John O'Brien

A new piece from my Substack about eighteenth-century newspaper poems, about a poem by Jonathan Swift that first appeared in *The Tatler.* #c18 #c18th #18thcentury ttps://literatureinc.substack.com/p/jonathan-swifts-poem-on-a-london?r=jonr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

All 18 known surviving editions of Harris’s List of #CoventGardenLadies are now available in the #HarrissListDigitalArchive (IIIF and full-text), with over 2,600 entries, an interactive map, network analysis, and visualizations: harrisslist.prisms.digital #c18th #HarrissList #DigitalHumanities

This, completely, and I work at a university with not one but two business schools, just in case anyone gets lost. A free link In case anyone needs that to read the full article. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/18/o...

When Grammy-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens begins playing “Old Corn Liquor,” a traditional Black American folk tune, acclaimed Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man recognizes similarities to Chinese pentatonic music and spontaneously joins in. The joy on their faces says it all.

My book has a cover design! I hope you like it (I do). Books available in May 2027. In the meantime, I'm doing weekly posts on Substack, each one about a poem published in a newspaper that did *not* make it to the book. literatureinc.substack.com/p/newspaper-... #18th #c18th #c18thcentury

I remember this very well. Any restaurant--a cloud of smoke. Family events--smoke. Back of the airplane at night--a sea of glowing red cigarette ends with smoke rising into the gloom. Things *can* change.

The latest Substack post on an eighteenth-century newspaper poem. This week, an anonymous parodic elegy on a lost chaw of tobacco, written in in imitation of Gray's "Elegy Wrote in a Country Churchyard." #c18th #c18 #18thcentury literatureinc.substack.com/p/elegy-on-a...

My Substack is issuing a new poem drawn from an eighteenth-century newspaper--where poems abounded--every week. Here's the latest, on a poem published in 1784 about the first balloon flight in London that year. literatureinc.substack.com/p/the-great-... #18c #c18 #c18th #poetry #18thcentury

Cover reveal! The keywords I sent the press were “historical,” “natural,” and “multimedia” and I’d say they nailed it. Featuring my (book’s) main man Humphry Repton on the left there. Coming from Yale University Press this fall.

A new (free) Substack post, this one on Samuel Johnson's final work, first published in the *Public Advertiser.* Subscribe if you'd like new posts like this every Tuesday. #c18 #18th #c18th literatureinc.substack.com/p/samuel-joh...

Might I recommend.... press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...

Behold, a job post in my department. The University of Virginia’s Department of English/Program in Creative Writing (creativewriting.virginia.edu ) invites applications for a tenure-line Assistant or Associate Professor in Fiction. To apply, please visit apply.interfolio.com/192511

Did you know that Phillis Wheatley Peters's first poem was published in a newspaper? Well, it was. Read all about it my latest Substack post. And subscribe for an essay on a poem found in an 18th century newspaper every week--it's free! #c18th #c18 #18c literatureinc.substack.com/p/on-messrs-...

This week's examples of poems from eighteenth-century newspapers are parodies of Hamlet's soliloquy: "To Drink or Not to Drink” literatureinc.substack.com/p/to-drink-o... #c18 #poetry #c18th

Hi all, LSU is hiring for the long 18th century. Come be my colleague!! Please feel free to share and send it to anyone you might know that is on the market! I'm happy to answer any questions. lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0210...

We're hiring in the long eighteenth century at LSU. Please spread the word and let me know if you have any questions. It's a wonderful department to work in! lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0210...

ICYMI: A new Substack post on Elizabeth Carter's "A Midnight Ode to Wisdom." #18c, #18thcentury literatureinc.substack.com/p/elizabeth-...

Newest Substack post is up, on Elizabeth Carter's "A Midnight Ode to Wisdom," published in the Whitehall Evening-Post in 1749, but with an interesting history before that. A preview of my next book, *Newspaper Verse,* on 18th century poetry in newspapers. literatureinc.substack.com/p/elizabeth-...

The first issue of my Substack on poems found in eighteenth-century newspapers is now available: literatureinc.substack.com/p/when-sickn.... It's a poem from the Grub Street Journal in 1730, about the plague of poetry; I share the poem and tell its story and that of the paper from which it comes.

My next book, *Newspaper Verse: The Dark Matter of Eighteenth-Century English Poetry* will be out in 2027. In the meantime, I've created a Substack where I will share and discuss a new (old) every week. Subscribe! literatureinc.substack.com/p/newspaper-... #poetry #18thcentury #DH #newspapers #18thc

Just finished reviewing a splendid copyeditor's work on a new book. Feeling 1) grateful for the attention of a good copyeditor, who is rescuing my prose; 2) that I need to have a long talk with past me about keeping better track of my citations.

"It’s been 10 years since the publication of “Hillbilly Elegy,” by Vice President JD Vance, and we finally have an Appalachian memoir worthy of its origins, by a Gen Z writer — an eighth-generation Appalachian — who is too smart, and too authentically of her place, to reinscribe stereotypes."

I am *thrilled* to share that we are hiring again! A tenure track job in early modern literature! I’ve found Wesleyan a terrific place to work—help us spread the word? wesleyan.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/career...

“The humanities are not a luxury,” said @paulakrebs.bsky.social. “They are a necessity, teaching people vital skills, including how to effectively communicate, construct arguments, evaluate evidence, and build connections across cultures."

@acls1919.bsky.social, the AHA, & @modernlanguage.bsky.social filed a lawsuit in federal district court today, seeking to reverse the recent actions of the NEH to devastate the agency, including the elimination of grant programs, staff, and entire divisions and programs. 🗃️

Go get ‘em.

Luna wishes everyone a Merry Christmas!

So is it safe to post now?

Scrivener perfection achieved; next level unlocked.

I'm excited to announce that the English Department at UCSB is hiring an assistant professor (tenure-track) in Digital Humanities. Applications due Nov 10. Info here: recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/JPF02587 Please share widely!

A job listing, so please share and repost: The University of Virginia Department of English is searching for an assistant-professor, tenure track, in Nineteenth-Century British Literature. Here's the link: apply.interfolio.com/130424