iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Just taught my first ever college class after a full day of teaching 6th grade. I am tired.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Idk why they emailed me at 12:39 am (or if it’s more embarrassing that I’m also awake) but BABY’S FIRST ADJUNCT JOB!!!

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I think this is one of the best documentaries of the decade and I was so honored to review it. Especially for film and media studies folks, it has such a fascinating narrative style worthy of a closer look. I even planned a whole unit around it for my 6th graders this year.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

I had my first full day of teaching in over 8 months where I wasn’t worried about a kid popping on the floor, bringing a 9 inch knife, or breaking down a door. It was amazing. I think I may have to switch schools because why did I have to put up with those concerns in the first place?

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

2016 I was the TA for a middle grade fan fiction class. The rest is history.

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Mystery Shack Lookback - A Gravity Falls Podcast @mysteryshackpod.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

(1/2) HAPPY 5 YEARS OF MYSTERY SHACK LOOKBACK! Fandom scholar @abbykirby.bsky.social forcibly interviewed us for their new book about the #gravityfalls fandom. Link in reply!

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

My summer job is easily my favorite thing in the world. After a really hard year in education I feel blessed to be able to do so many cool things for these kids.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

You know that time when the villains took over the House of Mouse? Yeah ☺️

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The Geekiary @thegeekiary.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Dig In with the Pokémon Fossil Museum! thegeekiary.com/dig-in-with-... #Pokemon #PokemonFossilMuseum #Museum #fandom

The image shows the text Pokemon Fossil Museum in the center against a rocky foreground. There is a winking Pikachu in the top left corner holding an excavation tool. The Pikachu is wearing a blue shirt, a red bandanna, and a cowboy-esque hat.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

I kinda love the Met Gala. While it is a bunch of rich people flaunting their wealth, any opportunity to share, celebrate, and preserve human-made art in the age of AI is valuable. Eat the rich but then save their clothes so we can appreciate the beauty of creation and human form.

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Gabriel Mckee @secret-terror.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Pretty exciting CFP for an online workshop on "Evidence, Experience, and Authority in Contested Knowledge". Interdisciplinary discussions on how knowledge is constructed in the worlds ofUFOs, NRMs, conspiracies, and cryptids? Sign me up! www.wikicfp.com/cfp/servlet/...

wikicfp.com

Evidence in Contested Knowledge 2026 : Evidence, Experience, and Authority in Contested Knowledge

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Is it a good or bad thing if my therapist tells me I should be a stand up comedian?

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

I am so excited K-Pop Demon Hunters is winning big at the Oscars. I am also relentlessly critiquing it for the DePaul pop culture conference. That‘s how you know I really liked this movie.

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The Geekiary @thegeekiary.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Anime Milwaukee’s Polkalator Memorial: Sites of Memory, Community, and Participation thegeekiary.com/anime-milwau... #AnimeMilwaukee #Polkalator #PolkalatorMemorial #fandom #con #AMKE #AMKE2026

An image of the Polkalator Memorial, used in the article titled, Anime Milwaukee’s Polkalator Memorial: Sites of Memory, Community, and Participation

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Today my 6th grades celebrated #pokemon30 with a history lesson. Some of us even traded for our favorite cards!

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The Geekiary @thegeekiary.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Alysa Liu is a Fangirl, Here’s Why That Matters thegeekiary.com/alysa-liu-is... #AlysaLiu #Olympics #2026WinterOlympics #Fandom #MyLittlePony #ChainsawMan #GoldMedal #Iceskating #fangirl

An image of Olympian Alysa Liu, along with her fandom interests of Rainbowdash and Pochita, used in the article titled, Alysa Liu is a Fangirl, Here's Why That Matters

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Absolutely loved the new episodes and the new cast! #scrubs

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Combatting my ongoing frustration at Infinity Train’s cancellation by having my fanfic students creat their own train cars. I’m really vibing with my example. Who needs more of a show when you can just make it? (me, I need more) @owendennis.com

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I’m teaching my 6th graders what matters #marvel #dc

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 01/02/2026

After so many years my fanfic class is running again and it feels so good! It’s small but that means I can tailor it to the kids‘ interests (including how to get the juice). I genuinely think this is what I’m meant to do with my life.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Saw the Spider-Man exhibition at @msichicago.bsky.social and it was an absolute delight!

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

My class had a funeral for the bug that had been living in my window. A kid stomped on it today. RIP bug 😢

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

I need them to announce the next Psych Con because I’ve been making bracelets every time I’m feeling anxious. Considering I have over 200… I’ve been very anxious.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Whenever I realize a lesson I planned isn‘t long enough I start explaining Twilight to 11 year olds. There’s at least 15 minutes of cushion in there.

