iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Nora Epstein

Gwen C. Katz @gwenckatz.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Fuck ChatGPT flyers. The future is broadsheets.

A crowded broadsheet with way too many fonts. It says:
Forget ChatGPT Flyers
Say it with
Broadsheets
Unlimited fonts
Stretch them
Or cram a really long sentence into one line for no good reason
No whitespace
Mix capital and lowercase
Pointing hands
(They're called manicules!)
Don't be left behind
Broadsheets are the future

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

setting: 6am Chicago. 4Year old: what's this book about? me: a Pope that lived a long time ago. 4Year old: was he from Chicago? me: no, this current Pope is the 1st from Chicago. 4Year old [looking very sad]: oh, so the rest were from New York?

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Elise Watson @ewatson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

#earlymodern #bookhistory Workshop Call for Papers: Women’s Professional Networks in the Early Modern Book Trade, University of Edinburgh 6-7 May 2027 Please feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!

Call for Papers
Women’s Professional Networks in the Early Modern Book Trade
University of Edinburgh
6-7 May 2027

Over the past two decades, women’s book history and feminist bibliography have exploded with renewed interest. Even so, women’s work is still to an extent seen as an exception or curiosity. It examines them from a gender history perspective, asking to what extent their relationships were influenced or determined by constructions of femininity. Proposals should therefore involve a dimension of gender analysis beyond simply the inclusion of female subjects.

This conference will seek to explore (but is not limited to) to the following themes and questions:

*Gendered Networks. To what extent were professional book trade networks gendered? How did these networks intersect with other types of women’s networks, whether they be familial, friendly, religious, political, or intellectual?
*Identity and Representation. Did women express professional solidarity with other women, and how did this manifest? How did women’s self-representation in imprints and paratext differ from men’s?
*Legal and Structural Considerations. In what ways were women’s professional networks dependent on legal structures of inheritance in their region, or participation in guilds? How did these networks stretch across economic and class divisions?
*Digital Approaches. Can digital humanities tools such as network visualisation effectively help document these relationships?

The conference will also host the launch of a new collaborative database sourcing biographical information about women in the early modern book trade.

Contributions will be published in a volume of conference proceedings, to be submitted by the end of 2027.

Proposals for papers of maximum 20 minutes, including title, an abstract of up to 300 words, and a biography of up to 150 words should be sent to Dr Elise Watson, elise.watson@ed.ac.uk, by 20 December 2026. While all papers will be delivered in person, virtual attendance will be available as well.

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Chicago Collections @chicollections.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Regarding the closure of NARA in Chicago, besides signing the petition, there is MORE you can do! Action items from @chicagoarchivists.bsky.social are here: www.chicagoarchivists.org/NARAClosures...

chicagoarchivists.org

TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT NARA CLOSURES

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Yes, all the ones I have seen are the NT bound with Sternhold and Hopkins Psalmes, including St Andrews and BL. Here is a blog on the St Andrews one: university-collections.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2011/06/24/5...

university-collections.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk

52 Weeks of Fantastic Bindings: Week 2 – University Collections blog

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

I also have examples from National Library of New Zealand, Princeton, and the BL, etc. natlib.govt.nz/records/2190... static-prod.lib.princeton.edu/visual_mater...

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

I did a small side quest on these English embroidered dos-a-dos bindings, and I think they must have been a workshop production given the impressive number very similar tulips and iris motifs. Here is an example from St Andrews:

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

I used this letter last week in a @newberrylibrary.bsky.social class on Ulysses. The students especially love the part about Hemingway attempting to teach a damp Ezra Pound how to box! (Newberry: Midwest MS Anderson Box 21 Folder 1068) collections.newberry.org/asset-manage...

collections.newberry.org

Newberry Library - Hemingway, Ernest (includes photostat of letter to Edwin L. Peterson), Sherwood Anderson incoming correspondence, 1921-1926

- NL123NVT

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Is everyone’s theme for summer reading "pesky early modern Catholic print in Protestant lands, written by brilliant and dear friends", or just me? FYI: @ewatson.bsky.social & @creutcke.bsky.social amazing new books are on sale now with discount codes on @catholicismsem.bsky.social's profile.

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Digital Newberry @digitalnewberry.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

We were watching Widow's Bay when Patricia's self-help book took a distinctly occult turn -- and suddenly looked very familiar. The Newberry's "Book of magical charms" has entered the chat. collections.newberry.org/asset-manage...

