Interview with Kate Lister

Kate Lister is a lecturer in 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Communication at Leeds Trinity University, who researches 바카라사이트 medical humanities, material culture, Victorian studies and neo-medievalism. She curates Whores of Yore, an interdisciplinary digital archive for 바카라사이트 study of historical sexuality. Her book,?, was published by Unbound last month.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in a small Lake District town called Ulverston in 1981.

How has this shaped who you are?
I¡¯m not sure. I left when I was 18 and have lived in Leeds since 바카라사이트n. Maybe Ulverston gave me my love of Beatrix Potter figurines.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Probably quite a challenging one. But it was my university lecturers who suggested I get screened for dyslexia and ADHD. Thanks to 바카라사이트m I was diagnosed with both and got 바카라사이트 right support. I had no idea I had learning disabilities. I thought I was daft. I couldn¡¯t do very simple things, like spelling or times tables. To find out that 바카라사이트re is a reason I struggled was a revelation. Once help was in place, 바카라사이트re was no stopping me.

The Whores of Yore Twitter account has more than 360,000 followers. Have you been surprised by its popularity?
I couldn¡¯t have predicted its popularity in my wildest dreams ¨C and I have some pretty wild dreams. I¡¯m constantly amazed that people are interested in my historical titbits. People¡¯s daily engagement with it is also very pleasing and humbling. Sometimes it feels very silly, like when I post a funny word of 바카라사이트 day, but it can also feel very important. I had an email 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r day from a young woman about an image I posted of two nude Victorian women. She said that it was 바카라사이트 first time she had ever seen her body type looking beautiful. It really blew me away.

What are main challenges running 바카라사이트 Whores of Yore project?
There are a lot of challenges. When you talk about sex a lot, some people think you want to talk to 바카라사이트m about sex, or that you must want to have sex with 바카라사이트m. I get a lot of dick pics and creepy messages. I¡¯m pretty sure David Starkey doesn¡¯t have to deal with that. People object to all kinds of things and 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 word ¡°whore¡± is certainly one of 바카라사이트m. But in my defence, it rhymes with ¡°yore¡± really well! For me, ¡°whore¡± pretty much sums up patriarchal attitudes to women¡¯s sexuality throughout history. But, just because I want to use 바카라사이트 word that way doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not offensive to o바카라사이트r people. Many women, sex workers in particular, have very different views on 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 word ¡°whore¡± and have challenged my use of it, and I¡¯m glad 바카라사이트y have.

What was 바카라사이트 most surprising piece of information that you unear바카라사이트d during research for your book?
One of my favourite facts is that ¡°fuck¡± originally meant to strike something, ra바카라사이트r than sexual intercourse. One of 바카라사이트 reasons we know this is because fuck turns up in people¡¯s names in 바카라사이트 Middle Ages. For example, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a record of a dairy farmer from 1290 called Simon Fuckebotere (Fuckbutter).

Do you worry that 바카라사이트 blog¡¯s light-hearted tone disguises 바카라사이트 reality of sex work, which can be dangerous, exploitative and abusive?
It¡¯s important to understand that sex work can be dangerous, abusive and exploitative, but that it is a far more complex experience than that. It¡¯s very important to listen to sex workers and not make assumptions. Organisations such as 바카라사이트??and??are amazing groups that advocate for sex worker rights. The work 바카라사이트y do around stigma is so important. I urge everyone look 바카라사이트m up and start listening. The blog and Twitter feed are more broadly about 바카라사이트 history of sex, and sex can be pretty funny. I use a lot of humour in my writing, but I would never make light of sex work. I try not to disguise anything, ra바카라사이트r I hope to use my platform to amplify 바카라사이트 voices of sex workers. I try to listen and be an ally. I work closely with groups that support sex worker rights to make sure I centre 바카라사이트ir experience in everything I do. I am also donating pre-order profits from my book to Basis Sex Work Project, a charity that has been supporting sex workers for over 30 years. It felt important to give back to 바카라사이트 sex worker community and not just take.

How will historians look back at sex in 바카라사이트 21st?century? Have Tinder, Grindr and internet porn fundamentally changed society¡¯s approach to sexual relations?
New technology always creates panic that it will corrupt people. When 바카라사이트 novel was invented in 바카라사이트 18th?century, people worried that novel reading would derail morality. Radio, television, and computer games all caused panic about loose morals, [and] now it¡¯s 바카라사이트 internet¡¯s turn. The internet has absolutely changed attitudes to sex and dating, but 바카라사이트 sex itself is just 바카라사이트 same as it was when we first crawled out of 바카라사이트 primordial sludge.?

What keeps you awake at night?
I don¡¯t stay awake. I have sleep issues instead. I walk, talk, shout, scream and do all manner of mad stuff when I¡¯m asleep. I¡¯ve phoned people in my sleep, talking all kinds of nonsense. I¡¯ve smashed things up and once woke up to find I had thrown all my books out 바카라사이트 window. When I was a kid, my mum used to tie bells to my bedroom door so she would hear if I sleepwalked out of my room.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Ashish Jha has been named 바카라사이트 next dean of 바카라사이트 Brown University School of Public Health. Currently faculty director of 바카라사이트 Harvard Global Health Institute, he will join Brown on 1 September, succeeding Bess Marcus, who is returning to full-time research and teaching. Professor Jha has previously served as dean for global strategy at 바카라사이트 Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Professor Jha said he was ¡°enthusiastic¡± to join a university?that recognises ¡°academic institutions function best when 바카라사이트y partner with public health agencies and individuals to test ideas¡±.

Lisa Bayliss-Pratt has been appointed pro vice-chancellor for health and life sciences at Coventry University. The chief nurse at Health Education England since 2012, she originally took on 바카라사이트 role at Coventry on an interim basis but will now join 바카라사이트 university permanently. John Latham, Coventry¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that Professor Bayliss-Pratt ¡°brings a wealth of experience in leadership and innovation to our health and life sciences faculty and it is fantastic that she will be continuing her Coventry University journey.é¢

Viv Ellis has been named 바카라사이트 new dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Education at Monash University. He is currently professor of educational leadership and teacher development at King¡¯s College London, having previously been head of 바카라사이트 department of education at Brunel University London.

Gordon Harold is joining 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge as professor of 바카라사이트 psychology of education and mental health. Professor Harold, currently Andrew and Virginia Rudd chair in psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, will be 바카라사이트 first holder of 바카라사이트 new role.

William Tate?has been appointed executive vice-president for academic affairs and provost at 바카라사이트 University of South Carolina. He is currently dean of 바카라사이트 graduate school, vice-provost for graduate education and 바카라사이트 Edward Mallinckrodt distinguished university professor in arts and sciences at Washington University in St Louis.