Jolyon Thomas

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been all about DIY Halloween costumes that are both dark and goofy. This year I went as the space shuttle Challenger, in a tip of the hat to one of the more horrifying public memory events of my childhood. 🎃

I was never a JET, but USJETAA is a really great organization. Definitely worth joining! They offer great programming, including things like career mentoring for recently returned JETS, etc.

Promotion flyer for US JET Alumni Association event, "The Religion of Anime," featuring headshots of 3 men (Yuri Lowenthal, Roland Kelts, and Jolyon Thomas) in bottom right. A torii gate stands before a rising sun amidst the clouds in the background in shades of pink and lavender. QR code on the flyer matches the link in the post. The event is on 12 November at 7:00 PM ET via Zoom.

I'm delivering a public lecture and leading a roundtable discussion on the religion of anime on Nov. 12 at 7:00 PM ET. Flyer with registration information below. This is hosted by the US JET Alumni Association, but is open to the public for a small fee. usjetaa.wildapricot.org/event-6396204

I’m somewhat skeptical of the area studies enterprise because there is no central question, but I love seeing attempts to rethink the area studies project via other disciplines. (And despite my skepticism, I think the deep knowledge area studies provides is indispensable/irreplaceable.)

I always ignore requests for things like syllabi from strangers because they seem to be requests to steal IP. Articles I do case-by-case.

This happens to me a lot. Apparently standards for AP courses require HS students to ask profs to mentor their projects. Their HS teachers can’t do anything about the requirements, so we get deluged with these requests. I ignore if they are rude (often) or politely decline if they come correct.

the vibe since this was announced

We now enter the most dangerous phase, but also the one with the greatest opportunity. The U.S. has thousands of colleges, some run by red state governments, so it's too much to hope that NONE sign up for this federal takeover.

But it matters WHO signs up. The administration is taking a risk.

Excellent summary of the big politics news out of Japan today.

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department. Under Trump, the Department of Education has been bringing in activists hostile to public schools. It could mean a new era of private and religious schools boosted by tax dollars — and the end of publ...

These Activists Want to Dismantle Public Schools. Now They Run the Education Department.

www.propublica.org/article/educ...

Very proud of Kirby’s work in this open-access article. It marks a novel intervention in the prison religion literature and a unique angle on the “Buddhism in America” lit.

This is great. “And so all universities have to do now is do nothing—no accepting the compact, no counter-offers, nothing—and the government will be left with no more power to coerce and control the First Amendment-protected activities of major American universities than it has today.”

Eventually You're Going to Have to Stand for Something On accepting the fascist offer and being better than Ezra.

I wrote about why the regrettable conclusions of Ezra Klein pissed me off so badly in the last couple weeks.

On moral cowardice in an era that calls for clarity, and a popular political instinct to try to solve divisions of abuse by ignoring causes. www.the-reframe.com/eventually-y...

Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish? Sick of scrolling through junk results, AI-generated ads and links to lookalike products? The author and activist behind the term ‘enshittification’ explains what’s gone wrong with the internet – and ...

Yes. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...?

If you are thinking of applying to our program, DEFINITELY attend this session. It will help you determine if the PhD is right for you and will also include tips on how to craft a competitive application.

An excellent piece on the complex historical underpinnings and transnational ramifications of our present moment.

Always read @tressiemcphd.bsky.social , but definitely read this.

The Case for Fiscal Insurgency by Will Beaman A common refrain keeps surfacing among prominent journalists- and commentators-in-digital-exile on BlueSky. Commenting on the emergence of yet another shadowy centrist think tank, Ne…

The Case for Fiscal Insurgency moneyontheleft.org/2025/09/18/t...

Very grateful to folks at @ctrrelpol-washu.bsky.social for engaging conversation and constructive feedback on a WIP today. I learned so much!

More content like this.

日本郵便、米国向け郵便物を一部引き受け停止　関税対応巡り 日本郵便は２５日、米国向け郵便物の一部について２７日から引き受けを一時停止すると発表した。米関税措置に関連して運送事業者や郵便事業者が実施すべき手続きが不明確で運用が極めて困難な状況だという。

日本郵便は２５日、米国向け郵便物の一部について２７日から引き受けを一時停止すると発表した。米関税措置に関連して運送事業者や郵便事業者が実施すべき手続きが不明確で運用が極めて困難な状況だという。 bit.ly/4mrbdaS

Liberals: Alas, the Time Has Come to Throw John Rawls Under the Bus The greatest liberal philosopher of the twentieth century guided his creed toward neutrality. In the age of Trump, we can no longer afford that.

newrepublic.com/article/1992...

Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.

"If your books were uploaded to LibGen/fed into the LLMs, add your name to the potential class action lawsuit by tomorrow." Details:

LibDem database: www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Attorney form: www.lieffcabraser.com/anthropic-au...

(This information comes via a reliable Discord source.)

This piece by @laurenginsberg.bsky.social is excellent.

Following this with interest as I'm teaching my own version of a course like this, "The 'Field' of Religious Studies" in Spring 2026. My approach is to treat the history of religious studies as the history of area studies and vice versa. Piggybacking here for recs of things folks find fun!

Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Humanities The Wolf Humanities Center awards five (5) one-year Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowships each academic year to scholars in the humanities who are no more than five years out of their doctorate. P...

Postdoc at Penn for 2026–2027 academic year, with focus on the keyword "Practice." Might be good for some scholars of religion. wolfhumanities.upenn.edu/fellowships/...

This is very bad. Although entirely predictable. Once more the humanities are being cut back to prop up STEM and, increasingly, AI investment (including at the expense of bench science). In the past, cuts to humanities were promoted on two separate logic streams that do not hold true: /1

Editorial | Penn descends into fascism The Daily Pennsylvanian Summer Editorial Board argues that Penn’s concessions to the Trump administration set a dangerous precedent for academic freedom.

I don’t quite agree with the title if this editorial, but I applaud these intrepid student journalists for reminding the university that actions should match stated values and principles. www.thedp.com/article/2025...

米国版「ヤンマガ」刊行、1冊1千ページ無料配布　ジャンプは9言語：朝日新聞 講談社が8月、青年誌「ヤングマガジン」の米国版を初めて刊行する。今月16日に表紙などキービジュアルをウェブサイトで公開。増刊号の位置づけで発刊は１回のみ、計3万部を米国内で無料配布する計画だ。日本発…

The Asahi Shinbun reports that Young Magazine will be published in print form in the US starting August 21. Lots of fascinating details in the article about everything from cover design to serialization strategy. 米国版「ヤンマガ」刊行、1冊1千ページ無料配布　ジャンプは9言語
digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...