On this fraught, frustrating, profoundly American holiday weekend, here’s my 277th #ScholarSunday thread of public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, share widely, & enjoy, all!
Starting with a shout-out to the winner of last week’s Easter Egg hunt, the legendary SAGE GRAY (Walter D. Greason), who asks that I share his & Danian Darrell Jerry’s award-winning & vital book Illmatic Consequences: The Clapback to Opponents of “Critical Race Theory,” available everywhere from UWP Books. And also check out his recent appearance on the Black College Achievers podcast!
Make sure to check out today’s thread on my Bluesky timeline to see this week’s Easter Egg hunt & win yourself a shout-out at the top of next week’s thread!
Articles:
Gonna begin this week with a trio of great pieces from the always reliable must-read that is the Pittsburgh Review of Books, including Tolani Akinola on the awful question “where are you from?,” Jon Hoel on the literary radical work & voice of Alan Wald, & Christopher J. Phillips on baseball’s new ABS system & losing the human element in sport.
Lots of other great public scholarly articles to share this week as well, including Andy Murray for Northern Soul on a new memoir from the pop music historian who as a teenager was present in the crowd in Manchester for rock’s most infamous heckle.
Fascinating piece from Rafael Sousa Santos for the Carson Center’s Environment & Society Portal on a new project outlining a spatial history of Gloucester’s fisheries.
For the Urban History Association Metropole’s ongoing Cities at Play series, Ahmadu Abubakar wrote about colonial youth welfare & the shaping of urban leisure in Lagos & Nairobi.
For the Erie Reader, Jonathan Burdick wrote about the improbable & tragically short presidency of local icon James Garfield.
Here’s Catherine Allgor in my hometown paper, Charlottesville’s Daily Progress, on why Abigail Adams’ 1776 letter should be seen as America’s other founding document (h/t Andrew Jacobs).
That’s one of three great 1776 pieces to share this week, including also Adom Getachew for Dissent magazine on how the U.S. Declaration inspired 20C anti-colonial movements (h/t Eric Brandom).
& check out as well the John Carter Brown Library’s new digital exhibition 1776 Across the Americas: A Hemispheric History, featuring the work of Karin Wulf & many others.
Speaking of digital resources, two more to highlight this week as well, including the Institute of Historical Research’s From Enslavement to Emancipation: A Transnational Archive of Slavery (introduced there by librarian Emily Chu).
& here’s Jason A. Heppler’s latest digital archive, Governing Ground, a set of resources & analyses around the fights for land & power in the American West from the 1930s to the 2020s.
Those digital resources are open-access, as is William Carruthers in History of Science on the Archaeological Survey of India, “postcolonial” archaeology, & technical assistance in Nepal.
& for an important perspective on scholarly work, check out Molly Nebiolo in the Journal of the Early Republic’s Panorama on how PhD students can challenge imposter syndrome.
Two columns from Saturday Evening Post colleagues to share this week, including Farooq Ahmed on Hadji Ali, the camel handler who helped forge Route 66.
While Christina Stanton wrote for the Post on what we can learn from Paula Schuman, a New York City tour guide for more than 50 years.
& keep an eye out tomorrow for my new Considering History Post column, on lessons from a handful of recently discovered letters written by my grandfather during his WWII service in Europe! (& check out my most recent column while you wait, also very relevant for Memorial Day.)
Current Events:
Turning to current events writing, here’s Katherine Stewart for The New Republic on Trump’s corrupt, authoritarian Freedom 250 program.
Dan Froomkin wrote for Press Watch on how we have to fight framings of ongoing Black disenfranchisement as “partisan warfare.”
Funny (but not at all funny) essay from Brian Phillips for The Ringer on Kash Patel’s ludicrous “work” as FBI Director.
For the Liberal Currents newsletter, Cameron Cummins-Smith analyzed the MAGA Right’s interracial cuck porn theory of everything.
Vital piece from Marisa Kabas for her The Handbasket on why hating AI is a communal as well as rational good.
Speaking of environmental threats, two new pieces this week for NiCHE Canada’s ongoing series on the Great Acceleration (in collaboration with Active History), including John W. Bessai on Lake Diefenbaker & Great Acceleration on the prairies, & John Sandlos on mining data & Canada’s Great Acceleration.
