iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Last week, I: ran a successful CoR for a PhD student, then prepared for and ran two more PhD supervisions. This week, I: am continuing my assigned teaching and admin while finishing an online conference presentation for Thursday.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Today, I: helped run a three-hour design guild, followed by a three-hour GAM706 design practice session. Yesterday, I: engaged with a professoriate meeting, prepared for and ran a PhD supervision meeting, and helped run a three-hour hackathon/Game Jam while iterating on slides & doing admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

This morning, I: worked on an EOI for a Leverhulme bid; prepared for a PhD supervision meeting; revised some workshop slides for GAM706; caught up on emails. Last week, I: ran a variety of sessions (including a six-hour teaching block on Wednesday), finished and submitted an article to Revenant.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Yesterday, I: wrote comms pertaining to an EOI for a bid; collated submission abstracts to a Gothic games book; engaged with a PhD supervision meeting; taught a reflective writing workshop; and started reviewing an article for Revenant.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

So far this week, I: engaged with a reflective writing workshop, helped run a 3-hour design guild and then co-taught a 3-hour M.A. design practice workshop, arranged many PhD supervision meetings, and wrote a letter of recommendation for a former student. The study block is in full swing now.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Today and yesterday, I: continued prepping for SB1; engaged with the RDC meeting; worked on scheduling a CoR Viva; wrote emails to 5 students to coordinate their first supervision meeting; studied for & took my 9th UK driving lesson; engaged with a research meeting; & other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

So far this week, I: sent CONPROG emails; read & commented on a CoR draft; started reviewing a journal article; prepared GAM706 workshops & met with module leader; reviewed & updated the SRR spreadsheet; read the RDC papers; engaged with the PGR briefing; marked GAM708 FMP's; & other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

After a week spent reading two PhD drafts & a Confirmation of Route document, I used the long Bank Holiday weekend to finish a draft of my talk for the upcoming MMU Dark Symposium on Occulture as Method. Finishing this draft will let me concentrate on helping with final preparations for a roundtable

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Trans- States occultural studies roundtable occurring on Sunday September 6 at Falmouth University. Event is hybrid (free online registration, & in-person registration £23). Registration information below. Would especially love a few more in-person attendees from Cornwall area. trans-states.org

trans-states.org

Response-Able Collaborative Survival with the Other-Than-Human

Trans- States C.I.C. is a not-for-profit organisation, research network, art collective, and community outreach programme, dedicated to the study and production of occulture.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Today, I: wrote a letter of recommendation for a student applying to an M.A. course and finished reading & commenting extensivley on a second complete PhD draft to evaluate it for entering the write-up phase. Next up tomorrow: read a Confirmation of Route document.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Today, I: finished evaluating a 300-page PhD to enter write-up; booked RSA leave & train/hotel for a conference in Manchester; worked on details of roundtable organisation; continued reading another PhD chapter as part of evaluation for write-up.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Yesterday and today, I: continued reading a 300-page PhD draft, ran an M.A. supervisor meeting, & took my second UK driving lesson. I drove for 35 years in the US, but UK driving is another thing entirely (narrower roads, more exact rules, many more acronyms, and the need to drive in the left lane).

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Today, I: continued reading a PhD draft; worked on organising a roundtable; ran a SEDA PhD supervision mentorship meeting; ran a PhD supervision meeting; wrote a letter of recommendation for a student.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Today, on my first day back from leave, I: reviewed 70 pages of a 298 page PhD draft; followed up on a technician request for a roundtable; sent off a description for an RSDP session; and other admin. Yea, verily, the study block soon approaches, & the tasks that can be done before then must be done

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

After weeks of annual leave spent studying books, articles, & associated media on Spiritualism (and related works on technology), I'm about 6300 words into an article expanding my Dark Economies presentation into an article for Revenant (due on October 1st). 700 words to go before starting revisions

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Today, I: worked on my PDR by outlining and documenting my progress toward last year's objectives, as well as beginning to formulate objectives for next year. I also finished reading a book on Scottish folklore for an esoteric book club group.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Today, I: started reading Phenomenology by Chad Engelland from MIT Press in preparation for an upcoming occulture talk in Manchester. Juggling work on a Revenant article with an MMU talk in September & a Creative Practices: Bridging the Invisible talk in October before summer research time runs out.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

This weekend & early this week, I: reviewed a journal article for Games and Culture; read and fed back on a 64-page PhD chapter; engaged with a graduation ceremony as part of the plaftform party; & continued working on a 7000 word article due in October (based on one of my conference presentations).

