Professor of Cultural Studies. Pop Cult Obsessive. Fan. Listener. Learner. Teacher. Writer of 22 books. AM.

Manawatū, Aotearoa/New Zealand
It is a pretty common question these days. What is going on? One answer to that question is the focus of The Post this week. We are all the precariat now. Let's explore five lenses to see our moment in a different way. New Post - youtu.be/VSlBMR4NIAU
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The emotional life of a PhD student is intricate. Vexed. But what happens after the PhD completion? This week, we explore these emotions to enable momentum. Change. Transformation. New Post - youtu.be/lmaMJoOYapg
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The period after the completion of a PhD is odd. Emotionally strained. Professionally complex. This we, we reframe this moment to enable a new workflow - to summon a new moment. New Post - youtu.be/g3MtJtUvl6g
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Stories. They simplify. They connect. They communicate. But what is the role of personal stories in academic research? A data point of one - ourselves - is not research... This week we probe how stories can be used in our research. New post - youtu.be/hjvVhz1shw8
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There are so many privileges and responsibilities in academic life. They all resonate within one scholarly role: the external examiner. This week, we talk about the external examiner, and the power in maintaining quality assurance. New post - youtu.be/4qZ3TrZVANM
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I receive great requests from colleagues and friends. This week, I was asked to supply some 'tough love.' Giggle. So if you are a bit stuck - or wondering what the hell happened to 2026 - then this Post may move you through that finishing line... youtu.be/ieGlmDu5zTY
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Making changes in our lives is tough. It is comforting to repeat previous patterns in our lives. But there are consequences. This week - we explore how to make change. Make changes. New Post - youtu.be/UFodcdHAaoM
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Kindness. Empathy. Care. Compassion. Not the words of and for 2026, sadly. But how can they be reclaimed? This week, we explore a provocative and important phrase. Civic Media Literacies. Let's enter this methodology and strategy for change. We need it. youtu.be/y80RCRwt7lE
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Calmness. Compassion. Silence. Listening. Noticing. In loud and chaotic times, it is powerful in life and research to notice. New Post - youtu.be/cQ4Bs3i1NWc
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Popular culture can frighten. Reinforce prejudice. Demean. Disempower. But it can also enliven. Challenge. Transform. This week, we enter the musical life of Don McGlashan, to explore Thinking Pop, that changes the world. New Post - youtu.be/YWe_Kx_56ZE
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There is much talk about critical literacy. The phrase has become cliched and banal. This week, we explore a more expansive term: reflexive literacies. We probe the value of reflexive reading that is international, multimodal and inclusive. New Post - youtu.be/ot_8qYUTZig
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What we do in our schools and universities - matters. The reading we conduct and enable in our students is powerful and potent. This week, we investigate Theoretical Reading and disciplinary literacies. Specialist. Careful. Enabling. Let's do this - youtu.be/5QZj3cg4Jo0
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Reading street signs. Maps. Shopping lists. Reading is a powerful part of our daily life. We learn to read each day. This week, let's talk about this applied reading, and the value of cognitive flow in our lives. New Post - youtu.be/YOSVAVv2cvc
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We can complain about the decline in reading. Or we can do something. Let's begin. Again. This week, let's summon everyday reading, through changing five minutes in our day. youtu.be/GnJ6v6JdVy8
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We've read the headlines. Students don't read. Students arrive at university unable to read a scholarly monograph. What happens next? The Post this week investigates (post) reading. What do we lose - and how can an intervention take place? New Post - youtu.be/UcB_D3Raga4
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Strange competitions emerge in higher education. Like - who is the most exhausted? There are other ways of thinking about life, work, and - indeed - sleep. This week, we explore (post)sleep, and how to organize our lives in a different way. New Post: -youtu.be/x0e8eXSY-ho
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There are wild and frequently unprofessional academic / author biographies that circulate online and through publications. But how can we create an honest, robust and careful author biography that is of use to our readers? New Post - youtu.be/CVy60w2NhOY
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A PhD examination is stressful. But it is also diverse. This week, we talk about a particular component of some doctoral examinations. The student presentation that commences the event. How is it written? What is its purpose? New Post - youtu.be/AE6DLoikNcs
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There is much 'talk' about leadership. In these tough times for international higher education, how is academic leadership differentiated from other organizations and institutions? This week with @JamieQuinton7, we explore the specificity of academic leadership in tough times. New Post: youtu.be/8wTb5AX5v60
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There are many lessons to learn from 2026. The most important is to transcend the self. To move from memoir to academic research. Value expertise. For Post 150, we explore the life, writing and career of Siri Hustvedt, and probe scholarly possibilities. youtu.be/ihzWHSIFEFg
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