Liesl Jensen (she/her)

Worksheet titled: "Evolving from Eel-less Language" and it includes a column titled "Instead of" with a red X, and a column titled "Say this" with a green checkmark. The "Instead of" column includes sayings like "You're doing it wrong" and "Look at those used condoms in the water!" The "Say this" column includes sayings like, "You're grabbing an eel by the tail" and "Hey! Manhattan eels!" I don't have the space here to list all of them. But each expression in the "Say this" column is a bonafide (read that in a Wharvey Gal's accent) historical eel metaphor. We'd all be better off if we talked more about eels.

We're all trying to be careful with our language, so as not to offend, or not to lose federal funding for talking about paragraph transitions.

To help you out, here's a worksheet to guide you in swapping out troublesome phrases for real, historical eel expressions.
🗃️🧪

Trans Continental Pipeline-Donate to help queer relocation! At TCP, our mission is to help Queer and 2SLGBTQIA+ people move from unsafe environments to Colorado and provide connections and resources through our relocation program.Every Cent you donate will go ...

Here is a direct donation link. Please use it. I just did.

www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...

Join us tonight!

One day to go! We can't wait to see those of you at RSA 🌈 🌁 🌉

It is Ash Wednesday no one has schmutz on their forehead Today, 8:25 AM

Setting this reminder was perhaps my most brilliant move ever

A line drawing of a woman driving a tent peg through the head of a sleeping man. The caption at the top says “I’m into pegging 💕”

Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕

Based on a painting of Yael by Artemisia Gentileschi

Come hang out! Otherwise I'll be sitting in a bar by myself!

Everything is so horrendous but you could tell this incredibly courageous young woman how much you admire her and express your solidarity and say that trans people are one of the things that gives you hope for the future.

The increasingly common habit of screenshotting the AI summary of a Google search and presenting it as evidence must be nipped in the bud immediately. That is nothing. That is not anything, it is not a thing.

Thank you, that means a lot to hear! It was important to me to make ace experience visible, not only ace ideas, so I am glad that came across!

Omg this is so cool!!!

No, but will be published in the forthcoming volume Early Modern Asexualities!

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad that you enjoyed and that the argument resonated!

@badinfinity2.bsky.social's Glorious Bodies is simply my favourite thing I've read this year!

Promotional image for the Centre for Renaissance and Reformation Studies conference Early Modern Asexualities, taking place January 5 to 7, 2026 at Victoria College Chapel and online. The graphic features two early modern–style classical figures framing the event title against a purple background patterned with similar figures.

📅 January 5–7, 2026
📍 Victoria College
🎥 In person/livestreamed

What does it mean to do asexual history? This three-day conference bridges early modern studies and asexuality studies to explore compulsory sexuality, disability, race, and queer histories.

👉 More info crrs.ca/crrsevents/e...

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📅 January 5–7, 2026
📍 Victoria College
🎥 In person/livestreamed

What does it mean to do asexual history? This three-day conference bridges early modern studies and asexuality studies to explore compulsory sexuality, disability, race, and queer histories.

👉 More info crrs.ca/crrsevents/e...

Attention Guild members! You have until the 12th December to register for our peer writing exchange. 🖋️🌈

Signup here: docs.google.com/forms/d/1Mxr...

To find out more visit gqem.org/events-calen...

Letter below is by surgical oncologist and professor Dr. Michael Baum about how a character explaining chaos theory in a Tom Stoppard play sparked an expansion in his understanding of breast cancer, leading to exploration of adjuvant therapy that protects distant organs.

This is what art can do.

I love my research! On this week's to-do list: "early modern eel context" and "eel gender??"

Really excited for these workshops!

A statement from members of Mary Baldwin University's School of Visual and Performing Arts, in response to the decisions made on November 10th by President Telemeco and the Board of Trustees

On November 10th, all faculty received an email from the President. In this communication, the President announced that the Board approved his list of Minors to be eliminated. This list includes 17 Minors — 6 of which (Art History, Film Production, Film Studies, Music, Studio Art, and Dance) are housed in the School of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). The elimination of these Minors effectively strips MBU of Arts programing for undergraduate students. On the same day, several faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), including some colleagues in VPA, were individually informed that their contracts would not be renewed. Many of these terminations threaten the ongoing delivery of arts education, events, and programming across Mary Baldwin University, not only in the affected Minors and in the only remaining Major (Theatre) in VPA, but for the entire campus community. In the lead up to these actions, there was no consultation with VPA leadership. There was no consultation with departments about the impact of contract terminations. There was no consultation or discussion with affected departments about the viability of “teaching out” the Minors in the light of staff cuts. Many affected faculty only found out about changes or cancellations of their Minors via the general university communication, rather than through the promised individual communications. Furthermore, there were no inquiries about the impact on teaching within the continuing Major and graduate programs, or on teaching within the Common Curriculum. On August 29th, the President stated: “we will approach this work thoughtfully, with clear criteria, and timelines;” he stated further, “I promise to listen carefully, honestly communicate what I think and why, and make decisions that reflect my commitment to MBU as a whole.” We wish to note that the events of November 10th happened without prior or full transparency; without published criteria or timelines; without consultation