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Today, I: continued working on the article about Ouija boards (due in October), did some design work on a character class for Deadhaus Sonata, and attended an online graduation briefing.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Horror and Games presentation last week is done, so now working on turning a conference presentation into a journal article while on annual leave. Reading toy theory, 19th century spiritualism, and other sources to fill out the argument. It is good to have time to work, mostly uninterrupted by admin

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Yesterday, I: prepared for & ran two PhD supervision meetings. Today, I: read all the RDC papers; engaged with the RDC meeting; completed and sent off 5 annual reports; prepared for & ran another PhD meeting; engaged with a research meeting; engaged with an RDAP consultation briefing meeting.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Yesterday, I: ran two iterations of a two-hour workshop on turning conference presentations into journal articles and book chapters, as a strand of the DESA workshop at Day 2 Nexus. The slides took a while to prepare & cost energy to deliver, but they were worth it for the engagement they provoked.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Yesterday, I: worked on Nexus slides & annual report forms & prepared for/ran a PhD supervisory session. Today, I: prepared for & ran a PhD supervision meeting; worked on coordinating a SEDA observation; continued working on my Nexus workshop slides; worked on coordinating a CoR Viva. Summer = busy.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Today, I: prepared for & engaged with 2 PhD supervision meetings; fed back on another M.A. FMP proposal; started working on a REF workshop for Nexus Day 2; signed some supervision record sheets; worked on conference planning; proofread a co-authored book chapter; & other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

This weekend, I: continued working on a conference presentation. Today, I: prepared for & ran a PhD supervision meeting; drafted another PhD annual report (5 out of 10 so far); gave feedback on a co-authored article; approved a research review output; fed back on 2 M.A. proposal forms; & other admin

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Today, I: drafted & edited 4 PhD annual reports & sent them off to the respective supervisory teams and students with instructions on how to complete them and how to collate the supervision record sheets. Also this week: continued coordinating department research review; supervised 5 M.A students.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Today, I: engaged with a pre-marks board to scrutinise all profiles for SB2; started filling out 9 annual report forms for 9 separate PhD's (and a spreadsheet to collate them all); starting coordinating a Confirmation of Route examiner for another PhD student. Yea, verily, it is season of the forms.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

On Friday, I: worked on research & reviewed an encyclopedia entry for Oxford University Press. Today, I: prepared for & ran two M.A. interviews; scheduled (or re-scheduled) 4 PhD supervision meetings in preparation for annual reports; prepared for and ran a PhD supervision meeting; and other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Today, I: gave feedback on two M.A. projects (one in my supervisory group and one not); began research on a paper for the Horror and Games conference; discussed Chaldean Oracles; interviewed a prospective M.A. student & interviewed feedback; responded to a Gothic abstract submission; & other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Today, I: read and commented on a PhD chapter; advised a personal tutor; sent out comms about the research review; & other admin. Next up: return to my own research, starting with conference presentations in July and October.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Today, I: assigned all outstanding research outputs from the Games Academy to reviewers; hunted down & reviewed an edited volume output assigned from another department; answered queries from an M.A. student and two Ph.D. students; looked for a missing EC in order to help wrap up marking on a module

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Last week, I: helped with Expo & finishing off SB2. This week, I: began SB3; prepared for & ran a 3-hour GAM708 workshop; advised a PhD student; scheduled another PhD supervision; commented on a PhD symposium paper; ran a SEDA training meeting; continued helping with conference prep; & other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Today, I: reviewed & fed back on the corrections for a PhD that I externally examined 6 months ago; read a draft of a CoR document in progress for another PhD; worked a 2-hour shift at the Games Expo; responded to various emails (related to other PhDs at other stages); & worked on other admin tasks.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Yesterday, I: continued filling out forms related to planning a conference; corresponded with a potential contributor about an abstract on Gothic games; starting reading the corrected version of a PhD on which I externaled; met with a PhD supervisee & advised another asynchronously; & other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Today, I: conducted 2 M.A. interviews & entered feedback; reviewed documents for 2 different PhD's (one on Pratchett, and the other on adapting magical and folkloric material into game systems); continued helping to plan two different conferences; ran a personal tutor meeting & associated follow-up.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

