iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

In class today, I heard myself describe Hen8's marriage annulment as similar to an off-sides penalty in American football: no matter what actual events ensue with the ball, the play never officially happened. 1. I do not know what is wrong with my brain or where that came from and 2. it kinda works?

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Today is the start of my 20th year at LMU. A bit startling.

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Reposted by Rebecca Brackmann

Kat Steiner @kastrel.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Would people like a light-hearted Story from the Archives? In my case, the Bodleian's special collections reading room, which was at the time in the basement of the science library. It is entitled "Why Have You Given Me This Block of Wood?"

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Rachel A. Fletcher @rafletcher.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Interested in the history of #OldEnglish scholarship? @emgallimore.bsky.social, Thijs Porck and I will be editing a volume on OE in the long 19th century; if you'd like to contribute a chapter, the deadline for abstracts is 1 Sept 2026, first full drafts due Sept 2027. Spread the word! #medievalsky

Call for Contributions
Dynamics of Old English Scholarship in the Long Nineteenth Century: Discoveries, Disputes and the Development of a Discipline
ed. Rachel A. Fletcher, Ellen Gallimore & Thijs Porck
The long nineteenth century (1786–1914) was a dynamic and transformative period for the scholarly study of Old English.
The legacies of nineteenth-century scholarship remain deeply embedded in the study of Old English today. As a result, contemporary scholars must engage not only with early medieval language and literature itself, but also with the intellectual and ideological lenses through which nineteenth-century scholars recovered, edited and interpreted this material.
We hope to bring together a peer-reviewed edited volume with papers on various aspects of the scholarly study of Old English in the long nineteenth century, with an additional focus on European continental
contributions in line with the ERC-project EMERGENCE (‘Early Medieval English in NineteenthCentury Europe’). Proposals for chapter contributions of c. 8000 words are welcome from scholars from all academic backgrounds. First drafts full drafts are due at the end of September 2027.
Possible topics/themes include but are not limited to:
- Discoveries of Old English texts
- Disputes about linguistic or literary interpretations of Old English
- Developments in the discipline of Old English studies
- Personal, religious, political and ideological motivations for the study of Old English
- Biographical contributions about scholars of Old English
- Scholarly correspondence on Old English matters
- Editing and printing of Old English texts
- Teaching of Old English
Please send an abstract (500 words) and short bio (150 words) to Rachel A. Fletcher
(r.a.fletcher@hum.leidenuniv.nl), Ellen Gallimore (ellen.gallimore@york.ac.uk) and Thijs Porck (m.h.porck@hum.leidenuniv.nl) before 1 September 2026.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Lambarde also gathered the previous records starting 10 years earlier and had them sewn into a roll, to which every year's accounts were added. Rochester Bridge still has an unbroken line of accounts from the 1570s until 1908, when new laws changed the system.(11/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Within a few years, the bridge could pay for upkeep and repairs, in large part because they were finally keeping good records, and knew how to maintain them. Because William Lambarde was That Guy. (10/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

These rules were also literally on the wall of the auditing room (which Lambarde and Manwood had built) where legers were kept so they weren't in warden's houses. (9/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Their "Advertisements of Good Order" (in addition to setting procedures for rent collection) said what to write where, mandated backups, and required that the standards themselves be the first thing copied into every year's account books. (8/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Lambarde (and tbf his co-warden Roger Manwood) not only kept excellent records, but *set standards so future wardens would know how to do it too*. Things like: write copies of all originals immediately and then handle the copies so you don't damage your primary source. (7/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

And by "take names" I mean literally. Lambarde revised the whole record-keeping and accounting system, which before was haphazard and decentralized (wardens kept individual records, they died, maybe the documents got passed to the new wardens maybe not--you get the idea).(6/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

