Brian Halley

@brianbhalley.bsky.social

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Executive Editor at University of Massachusetts Press, based at UMass Boston. Views here don’t reflect them. Feminist, progressive, 🏳️‍🌈, into books, dogs, ocean, print culture, lit studies, environmental studies/climate justice, and more.

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So I guess DMs are now open here? I can’t decide if that’s good news or…

Last day of #ASEH2024 tomorrow and UMass Press books will be for sale, so come on by before it closes at 2!

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Are you can academic who wants feedback on your non-fiction book proposal? I'm a nonfiction editor who will read and give you feedback in exchange for a $150 (min) donation to World Central Kitchen (www.wck.org/donate). PLEASE SHARE TO FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, STUDENTS and help raise $$$ for WCK!

Ok ok I’m almost there ASEH! UMass Press table (with me behind it) will be up and running for first full day. Stop by!

Favorite part, a tiny anecdote, in Thurston Moore’s large memoir: Siousxie Sioux, tipsy, stumbling backstage and mocking all the “hippies” around, wondering why Sonic Youth was even talking to them, asking surviving members of the Grateful Dead, “aren’t you *grateful* for being *dead*??” Brutal.

My Duolingo today had a listening exercise in which a woman stays single after a woman she loves marries a man and another, a dating show where a man can’t decide between two women and then one woman says she wants the other so he should go scratch. Am I learning French or being indoctrinated?!

Derek Krissoff on “American Fiction” as a university press title - surprise! Thanks @derekkrissoff.bsky.social !

The tiny-press book that led to "American Fiction"derekkrissoff.substack.com “All the other houses ran away from it"

Media, please cover story of trans teen Nex Benedict’s death at hands of fellow teens in an Oklahoma school bathroom #LGBTQ+

Oklahoma banned trans students from bathrooms. Now a bullied student is deadwww.independent.co.uk Nex Benedict died one day after a fight in a school bathroom. Their mother Sue Benedict tells Bevan Hurley that the gender fluid teenager endured more than a year of abuse simply for being who they we...

Support this new indie bookstore coming soon to field’s corner in Dorchester, not far from UMass Boston!

The Stock Up-online fundraiser for justBook-ish, organized by Bing Broderickwww.gofundme.com Culturally curated, radically influenced, and locally inspired, justBoo… Bing Broderick needs your support for The Stock Up-online fundraiser for justBook-ish

Thinking of a new writing project looking at indie presses in #Boston - many of which were radical (New England Free Press, South End Press) - and the impact of gentrification on them. We have the smarts and #activists but not the offices. Would those in #publishing be interested?

I can’t believe we got Sinead O’Connor’s The Lion and the Cobra in 1987 and Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut in 1988, two incredible albums that meant so much to me personally, politically, and both receiving new appreciation for different reasons. Anyhow, if you need more Chapman live (you do):

Tracy Chapman Performs "Stand By Me" | Lettermanm.youtube.com Tracy performs the Ben E. King classic for Dave and Harry. (From "Late Show," air date: 4/16/15) #tracychapman #standbyme #letterman Subscribe to Letterman: https://bit.ly/3GeOIAg Follow Letterman on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidLetterman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letterman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Letterman Welcome to the Letterman YouTube Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanally-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.

Here to brag about shout out I (and UMass Press) got at Provincetown drag legend Saltine’s Twenty Summers show in the Hawthorne Barn, around 6:30 mark. Sadly we’re not pursuing this publication after all. (I’m not responsible for this content…)

Saltine + Sullivan Present: Eggs Isle | Twenty Summers 2023m.youtube.com Saltine and Sullivan are a creative duo based out of Provincetown and Boston MA. Saltine is the host of Eggs Isle, a radio show about the rejects of Ptown. A...

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Brian Halley

For those attending the 2024 MLA convention in Philly, there is a Bluesky feed for you! Tag your posts with 2024MLA or MLA2024 (with or without the #), and check the feed here to read everyone's posts. (And let me know if you'd like me to adjust the feed in any way.)

MLA2024

Feed by @joshuajfriedman.com

MLA folks… see you in Philly starting tomorrow! Come by the UMass Press for discount titles and, ya know, sparkling conversation. See our title selection and order our books on discount at link.

