Dr. Valerie
@drvalerieisin.bsky.social
One half of the Courses For Philologists + Philologists' Corner Team.
Click the link to learn more about + sign up for fall language classes:
https://forms.gle/AcqKda4kziPLQLK26
Click the link to learn more about + sign up for fall language classes:
https://forms.gle/AcqKda4kziPLQLK26
Pinned
Our Fall Term schedule is now set —check out the graphics for details (class times, cost, etc.)!
Sign up for classes here:
forms.gle/gS6N985kTnnD...
Questions? DM me!
Sign up for classes here:
forms.gle/gS6N985kTnnD...
Questions? DM me!
This week’s proverb is a warning to those who are reckless in the face of danger, so, if you’ve been searching for something to say to that one friend who goes to the beach in the middle of a hurricane, here you go!
October 8, 2026 at 12:30 AM
This week’s proverb is a warning to those who are reckless in the face of danger, so, if you’ve been searching for something to say to that one friend who goes to the beach in the middle of a hurricane, here you go!
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
Noah and his family in the ark together with the animals
BL Add MS 18576; Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʼ, History of the Prophets, by Ibráhím al-Naishápúri; 16th century; f.19v @britishlibrary.bsky.social
BL Add MS 18576; Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʼ, History of the Prophets, by Ibráhím al-Naishápúri; 16th century; f.19v @britishlibrary.bsky.social
October 7, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Noah and his family in the ark together with the animals
BL Add MS 18576; Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʼ, History of the Prophets, by Ibráhím al-Naishápúri; 16th century; f.19v @britishlibrary.bsky.social
BL Add MS 18576; Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʼ, History of the Prophets, by Ibráhím al-Naishápúri; 16th century; f.19v @britishlibrary.bsky.social
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
WEEK ONE: WITCHES 🧙♀️
Each week during the Halloween Bash, all posts will have a new theme. Stay tuned and follow for more!
#SASA #halloween #ancientstudies #classics
Each week during the Halloween Bash, all posts will have a new theme. Stay tuned and follow for more!
#SASA #halloween #ancientstudies #classics
October 6, 2026 at 1:40 AM
WEEK ONE: WITCHES 🧙♀️
Each week during the Halloween Bash, all posts will have a new theme. Stay tuned and follow for more!
#SASA #halloween #ancientstudies #classics
Each week during the Halloween Bash, all posts will have a new theme. Stay tuned and follow for more!
#SASA #halloween #ancientstudies #classics
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
And to match the "when pigs fly" vibe, we say "balık kavağa çıkınca"(when the fish climbs the poplar tree). Funnily, we also have a saying about male animals reproducing: "öküzün altında buzağı aramak"(looking for a calf under an ox) for being unnecessarily suspicious.
October 1, 2026 at 11:34 AM
And to match the "when pigs fly" vibe, we say "balık kavağa çıkınca"(when the fish climbs the poplar tree). Funnily, we also have a saying about male animals reproducing: "öküzün altında buzağı aramak"(looking for a calf under an ox) for being unnecessarily suspicious.
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
To capture the actual meaning of the rooster's egg as something that happens rarely, we say "kırk yılda bir"(once in 40 years) in Turkish. Classical Ottoman literature even borrowed the exact Arabic phrase "beyza-i dik"(بيضة ديك) to describe unique, once-in-a-lifetime things.
October 1, 2026 at 11:34 AM
To capture the actual meaning of the rooster's egg as something that happens rarely, we say "kırk yılda bir"(once in 40 years) in Turkish. Classical Ottoman literature even borrowed the exact Arabic phrase "beyza-i dik"(بيضة ديك) to describe unique, once-in-a-lifetime things.
Today’s proverb describes something that has only happened once, which is funny because it sounds like it should be equivalent to “when pigs fly”, doesn’t it?
Do you have a similar saying in your language? Let me know in the comments!
Do you have a similar saying in your language? Let me know in the comments!
October 1, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Today’s proverb describes something that has only happened once, which is funny because it sounds like it should be equivalent to “when pigs fly”, doesn’t it?
Do you have a similar saying in your language? Let me know in the comments!
Do you have a similar saying in your language? Let me know in the comments!
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
📜 Want to take a deep dive into an ancient studies topic, but don't know where to start? Check out the SASA Intro Guides project to get basic overviews of general and complex topics (large and small)!
➡️ Check out our Intro Guides here: saveancientstudies.org/intro-guides
➡️ Check out our Intro Guides here: saveancientstudies.org/intro-guides
October 1, 2026 at 12:00 AM
📜 Want to take a deep dive into an ancient studies topic, but don't know where to start? Check out the SASA Intro Guides project to get basic overviews of general and complex topics (large and small)!
➡️ Check out our Intro Guides here: saveancientstudies.org/intro-guides
➡️ Check out our Intro Guides here: saveancientstudies.org/intro-guides
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
This modernised version of Mr. Jones is bloody brilliant.