People didn't pay, wardens who collected back dues didn't actually turn them over, some fraud but mostly vast disorganization and incompetence. UNTIL! My boy William Lambarde was elected junior warden of Rochester Bridge in 1585 and proceeded to kick butt and take names.(5/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Certain lands were required to provide funds for upkeep, but rarely did, and landowners rarely showed up for warden elections, jeopardizing the legal status of those trying to collect the money. Eliz I passed some laws which helped, but things were still chaotic.(4/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Medway is fast there, and it's a tidal river. Piers have to be constantly rebuilt / replaced as they are damaged or the bed washes out. Expenses to maintain it are constant, and even so the bridge collapsed in reign of RII, and bits of it periodically fell into Medway in centuries following.(3/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

First, if you don't know, Rochester Bridge (over the River Medway) is Very Important. Main route from London to Canterbury, crucial for national security in case of invasion. Been a bridge there since Roman times. But it's not a great place in other respects.(2/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

William Lambarde's Perambulation of Kent talks a bit about Rochester Bridge (he even edits an Old English charter about its upkeep) so I decided to research a bit about the bridge's history. Was not expecting everything I found, so here follows a thread: (1/11)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Thanks so much! Mine got here (USA) about a week ago--HT does such a lovely job with design!

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Overhearing a colleague and a student discussing their favorite Jane Austen novels (P&P and Persuasion) just now, I did NOT shout "Northanger Abbey or GTFO!" from my office because I am a consumate professional.

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Reposted by Rebecca Brackmann

Stephen Hopkins @phil-lol-ogist.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Whanne þe madness of Marche haþ perced to þe roote

Oblivion loading screen in America surfs can earn their freedom by guessing 64 basketball games correctly

A joke about winning big during March madness

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Deep breath, recite Hanlon's Razor, respond to their concerns-unless it brushes the line from rude / combative to threatening. If so, inform them that it does so and a repetition will see them reported to security and dropped from the course. If over the line, no reply and report to security etc.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

I was at the conference when Hideyuki Arimitsu first read his paper announcing that FL's annotated copies of Die Gesetze survived. He casually hefted a volume and said "I brought one along." One of the few times I've heard an entire academic conference audience audibly gasp.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Just shoehorned explanation of the heriot payment's development from pre-Conquest England to later medieval tenurage systems into half a paragraph. Uh huh it's fine nothin' to see here.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

TFW you realize one of the points you planned to make in tomorrow's conference paper is, in fact, entirely wrong. 😒

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

sorry, have been away for a few days--are you emailing medmed, then?

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

To clarify: you're looking for open access / online sources? Or would Interlibrary Loan of books / journals be an option? I can ask the MedMed email list.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Note that the post focuses on common law, which if I understand right wouldn't necessarily govern bestowal of personal property in a testament and I really will stop now.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

oh good, I'll make some popcorn and settle in cuz I am HERE for this

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Wouldn't want to be the one getting the down from the swans--they're pretty vicious! This post notes that they were "luxury items" at times, so maybe they were decorative and "part" of the pond? legalhistorymiscellany.com/2020/05/18/d...

legalhistorymiscellany.com

The Ownership of Swans in English History: Does the Queen Own all the Swans?

In this guest post, Katy Barnett traces the history of swans as status symbols–and the marks by which people claimed to own these ‘royal birds’.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Interesting that swans were devisable--makes sense, since unlike doves in cotes they weren't "part" of a building. Do you often see non-domestic, non-livestock animals bequeathed? Was the down valuable?

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

I love this so much! And the Early Modern Wills project has been such a huge help as I found myself unexpectedly researching exactly that topic. Thanks for all your amazing work!

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Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

'What a brilliant night! Wills: dry, formal, boring? This was story telling at its best: intriguing, engaging, human!’ In this new blog post, find out what happened when Chris Hoban and his band, The Executors, played to a packed house in Topsham sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult... #EarlyModern 🗃️

Two men on stage playing guitars, one sings into a microphone.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Thanks so much for both the learned and entertaining responses, everyone!

