Sign in

Jon Dell Isola

@medievaljon.bsky.social
2.5K followers 967 following 2.2K posts

PhD Medieval Historian. I think about the meaning and purpose of history a lot in my newsletter Among the Ruins (among-the-ruins.ghost.io). Special Projects Assistant @medievalacademy.bsky.social. All opinions my own.

PostsRepliesMedia
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 4h
Sharing but also so I can read it later today #medievalsky
041
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 20h
Went to look at a Flat Earth group for content purposes and this is my only reaction to seeing things like "Question nothing, believe NASA"
Seen from Seinfeld: "Hold it. You're right. I'm -- I'm not ready for this."
140
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 23h
Cool deep dive into Zotero's origins
0188
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
I'm sure I'm missing some, and the idea of "performatives" in relation to written documents (what I work on) has its own sort of thing to it
010
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The sort of "classics" are Gerd Althoff, Die Macht der Rituale and Spielregeln, but if you don't want German, then his Rules and Rituals in Medieval Power Games is probably a good place to start. Geoff Koziol, Begging Pardon also very good. Philippe Buc, Dangers of Ritual is a critique
110
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
There is a literature about rituals in the early middle ages that they are about communicating social and political hierarchies, I think that works here too
010
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The boox go 10.3 is large but they do have a phoneish sized model too
000
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I don't use it much, its...fine. for reading pdfs its a good ereader though which is mainly what I need
100
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I have a boox 10.3 which might be too large but does pdfs and runs android so can put zotero on it
110
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
#medievalsky
0116
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
One of the best parts of teaching in person is it gives me an excuse to try different outfits, its fun
010
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
My monthly roundup is here, featuring lots of really great looking books! #medievalsky
among-the-ruins.ghost.io
What's New In Medieval Studies VIII (Sept. 2026)
Welcome back to my monthly installment of new releases in medieval studies. Medieval is being used very expansively here, so expect some books dealing with Late Rome or the Renaissance if they look pa...
01811
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Oh yea I'm sure that he does that, but often "Anglo-Saxon" is used in these contexts to signal a specific vision of the medieval past.
100
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
My monthly roundup is here, featuring lots of really great looking books! #medievalsky
among-the-ruins.ghost.io
What's New In Medieval Studies VIII (Sept. 2026)
Welcome back to my monthly installment of new releases in medieval studies. Medieval is being used very expansively here, so expect some books dealing with Late Rome or the Renaissance if they look pa...
01811
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
A year ago I would have glibly said Arnulf, but now I'm thinking it would be something about "dynasty" as a way of understanding global premodernity, or maybe the crises of the 8th century in China, Europe, and the Middle East *Neither of these are fully-formed ideas, don't come for me
030
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Needs to be repeated: paying someone for goods or services isnt inherently a "scam"
011
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
40k Mechanicus is on sale for like 1 dollar, I'm gonna use that as an excuse to actually not work and relax
010
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
I think it would be really fun to do, I've been tempted in DC and in Boston but never come up with a good sounding pitch
140
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
#medievalsky
041
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Shorter post this time about what I call "competitive history", or the frustrating trend to typologize and compare historical places, people, and events. Or, in other words, the "RIP to them but I'm different" theory of history #medievalsky
among-the-ruins.ghost.io
On "Competitive History"
A few weeks ago I was delivering a lecture on the Mongols, and noted how Chinggis Khan ruled over the "largest land empire in history," a phrase that gets bandied about all over the internet. I asked ...
0229
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
fascinating interview/conversation with Caroline Walker Bynum in this #medievalsky
082
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
woof
020
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This is one reason I constantly try to remind my students that what I'm giving them is more often than not just a taste. Its a good opportunity as well to talk about how and why historians create narratives, it isn't necessarily a conspiracy to hide "real" history
030
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Spent yesterday talking about Incan Khipus, just marvelously fascinating objects and really good for getting students to think about premodern "literacy"
020
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Gautham Rao (pronounced: Knicks in 5) @gauthamrao.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I’m guessing he hasn’t kept up with the latest historiography
56811
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
My slide into middle-age begins, I'm excited for the new set of glass containers I got
160
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
seems fine, working as intended, etc.
071
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
You Europeans get all the cool stuff
100
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Roundtable when?? "The nature of change in late antique/early medieval polities"
000
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Its an interesting periodization question, Im not sure we "need" a long late Antiquity versus antique/early medieval. But this is half formed before my class this morning
010
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Girlfriend wanted to make whipped cream to go along with her gluten free chocolate cake, pretty good!
Picture of chocolate cake and ice cream with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.
081
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I think no one should be allowed to say "tud" (touchdown) on national tv
020
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Feels more lucrative as a career move than actually producing scholarship
120
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Probably a step above the ominously named "Park" with no descriptor at all
010
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I'm a Frower man, apparently
110
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Come hang out with me in Frower, or we can instead go to Uven
030
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
An action packed 135 pages im sure
010
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Very excited for this, need to find time to read it!
170
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Oh I would always use Francia, I saw it in a recent publication and was curious where it could come from! I think it is more common in older publications, but also those working on the Insular context too
010
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
That was my impression too, now I'm thinking it may be a continental vs insular thing
110
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
interesting, maybe it is a difference between subfields!
100
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
wow! I need a more lucrative career to afford these
000
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
#medievalsky question: is "Frankia" (as opposed to Francia) more common in a certain subfield than others? I think the consensus is Francia but perhaps I am wrong?
541
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Asheesh Kapur Siddique @asheeshks.org · 27/09/2026
The underlying assumption is that budget allocations in universities are ideologically neutral: that institutional investment just goes to wherever lots of students choose to spend their time. But this is not how it works. Admin decide what forms of knowledge they want to incentivize.
15611
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Started my rewatch of Dark this morning, hope it holds up because I remember loving it.
130
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Shorter post this time about what I call "competitive history", or the frustrating trend to typologize and compare historical places, people, and events. Or, in other words, the "RIP to them but I'm different" theory of history #medievalsky
among-the-ruins.ghost.io
On "Competitive History"
A few weeks ago I was delivering a lecture on the Mongols, and noted how Chinggis Khan ruled over the "largest land empire in history," a phrase that gets bandied about all over the internet. I asked ...
0229
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Rodger Sherman @rodger.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
over 10 years since a seminal blog in the early history of The Ringer
theringer.com
Jennifer Garner’s Credit Card Commercials Are the Best Show on TV
101257
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Saturdays are for checking out bookstore sidewalk sales
040
Reposted by Jon Dell Isola
Dorothy Berry @dorothyjberry.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I'm as goof a ball as the next fellow, but I think we should bring back the concept of some things being serious. The rigorous historical essay will never be as engaging as the Tiktok that makes up a time when Jane Austen wrote a secret abolitionist novel and sent it to Phillis Wheatley to proof
1313
Jon Dell Isola @medievaljon.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Good to model for grad students too! I was very fortunate to have an professor notice my trepidation at a dinner and tell me explicitly to not worry about the price.
050