Time once again to post next semester's readings. I'm doing things a bit differently with my two introductory survey courses. I chose a theme for all of the readings, with the purpose of having the students write a paper that ties all three books together in an end-of-the-semester paper. Early U.S. The theme for this … Continue reading Books for Spring 2013 Semester
Two Thoughts about Publishing from Mary Beth Norton
Last week, Historiann (Ann M. Little) posted a three-part interview with esteemed historian Mary Beth Norton. You should read all three parts, especially if you are interested in the development of women's history as a field. Two things jumped out at me from the final interview installment. The first was Norton's advice not to commit oneself … Continue reading Two Thoughts about Publishing from Mary Beth Norton
The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 8: Working with Your Copy Editor
(Previous entries in this series: Pts. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.) Another extremely important relationship that you'll have as you see your book manuscript through to publication is the one with the copy editor. Much of the previous advice I've given about referees and editors applies to copy editors as well, but let me expound on this relationship a … Continue reading The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 8: Working with Your Copy Editor
Free Polk Biography and Battle of New Orleans Study
Update: All four books have been claimed. I have four free books I'll send to the first person who wants them. Send me an e-mail (jacksonianamerica at gmail dot com) or a tweet (@markcheathem). The first is volume 2 of the Sellers biography of James K. Polk. It's a softcover book, and the interior is … Continue reading Free Polk Biography and Battle of New Orleans Study
Review of Stephens and Giberson, The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age
I finished off my summer reading about fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity with The Anointed. Co-authors Randall Stephens and Karl Giberson address six main topics about modern evangelical Christianity in the United States: creationism, nationalistic history, psychology, apocalyptic thought, cultural parallelism, and the loose-knit network of leaders and followers that adhere to modern American evangelicalism. Several of the chapters … Continue reading Review of Stephens and Giberson, The Anointed: Evangelical Truth in a Secular Age
Review of Himes, The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family
I'll be honest--I didn't expect much from this biography of influential fundamentalist preacher and writer John R. Rice. Knowing that the author, Andrew Himes, was Rice's grandson left me prepared for hagiography and hero worship. I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. The Sword of the Lord examines the life and times of John R. … Continue reading Review of Himes, The Sword of the Lord: The Roots of Fundamentalism in an American Family
The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 7: Working with Your Editor(s)
(See also parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of this series) The most important relationship you will have as you look to publish is the one with your press' acquisitions editor. For both of my books with LSU Press, I've worked with Rand Dotson. Rand is a good editor for several reasons, but two stand out to me. The first … Continue reading The Evolution of a Book, Pt. 7: Working with Your Editor(s)
Revisiting Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Remember when I said I didn't really get the Abe Lincoln/vampire mash-up novel and movie? After reading W. Scott Poole's article in the HuffPo, I'm rethinking my opinion. Poole makes the following argument: If you've read the novel, you know it's a dark rendering of America's secret history, the idea that dark powers have moved … Continue reading Revisiting Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Review of Balmer, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America
As part of my summer reading, I determined to pick up Randall Balmer's Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory. I first became acquainted with Balmer after seeing him in the God in America series on PBS. During one of his moments discussing the emergence of the evangelical movement, he mentioned that he grew up in a fundamentalist … Continue reading Review of Balmer, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America
The Evolution of a Book, Part 6: Editing the Manuscript
(The rest of this series is available at the following links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.) I'll address the official copy-editing process in a later post. Today's topic is the editing that takes place before submission to your acquisitions editor. There are two types of editing while you're writing. The first is your own, … Continue reading The Evolution of a Book, Part 6: Editing the Manuscript
Jacksonian America: Society, Personality, and Politics 