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

As an N.E. who works on relief illustrations, it gives me unreasonable joy to spend time in NE1000-1352: Wood engraving and relief printing

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Today the @newberrylibrary.bsky.social Culture of Paper class traveled to the new Chicago Pulp studio, where students created sheets of handmade paper from sisal, kozo, cotton, and abaca fibers! As our brilliant guide, Aidan, said, "paper holds memory" and I am sure this day is deeply embedded.

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WBEZ @wbez.org · 20/02/2026

The research library received a Mellon Foundation grant to expand access to its vast Indigenous collections, including materials related to 300 languages.

wbez.org

Chicago’s Newberry Library gets $4 million to help tribal nations revitalize Indigenous languages

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Digital Newberry @digitalnewberry.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

We just hit 150,000 items (that's 1.6 million files!) in our digital collections. One of the recent additions that put us over the top? This 1914 children's book, "The Gingerbread Dog." 🐶 collections.newberry.org/asset-manage...

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Brilliant scholarship AND a beautiful cover!? Summer can't come fast enough. Congrats, @ewatson.bsky.social!

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Happy Saturday to all the #AHA26 historians in Chicago today! The @newberrylibrary.bsky.social's reading rooms are open 10-4. I can't wait to see what items you call up! www.newberry.org/collection/u...

newberry.org

Use the Collection in Person

Get your hands on the Newberry's unique collection of books, maps, and primary sources.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Back in the library after a long holiday break with toddlers: Pynson's 1509 'Shyp of Folys'. Sig. d2r. @newberrylibrary.bsky.social : VAULT Case folio Y 952 .B734

A woodcut from a 1509 English copy of Ship of Fools, showing an "old fool" emerging from a grave.

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Starshaped Press @starshapedpress.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Snippet from ‘The City is my Religion’ print from a portfolio project of the same name, 2020. It’s a church of sorts, made up of local buildings with colors to mimic stained glass. Considering a reprint. #letterpress

Close up image of multi colored print or ornaments laid out to be various buildings in Chicago with text that says ‘the city is my religion and studs Terkel is the preacher and the staple singers are the choir’.

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

daniel orkin @danorkin.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

My brother is running for State Assembly in NY and has been endorsed by the NYC DSA! Take it from me, David will be an amazing legislator. He is someone who has always been guided by his belief in the need for justice for the most vulnerable. I am so proud and inspired to have him as a brother.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Can't make it to Oxford? @newberrylibrary.bsky.social also has one of the 22 known suppressed Alices! (Alas, we only have five original drawings by John Tenniel, so Oxford's 10 wins there). Call no.: VAULT Case 4A 878

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Amazing! Congrats Daryl (and Esther, who is the perfect covergirl)!

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

The Newberry @newberrylibrary.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Today is Jane Austen's 250th birthday! What did the places in Jane Austen's novels actually look like? Our new digital exhibit "Sense and Scenery: Picturing Jane Austen's World" pairs Austen's words with Oilette postcards from the Newberry Library's collection. digital.newberry.org/sense-scenery

An oilette postcard shows a scene at Box Hill, Surrey, a location mentioned in "Emma."

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

There is nothing quite like waiting for sundown and lighting candles in the sky to make this season magical for our boys (although the new Transformers toys pulled a lot of weight).

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

The Newberry @newberrylibrary.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

We made the Sphere! When the Eagles were looking for a backdrop for their Vegas residency, they reached out for images from our Teich Postcard Collection. Our postcards from Winslow, Arizona, and other locations are being displayed during the band's performances of "Take It Easy" through spring.

Large-letter postcards from the United States are displayed at a grand scale behind a band with the audience in the foreground.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

I used the first editions (Poetry Magazine, 1914 & Collected Vol., 1916) of 'Chicago' in a Newberry class yesterday:

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Take Dorothy up on this! I just got her new book in the mail (+errata sheet!) and always assigned her work on controlled vocabulary on the St Andrews' Material Bibliography course. Scotland is lucky to have such a brilliant scholar in town!

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Bookpeople! Does anyone know where I can buy uncut printed sheets to teach basic imposition and format (rather than the DIY sheets I typically print off on 8.5x11)? The Rare Book School's bibliographic format kits appear to be out of stock.

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Kristen Haas Curtis @hellomizk.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

SO EXCITED TO SHARE THIS! Announcing the Newberry Medieval Minicomic Prize: two juried mini-grants of $250.00 each to support emerging artists l for the creation of a new minicomic that engages with medieval culture. More details available here: www.newberry.org/calendar/new...

newberry.org

Newberry Medieval Minicomic Prize

Juried mini-grants for emerging comic artists interested in engaging with medieval culture.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

FYI: Out of the Newberry's ~22k French pamphlets, 530 are on the imprisonment, trial and execution of Louis XVI (published between August 10, 1792 and Jan. 21, 1793). Our doors are open today if you need a place to sit and think about a society with #NoKings. www.newberry.org/collection/r...