While Public Books featured four pieces this week in its ongoing series on laws & practices that paved the way for today’s fascism, including: Nana Gyamfi & Abraham Paulos on 30 years of criminalizing Black migrants; Patrisia Macías-Rojas on 30 years of expanding executive power through immigration law; William Lafi Youmans on 30 years of secret evidence in immigration proceedings; & an inspiring piece from Alicia Schmidt Camacho on migrant justice against fascism in the Americas.
I’ve gotta end this section with an inspiring tribute to a frustrating endangered kind of program that is very near & dear to my heart, Joe Saunders for the Social History Society on how cuts to higher ed might lead us to lose lifelong learning.
Podcasts:
Starting this section as I often do with a recent podcast episode I missed (please feel free to send such my way!): Noah Friedman of No Such Thing interviewing the great Jason Reynolds on why we need to debunk narratives of a “reading crisis.”
Lots of great episodes from this week to share as well, starting with the third & final episode in Ross Lennon’s History on Film podcast series sharing his fascinating work on the teen movie genre.
Check out the first episode of what promises to be an excellent new podcast, Alan Sepinwall & Kathryn VanArendon’s TV is Good, this one focused on a “moms-do-crime” double bill.
For the latest episode of his American Medieval podcast, Matt Gabriele welcomed Kathleen DuVal to discuss vast early North America during the Middle Ages.
While episode 441 of Liz Covart’s Ben Franklin’s World features Gregory O’Malley on the fascinating 18th century of escapes of enslaved man David George.
Over at his Presidencies of the United States podcast, Jerry Landry shared part two of his series on Early Republic power broker Samuel L. Southard.
Speaking of part 2’s, here’s the second installment of the Norton Library Podcast’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin series, with Susan M. Ryan returning to discuss editing the new edition of the novel.
For his America: The Story of the USA podcast, Liam Heffernan was joined by Thomas Wright to discuss how speeches helped win the Civil War.
While for the latest episode of their War of the Rebellion podcast, Niels Eichhorn & Andrew Houck interviewed Eric C. Smith about his new book Between Worlds: John A. Broadus, the Southern Baptist Seminary, & the Prospects of the New South.
Two new episodes of Alycia Asai’s Civics & Coffee podcast this week, including Nancy Bernhard on new book on the Gilded Age New York brothel The Double Standard Sporting House, & part two of Asai’s series on Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Episode 203 of Evan Axelbank’s Axelbank Reports History & Today features Cathryn Prince on her new book For the Love of Labor: The Life of Pauline Newman.
While the new episode of Kelly Therese Pollock’s Unsung History podcast features Shannon McKenna Schmidt on her new book & Lady Bird Johnson’s trailblazing 1964 whistle-stop tour.
Episode 100 (!) of Kate Carpenter’s Drafting the Past podcast features historian of science Jessica Riskin on her new book & how story can carry argument.
For the latest episode of Public Books’ Novel Dialogue podcast, Iraqi novelist & translator Sinan Antoon talked with host Magalí Armillas-Tiseyra & critic Michael Allan.
Two episodes to share this week of the Chills at Will podcast on the power of literature, including this one with Steven Thrasher inspired by the publication of his new book The Overseer Class, & this one with author & social worker Rachel León on their debut novel How We See the Gray.
While Fidan Cheikosman joined Christina Gessler’s Academic Life podcast to discuss her new book The End of an Academic Dream.
Continuing with such current events conversations, Geraldo Cadava joined NPR’s Code Switch to discuss why Latinos join ICE.
Here’s the fourth & final episode of Micah Loewinger’s WNYC podcast American Emergency: The Movement to Kill FEMA, including an interview with Trump’s nominee to “run” the agency. & I think I missed it in this space, so check out the third episode here, focused on how conspiracy theories overran the agency during Hurricane Helene.
For the latest episode of their The Oath & the Office podcast, John Fugelsang & Corey Brettschneider were joined by Jodi Kantor to discuss the Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket.
Two new installments of Heather Cox Richardson’s American Conversations this week, including this one with activist & AIDS Memorial Quilt founder Cleve Jones, & this one with anti-gerrymandering activist Kate Barr. & also check out the latest installment of Heather & Paul Krugman’s monthly Lunch Money podcast.
Finally, make sure to catch up on all Eight Innings of my Diamond in the Rough: Baseball, Bigotry, & the Battle for America, Season Two, before the Ninth Inning drops this coming Wednesday!
