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Abigail Swingen

@abigailswingen.bsky.social
4K followers 2.7K following 1.4K posts

EM British & Atlantic history. Competing Visions of Empire (Yale, 2015). Now: Britain's Financial Revolution & Moral Crisis. She/her. New Englander. Views my own. Latest article: doi.org/10.1017/jbr.2023.74

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Reposted by Abigail Swingen
The Bibliographical Society @bibsoc.bsky.social · 9h
2026 is the 550th anniversary of England's first printer, William Caxton, establishing his printing press in Westminster, London. To celebrate, the Bibliographical Society is hosting a series of videos from libraries in the UK and around the world introducing viewers to items printed by Caxton ...
youtube.com
Caxton 550 - YouTube
2026 is the 550th anniversary of England's first printer, William Caxton, establishing his printing press in Westminster, London. To celebrate, the Bibliogra...
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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:
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The Organization of American Historians @oah.org · 22/09/2026
📢Congratulations to our new OAH Lecturers! 🎉 We are proud to announce this year’s group of U. S. historians who bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse historical perspectives to the OAH Lectureship Program roster. #OAHLecturer 👉 Meet the new speakers: ow.ly/I0L550ZQhGC
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
'The records have been digitised and indexed by the genealogy company Ancestry, which has partnered with the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at University College London.' Leaps and bounds forward in our understanding of the histories of the British enslaved. #Skystorians
theguardian.com
Nearly 4m records of enslaved people in 20 former British colonies now searchable online
Exclusive: Collection’s 300,000 pages record lives of enslaved people in countries including the Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Mauritius, South Africa and Trinidad
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Working on a book, article, or dissertation on #18thc British world? The Lewis Walpole Library offers 4-week visiting fellowships and 2-week travel grants for scholars. The deadline for applications is November 2. 🗃️ More info: walpole.library.yale.edu/fellowships/...
walpole.library.yale.edu
Visiting Fellowships and Travel Grants | Lewis Walpole Library
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
If you are ever in New Haven this academic year, be sure to check out this amazing exhibition at the Beinecke on William Hogarth's "moral progresses," featuring material from the Lewis Walpole Library. Starting October 12. #18thc #earlymodern 🗃️: library.yale.edu/events/satir...
library.yale.edu
Satire, Sympathy, and Social Critique: William Hogarth’s Progress Prints
“Satire, Sympathy, and Social Critique” will be on view at Beinecke Library from Oct. 12, 2026, through May 30, 2027. Drawing from the rich William Hogarth collections of Yale’s Lewis Walpole Library,...
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Asheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 15/09/2026
Colleges could subsidize books for students rather than paying for premium versions of ChatGPT
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Brooke Newman @brookenewman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The paper trail of complicity and profit, both royal and otherwise, stretches across the centuries—and historians are there to find it. Great work by Nick Radburn, Will Pettigrew, and team, who have launched a comprehensive register of British investors in the transatlantic slave trade.
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 11/09/2026
This is what it means to be a federal worker. Which is part of why it makes me so furious to see how federal workers have been treated by Trump and Musk and DOGE.
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Asheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 11/09/2026
Universities are subsidizing internal AI tools that are, from the perspective of the humanities, enabling cheating & cognitive outsourcing. The cost in resources is certainly an issue, but the fact that these tools undermine the work we ask students to do is ridiculous www.umass.edu/it/genai/pla...
umass.edu
GenAI Platform : UMass Amherst Information Technology : UMass Amherst
The UMass GenAI platform is an intuitive and user-friendly platform designed to provide the UMass community with equitable access to leading generative AI models, including OpenAI (ChatGPT), Anthropic...
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Wellesley College, one of the most expensive colleges in the country, just announced that it will be "tuition free" for most domestic families earning less than $200,000. Sounds good, right? Well, it's complicated, as my favorite student journalist reports. thewellesleynews.com/23668/news-i...
thewellesleynews.com
Wellesley goes tuition free for families making under $200,000
Wellesley College announced Sept. 9 that domestic students whose families make under $200,000 a year with typical assets will receive free tuition, beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. The new poli...
