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Attention creative medievalists! Eleanor Barraclough & I are co-editing a special issue of Public Humanities entitled CREATING THE MEDIEVAL NOW! See the cfp for details: essays of 2,000-3,000 words due 1 May 2026. (Amazing artwork by @hellomizk.bsky.social). 1/ www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Donate to the Cerne Abbas Nature Appeal Donate to the Cerne Abbas Appeal so together, we can help restore the land, habitats and species that live there.

Please do chip into the National Trust’s crowdfunder to help manage the land around the Cerne Giant for chalk wildflowers and butterfly species like Duke of Burgundy here: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/support-us/a...

Good news!

Earlier this year I shared reports that the land around the Cerne Abbas Giant was up for sale

I’m delighted that, after lots of conversations, the land has now been bought by the National Trust (who already own the Giant): www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

bsky.app/profile/guys...

I hope someone draws this wonderful story about Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and the power of the arts to help us see things differently, to the attention of our Education Secretary. Do read it, it will lift your spirits.

This orangutan can't be beaten at climbing up a tree. Imagine its skill and poise as our next secretary of education.

The front covers of ‘Do It Yourself: Making Political Theatre’ written by my good friends Common/Wealth and my edited volume ‘Being Black and British: Before, During and After Drama School’.

These two make great friends.
Released a day apart, they’re almost twins.
Maybe putting both on reading lists and in libraries might be a good thing to do.
Maybe.

Great news!
JSTOR now have a free account with an Independent Researcher category. You can access 100 documents per month

www.jstor.org/action/showL...

R.I.P. Harrison's translation of the Mysteries remains potent, a reminder of the deep poetic voice of Northern England even now.

Humanities Who needs history? Literature? Languages? Art? Philosophy? These can only help you to better understand our humanity. Best to let machines read your books. And write your books. Do your art for you. You will never need to think. Never need to learn. You’ll learn to like it. And when the end comes you’ll have never burdened down your soul with any growth. Someone selling this sees profit in destroying your humanity. -- John Wyatt Greenlee

A poem from this morning.

A very good interview on the reading crisis in the UK. Heartily endorse bringing back sure start or some version of it.

golf is a very strange game because basically you're taking a huge amount of land and making it a weirdass obstacle course for a tiny ball. imagine holding a golf ball up to see the ~200 acres you have reshaped and whispering to it "this is for you. this is all for you"

Eve admires ladybird headpiece

Lucifer tries on a crown, admired by other rebel angels

Lucifer in green scarf watches Adam having a dance

God and Noah present a finished paper boat

The Mystery Plays are well underway in Toronto! Some beautiful moments and expressions... #yorkplays2025

Wander by to check out what’s going on. Stay for one short play or stay for all 18 hours! Come and go as you please.

York Plays 2025 Step Into Medieval York: A Spectacular Day of Family-Friendly Theatre!

Check out the listing for full details on the. #free #familyfriendly event!

yorkplays2025.eventbrite.ca

We roll at dawn! The day has finally come. It’s been 27 years since we mounted the full York Corpus Christi plays in 1998. We lost our original wagons to fire but we have shiny new ones built using new research. #yorkplays2025 #torontoevents #medieval #medievaldrama

Painted green dragon on red pageant wagon

White York rose on yellow pageant wagon

Yellow pageant waggon with blue sheets and furniture on top

Excitement building in Toronto... #yorkplays2025

🚨 The wait is almost over! 🚨
🎭 June 7 (June 8 if it rains): the full York Cycle is back for the 1st time in 27 years!
🌅 From sunrise "Creation" to midnight "Last Judgment"
🎟️FREE & open to all!
👟 Come for an hour or the whole epic!
🔗 yorkplays.ca
#YorkPlays2025 #FreeEventsTO #MustSeeTO

Is it the Offspring's Americana?

WE WON!

The Supreme Court has upheld the right to wild camp on Dartmoor. This is a huge win for access to nature.

But we're just getting started.

It was never just about Dartmoor.

We’re fighting to extend the right to roam, swim, and sleep under the stars - across all of England.

Title: SOME GRAMMATICAL VOICES FOR USE IN SCIENTIFIC WRITING ACTIVE VOICE e.g. Our team collected samples and then we tested them. CLICKBAIT VOICE e.g. We collected some samples... You won't believe what happened next! PASSIVE VOICE e.g. Samples were collected and tested. HAIKU VOICE e.g. Quiet science lab. Workers arrive with samples. The testing begins. PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE VOICE e.g. We did all the collecting and testing. No need to thank us. Just doing our job. CONSPIRACY VOICE e.g. Mysterious "Samples" were harvested and covertly "tested" by so-called scientists.

My latest @newscientist.com cartoon

To The Duchesse of Newcastle, On Her New Blazing-World. Our Elder World, with all their Skill and Arts, Could but divide the World into three Parts: Columbus, then for Navigation fam'd, Found a new World, America 'tis nam'd; Now this new World was found, it was not made, Onely discovered, lying in Time's shade. Then what are You, having no Chaos found To make a World, or any such least ground? But your Creating Fancy, thought it fit To make your World of Nothing, but pure Wit. Your Blazing-World, beyond the Stars mounts higher, Enlightens all with a Celestial Fire. William Newcastle.

Feels like a good day to share my favourite Columbus shade, thrown by seventeenth-century wife guy the Duke of Newcastle in a poem written for his wife - Margaret Cavendish - and her incredible work The Blazing World

"That Columbus guy just stumbled upon a continued but you MADE a WORLD, babe"

If you'd like to write to the Prime Minister's office about the Supreme Court ruling, you can do so here - contact.no10.gov.uk - 1000 character limit. I have just done so!

Since we are back at work in the UK today - it's a GREAT time to email your MP about the Supreme Court ruling and the threats to trans people as a result. I used this helpful guide to write to my MP. You should too.
www.translegalproject.org/post/urgent-...

I worked on an open letter with some fab playwrights in support of the trans community in the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling last week. We have a whopping 1426 signatures and counting. If you're a UK-based writer & you'd like to add your name, click here:

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

I doubt that I would have given this missive from Pope Francis my attention were it not for a steer from @bcdreyer.social, but I really can’t recommend it enough.
www.vatican.va/content/fran...

Mea maxima tulpa...

I wrote to my MP a few days ago on similar (if less eloquent) lines; will have to send a further one here, clearly.