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travisstern.bsky.social
PhD in theatre history - American theatre history, improv, comedy, and baseball performance. Cloverfield monster in disguise. Self loathing with a hint of lime. 1st book: Ballplayers on Stage (at UTenn P)
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Figure skating world championships were considered to be for men only until 1902, when Madge Syers showed up and took home silver and the ISU went "whooooops guess we need to segregate them." It happened again in 1992 Olympic skeet shooting: Zhang Shan took gold and then they segregated the event.

submitted 1 day ago • 61 comments

I turned on the heated blanket on the back of the couch for her this morning and she is luxuriating.

submitted 2 days ago • 1 comment

I know it's there to denote the year of release, but it's much more fun to consider it as a visual expression to reinforce the title of the song.

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

I just heard about this on SiriusXM First Wave as they did a tribute about 20 minutes ago. I thought I had missed some news in the past couple of days. Farewell, Mr. Johansen, and thank you.

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

I've reposted a few items today, so now I have to post something inane to let you all know I'm an actual human. I believe salted caramel has been pushed on us by the same marketing firm that got everyone riled up about pomegranate a few years ago, and I can't wait for the fad to be over.

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

Still one of my most popular ones from the other place.

submitted 8 days ago • 3 comments

"Infielder Kyle Farmer is among those about to undergo a disappointing rewriting. Much like a lot of 5’11” guys on dating apps, he’s long listed himself at 6’0”. The ABS measurers disagreed."

submitted 9 days ago • 5 comments

Does someone know something more recent than Hamlet’s BlackBerry (the example that is springing to mind while in a Lyft)

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

Endless cycle of disengaging from Online because The Internet is too depressing, then going back Online because The Real World is too depressing.

submitted 11 days ago • 9 comments

Victor Scott II puts the #stlcards on the board. #SucculentPower

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

If you want proof that oceans are rising at an increasing rate, look no further than Disney expanding its number of cruise ships over the next five to eight years.

submitted 16 days ago • 0 comments

That's the in memoriam, I think.

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Lazy Sunday. Not pictured but also available: lazy every other day if the week.

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

a long shot, but do any book historians here know of scholarship quantifying the labor impacts of the Linotype in the late 19th century? I know the compositors unions protested & then passed rules about who could maintain Linotype machines—but I’m curious just how many compositors actually lost jobs

submitted 24 days ago • 5 comments

Points readers to chapter 5 of @jkokai.bsky.social and my book.

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

Baseball in two more quarters.

submitted 26 days ago • 0 comments

Probably a good choice to just have the mayonnaise on the diner table like that, right?

submitted 26 days ago • 1 comment

Some interesting pairs this year: Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe Aubrey Plaza and Michael Shannon. Kevin Costner and Pete Davidson.

submitted 27 days ago • 0 comments

I love that American kids are saying certain words in Australian accents because the first time they hear them is on Bluey. It's like when Peppa Pig caused a mini-panic because American kids were developing British accents.

submitted 28 days ago • 1 comment

Happy New Year to @robert.thecure.com who just emerged from his month-long December 31st in order to avoid January. Yet again, it's clear that you had the right idea.

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

If you’re looking for a whimsical distraction, our movie is free this month on Tubi 🤷

submitted 35 days ago • 243 comments

In my chapter in the book Makeshift Chicago Stages: A Century of Theater and Performance, I wrote about how improv became legitimized as a form of theatre. One of the key parts of the process was the reviews of improv performances that happened in the Chicago Reader by critics 1/

submitted 37 days ago • 1 comment

@peterdavis.bsky.social Happy birthday, Peter!

submitted 39 days ago • 1 comment

Is it okay if I'm rooting for Saquon to get seven rushing TDs today?

submitted 41 days ago • 0 comments

I’ve got a video in the works on archaeological sites that appear to be associated with performance. But I need a little help… Anyone here know of any ancient sites (earlier than 500 BCE) that clearly have spaces reserved for public performance? Thanks in advance!

submitted 42 days ago • 1 comment

Hey @sabrbbcards.bsky.social Do you have the artist information on these? Looks like 1980 Topps.

submitted 42 days ago • 1 comment