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Wellesley College, one of the most expensive colleges in the country, just announced that it will be "tuition free" for most domestic families earning less than $200,000. Sounds good, right? Well, it's complicated, as my favorite student journalist reports. thewellesleynews.com/23668/news-i...
thewellesleynews.com
Wellesley goes tuition free for families making under $200,000
Wellesley College announced Sept. 9 that domestic students whose families make under $200,000 a year with typical assets will receive free tuition, beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. The new poli...
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Officially official. library.yale.edu/news/yale-li...
library.yale.edu
Yale Library names Abigail Swingen executive director of Lewis Walpole Library
In October, Abigail Swingen joins Yale Library as the W. S. Lewis Librarian and Executive Director of Lewis Walpole Library.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
FYI, I got the new COVID vaccine at a CVS today. No questions about any conditions or anything.
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Chris Polansky @chrispolansky.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Sam Waterston, the television and film actor, said he was motivated to attend the demonstration because he did not want his alma mater to “give in to a bully.” “This [presidential] administration has been getting us all acquainted with what it feels like to live in an authoritarian society."
ctpublic.org
Yale demonstrators challenge potential Trump DOJ settlement
The university prohibited reporters from covering the event on campus.
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Shannon K. Supple @mazarine.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
All the people So many people They all go hand in hand Hand in hand through their…
Cover of a paper book, “Pond Life,” with illustrations of a duck, dragonfly, raccoon, fish, lily pad, and general pond view
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I wrote about Dolly Parton in my latest @nytopinion.nytimes.com column. Thank you. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | The Greatest Story Dolly Parton Ever Wrote Was Herself (Gift Article)
She didn’t see herself as a saint; she identified as something we needed even more: a writer.
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
“A dean at Rutgers University was arrested for allegedly recording [nonconsensual] upskirt videos while working for the school, according to New Jersey prosecutors.” www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news...
cbsnews.com
Rutgers University dean allegedly recorded "upskirt" videos, prosecutors say
A dean at Rutgers University was arrested for allegedly recording inappropriate videos while working for the school, according to New Jersey prosecutors.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
As Dolly intended.
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Mike Barthel @mikebarthelauthor.com · 25/08/2026
She also could tell a fuckin story
When the 1974 recording of the song reached number one on the country charts, Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to record the song.
Parton was interested until Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song Elvis recorded.
[28] Parton refused. She recalls:
I said, 'I'm really sorry,' and I cried all night. I mean, it was like the worst thing. You know, it's like, Oh, my God... Elvis Presley.' And other people were saying, 'You're nuts. It's Elvis Presley!'...I said, 'I can't do that.
Something in my heart says, 'Don't do that. And I just didn't do it... He would have killed it. But anyway, so he didn't. Then when Whitney [Houston's version] came out, I made enough money to buy Graceland. 29]
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Mo Ryan @moryan.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
every billionaire & tech mogul, they all want to be adored & celebrated without doing the things Dolly did with a fraction of the power & money. What she had, she gave away. I'm sure she was comfortable (& that's good!). But she just relentlessly helped. It's not that difficult. Love. Care. Help. 💚🌸
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Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton was a real one. RIP.
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Imani Gandy @angryblacklady.blacksky.app · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton and Patti LaBelle playing their acrylics. Two icons.
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Alex @purplechrain.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
One last classic Dolly moment at the end of this message from her family: “Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”
instagram.com
Dolly Parton on Instagram: "A message from the family of Dolly Parton."
105K likes, 8,449 comments - dollyparton on August 25, 2026: "A message from the family of Dolly Parton.".
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
😔 Rest in peace, queen.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Interesting considering the university just got a major donation to promote AI.
