published in 2025." And about me: "Probably one of the best language writers working today."
Full Dutch and English in the alt text.
Full Dutch and English in the alt text.
Reposted by Michael Erard
I was at the ER the night before Thanksgiving/early hours of Thanksgiving last year with a family member, and we overheard two doctors call that block of time "The Night of the Mandolines" due to the sheer number of sharps injuries during meal prep.
November 27, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I was at the ER the night before Thanksgiving/early hours of Thanksgiving last year with a family member, and we overheard two doctors call that block of time "The Night of the Mandolines" due to the sheer number of sharps injuries during meal prep.
On my timeline: a post by a British diplomat warning about the loss of foreign language skills immediately next to a post about dangers to Afghanis deported from the US, many of whom were interpreters.
You’ll never make up for the first after the betrayals of the second.
You’ll never make up for the first after the betrayals of the second.
November 27, 2025 at 9:51 AM
On my timeline: a post by a British diplomat warning about the loss of foreign language skills immediately next to a post about dangers to Afghanis deported from the US, many of whom were interpreters.
You’ll never make up for the first after the betrayals of the second.
You’ll never make up for the first after the betrayals of the second.
Reposted by Michael Erard
‘More than ever before, we need British diplomats, spies and soldiers to speak the language of our adversaries.’
Stark piece from a former diplomat on how loss of language learning hits our defence & geopolitical capabilities
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/proc... @timeshighered.bsky.social
Stark piece from a former diplomat on how loss of language learning hits our defence & geopolitical capabilities
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/proc... @timeshighered.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 8:54 AM
‘More than ever before, we need British diplomats, spies and soldiers to speak the language of our adversaries.’
Stark piece from a former diplomat on how loss of language learning hits our defence & geopolitical capabilities
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/proc... @timeshighered.bsky.social
Stark piece from a former diplomat on how loss of language learning hits our defence & geopolitical capabilities
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/proc... @timeshighered.bsky.social
Reposted by Michael Erard
It’s horrifying that in the Netherlands, of all places, it’s now common for mayors and councillors of small towns to need security because of threats to their lives.
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
Maatregelen bij woning burgemeester Venlo na online dreiging rond komst azc
Morgen wordt de komst van het azc besproken in een commissievergadering.
nos.nl
November 27, 2025 at 8:15 AM
It’s horrifying that in the Netherlands, of all places, it’s now common for mayors and councillors of small towns to need security because of threats to their lives.
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
In 2024 *almost half* of public officials were threatened with violence. Understandably, many are giving up
nos.nl/artikel/2592...
For the morning linguists
Happy World Linguistics Day! I write about #language in the key of narrative non-fiction; you might find my books interesting! A thread --
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
November 26, 2025 at 3:27 PM
For the morning linguists
I don't understand why no one engaged with this article. Oh, I know that the lack of attention is commentary. I just wonder why. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The death of Gregory Bateson, or why linguists should study language at the end of life
Linguists study language and language use in a range of settings and populations, yet they have not studied language, interaction, and communication b…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
I don't understand why no one engaged with this article. Oh, I know that the lack of attention is commentary. I just wonder why. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Academic friends: do you know of anyone in Europe who provides coaching for job seekers through a cultural lens? I support a researcher who is struggling. Please DM me if you have a name --
November 26, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Academic friends: do you know of anyone in Europe who provides coaching for job seekers through a cultural lens? I support a researcher who is struggling. Please DM me if you have a name --
a new book on early child language in French literature that I'm interested in reading --
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Out of the Mouths of Babes
A wide-ranging study of the rich questions raised by speaking infants in medieval French literature. Medieval literature is full of strange moments when infants (even fetuses) speak. In Out of the M...
press.uchicago.edu
November 26, 2025 at 11:56 AM
a new book on early child language in French literature that I'm interested in reading --
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Not knocking anyone, but I'd love to see a man's memoir about language too.
November 26, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Not knocking anyone, but I'd love to see a man's memoir about language too.
oh, that's what happened! welcome, new followers!
World Linguistics Day is on the 26th of November because that's de Saussure's birthday. It's a great opportunity to celebrate linguistics.
If you want more linguistics in your feed, here's a linguistics starter pack from @gretchenmcc.bsky.social
bsky.app/starter-pack...
#WorldLinguisticsDay
If you want more linguistics in your feed, here's a linguistics starter pack from @gretchenmcc.bsky.social
bsky.app/starter-pack...
#WorldLinguisticsDay
November 26, 2025 at 10:49 AM
oh, that's what happened! welcome, new followers!
Reposted by Michael Erard
This is an insightful but deeply upsetting article about why everyone in the US feels poor, and why the current political situation emerges as a direct result.
www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
Part 1: My Life Is a Lie
How a Broken Benchmark Quietly Broke America
www.yesigiveafig.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:42 AM
This is an insightful but deeply upsetting article about why everyone in the US feels poor, and why the current political situation emerges as a direct result.
www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
For Bye Bye I Love You, I relied on travel grants from the Osler Library of the History of Medicine. Here's the call for next year.
How does Osler fit into my book?
www.mcgill.ca/libraries/lo...
How does Osler fit into my book?
www.mcgill.ca/libraries/lo...
Awards and grants
Each year the Osler Library offers a number of awards and travel grants to local and international historians, physicians, graduate and post-doctoral students, and others whose research touches upon t
www.mcgill.ca
November 26, 2025 at 10:23 AM
For Bye Bye I Love You, I relied on travel grants from the Osler Library of the History of Medicine. Here's the call for next year.
How does Osler fit into my book?
www.mcgill.ca/libraries/lo...
How does Osler fit into my book?
www.mcgill.ca/libraries/lo...
