This is starting to feel like a real thing...
October 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
This is starting to feel like a real thing...
Kinda digging the name of this press.
September 27, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Kinda digging the name of this press.
Is Michael Camille's book, Image on the Edge, still the definitive study of funny/crude marginalia in medieval manuscripts? e. g. for lulz . . .
August 11, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Is Michael Camille's book, Image on the Edge, still the definitive study of funny/crude marginalia in medieval manuscripts? e. g. for lulz . . .
Close second: that thing where AI transcribes part of the ruler as "5/8"
June 16, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Close second: that thing where AI transcribes part of the ruler as "5/8"
Funniest thing about transcribing Dickinson manuscripts is where an early editor (likely Todd) wrote "No" on a bunch of manuscripts, presumably flagging those too week for publication. But it turns out, actually: yes!
June 16, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Funniest thing about transcribing Dickinson manuscripts is where an early editor (likely Todd) wrote "No" on a bunch of manuscripts, presumably flagging those too week for publication. But it turns out, actually: yes!
Very happy to share that my next book, tentatively called *The Digital Hand: Electronics and Literary Manuscripts*, is under contract with Stanford University Press! Now just need to finish writing it . . . @stanfordpress.bsky.social
May 8, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Very happy to share that my next book, tentatively called *The Digital Hand: Electronics and Literary Manuscripts*, is under contract with Stanford University Press! Now just need to finish writing it . . . @stanfordpress.bsky.social
In 2005, prez W asked the DOJ to assess whether a presidential autopen signature was legally valid. Using it for publicity is one thing, for official business quite another. The DOJ said yes, properly authorized use of autopen is legally valid. H/t @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social for image. 15/
March 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
In 2005, prez W asked the DOJ to assess whether a presidential autopen signature was legally valid. Using it for publicity is one thing, for official business quite another. The DOJ said yes, properly authorized use of autopen is legally valid. H/t @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social for image. 15/
Apparently the majority of autopens in use are in DC, used by most members of Congress and other officials. None other than Lynne Cheney wrote a gossipy little piece about them in Washingtonian magazine in the 80s. 13/
March 17, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Apparently the majority of autopens in use are in DC, used by most members of Congress and other officials. None other than Lynne Cheney wrote a gossipy little piece about them in Washingtonian magazine in the 80s. 13/
Autopens have remained in use in the White House since then. Somebody even wrote a book about JFK’s use of it. (Charles Hamilton, The Robot that Helped to Make a President.) 12/
March 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Autopens have remained in use in the White House since then. Somebody even wrote a book about JFK’s use of it. (Charles Hamilton, The Robot that Helped to Make a President.) 12/
Originally, the autopen template for storing a signature was this crazy looking crescent made of wood or plastic, which would rotate on a kind of turntable to guide a pantograph mechanism. 10/
March 17, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Originally, the autopen template for storing a signature was this crazy looking crescent made of wood or plastic, which would rotate on a kind of turntable to guide a pantograph mechanism. 10/
The autopen was developed in the 1930s. Signatures from it may seem more legit because they’re made by moving an ordinary pen. Here’s coverage in Popular Mechanics 1937. 9/
March 17, 2025 at 3:26 PM
The autopen was developed in the 1930s. Signatures from it may seem more legit because they’re made by moving an ordinary pen. Here’s coverage in Popular Mechanics 1937. 9/
An easier way to store a signature for use by proxies is to have a stamp made. Henry VIII of England did this because he disliked paperwork. Even his will was signed with a stamp, which led to debates about its validity. See L. Flannigan, “Signed, Stamped, and Sealed.” 8/
March 17, 2025 at 3:24 PM
An easier way to store a signature for use by proxies is to have a stamp made. Henry VIII of England did this because he disliked paperwork. Even his will was signed with a stamp, which led to debates about its validity. See L. Flannigan, “Signed, Stamped, and Sealed.” 8/
The apotheosis of signature transmission is the LongPen, invented in 2006 by none other than Margaret Atwood, who wanted to do book signings without traveling. A pen-wielding robot arm reproduces handwriting done on a touchscreen, while author and fan talk via video conference. 5/
March 17, 2025 at 3:18 PM
The apotheosis of signature transmission is the LongPen, invented in 2006 by none other than Margaret Atwood, who wanted to do book signings without traveling. A pen-wielding robot arm reproduces handwriting done on a touchscreen, while author and fan talk via video conference. 5/
A series of inventions in the second half of the 1800s made it possible to transmit handwriting over greater distances. The most popular, Elisha Gray’s telautograph, remained in use well into the second half of the 1900s, including by train dispatchers in Grand Central Station. 4/
March 17, 2025 at 3:15 PM
A series of inventions in the second half of the 1800s made it possible to transmit handwriting over greater distances. The most popular, Elisha Gray’s telautograph, remained in use well into the second half of the 1900s, including by train dispatchers in Grand Central Station. 4/
Thomas Jefferson often used a tool confusingly called the polygraph, which basically combines two pantographs, one for vertical and the other for horizontal movements. Enabled him to retain a copy of letters and other things he wrote. (See Silvio Bedini, Thomas Jefferson and His Copying Machines)
March 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Thomas Jefferson often used a tool confusingly called the polygraph, which basically combines two pantographs, one for vertical and the other for horizontal movements. Enabled him to retain a copy of letters and other things he wrote. (See Silvio Bedini, Thomas Jefferson and His Copying Machines)
Machines to duplicate handwriting go way back. Hero of Alexander describes a device called the pantograph in his Mechanics (1st century CE). Basically four sticks hinged together in a parallelogram. Used most commonly to reduce or enlarge graphics. 2/
March 17, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Machines to duplicate handwriting go way back. Hero of Alexander describes a device called the pantograph in his Mechanics (1st century CE). Basically four sticks hinged together in a parallelogram. Used most commonly to reduce or enlarge graphics. 2/
This is an autopen. The orange fascist claims that Biden’s pardons are invalid because an autopen was used to sign them. This is, of course, a load of shit, but because I’m currently writing a chapter about signature machines, I can’t resist…will add to this 🧵through the day…
March 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
This is an autopen. The orange fascist claims that Biden’s pardons are invalid because an autopen was used to sign them. This is, of course, a load of shit, but because I’m currently writing a chapter about signature machines, I can’t resist…will add to this 🧵through the day…
Presenting, I guess…the MLA jazz band. In my grad program we learned to call this kind of thing “problematic.”
January 10, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Presenting, I guess…the MLA jazz band. In my grad program we learned to call this kind of thing “problematic.”
OK, whose dad is currently trying his best on Reddit?
January 7, 2025 at 3:41 PM
OK, whose dad is currently trying his best on Reddit?
RIP to President Jimmy Carter. Here’s a feel-better pic of Jimmy Carter the pup.
December 29, 2024 at 11:45 PM
RIP to President Jimmy Carter. Here’s a feel-better pic of Jimmy Carter the pup.
Had a great time last night hosting a webinar on my research for 900+ high school teachers thru the National Humanities Center’s “Humanities in Class” series. Look them up if you’re a prof/researcher who wants to share ideas with enthusiastic secondary education folks!
December 4, 2024 at 4:28 PM
Had a great time last night hosting a webinar on my research for 900+ high school teachers thru the National Humanities Center’s “Humanities in Class” series. Look them up if you’re a prof/researcher who wants to share ideas with enthusiastic secondary education folks!
This ad was on the Reddit app. I’m calling it, American higher ed is done.
September 7, 2023 at 5:47 PM
This ad was on the Reddit app. I’m calling it, American higher ed is done.