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Is there a standard way to represent it in citations? Would you use a modern pilcrow (unicode 00B6) even though the appearance is very different?

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

it's the first signature mark used in the book; the next set are "a" then "b" then so on as expected. So I don't think it's just "g" (although the book only gets to "f" before it hits the main text and switches to majuscule forms for signatures)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Early Modernists: I've encountered a symbol in a page signature and don't know how to represent it in a citation. The closest I can find in MS Word is unicode 0260, "Latin small letter g with hook." How would you represent this? Does it have a name?

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Looks like none of them are on Bluesky, but: gratitude to Jim Hall for getting the piece together and to SQ for letting it stand w/o editing. It felt like I got one last chat with Carl (and then the plot twists started coming...)

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Early Modernists: Go read Shax Quarterly 76.4 RIGHT NOW. Yes, it's a weird format, but the payoff . . . start it too late and you'll be up past your bedtime.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

I'm editing a 16th century text, and can I just say this site is saving me over and over right now! For anyone trying to decipher Greek words in early modern books: textcreationpartnership.org/docs/dox/gre...

textcreationpartnership.org

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Neil PollyTicks 🦜 @neilpollyticks.eurosky.social · 02/12/2025

Alt text version. Thanks for sharing Harry.

Saved by Stoppard
Sir, In 1993 my wife and I went to see the first production of Arcadia by Tom Stoppard (obituary, Dec I), and in the interval I experienced a Damascene conversion. As a clinical scientist I was trying to understand the enigma of the behaviour of breast cancer, the assumption being that it grew in a linear trajectory spitting off metastases on its way. In the first act of Arcadia, Thomasina asks her tutor, Septimus: "If there is an equation for a curve like a bell, there must be an equation for one like a bluebell, and if a bluebell, why not a rose?" With that Stoppard explains chaos theory, which better explains the behaviour of breast cancer. At the point of diagnosis, the cancer must have already scattered cancer cells into the circulation that nest latent in distant organs. The consequence of that hypothesis was the birth of "adjuvant systemic chemotherapy",
", and rapidly
we saw a striking fall of the curve that illustrated patients' survival.
Stoppard never learnt how many lives he saved by writing Arcadia.
Michael Baum
Professor emeritus of surgery; visiting professor of medical humanities, UCL
r.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

One of my favorite conferences, the Kentucky Philological Association, has opened submissions for the 2026 conference! If you're nearby, consider submitting an abstract--it's wonderfully supportive. Goes double if you are a student. www.thekpa.org

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Surprised Eel Historian, PhD @greenleejw.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Hey, history and medievalist friends. If you're doing any teaching on maps this semester, I have a couple of digital resources you might find useful. #skystorians 🗃️ 1. Matthew Paris's Map A fully annotated & interactive copy of Paris's c.1250 map of England. 1/3 historiacartarum.org/annotated-cl...

historiacartarum.org

Matthew Paris Annotated Map - Historia Cartarum

A fully annotated and clickable version of Matthew Paris's map of Britain. Clicking on any label gives a translation, transcription, and Wikipedia link.

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The Guild of Medievalist Makers @guildmedmak.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

We are delighted to announce the launch of The Guild of Medievalist Makers (GuMM), a community for academic and academic-adjacent practitioners of creative-critical work. Read more about us and the society on our new website: www.guildmedmak.com

guildmedmak.com

The Guild of Medievalist Makers

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Ok fellow nerds, which piece of classical music is the most likely to be an earworm for you? Curious because Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave" has been in my head for four days now.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

Long shot, but any vintage mystery fans in my followers who want to talk Patricia Wentworth for a minute?

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

No, but it had issues last semester also. Not sure what's up with their hosting.

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Oh wow! Your mom must have so many stories!

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Rebecca Brackmann @brackman1066.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

Well, there's another white shirt lost to my underestimating how much tea was left in my mug.

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