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Emily Swafford

@elswafford.bsky.social
280 followers 129 following 352 posts

Historian and administrator. Asst Dean-ing at Rackham Graduate School. Sort-of-sane cat mom and avid reader of not-too-scary murder mysteries. Sometime choral singer. Views my own. Ann Arbor, MI. she/her.

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Reposted by Emily Swafford
Lake Michigan! Live! @lake-michigan.live · 13h
Current* conditions near Two Rivers, WI:
Generally SE view located just south of the mouth where the Twin Rivers meet Lake Michigan in Two Rivers. // Image captured at (local time): 2026-10-07 18:36:02 CDT (about 1 min. prior to this post) // Image sourced from: exploretworivers.com // Current Temp in Two Rivers: 68 F | 20 C // Precip: clear sky // Wind: W at 15 mph | 24 kph // Humidity: 40%
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SSRN @ssrn.bsky.social · 22h
This paper finds substantial variation in #skill requirements across firms, even within the same occupation. Both #cognitive and social skills are associated with higher pay and better firm performance, and the strongest outcomes occur when the two are combined. spkl.io/633287Vifq
Figure 1: Wages and Education Requirements by City Wage Rank
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Aww this is so wholesome
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American Historical Association @historians.org · 06/10/2026
“What is the value of a history degree?” It's a question faculty, staff, and students often face—and the AHA can help. Check out our Department Advocacy Toolkit, full of data, stories, and strategies you can use to show why studying history matters.
historians.org
Department Advocacy Toolkit – AHA
The AHA has assembled this toolkit to help departments, administrators, advisers, and students navigate the AHA's library of resources to articulate the value of studying history.
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Cats of Yore @catsofyore.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
From a simply outstanding glass plate negative in my collection. No date/info.
Photo of a shorthaired grey cat sitting up on an overturned white parasol on top of a light colored rock. A white sheet is draped behind it. It seems clear that this was all arranged deliberately to gather light for this very successful photo shoot of the cat.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I literally went to the Churchill war rooms, which is the sort of place where you might expect to meet people who were Hitler-curious. But not a single one. Did find this poster tho.
WWII poster encouraging ladies to head home from the pub to avoid excessive drinking
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Mondo Mascots @mondomascots.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Earth-kun, the Tokyo Sewerage Bureau mascot, is a globe with a manhole cover hat.
A smiling globe mascot with widespread arms and a manhole cover hat stands on a pavement in front of some trees.
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
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Laura Ansley @lmansley.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
There once was an improv theater in Philadelphia that brought in scholars to give a brief talk before it inspired the improv. They often invited historians like @jackiantonovich.bsky.social (which is how I learned about it)
historians.org
Finding the Funny – AHA
History hits the comedy stage at the Philly Improv Theater.
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Jessica McKenzie @jessimckenzi.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
i don't think you should be allowed to call your business a speakeasy if it has a yelp page
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Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · 03/10/2026
I have absolutely wondered about this. Amazing.
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Lake Michigan! Live! @lake-michigan.live · 03/10/2026
Current* conditions near Petoskey, MI:
NW view from downtown Petoskey overlooking Bayfront Park, Petoskey Marina and the Petoskey Breakwater on the shores of Lake Michigan. // Image captured at (local time): 2026-10-03 16:36:04 EDT (about 1 min. prior to this post) // Image sourced from: wmta.org // Current Temp in Petoskey: 62 F | 17 C // Precip: scattered clouds // Wind: S at 3 mph | 5 kph // Humidity: 56%
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Lake Michigan! Live! @lake-michigan.live · 02/10/2026
Current* conditions near Chicago, IL:
Rotating view from the top of the Shedd Aquarium where Chicago meets Lake Michigan. // Image captured at (local time): 2026-10-02 15:06:03 CDT (about 1 min. prior to this post) // Image sourced from: fox32chicago.com // Current Temp in Chicago: 64 F | 18 C // Precip: clear sky // Wind: NE at 6 mph | 9 kph // Humidity: 58%
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American Historical Association @historians.org · 02/10/2026
Natalie Zemon Davis, 1996: “I still find history full of wonders; I still find in the differences in past societies a way to take stock of the present—a source of sober realism, but also a source of hope." Read more about why history matters and the importance of historical thinking in public life.
historians.org
Why History Matters - AHA
Why Study History Historical Thinking in Everyday Life The AHA offers resources for educators and students on the importance of studying history, and reflections on why learning about the past helps u...
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I went to the grand reopening of the African American Civil War museum this week and the timing is just right — its mission to preserve Black history is more relevant now than ever
huffpost.com
The African American Civil War Museum Reopens To Honor The Black Soldiers Who Changed History
The museum recently held its grand reopening in Washington’s historic U Street Corridor.