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Mikki Brock @mikkibrock.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
If an AI "clone" can do what you do, you are not in a serious discipline, and you should not teach at a university. And if you are an institution passing word-guessing simulations off as "educators" because you value profit over authentic learning, then you are not a university at all.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Dropped off my kid for her senior year of college today 😭
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Dr Eleanor Lowe @loweee.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Hello! Does anyone here sing 18thc ballads? If so, let me know. UK based for September.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Seems like a good time to share some news: this fall I will start as Librarian and Executive Director of the Lewis Walpole Library at Yale. The Walpole is such a special place; I'm honored and excited to help expand the library's scholarly programming and public outreach in #18thc British studies.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
One of the problems with the Chancellor's response is that it took from early January until the end of April to get "feedback" on course content. I don't blame untenured colleagues for self-censoring.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
My course was one of the 60 or so that required "modification." I was brought before the Provost, along with other faculty, handed an AI-generated "review" of my course content and told I should remove a book from my syllabus. This was in late April, and the end of the semester.
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Universal Hub @universalhub.com · 17/08/2026
Why we have a notch that keeps Connecticut from sliding into Long Island Sound mastatelibrary.blogspot.com/2026/08/mass... #Massachusetts
mastatelibrary.blogspot.com
Massachusetts Takes a Jog: The Story Behind Southwick’s Curious Border
For the 250th anniversary celebrations this year, the State Library of Massachusetts decided to do a new feature page for all the 351 cities...
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Matthew Bell @matthewgbell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Trafalgar Square
Vigil for Jason Arday in front of the National Gallery Vigil for Jason Arday in front of the National Gallery
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
I will never write (because mixed audience) but the heartbreak so many Black people feel isn’t just about neoconfederates and Trump. It’s about how many of our whites friends and colleagues showed how they thought of their Black colleagues.
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Stacy Fahrenthold @sfahrenthold.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Smear campaigns targeting faculty of color are designed to do what this has done. Our lack of readiness as a profession in how to address them is one of many worries I have as a faculty member.
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Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
im genuinely distressed by the Arday news, I can't quite get my head around the cruelty I saw on display and I don't want to share a profession with those who did hunt him for days.
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
None of this shit is worth our lives.
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Brandi K. Adams @bkadams.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I wrote about AI from 1588 for the @folger.edu Collation Blog! www.folger.edu/blogs/collat...
folger.edu
Artificial Intelligence, 1588 | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Worth reading because it explains the stakes should either of these cases make it to the Supreme Court. TL;DR: the end of academic freedom, at least at public universities in the States.
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Lucy Schiller on life in Lubbock and working at Texas Tech in the latest issue of Oxford American: oxfordamerican.org/magazine/iss...
oxfordamerican.org
The Snake Underneath the Chair
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Lucy Schiller on life in Lubbock and working at Texas Tech in the latest issue of Oxford American: oxfordamerican.org/magazine/iss...
oxfordamerican.org
The Snake Underneath the Chair
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Gautham Rao (pronounced: Knicks in 5) @gauthamrao.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I'm chairing this search committee for an assistant prof of the history of science/science, tech, and society! Applications due September 1. Please be in touch with any questions, DMs open and grao at american edu
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Dan Silverman @dmsilverman.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
New study shows that — contra widely accepted narratives — there is NO EVIDENCE that professors change their students’ politics and make them more liberal through their teaching
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Dr. Lucky Tran @luckytran.com · 03/08/2026
RFK tried a common COVID disinfo tactic, but messed up the delivery. The right loves to say ER visits fell in 2020. 
Stat is true, but it's due to people who use ERs for primary care delaying visits while social distancing. So, ER visits fell but ICUs were full due to an influx of COVID patients.
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Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
So it's farewell to the History subject area at the University of Hertfordshire, not the first nor the last to go. One of the best departments in the country, just extinguished like a snap of the fingers. Think of the waste. (1/2)
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Abigail Swingen @abigailswingen.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
This book is excellent!
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Cate Denial @cjdenial.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Wondering how to deal with AI in your classroom in a way that isn't grounded in suspicion, or punitive? Here's one way of doing that: catherinedenial.org/blog/uncateg...
catherinedenial.org
How I’m Teaching about GenAI – Cate Denial
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