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Jason Kirk @jasonkirk.fyi · 12/09/2025

Discovering computer as an adult makes you go crazy. Discovering computer as a baby makes you go crazy. In all of human history, there will only ever be one generation to discover computer at the correct age: 13

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

I'm a contributor! Join me for the few minutes I'll be on Zoom to talk about my chapter. #fanstudies www.pedagogicaltheory.co.uk/event/autobi...

pedagogicaltheory.co.uk

Autobiography, Fan Fiction, and Education – Book Launch – Advanced Pedagogical Theory

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Who ever let me have this goofy lil karaoke machine for my classroom has made the worst mistake of their life.

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e.w. niedermeyer @niedermeyer.online · 12/08/2025

different day, same internal struggle

heavily modified meme image depicting spiderman confronting a dinosaur person, saying "you can write concisely about complex topics and you're using it to shitpost? But with abilities like that you could write a book" to which the dinosaur person responds "but I don't want to write a book I want to shitpost"

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Anna Wilson @annapwilson.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

#fanstudies #fanfiction I have a small FAQ on my site now directed at potential graduate students who want to write PhD projects on fanfiction. Please let me know if your students find this helpful and/or if there's anything you disagree with, or that you think I should add www.drannawilson.com

drannawilson.com

Anna Wilson: Medieval Literature and Fanfiction Studies

Homepage for Dr Anna Wilson, Assistant Professor of English at Harvard University. Prof. Wilson studies fanfiction and medieval literature.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to connect with the person from my hometown who has this bumper sticker

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

My supervisor came in for an observation while I was screaming about Shrek to my kids. Thankfully she thought I was funny and engaging and not someone who was using class time to explain Shrek lore.

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Simon Bacon @baconetti.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Aca-Disney-Colleagues Hugely exciting news of a CFP for a Disney Companion put together by the terrific Prof. Lorna Farnell and myself. So if you are fascinated/horrified by all things Disney see attached: www.academia.edu/143102016/Di...

academia.edu

Disney: A Companion, edited by Lorna Piatti-Farnell and Simon Bacon

The editors invite abstracts for a forthcoming edited volume entitled Disney: A Companion, which will offer a comprehensive critical exploration of The Walt Disney Company's cultural, historical, ...

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Big shout out to past Abby who decided to write but never finish a bunch of Gravity Falls essays that could easily copied and pasted. Current Abby is now roughly 35% done with her book.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

I’ve been doing interviews for my book, people say they have nothing important to add. But then they share one small thing and it opens up perspectives I hadn’t considered. A big theme coming out of this is how we enrich the lives of others. I’m feeling very blessed to have this opportunity.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

New from me about @alexrossart.bsky.social at the Dunn Museum in Libertyville IL!

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

Visited the Alex Ross exhibit at the Dunn Museum in Lake County (review article to come). I had a lovely time and it’s urging me to move to the area so I can visit their special exhibits more often!

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

I'm trying to tell myself I'm still in the stage of book writing where it can all be incoherent rambles- so long as there's something on the page. But I'm also not okay with that and everything I write needs to be perfect the first time.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

So you’re telling me I have to teach this class on WW2 and Marvel comics *now*? In this political climate? I think I should get hazard pay.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

To whomever gave their collection of books on the undead, vampires, Buffy, and 80s teen movies to the Savers in Crystal Lake, IL: they're very safe with me.

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🎃That Spooky GF FAN🎃 @thatgffan.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

13 years ago today, a brand new cartoon aired for the first time on Disney Channel. It would eventually spawn 2 incredible seasons, 17 hilarious shorts, 3 NY Times bestselling books and become the first Disney TVA cartoon to be sold on Blu-ray. Happy birthday, #GravityFalls!

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

13 years ago, I knew this thing would change my life. But if you told me that change would look like writing a whole book I would have thought you were joking. It’s been an honor to talk to Alex, Jason, Ariel, and (soon) Rob. But it’s also been a privilege to connect with so many fans. #gravityfalls

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

There’s a lot of things I wish I could say, but out of moral obligation I won’t. So instead I present this meme with no context.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

As I've been writing this book, I've been hugely blessed to talk to some of the team behind Gravity Falls. That being said, I feel like a stalker going online and hunting down these folks for a still-functioning email.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Speaking of other fun things I did last week: I took a pilgrimage to the Double R Diner + scenic shots from #TwinPeaks. I wrote a message in the memorial scrapbook for David Lynch about his influence. Since I’ve been writing this book on #GravityFalls I truly felt as if I were on sacred ground.

The diner’s interior with a counter and booths surrounding it. A red light glows overhead. The coffee was mid but the pie was so good.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Going to the MOPOP last week was a life-confirming experience. I spend so much time trying to bring my careers in fanstudies and education together that to be in a space curated for learning through pop culture felt surreal.

From MOPOP “pop culture is a term we all use but rarely define. Pop culture is global. Pop culture is a catalyst for change. Pop culture is always transforming.”

Tattered zombie suit and tie from Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ music video.

Hoverboards, including the one used by Michael J Fox, from Back to the Future II.

The red dress worn by Robin Wright in The Princess Bride.

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Abby Kirby @abbykirby.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Really enjoying doing research for this class on Marvel and WW2

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