Sign in

Paula Read

@paularead.bsky.social
1.2K followers 2.2K following 2.7K posts

Perpetual newbie. PhD Creative Writing / Honorary Research Associate, University of Bristol @bristol_writing @the-independent.com @undark.org @huffpost.com @panoramajournal.bsky.social, @teenvogue.com paulareadwrites.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Paula Read
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 3h
The ability to pour hundreds of millions of pounds into a loss-making TV channel, bent on wrenching British politics sharply to the right, is yet another of the ways in which extreme wealth is trying to remake UK democracy. It needs to be part of any serious conversation about political funding.
27734312
Reposted by Paula Read
Zack Labe @zacklabe.com · 4h
Also news - 2026 observed the 3rd lowest annual maximum #Antarctic sea ice extent on record. This was reached earlier in the year than average. Since the maximum, ice extent has rapidly tumbled to close to record low levels for the date! For more information (NSIDC): nsidc.org/news-analyse...
03610
Reposted by Paula Read
Boston Tom Levenson @tomlevenson.bsky.social · 20h
I'd guess that Yoo resigned from the GWB administration just before exceeded the amount of leave time he could take before losing tenure. If so, I get why UC Berkeley Law School had to welcome him back after his war-crime adjacency (his torture memos). But still: what a blight on a great school!
3172
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 21h
No, he wasn't treated fairly. He should have gone to jail.
000
Reposted by Paula Read
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
South West Water pleaded guilty to sewage dumping, fined £8m, a decade after the events. Yet govt introduced more deregulation. England's water industry controlled by organisations with criminal convictions. None has licence revoked. No exec prosecuted. Customers fleeced.
bbc.co.uk
South West Water fined almost £8m for sewage spills
South West Water previously entered guilty pleas to pollution offences spanning six years.
22387198
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
'Mind-boggling' implies that something is so surprising, it's hard to comprehend. This is pretty easy to understand. One could even call it predictable and expected.
051
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I knew someone who went deaf in one ear from a childhood bout of mumps. My grandmother talked about 'when polio came,' the schools shut down, and some of her classmates never returned. The intentional ignorance of vaccines' impact on personal and public health is staggering.
040
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Only the best people for the job.
static.klipy.com
Justin Hammer Iron Man Dance
Alt: Justin Hammer Iron Man Dance
000
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Come for the *ugh!*, stay for the comments
120
Reposted by Paula Read
Prof Bill McGuire @profbillmcguire.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Our planet is heating faster than at any time in the geological record. That's terrifying. But here's the hopeful part: most of us are worried and want action — we just stay silent, assuming no one else cares. 7 in 10 people rarely or never talk about it. So the silence feeds itself
24223
Reposted by Paula Read
Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In many ways, the only thing boys need to learn are the lessons we already teach girls. They need to learn to be part of a community. And if they understand that, then the lessons on consent and sexual violence come naturally.
81089204
Reposted by Paula Read
Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Teach your son to wait. Teach him that other people are as important as he is. Teach him to apologize and go back to the end of the line if he made an entitled decision. Teach him that girls and women deserve respect in *all* scenarios—not just during sex.
21369258
Reposted by Paula Read
Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I also always think about how little boys are permitted to behave at zoos. Every time I go to a zoo, I watch mothers apologize behind their sons’ backs as they push to the front of the crowd to see an animal. Or worse—they ask other people to move to the side to let their sons cut the line. 😬
466146
Reposted by Paula Read
Anna Holmes @annabookwriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Between working at Disneyland and the library, I have Seen Some Things. Have been expected to tolerate some things. Have been treated like a jungle gym, actually. If you would gasp and reel in a daughter, why can’t you do it with your son? (Seriously do not let him climb wheelchair users.)
310316
Reposted by Paula Read
Michael Lobel @mlobelart.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I've talked to a few journal editors who are concerned about similar problems re: anonymous reviewers. If a peer reviewer wants a little help & feeds your unpublished submission into an AI system, they've just shared your proprietary work & broken confidentiality. A nightmare to think about
6239134
Reposted by Paula Read
Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I’m seeing a lot of posts from older women about how they won’t talk or think about Cornell because it’s too painful or the problem is too big to solve. I’m urging you all to remember how you felt as a college student when older women said that to you. Don’t turn your back on the next generation.