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Ryan CrawCour @ryan.crawcour.social · 01/10/2026
BREAKING NEWS: Tensions between Thor and the Care Bears have escalated rapidly overnight.
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old roadside pics @roadside.xor.blue · 01/10/2026
leaning tower of pizza, quincy, massachusetts, 1984
leaning tower of pizza, quincy, massachusetts, 1984
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
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David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
there's a discourse I'm interested in but not interested in enough to tease out the discourse - a memoir of bluesky
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Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
My department is hiring an Assistant/Associate Professor of Public History! I am on the committee so please let me know if you have questions and please feel free to share! Job ID 303951. campus.kennesaw.edu/faculty-staf...
campus.kennesaw.edu
Careers - Human Resources
find your next great career opportunity by finding jobs through the Department of Human Resources at Kennesaw State University!
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
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BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I should note that the Folger in DC has very cheap tickets for theatre and various forms of early modern music.
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Lake Michigan! Live! @lake-michigan.live · 24/09/2026
Current* conditions near Chicago, IL:
Northern view from Lake Point Tower overlooking the Chicago shoreline where it meets Lake Michigan. // Image captured at (local time): 2026-09-24 12:06:14 CDT (about 1 min. prior to this post) // Image sourced from: youtube.com/@LakefrontLive // Current Temp in Chicago: 66 F | 19 C // Precip: broken clouds // Wind: ENE at 10 mph | 17 kph // Humidity: 70%
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Cats of Yore @catsofyore.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
100% definitely a sorceress trapped in a cat’s body. Photo from my collection, no date/info.
Black-and-white photo of short haired, tabby, cat standing up outside, looking toward the camera. It’s expression seems very focused and serious.
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Rob Townsend @rbtownsend.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
"College should prepare us for the world, but most of all prepare us to live. If universities keep pushing humanities to the sidelines because they may not be as profitable as other fields, we risk forgetting the purpose of education." bit.ly/3TMocLa
bit.ly
Opinion | Let the humanities be economically useless
When I told friends and family I wanted to pursue a secondary major in philosophy, the most common response was, “How will that make money?” No matter how much I explained I liked the subject and foun...
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Caitlin G. DeAngelis @caitlindeangelis.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
What would you like to hold for your portrait? Maybe a little bird? Perhaps a cup-and-ball? A wee drum? No. Fetch my sword. (American, 1841, attributed to Henry Inman) www.liveauctioneers.com/item/2399684...
portrait of a young child (maybe 3 years old) in a burgundy dress, drawing a sword longer than its legs
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Annette Gordon-Reed @agordonreed.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
1) Thank you, Karin. I’m happy that both the 1998 and 2026 DNA tests results jibe with the historical evidence compiled in my first book. I also think the historical information alone should be enough. But I know the world we live in & why DNA was brought into the picture.
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Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Many more headlines thus am breezing past historical scholarship of decades — and Hemings family history — to trumpet a new DNA study that simply confirms what we knew. My bar is low but even I’m depressed by how science always has to be “news” and journalism has so much trouble reporting history.
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Good Trailcams @goodtrailcams.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
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Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Distant and yet close - From Bill (ridingrobots.bsky.social) - flic.kr/p/2shDFeA
Jupiter and Venus

Utah/Wyoming border
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Berkshire Conference of Women Historians @berksconference.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Call for Papers for an anthology co-edited by Tiffany González & Danielle Olden titled Histories of Women of Color in U.S Politics, 1945 - Present. Please send an electronic proposal by December 30, 2026 to uswomeninpolitics@gmail.com.
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Lake Michigan! Live! @lake-michigan.live · 21/09/2026
Current* conditions near Chicago, IL:
View looking SE from 2800 N Lake Shore Drive as the Chicago shoreline meets Lake Michigan. // Image captured at (local time): 2026-09-21 05:36:11 CDT (about 1 min. prior to this post) // Image sourced from: 2800lsd.com // Current Temp in Chicago: 61 F | 16 C // Precip: overcast clouds // Wind: ENE at 14 mph | 22 kph // Humidity: 85%
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Emily Swafford @elswafford.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I have so many questions…
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Cats of Yore @catsofyore.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Look at that face. I would give that face anything. Photo from my collection, no date/info.
Black and white photo of a ginger tuxedo tabby sitting on a wooden porch or deck, looking up to the right of the camera with an expression of pleading. Very adorable cat! Wonderful face!
