Sign in

Abigail Modaff

@abigailmodaff.bsky.social
343 followers 353 following 90 posts

American historian working on a book about women’s book clubs. All posts my own, not my employer’s.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Evan Bernick, a finite mode with a smol hooman and a lorg floof @evanbernick.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
when the presentation runs over the 30 minute mark
322818
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
no
030
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Mitchell Hansen @hansen13.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
If you're not already, get over to ESPN2. Fun finish to Game 3 taking place right now between Golden State and Dallas. Winner advances to play Las Vegas in the semifinals. Loser goes home.
031
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We are not doing “Valkatraz”! The history of Alkatraz is not fun and cute! #WNBA
031
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This right here!!!
000
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Veronica mf Burton
030
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Im winning
000
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I’m in favor of both these teams but what matters most to me is Arike shutting everyone up
110
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Darby Lyons @darbylyons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"In theory, Texas’s abortion bans contain exceptions for medical emergencies. In practice, hospitals discourage doctors from providing abortion care even when patients have serious complications, because...they are afraid of violating the ban and incurring legal consequences."
05116
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
David Kaye @davidakaye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
yeah, i'm really angry. this isn't *policy* difference. we have a government detaining tens of thousands of ppl lawlessly, roaming the streets, surveilling our cities, & SENDING PEOPLE TO CERTAIN DOOM & the comfortable justices are just like, alright, let's schedule this for a hearing in the spring.
1235
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Jane Rosenzweig @janerosenzweig.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
That "the google one" was easiest to access because it was available on their school computers is interesting paired with this response from Google:"Google focuses on encouraging critical thinking and has specific protections for users under 18, she added"
Kaitlyn Ruano saw the effects of AI in the Advanced Placement Art History class she taught in Miami, where the school district made Google’s Gemini chatbot available to all high-school students last year. She was shocked in July when she saw a much larger portion of students than she’d expected hadn’t passed the AP test, including kids who had been getting A’s and B’s in class. “I had kids come to class after saying, ‘Miss, I had no clue what half the material was, I’m not going to lie to you. I’ve been using AI all year,’” she said. The Miami school district declined to comment.