Image of a guillotine from the title page of Newberry Library Case FRC 4421 (J'attends le proces de Louis XVI : mis au cachot, pour ses forfaits dévoilés à la Convention nationale, par le Comité de surveillance.)

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Kristen Haas Curtis @hellomizk.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Still processing my thoughts on “Cartooning the Medieval” and I’ve not yet managed to type anything up. @marniegalloway.bsky.social just shared her reflections and artist talk; I encourage you to read her wonderful post if you’re eager to know more about the event: open.substack.com/pub/marniega...

open.substack.com

"Cartooning the Medieval" Artist Talk

On Thursday and Friday last week, I had the honor of being one of the invited guests of the experimental and truly wonderful conference “Cartooning the Medieval,” hosted by the Newberry Library and or...

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Kristen Haas Curtis @hellomizk.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Medievalist-friends! Interested in learning about comics and narrative art and meeting cartoonists for potential collaborations? Apply to join us in Chicago from 5-6 June 2025 for a crossover workshop at the Newberry Library entitled “Cartooning the Medieval”!! www.newberry.org/calendar/car...

newberry.org

Cartooning the Medieval

A symposium exploring the potential of comics and narrative art to create new opportunities for engaging with medieval culture.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

Amazing! I can't wait to dig around the Sclair collection! Here is the Odd Fellow banner I'm constantly telling a toddler not to touch:

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Elise Watson @ewatson.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

In our introduction, Jessica Farrell-Jobst, @noraepstein.bsky.social and I argue that it is time to take gender seriously as a methodology in book history. You can read the chapter here (or ask any of us for a PDF): www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfil...

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Elise Watson @ewatson.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

It’s out! Today is publication day for Gender and the Book Trades, from the conference of the same name in June 2021. Huge thanks to everyone who contributed and read drafts of this behemoth's xxii + 492 pages. We are so proud of it and hope you enjoy. brill.com/edcollbook/t...

brill.com

Gender and the Book Trades

"Gender and the Book Trades" published on 01 Jan 2025 by Brill.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Happy Publication Day, ‘Gender and the Book Trades’! I am deeply proud of this conference and my co-organizers, who edited this astonishingly good volume. I contributed to the introduction, 'Gender as an Inclusive Model for Book History', and am happy to share a pdf. brill.com/edcollbook/t...

brill.com

Gender and the Book Trades

"Gender and the Book Trades" published on 01 Jan 2025 by Brill.

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Reposted by Nora Epstein

Elise Watson @ewatson.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

Had the most magical week pre-holidays at the #NewberryLibrary: huge thanks to @noraepstein.bsky.social @drkarrschmidt.bsky.social and all the staff for such a warm welcome! Check out that double volvelle 👀 (Newberry Wing ZP 646 .R57 & Case NE 1070 .S33 1648)

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Capital work on Koberger's 1486 edition of Boethius i-share-nby.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01...

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

In rare (and thrilling) #paperhistory news: www.newberry.org/news/analysi... "At approximately 49 sheets, the discovery increases the amount of maguey paper known to have survived by about four times."

newberry.org

Manuscript is Most Extensive Example of Pre-Columbian Maguey Paper in…

A collection of sermons by sixteenth-century Franciscan missionary Bernardino de Sahagún is rare example from the Nahuas.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Do yourself a favor and follow @analulopez.bsky.social! She is the Librarian for the Newberry's Ayer collection, one of the curators of the 'Indigenous Chicago' exhibit, and a brilliant and generous scholar. Plus her #bookhistory content is 10/10!

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 27/11/2024

I will never recover from witnessing perfect 16c. German bindings pulled out of a grocery bag, one by one, in the main lobby of the Newberry. Fantastic bibliographic sleuthing, @drkarrschmidt.bsky.social!

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Last day to apply for Materiality, Mobility, Mind! www.newberry.org/calendar/mat... Graduate students, come to the Newberry and join the discussion about the transmission of early modern printed images!

newberry.org

Materiality, Mobility, Mind: Early Modern Printed Images

This graduate course will interrogate the culture of print and its many manifestations in the early modern period.

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Nora Epstein @noraepstein.bsky.social · 06/09/2024

Peter Maxwell-Stuart was one the most charming and brilliant instructors I ever had! I can't speak to his belief in witches, but his sartorial sense is downright magical.

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