Recently, a revised version of one of my blog posts was published. Much to my surprise, it has been widely distributed and read. Since the likelihood of another one of my blog posts having this reach is probably zero, I wanted to take this opportunity to trace the evolution of the post and its success. … Continue reading From Blog Post to Publication: The Evolution of an Idea
A Necessary Source on Education Reform
If you aren't following Jonathan Rees at More or Less Bunk, you're missing out. Rees consistently provides thought-provoking posts on the dangers confronting higher education. He tends to focus on issues involving online education and technology. For example, he recently critiqued e-books and the "scaling" of education. If you care about the future of higher … Continue reading A Necessary Source on Education Reform
The Real Thanksgiving
From Kevin Levin's blog, enjoy Dick Morris' wacky take on the link between the Pilgrims and the American Civil War. If that doesn't put you in the mood for turkey, maybe reading about the Pilgrims' personal hygiene will. You're welcome, and have a good Thanksgiving.
Thoughts on Grad School Reform
Brian Sarnacki has pulled together some of the recent discussion of grad school reform that has been taking place. I don't have much to contribute, but I wanted to address one of Mills Kelly's suggested reforms: decreasing the number of years students commit to finishing a Ph.D. As Kelly notes, according to the AHA, the … Continue reading Thoughts on Grad School Reform
New Book on Jacksonian Historiography
Be forewarned: I'm going to be self-serving in today's post. (I know, I know--as if that's different from any of my other posts.) A new book on Andrew Jackson is out, and you should use it. The Age of Andrew Jackson (Kent State Univ. Press) is a collection of essays on various historiographical issues pertaining … Continue reading New Book on Jacksonian Historiography
The Hermitage Podcast Series: The Corrupt Bargain
This month's podcast from The Hermitage features yours truly, as James Yasko and I discussed the 1824 election and the "corrupt bargain." I'm not a great phone interviewee, so be forewarned. My thanks to James for the opportunity to contribute to the series. If you're interested, Elektratig, whose image I used for this post, provides … Continue reading The Hermitage Podcast Series: The Corrupt Bargain
Andrew Jackson: Patriot Slaveholder
Sometimes, there are articles that get lost in the shuffle. They don't appear in proprietary databases such as JSTOR or America: History and Life, so no one discovers them until years later. I don't want this to happen to Aaron Crawford's new article in the Journal of East Tennessee History (Vol. 82--2010) on the symbolic … Continue reading Andrew Jackson: Patriot Slaveholder
Final Thoughts on SHA 2011
This year's Southern was a good one. I presented for the first time (after multiple attempts to convince past SHA program committees of my brilliance), heard some great scholarship on southern history, met a few new people (my fellow panelists and Paul Bergeron, for example), caught up with former acquaintances (the Mississippi State crew), swindled … Continue reading Final Thoughts on SHA 2011
Andrew Jackson and the Bell Witch
I've never looked in the Jackson papers to see if this encounter ever actually happened, but if ever there was an appropriate post for Halloween, this is it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdoVtt7NEYo
SHA 2011: New Perspectives on the Jacksonian South
My colleague, Natalie Inman, likes to call obstacles "adventures." She would have enjoyed the "adventure" that was our panel this afternoon. The saga began when I tried to find the room our panel was scheduled for. Originally, we were in the Sheraton, but SHA representatives at the registration handed out room changes to the program. … Continue reading SHA 2011: New Perspectives on the Jacksonian South
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 