with affected faculty, departments, and administrators; and without a stated plan of delivery for the liberal arts core that President Telemeco’s November 10th email promises for MBU’s future. In a press release to local media, the university claimed that the list of Minors was drawn up following “recommendations from a faculty-led academic portfolio review completed nearly two years ago.” This is misleading. The faculty who were tasked with reviewing Minors did not put these 17 Minors forward for elimination. In fact, the committee specifically recommended continuing most of those minors. In the absence of Presidential communication about a plan this Fall, a carefully-designed strategy for undergraduate residential programming was drafted by CAS leadership. This plan would have retained faculty and programming—including Arts programming—and was delivered to the Board and the President on November 5th 2025. The Faculty of VPA have a number of questions for President Telemeco (tatelemeco@marybaldwin.edu) and the MBU Board of Trustees (boardoftrustees@marybaldwin.edu) and invites our community to join us in asking them. Why have decisions about academic program realignment entirely excluded the voices of students, alumni, staff, and faculty in the associated areas? Why have the President and the Board not taken the time to consult with VPA leadership or faculty to understand the implications of contract terminations on the delivery of programs? Why have academic leadership and the Board not solicited the strategic thinking and expertise of VPA leadership or faculty to help seek mutually beneficial solutions to the university’s difficulties? What is the university’s plan for the “teach out” of Minors when essential faculty’s contracts are not being renewed? Given that faculty and students have been informed that there will be no change to the delivery of existing activities, what resources is the university planning to allocate to ensure this?

Why are programs and personnel which are central to the liberal arts core, the enrichment of student experience, and the fostering of community on campus—as well as being prominently featured in university marketing materials—being targeted? Why has there not been any discussion of the potential impact on future revenue generation, donations, prestige, and reputation that may result from the loss of arts events and programming? Who, from a place of expertise, will represent the Arts and Humanities in the President’s new cabinet? Our concern is that decisions with drastic and life-altering consequences for employees and students are being made without full understanding of the implications of those decisions. We invite the President and the Board of Trustees to explain how its decision making aligns with the university’s stated values and leadership. If the university is to “remain grounded in liberal arts principles”—and its mission is “to empower inclusive leaders to create lives of purpose and professional success in our changing world”—then we challenge university leadership to demonstrate how its actions and processes reflect that mission. We call for the President to reinstate terminated faculty and discontinued Minors. We urge him to consider the plan submitted on November 5th by CAS leadership and collaborate with current administration and faculty to curate its financial viability. We ask him to enter into meaningful and collaborative conversation with faculty, staff, and students about the future of the liberal arts education that remains at the heart of MBU’s stated mission. ~Members of the School of Visual and Performing Arts

Statement from members of the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Mary Baldwin University.

Sign and share the petition: c.org/DSPvcQxgLW

The sudden closure of 17 minors and termination of many faculty contracts without consultation is a source of major concern - please support our colleagues.

Tomorrow is your last chance to join us for reading group until next term!

The coolest people, talking about the coolest thing?? Really what more could you want?! I am so lucky to be a part of this project and I cannot wait (!!) to hear everyone else's research and thinking! It's right before MLA...so please come join us to revel in the profound potentials of asexuality!

In what has been a fall heavy on paperwork and deadlines, this has been such a lovely oasis of deep reading and thinking mostly for pleasure! Come join us for our final session of the term!

Many years in, I still always come away from sessions like this with new wisdom! And always nice to try and pass on some of that wisdom!

This afternoon! Join us!

I had a great time chatting to @stinaface.bsky.social and @ninajonesfilm.bsky.social about asexual representation, and you can listen to the podcast episode here: open.spotify.com/episode/3p5D... Also, go read my blog about the impacts of ace representation below 👀 Happy Ace Week everyone! 💜

Today! There is still time to join us for this afternoon's discussion!

The Revels Office has been such a fun and supportive group for me! Cannot recommend enough!

Come join for a chill and supportive co-working session!