Dr. Paula R. Curtis
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paularcurtis.bsky.social
Dr. Paula R. Curtis
@paularcurtis.bsky.social
6.4K followers 800 following 17K posts
Medievalist. Historian. Japan. Project Juggler. DH. Extremely Tired. Good & Bad cats. 🐾 Rock art. 🎨 Operations Leader @jppinfo.bsky.social, UCLA http://prcurtis.com/

Support open-access projects:
http://patreon.com/prcurtis, http://ko-fi.com/prcurtis
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paularcurtis.bsky.social
blurgh! in better news, these guys!! someone left them a couple days ago and I love them. 🍒🍓🍊
six rocks in a row painted to look like pac man friends and some fruit. closeup of rocks in a row painted to look like pac man friends and some fruit.
November 26, 2025 at 1:55 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
Wah. Kind of bummed out. T-T I love our little garden!! If you wanna check out the insta it's here: www.instagram.com/rocks_onthe_...

Normally it looks very lovely!!! If you wanna contribute some soil for when they're done ruining it, we have a list here: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/...
A long view of the rock garden, full of small plants and painted rocks along the sidewalk.
November 26, 2025 at 1:38 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
I know he's just doing his job, but ugh. So much work lost. He tore out all the plants and threw them in the dirt pile and broke a fence. Spent the last couple hours moving the displaced rocks over the plot 3, which I hope is safe from getting dug up since I just worked on it. Hadn't even finished!!
Plot three, with additional painted rocks in little sections here and there to try to keep up the good vibes. Plot three, with additional painted rocks in little sections here and there to try to keep up the good vibes.
November 26, 2025 at 1:34 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
With my last full lecture of the year done yesterday I finally took a little time to work on the rock garden, which needed some soil work, fence repair, and cleaning. Almost got plot 3 done! Sadly because karma is a bitch today some guy came to work on a sewage line and tore plot 2 to pieces. 😭
Garden plot 3, weeded and with fresh soil and clean painted rocks, colorful and arranged in various circles and rows. One cluster of rocks is shaped like a yellow flower with green stems and leaves. There are some cacti and succulents around. A dude standing in a dude-sized hole he's made in plot 2. To his right half of the plot now has the rocks he tossed aside in them and dirt here and there. He has torn out all our plants and thrown them across the way. A giant tangle of tree roots ripped up from the man-sized hole, which has a man in it digging. I know he has a job to do, but sob. Our sidewalk art covered in wet dirt.
November 26, 2025 at 1:31 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
Foolish mortal, you dare disturb me, Rigatoni, in my kingdom of trash, where I am most powerful?
A large pile of assorted brown paper trash, in the middle of which sits a tortie cat named Rigatoni, comfortably ruling over her kingdom with a look of suspicion at you as she barely emerges from the shadows, waiting for the chance to grab your ankles and make you spill your coffee. Closeup of Rigatoni, queen of trash and chaos, sitting in the dark surrounded by her brown paper trash tendrils.
November 25, 2025 at 3:11 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
If you're wondering what's on the mug, it's a New Yorker cartoon. My advisor gave me this mug after I graduated:
A cartoon of a man standing over a cat next a litter box, saying "Never, ever, think outside the box."
November 25, 2025 at 3:03 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
how ready are you for the day and is it this ready 🙃
A white mug of coffee with a white ceramic dripper on top. The mug has spilled over and now sits in a giant pool of shame coffee because yours truly is not fully awake and may never be fully rested while trapped in this mortal coil.
November 25, 2025 at 2:47 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
“Is there a neck in that box?”
A cream colored tabby named Fox sits fatly on the edge of a teal couch, gazing up expectantly with his tongue slightly blepped. He has no neck in sight.
November 25, 2025 at 2:29 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
“You brought home 20 lbs of @jppinfo.bsky.social merch just for ME?”
A tortie named Rigatoni (wearing a bow tie with cat eyes on it) sits pertly on top of a long box turned sideways to stand on its tall end, making her queen bee as usual.
November 25, 2025 at 2:26 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
seems like a real generous "a late start date can be considered" 😂
Job Summary The Center on Religion and the Global East (https://globaleast.org) at Purdue University invites applications for a one-year postdoctoral research position starting as early as July 1, 2022, however a late start date can be considered. The position is renewable for a second year. Review of applications will begin on March 15, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. The position is embedded in the funded multi-national project "Global East Religiosity and Changing Religious Landscapes," which includes surveys of individuals, mapping religious sites, and the comparative historical studies of Christianity in East Asian societies. We are seeking an energetic and independent researcher who can help conduct research on Christianity in Korea from around 1900 until the present-day. To qualify for the position, a candidate must have completed PhD by the time of employment, and the degree may be in sociology, history, political science, geography, religious studies, or related areas. Fluency in Korean and English are required, and knowledge of social surveys and GIS are considered advantageous.
