iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I am one of the people Ellie is writing about. Today, I got rejected from a job teaching academic writing. I have taught academic writing. I have received student reviews years later praising that teaching. The job market is saturated. I have a monograph, multiple chapters and articles.

100

Reposted by Andy Fox

Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts @elliemackinroberts.net · 16/08/2026

As I think ahead to the next term, I’m looking to protect some research time with an online writing group. Ideally of ancient historians and classicists. I’m thinking on a Friday? Who’s in? @acfox.bsky.social @katexe.bsky.social @periegetes.bsky.social?

642

Reposted by Andy Fox

Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts @elliemackinroberts.net · 30/06/2026

Also: I’m not sure people realise how much work it is to be precarious academic as one is expected to do all the things our more securely employed colleagues do - in fact, often more - because we have to show excellence in every aspect of academic life in order to be noticed by hiring committees.

1377

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

I am being made redundant this summer. Students want me to stay. Colleagues want me to stay. They are overworked with their fixed term colleagues, who are both going, or gone already. The university has said no. There are no petitions. Just quiet acceptance.

2113

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

That panicked moment three days before you submit a draft research proposal where you find something from 11 years ago which sounds like it does your thing. Then you look at it and realise you had this panic seven months ago.

020

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

Bank holiday weekend plan: power write grant application and buy a new nursery pot for the monstera. Don't buy plants Bank holiday weekend reality so far: accidentally buy a new monstera, a new pot, re-pot the old monstera, and plan to buy more plants. This is perhaps problematic.

010

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Fab penultimate day so far at the Celtic Conference in Classics, we've been treated to some fantastic environmental papers, and I've really enjoyed learning about things I have never even considered!

010

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

I’ve got a Tantalus joke, but you’ll never get it

010

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Really enjoyable day at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Sustainable Research at @liverpooluni.bsky.social. Always excellent to have those collaborative narratives on climate change and the environment!

000

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Oh, and a shout out to 92degrees coffee in Liverpool and their subscription for keeping me from staying inside this last month or two!

120

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Interdisciplinary seed funding sandpit today, looking forward to chatting with experts from The Other Side of Campus.

010

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

I really ought to start saying no to things professionally. Just a thought. Will probably delete later when I decide it’s a silly notion.

010

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Hi folks, conscious that the Roman Trees Database has been taken down: I’m working on a way to get it back online and in a place where I can update it. In the meantime, if you need an entry from it, let me know!

000

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Fun fact of the day: Pliny tells us that plane trees are watered with wine, and that wine actually promotes root growth (Natural History 12.8). This is (surprisingly?) accurate: spoiled wine produces nitrogen, which is an active ingredient in modern fertilisers! #ancienthistory #classics

000

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 24/12/2023

The people who owned this house before us had a policy: if it can’t be fixed with glue, you’ve not used enough. Which is how I just found out that a kitchen cupboard door was not held on by those helpful screw thingys.

020

Reposted by Andy Fox

Dr Vanessa @hpsvanessa.bsky.social · 07/11/2023

Fully funded PhD opportunity - Univ. of Warwick - History of Travel Writing (sponsored by the co-founder of Lonely Planet!) warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his... #skystorians #envhist

13537

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 07/11/2023

Are we still using ClassicsBlueSky AncientBlueSky and the 🏺and 🏛️ emoticons to find folk? And no, I will not let msn emoticons terminology die.

020

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 07/11/2023

Today’s jobs: teach a Thucydides seminar, give a research skills lecture, then intro Greek test. My lot are all so nervous, bless them, but I have so much confidence in the lot of them

030

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 27/10/2023

Found out this week that: 1. my Ancient🏺Greek students judge whether or not a class is going to be unhinged by the state of my hair; 2. they are surprised I have a plan for each class, and even more surprised we complete it most classes, and 3. my hair is very rarely not in some degree of a state.

370

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

In a shocking turn of events, I am teaching Greek history today and tomorrow. I thought the whole point of specialism was that you could focus on teaching the better civilisation?

130

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 16/09/2023

Happy to report that, for the next eighteen months, I will be Lecturer in Classics at the University of Reading! Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, you have all been fabulous and I wouldn’t have done this without you

190

Reposted by Andy Fox

Dr Matt Pope @mattpope.bsky.social · 11/09/2023

I'm reading the Historic Environment Scotland scheduled monument document. Contains this stunning image of Habchester Fort showing the impact of different landuse histories and how fragile our prehistory is.

aerial view of an earthwork considting of two banks ans ditches. the monument is divided in half by a field boundary. on one side it is well preserved, on the other ploughing has destroyed the structure which is visible only as a faint trace

34012

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 07/09/2023

Tell me you’ve been chasing down references today without telling me you’ve been chasing down references today.

A stack of books in the Institute of Classical Studies library. To avoid precarity, the books are in fact in three stacks.

050

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 31/08/2023

Good cause in the blue sky alert!

040

Reposted by Andy Fox

Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts @elliemackinroberts.net · 23/08/2023

Do you work on Ancient Greek religion from the Mycenaean to Hellenistic periods, or know someone who does, and want to be involved in a cool thing? If so: get in touch with me. (I know this is slightly cryptic. It is for a reason…) #ClassicsBluesky #AncientBluesky

21919

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 27/08/2023

Back from the hols, and one of the highlights for me has to have been the Villa of Dionysos in Paphos. Obviously loved the Daphne mosaic, but the standout was the pit at the back, which it turned out on further reading was an internal fish pond! ClassicsBlueSky AncientBlueSky 🏺

Mosaic of Daphne’s metamorphosis into a laurel to escape Apollo, House of Dionysos, Paphos

Fish pond at the rear of the House of Dionysos, Paphos with red painted walls and niches for breeding.

1100

Reposted by Andy Fox

Dr Jo Ball @drjeball.bsky.social · 26/08/2023

Some of the garden frescoes from the dining room in the luxurious Roman villa which once belonged to the empress Livia, over 2000 years ago. Absolute perfection, in my eyes.

14212

Andy Fox @acfox.bsky.social · 18/08/2023

One of the most reassuring things about researching compostable history is that I’ll never be tempted to nick one of my trees

bbc.co.uk

British Museum worker sacked over missing treasures

The museum dismisses a member of staff and police are investigating after items go missing.

1130