Happy World Linguistics Day! I write about #language in the key of narrative non-fiction; you might find my books interesting! A thread --
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
November 26, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Happy World Linguistics Day! I write about #language in the key of narrative non-fiction; you might find my books interesting! A thread --
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
something happened out there in bluesky land.
November 26, 2025 at 9:11 AM
something happened out there in bluesky land.
November 26, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Reposted by Michael Erard
That Brian Phillips story wrap about Nuzzle and Rizzle. We laugh, although somehow we, too, the public, feel like RFK jr. is forcing us to "keep an open mouth" to await his "harvest". Oh oh oh. www.theringer.com/2025/11/25/n...
The Olivia Nuzzi and RFK Jr. Affair Is Messier Than We Ever Could Have Imagined
Inside the most important, and also least important, story of our time
www.theringer.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:15 AM
That Brian Phillips story wrap about Nuzzle and Rizzle. We laugh, although somehow we, too, the public, feel like RFK jr. is forcing us to "keep an open mouth" to await his "harvest". Oh oh oh. www.theringer.com/2025/11/25/n...
Did anybody else get a note from Latham & Watkins, a law firm? It could be related to the Anthropic settlement or it could be a scam.
November 25, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Did anybody else get a note from Latham & Watkins, a law firm? It could be related to the Anthropic settlement or it could be a scam.
Reposted by Michael Erard
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Emma Freud reports on her mother Jill's last words: "She told us all to f*** off so she could sleep and then she never woke up. Her final words were 'I love you'."
A bit confusing, isn't it. Were her final words "I love you" or "fuck off"?
www.express.co.uk/celebrity-ne...
A bit confusing, isn't it. Were her final words "I love you" or "fuck off"?
www.express.co.uk/celebrity-ne...
Love Actually actress dies as famous daughter shares sweet final words
The actress was also inspiration for Narnia character Lucy after living with author CS Lewis for three years
www.express.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Emma Freud reports on her mother Jill's last words: "She told us all to f*** off so she could sleep and then she never woke up. Her final words were 'I love you'."
A bit confusing, isn't it. Were her final words "I love you" or "fuck off"?
www.express.co.uk/celebrity-ne...
A bit confusing, isn't it. Were her final words "I love you" or "fuck off"?
www.express.co.uk/celebrity-ne...
My friends in Europe might consider sending some €€€ to this.
Marco te Brömmelstroet and I crowdsourced our 2025 study to show how people's environments shape motonormativity
Now we're back. Along with Ashton Rohmer, we want ask if we can measure and understand the wider belief system underpinning car-supremacy. You can help: whydonate.com/fundraising/...
Now we're back. Along with Ashton Rohmer, we want ask if we can measure and understand the wider belief system underpinning car-supremacy. You can help: whydonate.com/fundraising/...
November 25, 2025 at 8:48 AM
My friends in Europe might consider sending some €€€ to this.
In Austin I visited Alienated Majesty (best bookstore in the world) and picked up Mesopotamia by Serhiy Zhadan. Highly recommended. According to his Wikipedia page, he’s now on the front line. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serhiy_...
Serhiy Zhadan - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
In Austin I visited Alienated Majesty (best bookstore in the world) and picked up Mesopotamia by Serhiy Zhadan. Highly recommended. According to his Wikipedia page, he’s now on the front line. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serhiy_...
Keep studying those languages, kids. No matter what they say about what the machines do. (Pak speaks English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and is “passable“ in French and Spanish. She learned to speak Mandarin from Beijing cabbies—not a gamification platform.)
November 24, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Keep studying those languages, kids. No matter what they say about what the machines do. (Pak speaks English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and is “passable“ in French and Spanish. She learned to speak Mandarin from Beijing cabbies—not a gamification platform.)
Reposted by Michael Erard
"Additionally, by accepting generative models’ normative rationality, the University reframes learning and research as
essentially consisting in the evaluation of models’ outputs." @katschwerzmann.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
essentially consisting in the evaluation of models’ outputs." @katschwerzmann.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
Ruled by the Representation Space: On the University's Embrace of Large Language Models
This paper explores the implications of universities' rapid adoption of large language models (LLMs) for studying, teaching, and research by analyzing the logics underpinning their representation spac...
arxiv.org
November 4, 2025 at 5:25 PM
"Additionally, by accepting generative models’ normative rationality, the University reframes learning and research as
essentially consisting in the evaluation of models’ outputs." @katschwerzmann.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
essentially consisting in the evaluation of models’ outputs." @katschwerzmann.bsky.social
arxiv.org/abs/2505.03513
Reposted by Michael Erard
“As it has for everything else, AI has now come for the accent.” Sheon Han experiments with whether an AI-powered “accent training” app can help him sound “less Korean” — and what that might mean. www.wired.com/story/ai-ame...
AI and the End of Accents
I sound Korean—because I am Korean. Can AI make me sound American?
www.wired.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:57 PM
“As it has for everything else, AI has now come for the accent.” Sheon Han experiments with whether an AI-powered “accent training” app can help him sound “less Korean” — and what that might mean. www.wired.com/story/ai-ame...
Yes, that’s nice, but it‘s also time for tax resistance.
Time to stop buying from the corporations which support Trump's regime.
Join us, @indivisible.org and No Kings Alliance in supporting the We Ain't Buying It campaign!
Join us, @indivisible.org and No Kings Alliance in supporting the We Ain't Buying It campaign!
Between Thursday and next Monday, join us in hitting pause on buying from corporations that enable Trump’s fascist agenda: weaintbuyingit.com/?utm_source=bluesky
November 24, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Yes, that’s nice, but it‘s also time for tax resistance.