Sign in

Mark Doyle

@markdoyle.bsky.social
5.2K followers 2.3K following 3.8K posts

Historian & writer. Britain, Ireland, empire, music. Latest book is on John Cale's Paris 1919 for 33 1/3. Next: histories of African people/music in Ireland. “Pipe-sucking radical” --Mail on Sunday. Views here are my own: my employer has no views.

PostsRepliesMedia
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 20h
This series (it's a podcast) is seriously disturbing and riveting and smart. Not only do ordinary schlubs like us not know what the hell is going on inside these AI models, neither do the people who created them. Highly recommended.
theguardian.com
Black Box: The Chatbots: a new series from The Guardian Investigates – trailer
People are becoming convinced AI chatbots have helped them make scientific breakthroughs, cure diseases or invent new technologies. What does this reveal about a technology used by more than a billion...
141
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Is this a good time to admit that there are more songs that I haven't heard than songs I have?
2120
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Odd This Day @oddthisday.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This sums up almost everything I felt about 70 UP - especially Jackie. I could watch her having a go at Michael Apted (and then speaking warmly of him years later, because people are not one thing) all day
juderogers.substack.com
The unanswered questions of 70 Up
The death of Nick, goodbye to Neil, and the power of watching fourteen real lives in time-lapse – the return of my Mid-Week Culture Culture Blast
612529
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
We're going to see the New Pornographers tonight. I gather some of the band members are stuck in Canada due to visa difficulties and am really glad our government is protecting us from the baleful influence of middle-aged Canadian indie musicians.
2222
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Reading about the pointlessly reignited controversy over the Garvaghy Road and hoping (with all fingers tightly crossed) that decency and good sense prevail. Peace is so fragile.
040
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Brían Hanrahan @hanrahanistan.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Dickens needed 10 drafts to get the title of "Bleak House" right
Drafts 6 and 7 