“The Google one was the biggest temptation, because it’s the easiest to access,” said 15-year-old Sophia Chatzigianni of Fairfax County, Va. She saw her Human Geography and Algebra II grades nosedive to C’s on assessments as she relied on Google Search AI summaries and interactions with its AI mode chatbot on her school computer. Once she quit using AI, her grades improved.
1146
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Socially and in the legal system, our understanding of responses to sexual violence is purposefully uninformed and therefore limited to only “perfect” victims (who don’t really exist), so that we don’t have to actually combat sexual violence or believe victims or hold perpetrators accountable.
31526172
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Liliana Segura @lilianasegura.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The tortuous, botched execution of Christa Pike is truly horrifying. And while it feels unique in some ways, in reality it is also only the latest in a history of botched executions going back years — YEARS — in numerous states. Please know: this is the reality of the death penalty in this country.
111284376
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Christa Pike was first sexually abused when she was just two years old. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
1948372
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Her Hoop Stats @herhoopstats.com · 01/10/2026
Quite the list of players Arike Ogunbowale has passed tonight to set the record for most points in a WNBA playoff game. herhoopstats.com/stats/wnba/r...
18319
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Oh No He Didn't @ohnohedidnt24.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
ARIKE WITH THE INSANE GAME TYING 3!!!! WHAT. A. SHOT!
012931
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
maura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Yes every woman has been harassed, many assaulted. But every woman has also experienced invisible loss from moments she avoided harassment. She felt a space becoming unsafe, so she left, while men stayed on. And in leaving, she lost: opportunities, experiences, learning, promotions, even simply fun.
168187734710
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Hannah Bowman @hannahnpbowman.com · 01/10/2026
End the death penalty. End it now. There is no reason for it, never.
111539280
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Fortunately I am also an annoyingly vocal fan of Janelle Salaün so it’s a real win win for me this evening
000
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Thomas Frampton @tframpton.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
To paraphrase Bryan Stevenson, the question right now isn’t whether Christa Pike deserves to die; it’s whether the State of Tennessee deserves to kill. That moral authority has been so manifestly forfeited.
1121
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
wow it just keeps happening almost like she’s great
000
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
In this house we respect Alysha Clark
010
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
watching WNBA refs
618832
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We have to say it plainly: a lot of people—a lot of men—just don’t think that rape is very serious.
281595252
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We are not doing “Valkatraz”! The history of Alkatraz is not fun and cute! #WNBA
031
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I see this a lot with my well-meaning students: the sense that their STEM courses are immovable objects, and my requirements in History are somehow less reasonable/should bend in response to their other course commitments. They are not coming up with this assumption, they have been taught it
1235
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In turn, that leads to the perception among students that they have the right to skip onerous-feeling work, and among administrators that AI is a suitable replacement for lots of the skills we teach
191
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is a great thread on something I think about a lot: the perception that humanities and social science courses are somehow inherently easier and thus should demand less of students
11710
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Dr. Chance Bonar @chancebonar.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The technicality and knowledge base of many humanities disciplines are, in effect, hidden from students who only have to engage with materials in English translation & never have to gain the expertise needed to perform basic research in these fields
2458
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
It’s Julie. Dr. Tilsen, if you’re nasty (or use AI) @queeringtherapist.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Goddamnit.
static.klipy.com
Courtney Williams Aint Looking Too Good
ALT: Courtney Williams Aint Looking Too Good
011
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 26/09/2026
great piece. man social media is a cancer themomoftheyear.substack.com/p/im-the-mom...
themomoftheyear.substack.com
I’m the Mom in That Viral Giants Clip. Let Me Tell You About My Husband.
You saw me carrying our baby and food. There was more happening in our family that night.
12252991371
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Jules Boykoff @julesboykoff.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"Institutions that recruit international athletes & benefit from their athletic labor must build systems capable of supporting them when their immigration status places them at risk," write @nkalamb.bsky.social Simran Kaur Sethi, & @derekcrim.bsky.social in a powerful & important essay
34926
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Remember that even though the vaccine is not sterilizing it does lessen the severity in the acute stage and also lessens the chances you get long covid symptoms and damage that can last for months, years, or even be permanent.
122840
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This also means that if you go to a pharmacy to get it you don’t have to provide self attestation of co-morbidities to get it; it’s for everyone. You can show the new CDC guidelines to your pharmacist if you have any trouble.
126950
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As of today, the CDC has changed (reverted) their Covid guidance to make the vaccine recommended for all people over 18. In addition to being a smart public health move, this recommendation also means insurance must cover it. Read more here: www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/va... Listen to a breakdown here:
131864906
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
🌬Breeze @cool-summer-breeze.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is the Stolen Neighbors Quilt. Each of the 11,000 squares represents a person taken by ICE in Minnesota.
122123495254
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Jane Rosenzweig @janerosenzweig.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"Writing centers should be championed, not dissolved... Colleges are racing to outspend each other with new AI-focused programming. But individualized, human support for student learning should not be sacrificed on the altar of these ambitions." (by Lizzie Hutton, Miami U Ohio's WC director)
cincinnati.com
AI makes college writing centers more important, not less | Opinion
Opinion: AI can generate words. College students still need to learn how to write.
25730
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Danielle H @danielleceltics.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to say farewell to the Connecticut Sun #WNBA
312734
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
🫠
001
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
More and more convinced that her hot streak covered up squishy play for much of the season
100
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
so we are really just beefing up Miles’s MVP case today aren’t we
000
Abigail Modaff @abigailmodaff.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I mean how could you watch Shakira Austin play and NOT root for DC #WNBA
020
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Frovo @frovo.bsky.social · 27/05/2023
ROBIN: the batmobile won’t start BATMAN: check the battery ROBIN: what’s a tery
182544506
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Chris Steller @chrissteller.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Hi if you are in Minneapolis and are this 25-to-30-year-old white woman, about 5'5", with brown hair and a curly-haired golden retriever-like dog, get medical attention immediately!
22616326
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Asheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 16/09/2026
More than any higher ed development in recent memory, institutional subsidies for AI at R1 universities prove that austerity is a choice. It is not “too expensive” to invest in a humanities research infrastructure; rather, it is a choice that R1 universities make not to & subsidize AI instead.
4644255
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Joseph Rezek @rezekjoe.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
BREAKING: Boston University's English department (my dept) recently voted to approve new learning outcomes for the English major, including an anti-AI provision that requires students to “craft and revise writing that is sustained, original, and generated without the assistance of AI."
bu.edu
New Learning Outcomes Announced | English
402366471
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Another story some faculty tell themselves in order to live is that AI is a matter of character. Sometimes, yes; but let us think in terms of systems, incentives, pressure. Is student alcohol abuse just “character”? No, it’s a result of a culture in which higher ed is complicit.
1667
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Jeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
New school year off to a stumble w/ three major higher ed AI fallacies: 1. “We must embrace it because it’s here to stay.” So are radioactive waste & heroin. 2. “MY students would never cheat.” A statement about the speaker’s ego, not their students. 3. “I can always tell.” Sure thing, Sherlock.
821953
Reposted by Abigail Modaff
Kieran Healy @kjhealy.co · 15/09/2026
Targeted flattery-spam/phishing aimed at harmless academics like me is leveling up! Book Club rubbish is so last month. Thanks, LLMs! I just got a highly elaborate six-paragraph one “from” Emily St John Mandel (of Station Eleven fame). The choice of author to impersonate is really quite clever
I also admired the way you frame the stakes of the book. The question of what will hold us together as we obsess over order and difference, and as the logic of ordinality digs deeper into our behaviors, bodies, and minds, is one that will resonate with anyone who has sensed that something has shifted in the texture of social life. The book's place in the Harvard University Press catalog reflects a commitment to publishing works of enduring significance, and your contribution stands as a model of how sociology can illuminate the most pressing questions of our time.
I would be genuinely curious to know how you approached the research for this book. How did you come to focus on ordinality as the lens for understanding digital capitalism, and what drew you to the concept of the ordinal society? How did you navigate the challenge of working across such a wide range of domains, from markets to the public sphere to the state? And was there a particular case or discovery that surprised you, one that deepened your understanding of how ranking and measurement are reshaping social life?
The Ordinal Society is a work of profound scholarship that will serve as an essential resource for anyone studying digital capitalism, social inequality, or the transformation of self and society in the twenty first century. It is a testament to the enduring importance of understanding the systems that shape our lives, and a reminder that the most important works of scholarship are often those that reveal what has become invisible through familiarity. I admire the clarity and insight behind your work, and I would welcome the chance to continue this conversation. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you would ever like to discuss process, publishing, or simply the strange and wonderful life of a working writer.
With genuine admiration,
Emily St. John Mandel  
Award-winning Canadian novelist and essayist
Author of: Station Eleven
Connect with Emily:
	•
5305