November 22, 2025 at 12:37 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
To five years of chaos and mischief with my tiny demon child Rigatoni, a personality of her times.
Screenshot of an "On this day" Facebook memory from 5 years ago, dated November 21, 2020, showing a kitten tortie cat Rigatoni relaxing in a pink box without a care in the world, while her new older brother, a tabby named Fox, peeks just the very top of his head to his nose over the side of the desk from below, eyeing her with great suspicion and squid ears.
November 21, 2025 at 4:37 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
Breaking News: thicc man terrified of sneezes gazes longingly at only source of snuggles
A cream colored tabby named Fox stares suspiciously next to the couch, knowing terrifying sneezes are imminent. Closeup as a cream colored tabby named Fox stares suspiciously next to the couch, knowing terrifying sneezes are imminent.
November 20, 2025 at 10:34 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
I think we are in a fight.
A cream colored tabby loaf named Fox sits in the center of a burgundy couch facing the back of it, his face squashed into the wall of cushion as though ignoring me.
November 20, 2025 at 6:28 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
The real teaching question is do students fully appreciate that I am ready and eager to edit Irasutoya images to make sure a samurai can accost a bored turkey, just for their slide-based entertainment.
A slide that says "Next Time" and "No formal class Wednesday! Virtual office hours at our usual class time," under which there is an illustration of a samurai figure dressed in brown wielding a sword at a turkey that appears distinctly bored with him.
November 20, 2025 at 12:40 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
Here's another mostly blue print, this one by Hokusai c. 1831-1833. A view of Fuji from Honganji. Love the dynamic foregrounding of the temple here!
A blue and white mostly monochrome print of Fuji in the background with the architecture of Honganji in the foreground. In between are the roofs of houses and white clouds that have the barest touch of orange at their edges.
November 19, 2025 at 11:07 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
Another view, alongside an actor print of Nakamura Matsue as a woman holding a pipe, by Katsukawa Shunshō c. 1770. Earlier prints reflect these more muted colors. A neat feature I didn’t get a closeup of is the kanji in white relief instead of black, allowing the portrait to take visual precedence.
Two Japanese prints on a table, one of an actor portraying a woman inside a frame in the shape of a fan and the other a blue print of Mt Fuji
November 19, 2025 at 10:58 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
A neat piece from the prints we saw: an all-blue print of Mt. Fuji by Utagawa Sadahide c. 1830–1835. Monochrome prints in blue like these are slightly less common, because the artificial blue dyes were found to eat through the wood used for the woodblocks more quickly.
A fan-shaped print all in shades of blue and white depicting a landscape with Mt Fuji prominently in the center and women planting rice below.
November 19, 2025 at 10:54 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
Was privileged to have Kelin Michael, a fellow at the Hammer Museum, guide my students through a couple dozen early modern and modern prints today! Along with some guiding through the current ukiyo-e exhibit that’s there through the end of the month. 😀
A long white table and back wall shelf filled with Japanese prints for viewing.
November 19, 2025 at 10:03 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
When you just want to loaf but mother let a DOG in for a whole minute. 🥺
A cream colored tabby named Fox loafing in a windowsill, looking paranoid that dogs exist. In front of him is a variety of multicolored markers, because like a piece of art he is sitting with the crafts.
November 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
Rigatoni is neat it is true.
A tortie named Rigatoni laying upside down on a teal carpet, her back legs stretched out like weird chicken drumsticks and her front paws curled up to her chest for mischief. She is wearing a yellow bow tie.
November 16, 2025 at 5:07 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
happy #Caturday and RIP personal space
Closeup of a cream tabby named Fox with a snaggle fang sitting WAY too close and staring directly into your soul.
November 15, 2025 at 7:26 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
always repost Party Haniwa
An illustration from a PowerPoint slide of a dancing haniwa figure wearing party glasses and surrounded by confetti
November 13, 2025 at 7:15 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
here is that Mexican ceramic chonky dog from 200–400 BCE that you needed
A red ceramic dog with black speckles. His little leggies are short and his pudge is squeezable.
November 12, 2025 at 10:03 PM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
In a shocking display of courage, Fox did not run into the next room at top speed when confronted with a sneeze
November 11, 2025 at 3:59 AM
paularcurtis.bsky.social
A GOOD DOG APPEARS
A tiny brown dog with their tongue hanging out, standing inside some chalk art with vibrant colors that says GOOD DOG with an arrow pointed towards them.
November 10, 2025 at 4:42 AM