7: Tom All ALONES, The Solitary house where the Wind howled 8 through 10 concluding in Bleak House
4195
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Joe Bonomo @joebonomo.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Hey friends, a heads up that Bloomsbury is having a #BackToSchool sale! That means 30% off all 33 1/3 titles (@3313books.bsky.social) until October 4th. Now's your chance to get your Bon on if you haven't and to dig other 33 1/3 books!
063
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Oh no - I've just heard that John MacKenzie died. A scholar whose work was so foundational to the study of Britain and empire that you almost forget there was a time before it existed. manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/blog/2026/09...
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
Celebrating the life and contribution of John M MacKenzie - Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press remembers Professor John M. MacKenzie, founding editor of Studies in Imperialism, with tributes from colleagues reflecting on his scholarship, generosity and lasting legacy...
051
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
It's a bummer that all the people currently writing novels about rogue AI agents won't get to see their novels published because the rogue AIs will have killed us all before the pub date.
1143
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Greetings from Music City www.bizjournals.com/nashville/ne...
bizjournals.com
Nashville Symphony lacks the money to sustain current operations - Nashville Business Journal
The Nashville Symphony is in financial straits, lacking the funding to operate at its current size on the heels of the death of its longtime patron saint.
190
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Was hoping they'd just give the Booker Prize to Bob Dylan this year.
060
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Full-time, hybrid working, 6 months, £36,433-£42,891​.
024
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Irish Studies at Boston College @bc-irish-studies.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
We're now accepting applications for the Hachey Professorship of Irish & Irish-American History! This is a tenured position in the History Department and the Irish Studies Program. Apply here apply.interfolio.com/194167 by November 13.
01614
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Backlisted Podcast @backlisted.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Andy Miller will be interviewing Hermione Lee about Anita Brookner: Art & Life at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. The event takes place at Cheltenham Town Hall at 5pm on Tuesday 13th October. Tickets here: www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/events/anita...
cheltenhamfestivals.org
Anita Brookner: Art and Life | Cheltenham Festivals
A distinguished art historian and one of the twentieth century's most distinctive literary voices, Anita Brookner captivated readers with her elegant, unco
0123
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Love to have a sleepless night when I might, in a moment of weakness, scroll a bit of the ol' social media only to be bombarded the next morning with targeted ads for quack insomnia cures.
040
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Gregory Hays @aristofontes.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Randomly recalling that most of the damage to the Parthenon was caused by a direct hit from a Venetian mortar shell in 1687, when the Ottomans were using it as an ammunition depot.
03914
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Think I might read Stoner soon. People seem to like it.
Cover of the NYRB edition of Stoner, the 1965 novel by John Williams.
491
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This album, just released yesterday, is really inventive and tender and sometimes angry and quite good. strawberryhands.bandcamp.com/album/a-jazz...
strawberryhands.bandcamp.com
A Jazz Blessing for the Animal, by Strawberry Hands
9 track album
020
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Pleased to announce everything I don't like is a hoax. Macaroni and cheese is a hoax. Ragweed season is a hoax. Missing the nail when I hammer something and hitting my thumb instead? Hoax.
4232
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The first prof I ever TA'd for has died. We weren't close & didn't stay in touch, but he taught me how to lecture in a way that'll hold a room: for years, I copied his mannerisms and expressions until they became my own. It's funny how our lives ripple through other lives whether we know it or not.
1200
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Was very happy to beam into QUB today to launch the Africans in Ireland website that I and a number of colleagues have been working on for years. Maps, database, & other resources documenting the African presence in Ireland from the late 16th to early 20th centuries. africansinireland.com
A right-facing silhouette of the Black preacher and seaman John Jea, Methodist preacher and seaman, from his 1816 book The Life, History, and Unparalleled Sufferings of John Jea, the African Preacher
1015262
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Asheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 15/09/2026
College students are digital natives who have been deprived exposure to analog media forms like printed books and paper. The challenge for them is to learn to make sense of these media forms, not learn how to use digital technology. They already know. It’s the printed book and paper that‘s strange.
46318
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I'm being told that until the mid-18th century many people believed there were dragons living in the Alps.
Dragon of the Wangserberg, Sargans region, Graubünden. Engraving published in 1723 in the Ouresiphoites Helveticus, Sive Itinera per Helvetiae Alpinas Regiones by Johann Jacob Scheuchzer. A man in period dress is being startled in a wooded glade by a long-necked dragon with the face of a cat and the abs of an Olympic runner. Source: The Fine Alpine Coast website, https://www.thomascrauwels.ch/en/blog/histoire-de-la-montagne-xviiieme-siecle/?srsltid=AfmBOopuhawSis7Vf1gJPvte_poxcW14Rm7TT77d4C03MdA5SIABnq6o
4181
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Took the teen to see The Third Man at the local indie cinema today and am pleased to report she shows no subsequent interest in taking up the zither.
2201
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Make a band edible: Queens of the Scone Age
3110
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Hey, at least it's still legal to listen to the majestic 1980 post-punk album Kilimanjaro by Liverpool's own The Teardop Explodes.
0100
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Simon Jones @simonjones.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
