Jess Goodman

Today 5 y.o. looked around the SCR dining room at the portraits of former Masters and asked 'but why are they all boys?' What a joy to be able to point to Jude Kelly presiding and say 'not any more!'

It exists! With MANY thanks to Graham @themhra.bsky.social, 'Doing Things With Literature: A Toolkit' is out in record time @mroussill.bsky.social @gemmatidman.bsky.social Emma Herdman & I will be launching it into the world @mfoxford.bsky.social on 30/10 at 5.30pm.

Back from sabbatical with renewed intentions to fit research into term (ha) BUT coming up this term: launch of 'Doing Things With Literature' (30/10, @mfoxford.bsky.social www.mfo.ac.uk/events/book-...) & culmination of my 'Imagined Futures' project w/ Pegasus youth theatre (4-5/12, more info soon).

Nothing like cutting it fine.... revised book MS submitted less than 24 hours before my first student meeting post-sabbatical.

A little report on last week's exhibition launch www.stcatz.ox.ac.uk/from-researc... with thanks to @torchoxford.bsky.social @udkberlin.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk

Getting ready for this evening's launch of 'Dropping in and Out' at Alpha-nova & Galerie futura, Berlin: www.galeriefutura.de/en/dropping-...

5 y.o. accidentally summarising part of my book in a bath time conversation: 'when there are new people, will we be the olden days? And what will there be new about the new olden days?'

Excited about this upcoming exhibition in Berlin on which I've worked with colleagues at UdK : www.galeriefutura.de/en/dropping-... @torchoxford.bsky.social @ox.ac.uk @stcatz.bsky.social

Super excited to see my collaboration with Pegasus Young Company coming together today as part of the Past, present, future fest at the Schwarzman Centre @ox.ac.uk @stcatz.bsky.social

Delighted to have submitted the MS of 'Doing Things With Literature: A Toolkit' - a collected volume of translations of the work of Alain Viala, appearing with Legenda very soon. @gemmatidman.bsky.social @mroussill.bsky.social and Emma Herdman have been the BEST co-editors I could have hoped for!

Another schoolday, another costume... this one was a little bit freaky on the school run.

Draft MS submitted 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Let's hope readers are kinder than 4 y.o.

Brutal analysis from 4 year old: How many pages do you have? Is it more than 100? (yes, 316) Who is going to READ the book?

Well, what I am learning from proofreading 280 pages of myself is a) I can't spell dialogue, and b) my favourite phrase is 'it is worth noting'.

I have just read my whole book. Which means I have a whole book. (still awful notes). Not QUITE ready to submit the MS by Easter as I had hoped (see above re: notes), but I'm pretty pleased!!!

I have 76,000 words in 6 chapters which I have now reworked into something vaguely coherent following the reading of AMAZING colleagues, and though I still have to write a conclusion and introduction, and there are (MANY HORRENDOUS) notes to sort out, I finally feel as if this is actually A Book.

This project has been VERY slow due to the busy lives of the editing team, BUT we just put it all into one document so we're *so* nearly there and it's going to be FAB!!!!

Am really excited to be a part of this festival at @oxhumanities.bsky.social in June. www.schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk/theme/past-p...

Out of office - for annual leave, then SABBATICAL - now on 🎉

7 y.o. reading out random phrases from ancient French phrase book for me. "j'ai une cartouche de cigarettes à déclarer. C'est pour mon usage personnel." "Pouvez-vous changer mes chèques de voyage en francs suisses....?"

Really wonderful event this evening @stcatz.bsky.social with Corinne Jaber & Atri Banerjee in conversation with Pablo Mukherjee about their project to bring Karthika Nair's Until the Lions: Echoes from the Mahabharata to the stage.

Nottingham too.... What a sad state of affairs. Thoughts with colleagues there.

📣 New WPH Editor Wanted We're looking for a second postgraduate editor for our online journal 'MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities', launched in 2006 and aimed at early-career researchers and postgraduates. Post from Dec 2025–Nov 2027 Deadline👉10 Nov 2025, 5pm 👉 www.mhra.org.uk/news/2025/10...

Coloured pen and glued paper on translated extract from Voltaire's Micromégas. By Eva, aged 4. Would definitely cut the mustard in some art exhibitions. Title suggestions sought.

Today I finished a (very bad) first draft of the final chapter of The Book. There is a LONG way to go (intro, conclusion, much redrafting, sorting out the horrendous mess that is my footnotes), but this still feels like a milestone.

Cried when I dropped each of my children off for first day or nursery (2019, 2022). Cried today on dropping little one off for the last time, before school in Sept. Will doubtless cry then too. Luckily most of these occasions are in weather where sunglasses are (just about) acceptable!

Today was an INCREDIBLY early start for my first flight since pre-pandemic and first solo trip abroad since pre-children (2018!!!!). Off to Berlin to talk about the fragmented career trajectories of female artists and authors.

SOMEWHAT last minute writing of French Studies paper (I'm only joining you all at #SFS2025 on Weds), and as you'll see, this really is work in progress...

The hill I will die on is the hyphenation of eighteenth century (or any other century) when used as an adjective. Brought to you from mid-Finals marking frustration as I systematically circle this error even though the students are never going to see the scripts.

Oh hang on, and two PhD milestone vivas.

Teaching DONE for the academic year. Only an outreach session, committee meeting, end of year report meetings, finals scripts, and two last-minute conference papers (Bristol and Berlin) to deal with until I can get back to The Book.

SUPER excited to have been awarded a grant from the Humanities Cultural Fund to work with Pegasus youth theatre to devise a piece based on my research into Imagined Futures! 🎉

I think this cheeky intruder digging up our roses is telling me to stop rewriting reading lists and go to bed.

This day 40 years ago. Plus ça change...

I thought Christmas was peak unicorn. I was wrong.

Reaching crunch time for deliveries where a package arriving at any one moment could be a) cheese/alcohol for 40th party, b) unicorns (etc) for 4 y.o. bday, c) tiles/fittings for bathroom refurb. Apologies if we serve you unicorns or grout on Saturday....

Trying to be cool but really quite excited to be giving a workshop here today!

Next 2.5 wks: RADA workshop, 3-day collab visit, running a school fundraiser eve, running 10k race, my 40th bday & (large) party, 4y.o. bday & party inc. unicorn/rainbow cake construction. PLUS run up to Finals (revision, mocks, panic) & normal teaching/mtings/admin. And still having building done.

📣 Come join us! 📣 A two-year postdoc in Enlightenment Studies @voltaire.ox.ac.uk and Oxford's lively community of researchers working on the long 18thC @oxhistoryfaculty.bsky.social, Modern Languages, and beyond. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru... Applications welcome by 30 May.

6 y.o. just called my tablet 'the essay thingummy' and this is a sad reflection of its current heavy (exclusive) use for essay and exam marking.

Setting challenges for 6 y.o.: 'Can you get to the top of the hill in 30 steps?' 'i bet I can do it in fewer.' So proud!

Quite frankly, whoever decided I should be a) mid building work, b) planning another renovation project, c) planning a (big) 40th & (smaller) 4th bday party within 3 days of one another AND d) starting crazy exam term with an appointment committee & two big engagement projects should have rethought.

🔬 Applications are open for the UL and @universityofleeds.bsky.social collaborative doctoral studentship: The Hidden Gender of Collections: Women and the Curation of Scientific Heritage Deadline: 30 April 2025 Apply here: loom.ly/hXILBEo @camglamresearch.bsky.social