[With apologies to Counting Crows]
Scrolling through my algo feeds
Staring at Jimothy racoon
Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation
In the comments, with a faceless troll
You know, Jimothy’s got this spinal thing
He’s suddenly viral
And we all want something viral
Man, I wish I was viral
Scrolling through my algo feeds
Staring at Jimothy racoon
Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation
In the comments, with a faceless troll
You know, Jimothy’s got this spinal thing
He’s suddenly viral
And we all want something viral
Man, I wish I was viral
September 30, 2026 at 12:55 AM
This modernised version of Mr. Jones is bloody brilliant.
You know what I would do if I were you? Sign up for Spoken PIE this term w/the crew. You’ll have lots of fun, be able to take the class at a discount (it’s only $129 right now !) + you’ll be able to talk to each other in PIE afterwards.
Sign up link in pinned post • bio!
Sign up link in pinned post • bio!
September 29, 2026 at 1:03 AM
You know what I would do if I were you? Sign up for Spoken PIE this term w/the crew. You’ll have lots of fun, be able to take the class at a discount (it’s only $129 right now !) + you’ll be able to talk to each other in PIE afterwards.
Sign up link in pinned post • bio!
Sign up link in pinned post • bio!
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
September 29th is the Feast of St Michael and All Angels. Here is depicted the company of angels: Seraphs, Cherubs, and Thrones.
BL Royal MS 6 E IX; Convenevole da Prato, Carmina regia; c1335 CE; Italy (Tuscany); f.6r @blmedieval.bsky.social
BL Royal MS 6 E IX; Convenevole da Prato, Carmina regia; c1335 CE; Italy (Tuscany); f.6r @blmedieval.bsky.social
September 28, 2026 at 8:13 PM
September 29th is the Feast of St Michael and All Angels. Here is depicted the company of angels: Seraphs, Cherubs, and Thrones.
BL Royal MS 6 E IX; Convenevole da Prato, Carmina regia; c1335 CE; Italy (Tuscany); f.6r @blmedieval.bsky.social
BL Royal MS 6 E IX; Convenevole da Prato, Carmina regia; c1335 CE; Italy (Tuscany); f.6r @blmedieval.bsky.social
Did you only just see my post from yesterday? Well, don’t worry …
…our course registration deadline has been extended until Tuesday, Sept. 29th!
Sign up link in bio!
(It’s because I’m still doing website stuff, but, hey, at least there’s an upside to my inefficiency)!
…our course registration deadline has been extended until Tuesday, Sept. 29th!
Sign up link in bio!
(It’s because I’m still doing website stuff, but, hey, at least there’s an upside to my inefficiency)!
September 28, 2026 at 3:11 AM
Did you only just see my post from yesterday? Well, don’t worry …
…our course registration deadline has been extended until Tuesday, Sept. 29th!
Sign up link in bio!
(It’s because I’m still doing website stuff, but, hey, at least there’s an upside to my inefficiency)!
…our course registration deadline has been extended until Tuesday, Sept. 29th!
Sign up link in bio!
(It’s because I’m still doing website stuff, but, hey, at least there’s an upside to my inefficiency)!
A former student who is now a college student majoring in Classics recently told me that she was really disappointed that most of her classmates in Classics classes were there purely to get an easy A. She wants to be challenged.
I am convinced that the way out of this isn't to make the humanities easier, endlessly flexible to meet the demands of people who might otherwise blow them off---it's to make them harder and more disciplined in effort
September 28, 2026 at 1:18 AM
A former student who is now a college student majoring in Classics recently told me that she was really disappointed that most of her classmates in Classics classes were there purely to get an easy A. She wants to be challenged.
More info + sign up link in my pinned post + bio!
September 27, 2026 at 3:53 AM
More info + sign up link in my pinned post + bio!
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
FAQ Thread:
Who are you two?
I’m Dr. Valerie and I have a Ph. D. in Classics. My husband, Dr. Thomas, has a Ph. D. in Indo-European Studies. 1/
Who are you two?
I’m Dr. Valerie and I have a Ph. D. in Classics. My husband, Dr. Thomas, has a Ph. D. in Indo-European Studies. 1/
September 26, 2026 at 11:05 PM
FAQ Thread:
Who are you two?
I’m Dr. Valerie and I have a Ph. D. in Classics. My husband, Dr. Thomas, has a Ph. D. in Indo-European Studies. 1/
Who are you two?
I’m Dr. Valerie and I have a Ph. D. in Classics. My husband, Dr. Thomas, has a Ph. D. in Indo-European Studies. 1/
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
And yet I was only allowed to access a 1955 B.Litt. thesis, the only lengthy study on Robert Braybrooke, in person and take notes (no photos).
I had to sign a register of those who had ever accessed the thesis.
I had to sign a register of those who had ever accessed the thesis.