534277
Reposted by Paula Read
Kylie Cheung @kylietcheung.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I can't recommend @nbedera.bsky.social's book 'On the Wrong Side' enough. I interviewed her in 2024, this part really stuck with me. Rapists often don't just not face consequences but reap benefits bc the school is so sorry for even investigating them/afraid of seeming 'biased':
122852
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Totally me and the mister at the latest IMAX offering, wondering why we sat so close to the screen
031
Reposted by Paula Read
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
US social media companies are interfering in the Brazilian elections in favour of the Far Right’s Flávio Bolsonaro. Meta is the latest. It’s just blocked the campaign account of President Lula in the final stretch of the election.
elespectador.com
Meta restringe la cuenta de Lula y su partido alerta por posible injerencia extranjera
De cara a las elecciones en Brasil, Lula enfrenta a Meta por restringir su cuenta mientras su partido alerta por posible injerencia extranjera.
431016658
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"A we-narrative offers an intriguing lens through which writers can tackle issues of injustice through fiction and hybrid stories, explore biases and assumptions, and discover unexpected connections."
000
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I wrote a paper about how (white) people write about anger, bias, and racism, and some thoughts about how we can do better. ejlw.eu/article/view...
ejlw.eu
A Getting Out of the Way: An Exploration in Using a We-Narrative Voice to Decentre Bias | European Journal of Life Writing
European Journal of Life Writing – Open access journal published by University of Groningen Press.
000
Reposted by Paula Read
Dr. Leo Croft @drleocroft.com · 28/09/2026
7 Chi Phi brothers allegedly drugged and raped a Cornell student. One posted "free pussy" in the group chat mid-assault. Cornell's punishment offer: an essay. Now the DA is reopening the criminal case. I wrote about how it took a lawsuit to get here. medium.com/@drleocroft/...
medium.com
Seven Men, One Woman, and an Essay Assignment
Cornell’s response to the Chi Phi allegations isn’t a failure of the system. It’s the system.
51211
Reposted by Paula Read
Melissa Johnson, PhD @ladyhistorian.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I am tired of having to pretend that the value of studying my discipline solely rests on the "marketable skills" we teach. Sometimes things are just worth knowing and doing because they make your life bigger and richer.
131226256
Reposted by Paula Read
Solomon @solomonrmissouri.com · 27/09/2026
Here’s what’s important for you to know real pastors don’t support you becoming a trad wife… because there has never been a point in history where it has been in the best interest of women to solely depend on the benevolence of men for their wellbeing
2730128
Reposted by Paula Read
AvB @in90sec.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
210149
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
"We might lose at football, but you know where we never lose? The IDF! IDF! IDF!" People came for football, and you made it about your military force as if it's the same as a soccer team. Got it. Lesson learned.
010
Reposted by Paula Read
Chris Kendall @ottocr.at · 28/09/2026
So sick of the way mainstream progressive German opinion conflates criticism of Israeli policy with antisemitism. It’s so lazy and ignorant. I say this as a German with Jewish ancestry.
64612
Reposted by Paula Read
The Analyst @militaryanalyst.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
in time the same will happen in Ukraine. What Russia wants is to believe is that it cannot lose, and yet we have the evidence that not once have these tactics, used from Chechnya to Syria and now Ukraine, ever broke their people. Chechnya is again a threat to Putin’s internal security
11135
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
We all know Arendt's term, the banality of evil. This is the modality of evil - Meticulous strategizing to inflict maximum suffering, long-term damage, and terror across an entire society and infrastructure - honed over time and different campaigns and now being used by Russia in Ukraine.
020
Reposted by Paula Read
Professor Goose @thundergoose.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Biology is AMAZING! This is a microscopic wasp. The wings have a distinct shape because at this size air resistance is different.
23311
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Welcome to the 1960s
061
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
WWJDD What would John Dutton do?
