Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson Donelson, Historical methods, Writing advice

Responding to Criticism of Your Scholarship

I hate to be criticized. As an historian, it's not fun to be told that your interpretation of historical evidence is wrong or lacking. The immediate reaction that I have is a desire to dig through my research files and prove the critic wrong. Honestly, though, once I've taken a few moments (or days), I … Continue reading Responding to Criticism of Your Scholarship

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson Donelson, Connie Lester, Dissertation writing, John F. Marszalek, Richard B. Latner, Tennessee history, William E. Parrish

The Dissertation Process, Part 2

(Part 1 of this series can be found here) LENGTH OF DISSERTATION My dissertation was 16 chapters long, or, to put it in perspective, 488 pages, sans bibliography. It could have been much longer; I eliminated over 100 pages of text during the drafting stage. (Yes, I tend to overwrite. People who know me as … Continue reading The Dissertation Process, Part 2

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson Donelson, Connie Lester, Dissertation writing, John F. Marszalek, Mississippi State University, Tennessee history, White House Historical Association

The Dissertation Process, Part 1

Last year, I wrote a Facebook note outlining the process that I went through to write my dissertation in 2001-02. I thought it might be useful to post it here for readers who might be graduate students who are pre-comps or who are just beginning the process. I've edited my original note to remove some personal … Continue reading The Dissertation Process, Part 1

Mark R. Cheathem Andrew Jackson Donelson, Bolivar County, Mississippi

Andrew Jackson Donelson’s Home in Bolivar County, Mississippi

I suspect that most historians have numerous stories and images that never make it into their books. Some of them are turned into articles; most probably stay buried in research notes. In looking through old photographs, I came across some that I took in hopes of using them for the Donelson biography. I never found a way to incorporate … Continue reading Andrew Jackson Donelson’s Home in Bolivar County, Mississippi