The last 36 hours have been a whirlwind of activity as I participated in the 2013 Marszalek Lecture Series, which involved the contributors to the collection of essays, entitled Of Times and Race, that honored John Marszalek. What follows is a brief outline of the two days, with some concluding thoughts. On Tuesday night, Mike Ballard, Tom Cockrell, Steve … Continue reading Recapping the 2013 Marszalek Lecture
Books for Fall 2013 Semester
It's time for fall book orders again. History of the United States I I'm retooling the survey course over the summer, and I'll be sure to blog about it at some point. The theme for this course is historical memory. Gretchen Adams, The Specter of Salem: Remembering the Witch Trials in Nineteenth-Century America (Univ. of … Continue reading Books for Fall 2013 Semester
The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 11: Book Covers
(Previous entries in this series: Pts. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.) Mary Beard recently explained how her most recent book cover design evolved. My experiences have been a little bit different. I've been fortunate enough to have had great designers at LSU Press. Amanda McDonald Scallon designed the cover of Old Hickory's Nephew (OHN), which I think brilliantly … Continue reading The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 11: Book Covers
Selling The Matrix Revolution in Higher Education
"Our belief is that deep, radical and urgent transformation is required in higher education as much as it is in school systems. Our fear is that, perhaps as a result of complacency, caution or anxiety, or a combination of all three, the pace of change is too slow and the nature of change too incremental." … Continue reading Selling The Matrix Revolution in Higher Education
Marszalek Lecture on March 20
Many of you remember that several of John Marszalek's former doctoral students had the pleasure of surprising him with a festschrift last March. On Wednesday, March 20, we will be serving as the 2013 Marszalek Lecturer(s). John and his wife Jeanne established the lecture series in 2003, inviting a distinguished scholar to speak each year. … Continue reading Marszalek Lecture on March 20
Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and the Illuminati
Readers may remember that last year, someone uncovered the link between the Mayans, Madonna, and the Antichrist. Madonna had better look out, because someone else is moving into her territory. And let's not forget that Beyoncé and Jay-Z are controlled by the Illuminati.
Book Cover Design for Andrew Jackson, Southerner
I'm pleased to present the cover of my forthcoming book, Andrew Jackson, Southerner, due to be published in October. I could not be happier with the work that LSU Press has done on designing the covers of this book and my first, Old Hickory's Nephew.
Songs about Presidents
In honor of Presidents' Day, listen to some songs about the presidents, including Johnny Cash singing about James Garfield and Electric Needle Room's tribute to Jimmy Carter. (Speaking of Jimmy Carter, and unfortunately for you, I don't have a way to share Kirk and Preston's "We Love You Jimmy Carter." Apparently, I am the only person … Continue reading Songs about Presidents
MOOCalicious
As last week's posts indicated (here and here), friends and relatives on my personal Facebook page see me post quite a bit about MOOCs. I try to stay off of that topic on this blog (except on occasion) because there are other people who can speak more knowledgeably about it than me. If you're interested in … Continue reading MOOCalicious
In Defense of the Liberal Arts
I've previously written about the value of a liberal arts degree, and I've highlighted some of the ways in which the traditional classroom experience is superior to online courses, particularly MOOCs. Tom Hilpert's request for academics to make their case for why the liberal arts degree is important in the face of the challenge presented by … Continue reading In Defense of the Liberal Arts
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 