030
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Elect a 'moderate' Democrat, get a 'lifelong Republican'
0125
Reposted by Paula Read
Moley𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕖 @moleymole.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Explainer for the uncertain future of Charity Shops - *spoiler* its not Vinted, it’s the bottom falling out of the rag trade that used to provide the safety net…
“Rag rates have been dropping steadily for years, because the textile export market is dying. There are simply too many textiles in the world: there's no-one and nowhere left to sell them to. We've been exporting our problems for years, but they haven't actually gone away. Now, we're reaching the end of the rainbow. We can't sell our rag to the rag man any more. Within the next few years — maybe as few as five — the rag man is going to start charging us to take it away”
143
Reposted by Paula Read
drsmutt.bsky.social @drsmutt.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
9773126
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Losers, your bus is leaving www.huffpost.com/entry/live-u...
huffpost.com
TV Networks To Work Around Trump White House's Latest CNN Block: NYT
000
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Apparently a badger is marking its territory on our terrace by leaving poopy presents and I am not unhappy about it.
000
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
It's like listening to the 2am ideas of a bunch of 10-year-olds hopped up on Halloween candy and scary movies at a sleepover, right before someone either throws up or starts crying that they want to go home. Just total madness, 99.99% of which should never leave the room where it was uttered.
000
Reposted by Paula Read
Aparna Nair @disabilitystor1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I keep coming back to this clip against the background of AI companies infesting higher education. And I feel like I need to show this in class to students, for them to understand why not to trust these bastards
61376422
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I read this in the early 1970's as a child and it made a lasting, profound impact on my entire life. It was hard to read, it was sad, and it made me stronger. The truth doesn't just matter; it's a vital necessity for life.
3396
Reposted by Paula Read
Zinn Education Project @zinnedproject.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
#tdih 1962, "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson published, exposed impact of pesticides on environment. Carson was vilified: called a Communist, disloyal, unscientific, and hysterical. Sound familiar? Attacks on truth tellers, with media complicity. See⬇️🧵 www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/si...
zinnedproject.org
Sept. 27, 1962: Silent Spring Published
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published.
17457862236
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This is one way they do it: "Just another avenue for billionaires to launder influence"
011
Reposted by Paula Read
Celeste Headlee @celesteheadlee.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
So, Banksy bought a used yacht, repaired it and retrofitted it to serve as a rescue boat to save migrants in the central Mediterranean. The whole project cost the artist $860,000. Since 2020, the boat has saved more than 3,800 people. londondaily.com/banksy-funds...
londondaily.com
Banksy funds refugee rescue boat operating in Mediterranean - London Daily
Exclusive: UK artist finances bright pink motor yacht that set sail in secrecy to avoid being intercepted by authorities
396402563
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Sigh. I don't really believe there's a way for Mahershala Ali to get any better. But I guess I'm willing to be open to super-perfection.
000
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I appreciate the irony of this ruling from a T-appointed judge, but I was really enjoying the quiet time. Maybe a happy middle ground: no video/audio recordings, only notepad notes? Might have an added plus of getting rid of the journos who don't actually write? www.huffpost.com/entry/white-...
huffpost.com
Judge Lifts Trump's White House Ban On CNN, MS NOW And Politico
District Judge Tim Kelly said the president’s ban on the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional.
000
Reposted by Paula Read
Lewis Wade 🗃️ @wadehistory.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
There are lots of issues regarding LLMs to discuss, but this is the fundamental one that should have stopped all else in its tracks: they are an unprecedented breach of intellectual property rights, and society cannot be ordered around pretending that LLMs are a special case worthy of exemption
1269
Reposted by Paula Read
Greenpeace International 🌍 @greenpeace.org · 23/09/2026
As if our oceans aren't already facing record heat, plastic waste, and industrial exploitation… now governments and arms dealers want to turn the seabed into the next battlefield. The ocean is a living ecosystem that sustains all life, not a playground for war and corporate profit.
cnbc.com
A new arms race is unfolding on the ocean floor
Countries and companies are investing in technologies for underwater use amid concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure on the ocean floor.
15936
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Oh, yes, you will want to read this one.
140
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
And don't forget: Targeting environmental activists is a first step towards targeting all activists who aren't aligned with state goals on other issues. They are the proverbial canaries. Spain wouldn't be the first place to do this. Germany, the UK, Australia, Canada, the US, the list goes on.
020
Paula Read @paularead.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Could've guessed without looking what they were protesting. Environmental activists might annoy some ideologically/locally, but there's one sector they truly threaten: the fossil fuel industry. Show me a gov't is being influenced by Big Oil money without saying it's being influenced by Big Oil.
087