Aurora Jonathan Goga

They/them. Your friendly neighbourhood early modern genderqueer spirit-man 🦸🕷🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Came across the most intensely Norwegian news story about a cat who steals hand-knitted mittens. Her owner doesn't know where the mittens come from. They show up one by one, but the cat has stolen six matching pairs (and misc other knits). A true icon!

[rachel corbwomyn @rachelcorbman]

the two genders:

-masc (manuscripts, archives, and special collections)
-glam (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums)

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

@DelilahBermudez That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Does anyone who knows more about saints and paternosters have thoughts on "Saint Michael was my Dame"? I can't find this paternoster elsewhere, or other references to St. Michael as a dame.

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

I'm researching spirits in witchcraft (and elsewhere) in the 17th century in relation to genderqueerness. Could the use of "dame" in reference to St. Michael be in relation to the domestic? Or is it gendered? Is St. Michael's name used in place of Jesus? Thoughts?

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

From "Relation III: Touching the Witchcraft of Agnes Simpson" in George Sinclair's Satan's Invisible World Discovered (1685). Agnes Sampson allegedly raised storms against Queen Anne's ship and cavorted with the Devil, but was otherwise almost saintly, and taught ppl this prayer

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Had a great time at the Transgender Embodiment 1400-1700 conference last week in York! I heard lots of interesting papers and met some wonderful people. It was fab to feel part of pre-modern trans academic community. Many thanks to @EzraHorbury and the others who organised it!

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

How strict are PhD front page format rules? I want a serious title, but I also really really want a 17th century style page-long title with minimum 5 fonts, random capitalisation and italics, and frivolous punctuation...

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Excited to have officially started my PhD at University of Surrey! One month in and I've read a lot of 17th century sass from authors with differing opinions on Satan and witches, been transformed by Galatea at the Brigton festival, and signed up to attend a conference.

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Starting the day off right with cake at a library and giving feedback on a friend's MA thesis draft.

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Worth noting that the fairy only eats salad and honeysuckle, though. So not entirely different from Ariel drinking nectar in The Tempest. Do I need to go down a research rabbit hole about spirits, food, and physicality?

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Reading "Coraline The Graphic Novel" as a last minute quick read to complete my reading challenge, and I stumbled upon some genderqueer spirits. Feeling good about my choice of PhD topic!

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

And the fairy eats human(?)/dream(?) food. I've got Prospero's human vs spirit determining factors in my head, so it stood out. A being is not a spirit if "it eats and sleeps and has such senses as we have, such." Might have to reread Coraline to compare with this representation.

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

@jilltxt I wonder how many queer works are categorised as toxic. Just based on how many involve flirtation, romance/sex, and/or include scenes of queerphobia and insults... YouTube had a similar issue where queer vids were automatically labelled sexually explicit regardless of content

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

Trans scholar achievements of the day: applied for a PhD position, and bragged about my nipples not falling off.

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

@professor_chess @badinfinity2 I'd love to connect! Hopefully at the next #EmoTrans. Do you have advice on how to find a PhD position to continue my research on early modern genderqueer spirits? I wrote my MA on Ariel as a nonbinary spirit: https://t.co/az7V78g3it

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

This interview with a kid who forgets his name on Norwegian TV springs to mind whenever I introduce myself as "hello, my name is pronouns and my them/them is AJ"
https://t.co/taaiT8e4U9

[Helen F. Leslie-Jacobsen @HelenFLeslie]

Not just me whose mind goes blank in such situations then - I once introduced myself to a prospective landlord as Claire (name of another person in the room). My name is Helen. 🫣😳

[Colby Gordon @badinfinity2]

The Globe commissioned me to write a blog on Joan of Arc and then never posted it (lol) so here it is if you want it:

[Aurora Jonathan Goga @academic_AJ]

I guess I decided I didn't need a social life, so I started knitting a cardigan with Ariel's "I flamed amazement" speech with 2mm needles, and 580 sts/round. I make good life choices.