I’ve just discovered that The Illustrated Police News continued into the 1930s as an even more lurid version of the Victorian original. So let’s share some no context badly-drawn sensationalism! First up, ‘ZOO OWNER ATTACKED BY PET BEAR AT SEVENOAKS’, 26 June 1930.
Line drawing of small bear attacking woman in zoo enclosure who tries to defend herself with a stick.
616042
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Just realized I've been making comments on student papers for c.26 years using nothing but words, when I could have been using nothing but emojis. I could have had time to read more books, learn a language, get really into Trout Mask Replica, figure out the difference between a groundhog & a gopher.
1192
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Jean-Michel Connard @torriangray.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I'm sorry but I just remembered this exists and it was very important I find and post it immediately.
Memorial 9/11 pin that uses the twin towers to make up the 11. Logo reads HOOTERS followed by Remembers Let Freedom Wing
5560124
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Seems like an easy way to stop AI destroying humanity would be to give it a screen that asks it to verify that it's not a robot first.
082
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I'm going to be devastated if AI kills all of humanity before I have a chance to read a few more Muriel Spark books.
090
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Hi. I'm Mark Doyle, a writer and historian in Nashville with a knack for avoiding work while I scroll social media. I like the part in "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" when Michael Stipe giggles after singing the line about Dr. Seuss.
040
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Just FYI, there's a new Elliott Smith biography out by @jamie-fisher.bsky.social, and it looks really good. bookshop.org/p/books/nobo...
bookshop.org
Nobody Broke Your Heart: An Intimate Biography of Elliott Smith
The first all-encompassing biography of Elliott Smith, offering an intimate portrait of his life and musical legacy with brand-new interviews, lyrics, and correspondence from the people closest to him...
172
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Ashley Valanzola @ashleyvalanzola.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I just launched a CFP for an edited collection on trauma-informed teaching. Check out the call here: networks.h-net.org/group/announ... If you don't have access to HNET, don't hesitate to message me for the PDF. #highered #teaching #trauma #traumastudies
networks.h-net.org
CFP: Edited Collection—The Courage to Care: Trauma-Informed Pedagogy Across the Disciplines | H-Net
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shocks to higher-education that have reverberated ever since, there has been increased interest in trauma-informed teaching. While recognizing that understandings of trauma vary widely, we generally adhere to guidance from SAMHSA which defines trauma as “an event or circumstances resulting in: physical harm, emotional harm, and/or life-threatening harm.” This trauma may have “lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being” (SAMHSA, 2026).
032
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
1700 words this afternoon - each one wrenched from a crumbling cliff face with my teeth. Guess it's Miller time.
1110
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I am writing a book that I think is very good, but I'm finding it impossible to motivate myself to sit down and write it because it is also very hard to write something very good.
3232
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
This record is so much fun.
060
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Today feels like a good day to scrap the to-do list and spend an hour watching a BBC documentary about ingenious/bizarre 18th-century automata. youtu.be/YMDFRwxCSwA?...
youtu.be
Mechanical Marvels - Clockwork Dreams (BBC)
YouTube video by Culture Vulture Rises
083
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Wow. I had no idea this country had become so thoroughly Flocked. Handy little app here that'll show you all the cameras. dontgetflocked.com/maps/
dontgetflocked.com
Flock Camera Map | 130,000+ Flock & ALPR Cameras Near You
Interactive map of Flock Safety and ALPR cameras, crowd-sourced by the DeFlock community. Check any route against a privacy route that avoids the cameras.
3168
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
JFC, people. Can we not?
abcnews.com
What parents should know about the 'Cat in the Hat' social media trend
Police and schools are warning families about the "Cat in the Hat" social media trend after a Colorado teen was arrested.
010
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Gah, just been reminded it's been 10 years (well, as of October) since we lost Leonard Cohen. Time should have just stopped in 2015 and called it good.
1121
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
I might design a class called something like Replacing Human Labor, about the mechanization of work, and resistance to same, from the late 18th century to now. If anybody has any good ideas for assigned readings, I'd love to hear them.
11245
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Every once in a while it's healthy to become obsessed with a song and play it over and over until your shoes fly off. youtu.be/nv_Ej3_nGgc?...
youtu.be
Townes Van Zandt - Flyin' Shoes (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Townes Van Zandt
050
Reposted by Mark Doyle
Seth Rudy @sethrudy.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Lotta plinths people were setting up for Kirk statues could probably be repurposed for Dolly without a lot of blowback
0101
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
So many people over on LinkedIn professing to be "humbled" by achievements/recognitions that would make most people feel proud. I worry about their self-esteem.
3101
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
East of Eden. Do we still read East of Eden?
650
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
There's no film I've seen more often than Clue & that includes all the movies my kids watched over & over when they were little (except for Clue, which they also watched over & over; one of them even had a sleepover where they all watched Clue). Point is, this Clue household is v sad about Tim Curry
0100
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
East Nashville this morning.
Mural of Dolly Parton by Kim Radford, outside the Five Spot bar in East Nashville's Five Points neighborhood. The bottom is lined with flowers and cards placed by mourners. Across the top is a quote from Dolly: "Of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter?"A close-up of the flowers and cards left beside the Dolly Parton mural in East Nashville. Two cards say "I will always love you."
1273
Mark Doyle @markdoyle.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Agreed. This is very good.
030