MLA Virtual Exhibit - University of Massachusetts Presswww.umasspress.com As the 2024 Modern Language Association Convention kicks off, we would like to invite you to save 30% on the recent books in literary studies featured

Today in Amazon news (to me): though they tripled their profits to almost $10 billion, Amazon wants workers to write letters to “Peccy” about hardships and some will get holiday surprises! Buy nothing / less on Amazon, folks.

Hard-up this holiday? Amazon flyer tells workers to ask company mascot for help | Amazon | The Guard...amp.theguardian.com Workers making $17 an hour not impressed by holiday offer from company that just tripled profits to $9.9bn

Beautiful poem today from Caleb Feni via poets.org - which fwiw is a great way to start your day, everyday.

Poem-a-Daypoets.org Poem-a-Day is the original and only daily digital poetry series featuring over 250 new, previousl

I’m ending 2023 strong here at UMass Press… 😊

For anyone attending the MLA with a book project at any stage that may be appropriate for UMass Press, sign up to chat with me at link or come by the Press booth!

Modern Language Association / UMass Press - Brian Halleycalendly.com Please set up a time to chat with me, Brian Halley, Executive Editor at UMass Press, about your work while attending the MLA.

Newly in love with Beyoncé’s Renaissance after seeing concert film, having missed actual concert. It’s glorious and reminded me why this album must remain on rotation.

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“Homelessness has been recharacterized as streetlessness. Not the poor deprived of homes, but the homed being deprived of their streets.” — Toni Morrison, 1994

📢

Don’t cross the WaPo picket line tomorrow.

A straight friend was confused/ annoyed that I was listening to Barbra’s memoir, and then asked if it was a gay thing “like with Judy garland… I *hate* Judy garland.” So this nasty dynamic continues against women who have spoken up to say they know, they’ve had to face these men their whole careers.

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it’s the second half of the headline that really gets the nausea going

I think what's most dispiriting about this Rothman email to the chancellors is the total lack of imagination behind it. This is a guy with no ideas for how to make the UW System thrive. It's all managed decline and doubling down on existing inequalities.

UW System president privately suggested chancellors ‘shift away’ from liberal arts programswww.dailycardinal.com In an email to chancellors of UW campuses, UW System President Jay Rothman privately suggested schools “shift away” from liberal arts programs while making large, one-time budget cuts.

Maybe we should all annotate a classic novel before/at start of 2024?

On Instagram and TikTok, annotating books is an artwww.washingtonpost.com A historically academic pursuit is attracting hobbyists who delight in marginalia.

Fear not, your UMass Press gift guide has dropped! Tis the season…

Our 2023 Gift Guide is here! - University of Massachusetts Presswww.umasspress.com This holiday season, give the gift of UMass Press books! Now through 1/2/24 all titles at umasspress.com are 40% off when you use code HOLIDAY at

Sad my mom didn’t keep a scrapbook like Barbra Streisand’s mom 😓 IYKYK

Useful and interesting oral history of feminist site Jezebel from @katedwyer.bsky.social at the @nytimes.com

Jezebel, the Oral History: ‘There Was This Riotous Sense of Fun’www.nytimes.com The site defined an era of feminism for millions of readers. According to its editors and writers, it was also an exhilarating place to work.

A great interview of a longtime colleague I’ve admired, Gita Manaktala at MIT Press, giving insight into her work and editorial vision as she prepares to transition into a new role. I’m excited for her! @mitpress.bsky.social @jessicapellien.bsky.social

A conversation with Gita Manaktala, executive editor-at-large of the MIT Pressmitpress.mit.edu Gita Manaktala speaks of her career at the MIT Press and looks ahead to her new role as editor-at-large

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Just remember: Arts & Humanities are so useless and pointless that Tech Bros were driven to spend billions of dollars to try and get a computer to do something that badly approximates something Arts & Humanities students could do half asleep and wired on coffee the night before the due date.

I don’t mind the acquaintance who just asked if my dog Melville is named “Darwin” - couldn’t remember, fair guess. But nothing beats my cruel, hilarious friend who casually said “your dog, Norman Mailer,” just to get a rise.