Armchair Nation: An Intimate History of Britain in Front of the TV, by Joe Moran
Gary Day enjoys the facts but would have appreciated some more analysis in a comprehensive review of all aspects of television
Gary Day enjoys the facts but would have appreciated some more analysis in a comprehensive review of all aspects of television
University managers’ doomed pursuit of unattainable ideals turns staff into martyrs who see work as sacrifice and suffering. It explains much about why so many feel stressed, harassed and miserable,...
When faced with a real, full-bore crisis, this generation of supposed snowflakes just got on with it and coped better than I did, says Joe Moran
From threats to the humanities to the future of universities themselves, the risks of misunderstanding what to value seem to be growing
The humanities do not have uniquely transformational qualities or a monopoly on critical thinking and empathy. With departments under threat outside the UK’s elite institutions, better to insist on...
After a second year of social distancing, how strong are the ties that bind us together and what is it that makes us a community, in society and HE?
As the season of goodwill comes around again, warm words about collegiality and fellowship have been dutifully corralled into all-staff missives from university leaders. But in an era of management,...
Much of the language now used by universities feels like a kind of literary lockjaw that is too dull even to poke fun at. Joe Moran considers the causes and disastrous consequences
The summer is traditionally when academics turn to the big, serious books they don’t otherwise have time for or grab the chance for a bit of escapism. The pandemic has raised some major new issues...
Joe Moran appreciates a bold attempt to illuminate the roots of why we are so unhappy
If writers aren’t held responsible for their words, they have no incentive to write reflectively and precisely, says Joe Moran
In their unearthly calm and Dewey Decimal order, university libraries offer the promise of remaking ourselves, says Joe Moran
Universities are now committed to ‘celebrating success’ and to treating every failure as just a stepping stone on the way to further success. Yet this, argues Joe Moran, is a betrayal of what really...
Joe Moran is intrigued by a deep history that has gained unexpected relevance at a time of self-isolation
Why did the historian cross the road? Joe Moran stands up for the value of studying quotidian acts such as road crossing and bus queues. Plus The prophet of democracy: the life of Alexis de...