David Low

A6. Subversive, transgressive, fugitive, and joyful world-building #literacies

A4. #Literacies field trips in conference cities! (Fanny packs optional.)

A1. (Not AI, Linda McMahon…) I first came to the #Literacies chat back on Twitter as a guest host. I’ve since ditched the platform but not the friends or memories :)

A shindig, a clam bake, an ice cream social… a #literacies brouhaha!

Hi hi hi #literacies family! It's David Low joining from Fresno, CA. I'm a professor of literacy ed.

It sure was! I look forward to remaining in conversation :)

My Brain Finally Broke Much of what we see now is fake, and the reality we face is full of horrors. More and more of the world is slipping beyond my comprehension.

Jia Tolentino writes about how Donald Trump and “his lieutenant content-generator Elon Musk” harness the internet to damage our sense of the real.

When Opinions Become Thoughtcrimes by Stephanie R. Toliver - VISIBLE Magazine What once seemed like literary hyperbole has transformed into pedagogical reality as my students and I navigate an increasingly restricted intellectual landscape.

I have a new op-ed out in Visible Magazine…Never thought I’d need to go into my literary dystopian bag, but here we are…

visiblemagazine.com/when-opinion...

Transgressive Humor in Classrooms: Punching Up, Punching Down, and Critical Literacy Practices In this innovative book, David E. Low examines the multifaceted role of humor in critical literacy studies. Talking about how teachers and students negotiate understandings of humor and social critiqu...

www.routledge.com/Transgressiv...

State of Ridicule A history of political satire in English literature from its Roman foundations to the present day

I, for one, very firmly believe that we need more ridicule in the arts and society. Everywhere in the world, too!

Dan Sperrin, State of Ridicule: A History of Satire in English Literature (@princetonupress.bsky.social, 2025; #skystorians) press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

punching up is often a good use of humor

Yesterday I shared a baker’s dozen books that are helping me make sense of the world. I included a comic on that list, but I decided to do an entire list of #comics that also speak to this moment.

I hope you’ll find something useful here and perhaps you have your own recommendations too! 1/15

🧵📚

Trump: Also, it will be a crime to refer to Cybertrucks as “Swasticars” Elon: Actually, I don’t mind that.

Foxtrot is part of the Resistance. Good.

This is actually the worst thing I’ve seen from federal granting agencies thus far.

seeing examples of public opposition also tells people that they are not alone in their dissent—it helps fracture the idea that Trump 2.0 represents some kind of new monothilic common will

The notion that Trump's "I'm king" tweet is "just trolling" or "a joke" presents an opportunity to recreate my just-joking thread (porting it over from the Bad Place):

1. I wrote my PhD dissertation on the social function of humor (in literature & film) and here's the thing about "just joking."

Thorough, written with the care & clarity truthfulness deserves, a reminder that faithfulness to truth is a choice we make.
Heidegger, attributed with remarking, “we are born many people, we die one person”, might have said these 👇🏻, the steps to that one person.

Bravo 👇🏻 well done.

No One Knows How This Will End (But I Do Not Think It Will End Well for Them) I can sum up the Trump/Musk/Vance theory of power in five words: "We have power; you don't." Alternative version in six words: "we can do anything we want." They seem to believe that nothing is really...

These three horsemen of the MAGA-tech-bro apocalypse are in the position of penthouse dwellers who think their top floor apartment doesn't rest on all the floors underneath... www.meditationsinanemergency.com/no-one-knows...

A screenshot of an email notifying Spotsylvania parents that funding for a program for youth with disabilities has been canceled

the richest man in the world has decided that your kids don't deserve special education programs

56 Small Tasks to Be Proactive Against Book Censorship in 2025 and Beyond: Book Censorship News, January 3, 2025 Choose one task each week of 2025 for a year full of anti-book censorship activism and advocacy.

YES x 10000 I am ALWAYS happy to answer questions. Never hesitate to connect with me friends. Here to help you - do something. Also always @heykellyjensen.bsky.social ALWAYS has answers. I wish more journalists would do the work and connect with her. bookriot.com/56-small-tas...

Trump’s Reign of Terror on Schools—and How We Fight Back It’s not enough to be afraid of the laws and rules we don’t want to see in schools. We have to clarify our visions of what we are fighting for.

"It’s not enough to be afraid of the laws and rules we don’t want to see in schools. We have to clarify our visions of what, how, where and with whom we want our beloveds to learn."

New from @eveewing.bsky.social.

The Logic of Destruction And how to resist it

The logic of the coup that is going on now. And how to resist it.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-logic-...

The opposite of diversity is segregation.
The opposite of equity is hoarding resources.
The opposite of inclusion is exclusion.
We need to name that these are segregationists who are excluding to hoard resources.

One of the real problems is that too many people conveniently believe the opposite of diversity is merit, and the opposite of inclusion is high standards.

Yeah, that’s just not the case.

(See: Pete Hegseth among countless others.)

Marvel Comics Celebrates a Moon Girl Milestone in 'Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur 10th Anniversary Special' #1 This April, Moon Girl co-creators Brandon Montclare and Natacha Bustos reunite in 'Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur 10th Anniversary Special' #1.

One of my favorite genius Marvel girlies (besides Ironheart) is turning 10 years old this year!!! I can not wait to pick up this 10th anniversary one shot!

Also working on a special Moon Girl centered project, so this is right on time! 💜💙💛

www.marvel.com/articles/com...

As the Trump administration & many state governments appear poised to accelerate attacks on higher education as a public good, the AAUP urges colleges & universities to resist the coming onslaught of political interference & defend the core values of higher education.
🧵
www.aaup.org/news/against...

Egg prices are soaring again. Here’s why and what to expect Bird flu has killed millions of hens in recent weeks, shrinking the supply of eggs and hiking up prices at grocery stores.

The price of eggs in the US is spiking, mostly due to #H5N1 bird flu. Solving the problem requires urgent, important communications from the CDC & FDA* and rapid development of research by the NIH**

* Currently paused by Executive Order
** Grant reviews now all canceled
www.kcur.org/news/2025-01...

Another way out: In fighting fascism, we must choose wisely If we plan to defy the order of the day, we must decide between what’s worth fighting about and what’s not the best use of our time

I wrote about the importance of not getting caught up in useless conflicts. Some fights are so big and decisive that they demand our focus and participation. So, choosing what's worth our time and what isn't will make all the difference in these moments. prismreports.org/2025/01/23/f...

way too many people still see follower count as a status symbol of prestige or importance when it's really better understood as the unfortunate, burdensome side effect of trying too hard to make like 8 specific people laugh