A game that I consulted on, Deadhaus Sonata, has entered early access. I'm proud of the work that the team has done, and we welcome feedback (which will help to make the game even stronger) store.steampowered.com/app/1142050/...

store.steampowered.com

Deadhaus Sonata on Steam

The creator of Legacy of Kain is back. Become the undead in a third-person narrative-driven action RPG where your choices shape your legend and the world around you. Feed to grow stronger, embrace pow...

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Yesterday, I: marked 6 GAM203 games at Demo Day. Today, I: read & commented on a PhD chapter; fed back on a revised PhD risk assessment; continued marking GAM103 essays; responded to an abstract for a CFP; requested a TCR for a supervision meeting; prepared for GAM707 Demo Day; & other admin tasks.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Today, while on RSA leave, I did research for an upcoming conference paper in October. This week, I prepared for & ran four PhD supervision meetings; started marking GAM102 essays, worked on organising two conferences; did a GAM707 crit; did 2 M.A. interviews; engaged with RDC meeting; & other admin

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Last week, I: read two PhD chapters (& arranged the associated supervision meetings); helped prepare for & run Design Guild; ran a GAM707 supervision meeting; engaged with an SRKE meeting; started working on a conference paper due in October; & finished 785 practice questions for car theory test.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Today, I: helped run a 1-hour GAM707 crit session; ran four personal tutor meetings; helped with a two-hour GAM103 session; worked on assigning two new research outputs from the FURR for review; and other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Over Easter break, I: read a book on Ithell Colquhoun; filed my U.S. taxes; studied for my driver's theory test; booked the theory test; worked on the Gothic games edited volume; & followed up on various abstracts. Today, while on RSA leave, I'm working on the Gothic games proposal, due in November.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Today, I: reviewed a revised article for Games and Culture; continued working on the proposal for the Gothic Games edited volume, with continued work on the authors spreadsheet & starting on the form itself; wrote a letter of recommendation for a student; answered 2 student queries; and other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Yesterday, I: compiled feedback sheets for GAM713, double-checked them, & released feedback; reviewed & completed a CoR report form for a PhD student. Today, I: continued working on a Gothic games book by compiling a spreadsheet of all invited authors, as well as following up on a submitted abstract

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Yesterday, I: moderated GAM713 marks; began preparing GAM713 feedback sheets; met with a personal tutee; followed up on an M.A. applicant; finalised preparations for flat inspection; and other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Today, on the first day of Easter break, I: read a PhD chapter in progress; continued cleaning my flat for inspection; worked with a personal tutee; followed up on a CoR document; continued coordinating submissions for an edited volume on the Gothic and Games; and other admin.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Yesterday & today, I contacted 6 potential authors for an edited volume on the Gothic and games; worked on conference organisation; followed up on an article in the publication pipeline; reviewed a revised Games & Culture article; followed up on CoR paperwork; & other admin. Easter break next week.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Today, I: engaged with an SRKE session; helped run a 3-hour design guild; ran a supervisor session for GAM712; reviewed the revised version of a journal article on Bloodborne; wrote comms pertaining to a conference; gave input on a Q&A session for the M.A. course. T minus 2 days until Easter break.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Today, I: worked on conference organisation; helped with engagement monitoring; contributed to RDAP metrics; ran a CPD review session; followed up on lecture prep. T-minus three days until Easter break.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

On Friday, I: engaged with a (successful) CoR for a PhD student, read 2 PhD chapters for a PhD supervision meeting, engaged with another PhD meeting. Today, I: ran 2 personal tutor meetings; ran a CPD session with 3 students; delivered a 2-hour GAM103 lecture; and worked on conference organisation.

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Jeff Howard @gamemagicarcana.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Today, while on RSA leave, I: prepared questions for a CoR Viva tomorrow; worked on reserving a room for a conference roundtable & sending related comms; prepped for a PhD supervision meeting; worked on recruiting a speaker for another conference; worked on an edited volume on the Gothic and Games.

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