Oxford lets OpenAI train its AI models on Bodleian library
Oxford lets OpenAI train its AI models on Bodleian library
University staff voice concerns over reputational risk of partnering with company behind ChatGPT
The University of Oxford has allowed the company behind ChatGPT to train its AI models on historical texts from its Bodleian library, as tech companies scour academic institutions for fresh data.
The Bodleian material digitised by OpenAI has been used to “populate the OpenAI training set”, according to internal documents. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 26, 2026 at 7:04 PM
And yet I was only allowed to access a 1955 B.Litt. thesis, the only lengthy study on Robert Braybrooke, in person and take notes (no photos).
I had to sign a register of those who had ever accessed the thesis.
I had to sign a register of those who had ever accessed the thesis.
… time to sign up, that is! Registration closes Sunday, Sept. 27th, so don’t delay! Link in my pinned post + bio!
PS: Remember, all Arabic courses + Spoken PIE are now only $129!
Questions? DM me.
PS: Remember, all Arabic courses + Spoken PIE are now only $129!
Questions? DM me.
September 26, 2026 at 3:45 AM
… time to sign up, that is! Registration closes Sunday, Sept. 27th, so don’t delay! Link in my pinned post + bio!
PS: Remember, all Arabic courses + Spoken PIE are now only $129!
Questions? DM me.
PS: Remember, all Arabic courses + Spoken PIE are now only $129!
Questions? DM me.
Every once in a while, I come across a site that channels the spirit of the Old Internet — this is my current favorite:
laurelpoetry.com
A million lines of poetry + the ability to search them. Completely free + without ads!
Share+ bookmark!
Thanks @contubernales.bsky.social for creating this. 🙏
laurelpoetry.com
A million lines of poetry + the ability to search them. Completely free + without ads!
Share+ bookmark!
Thanks @contubernales.bsky.social for creating this. 🙏
Laurel · A million lines of verse, free to read and study
More than four hundred books of poetry, going back to Homer, every poem set out the way a good edition sets one: the rhymes lettered, the stresses marked, the hard words explained. With the editors’ n...
laurelpoetry.com
September 26, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Every once in a while, I come across a site that channels the spirit of the Old Internet — this is my current favorite:
laurelpoetry.com
A million lines of poetry + the ability to search them. Completely free + without ads!
Share+ bookmark!
Thanks @contubernales.bsky.social for creating this. 🙏
laurelpoetry.com
A million lines of poetry + the ability to search them. Completely free + without ads!
Share+ bookmark!
Thanks @contubernales.bsky.social for creating this. 🙏
A message from the boss:
September 25, 2026 at 3:23 AM
A message from the boss:
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
Earlier this evening, a friend & I went on an excursion to photograph a stretch of the old road that was built in the 1860s, which was replaced by the road in the picture in the 1930s. So much of the modern history of my village is the history of infrastructure.
September 24, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Earlier this evening, a friend & I went on an excursion to photograph a stretch of the old road that was built in the 1860s, which was replaced by the road in the picture in the 1930s. So much of the modern history of my village is the history of infrastructure.
This week’s proverb was requested by increpare over on The Other Site, who has been reading Freytag too!
What does it mean? Well, Freytag says it alludes to the swift agreement of brothers in matters of love.
Have you been following along as well + want to read Freytag on your own? 1/
What does it mean? Well, Freytag says it alludes to the swift agreement of brothers in matters of love.
Have you been following along as well + want to read Freytag on your own? 1/
September 24, 2026 at 3:02 AM
This week’s proverb was requested by increpare over on The Other Site, who has been reading Freytag too!
What does it mean? Well, Freytag says it alludes to the swift agreement of brothers in matters of love.
Have you been following along as well + want to read Freytag on your own? 1/
What does it mean? Well, Freytag says it alludes to the swift agreement of brothers in matters of love.
Have you been following along as well + want to read Freytag on your own? 1/
Two more excellent reasons to learn Russian:
September 23, 2026 at 4:04 AM
Two more excellent reasons to learn Russian:
Reposted by Dr. Valerie
Spanish wotd
holgazán
‘deadbeat, lazybones’
From Arabic كَسلان ‘lazy’
holgazán
‘deadbeat, lazybones’
From Arabic كَسلان ‘lazy’
September 19, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Spanish wotd
holgazán
‘deadbeat, lazybones’
From Arabic كَسلان ‘lazy’
holgazán
‘deadbeat, lazybones’
From Arabic كَسلان ‘lazy’
If you’ve been studying Ancient Greek on your own for a while and you’d appreciate this accountability of a group class, we’re offering a grammar class as well as a reading class this fall.
Learn more + sign up at the link in my pinned post/bio!
Learn more + sign up at the link in my pinned post/bio!
September 23, 2026 at 2:09 AM
If you’ve been studying Ancient Greek on your own for a while and you’d appreciate this accountability of a group class, we’re offering a grammar class as well as a reading class this fall.
Learn more + sign up at the link in my pinned post/bio!
Learn more + sign up at the link in my pinned post/bio!