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Berna Devezer @devezer.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
area cat lets go of all the worldly concerns when faced with the first woodfire of the season
A fluffy tuxedo cat lies flopped on its side on a colorful patterned rug, eyes closed in bliss with paws curled up and one white hind leg stretched out behind. A wood stove burns brightly in the background, flanked by stacked firewood racks and windows looking out on evergreens. A wand toy with yellow and green pom-poms rests on the rug just out of reach.
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Annette Gordon-Reed @agordonreed.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Two Centuries On, Smithsonian Connects Jefferson’s Hair to Hemings’s Children www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/a...
nytimes.com
Two Centuries On, Smithsonian Connects Jefferson’s Hair to Hemings’s Children (Gift Article)
A new book describes how cutting-edge genomics techniques yielded “extraordinary proof” that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings.
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Alex von Tunzelmann @alexvont.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Well done to the picture editor who captioned this delightful snap of a black pig swimming off the west coast of Greece “swine-dark sea” www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Swine-dark sea ... Mediterranean black pigs swim at a beach on the private island of Atokos, in the lonian Sea off the west coast of Greece. The island, which is uninhabited by humans, is owned by a shipping magnate
Photograph: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images
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7 News Detroit @wxyzdetroit.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Congratulations to Taco Huey and Rose's for being named among the 50 favorite restaurants from the New York Times. www.wxyz.com/news/detroits-taco-hue… 
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American Historical Association @historians.org · 15/09/2026
Book your housing for #AHA27 in New Orleans in January! Reserve in the AHA hotel block before registering for the meeting to receive a $50 discount on your registration fee.
historians.org
Housing - AHA
Housing Book Housing The 2027 annual meeting will be held at the New Orleans Marriott (hdqrs.), 555 Canal St., and the Sheraton New Orleans, 500 Canal St., from January 7-10, 2027. Rooms will also be ...
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Lake Michigan! Live! @lake-michigan.live · 14/09/2026
Current* conditions near Petoskey, MI:
View looking NW from the Inn at Bay Harbor into Lake Michigan. // Image captured at (local time): 2026-09-14 12:06:12 EDT (about 1 min. prior to this post) // Image sourced from: youtube.com/@innatbayharbor // Current Temp in Petoskey: 63 F | 17 C // Precip: clear sky // Wind: N at 5 mph | 7 kph // Humidity: 56%
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Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Thanks for reading my 🧵 on the voluminous discourse on higher ed in the US. I have some (probably obv but am noting anyway) thoughts about the phenomenon of endless reflections on higher ed/ flood of higher ed takes. Why is it different fr reporting and personal essays on other industries? 1/
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Lake Michigan! Live! @lake-michigan.live · 14/09/2026
Current* conditions near Chicago, IL:
View looking east from the Skydeck atop the Sears Tower towering over the Loop, Millennium Park and Chicago Harbor with Lake Michigan beyond. // Image captured at (local time): 2026-09-14 05:36:11 CDT (about 1 min. prior to this post) // Image sourced from: youtube.com/@earthcam // Current Temp in Chicago: 56 F | 13 C // Precip: clear sky // Wind: W at 3 mph | 6 kph // Humidity: 85%
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WRMS Traffic & Weather Reporter on the 2’s @carnegro.blacksky.app · 13/09/2026
I missed FAMU honoring Dolly Parton at Miami Friday night.
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Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 13/09/2026
A sleek black Squirrel of the Day for September 13, 2026 #sqrlpix
shiny black squirrel standing with paws tucked
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Emily Swafford @elswafford.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Fantastic 🧵
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Raffi Melkonian @rmfifthcircuit.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Random note; since my dad passed away last December, I’ve been handling all of my mom’s mail and accounts. It is incredible. How many scams are aimed at the elderly in this country, including my companies that superficially seem legitimate. Every week her mail is full of this crap.
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David M. Perry @lollardfish.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I will though. I’m planning a heist. My plan: get a library card, check out the book, read it, take careful notes, return the book on time, and KEEP THE KNOWLEDGE FOREVER FOR FREE HAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA #EvilVillainLaugh
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Emily Swafford @elswafford.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Really glad to be working on an edited collection about the history of marriage in the 20th-century U.S.
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Spider. @vaspider.gay · 12/09/2026
Y'ALL. I AM IN LOVE WITH THE @portlandfire.bsky.social WNBA MASCOT. Every girl in Portland wants a Rose stuffie for Christmas. Including Tall Wife, who literally gasped when she saw Rose. SHE BREATHES GLITTER.
Rose, the WNBA PDX Fire mascot. She is a fabulous hot pink dragon with a crown of roses. Rose, the WNBA PDX Fire mascot. She is a fabulous hot pink dragon with a crown of roses. She has big wings and a big tail. She is dancing.
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