Books:
A handful of important new books out this week, including three from UNC Press: Gautham Rao’s long-awaited White Power: Policing American Slavery; Lily Kelting’s Against Heritage: The Reinvention of Traditional Foods; & Benjamin Bryce’s Grounds for Exclusion: Race, Health, & Disability in Argentine Immigration Policy, 1876-1932.
Also published this week is Edward Jones-Imhotep’s The Broken Machine: Histories of Technology, Social Order, & the Self from MIT Press.
& likewise out this week is Steven W. Thrasher’s aforementioned & vital The Overseer Class: A Manifesto from Harper Collins.
Forthcoming in August & now available for pre-order from Yale University Press is Ross Brooks’ Darwin & the Queer Origins of Life: A History of Sex & Science.
While forthcoming in November & featured on the UNC Press blog this week is Bassam Sidiki’s Parasitic Empires: Infection, Insularity, Inter-Imperiality, 1880-2022.
Two recent books highlighted at the Pittsburgh Review of Books this week, including this excerpt from Pepper Culpepper & Taeku Lee’s Billionaire Backlash: The Age of Corporate Scandal & How It Could Save Democracy, & Matthew Sorrento’s interview with Jennifer Maritza McCauley about her novel Neon Steel & moving Pittsburgh into the future.
The latest USIH book review features Anja Keil on Marie Eve Loiselle’s Building Walls, Constructing Identities: Legal Discourse & the Creation of National Borders.
& for lots more book recommendations, check out Publisher’s Weekly’s list of essential recent books for understanding America at 250.
Newsletters and Blog Posts:
Gonna end with a bunch of great newsletters & blog posts as usual, including Joyce Vance for her Civil Discourse on the recent Selma protest against Jim Crow 2.0.
Over at her newsletter, Sherrilyn Ifill wrote about Trump’s corrupt, illegal, authoritarian insurrectionist payout scheme.
While for his One First newsletter, Steve Vladeck argued that that slush fund demands political remedies like impeachment.
For her Feminist Giant newsletter, Mona Eltahawy wrote about the demise of fascist beauty queens like Pam Bondi & Kristi Noem.
Over at their Charlotte’s Web Thoughts newsletter, Charlotte Clymer explained the significance of the late LGBTQ+ icon Jason Collins.
While for her Love Notes newsletter, Jenn M. Jackson argued that it’s not enough to queer our love, we have to queer our lives too.
For his Reliable Narrator newsletter, Paul Thomas contextualized recent stories about the new “learning recession.”
While over at her blog, Alicia Kennedy shared a fascinating essay on food & religion that had been commissioned in 2024 & killed by an editor in 2025.
Speaking of food & turning to more historical subjects, the folks at Verbum Libere shared a post on medieval & early modern famine & the dream of endless food.
Over at her Strange & Wondrous newsletter, Surekha Davies offered some reflections on the Beauty & Ugliness museum exhibition.
While for his newsletter, Matt Eaton wrote thoughtfully about the role of laughter in the D-Day marshalling areas.
Two new pieces for the In Pursuit project this week, including David W. Blight on Franklin Pierce & misreading the nation’s moral direction, & Diana Bartelli Carlin on Jane Pierce & how grief can deepen moral resolve.
Also two posts from Kevin M. Levin’s Civil War Memory to share this week, including an argument for five Civil War sites beyond battlefields that deserve our attention, & an introduction to his latest project, a compilation of work from twenty years of Civil War Memory!
For her History in the Margins blog, Pamela D. Toler wrote about the groundbreaking kitchen efficiency expert Lillian Moller Gilbreth.
While for his Ehlers on Everything blog, Mark Ehlers used influential speechwriter Richard Goodwin to argue for the power of words & duty to country.
Gonna end with compelling cultural studies pieces as usual, including part two of Alex Pagliuca’s series on the new TV show Wolf of Snow.
For the publisher Boydell & Brewer’s blog, Scott Manning argued that The Transformers: The Movie is a retelling of the Grail Quest & he’s tired of pretending it’s not.
While for Bright Wall/Dark Room’s new issue on 1976, Amber Sparks argued that the ’76 King Kong is good, actually.
& over at her Review Roulette newsletter, Vaughn Joy celebrated Frank Capra’s birthday by sharing her phenomenal series of Capracorn columns.
Finally, I concluded a weeklong blog series on fast cars in American culture with a post AmericanStudying the surprisingly popular Fast & Furious films, family.
PS. I’m sure I missed plenty as ever, so please add more writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books below. Thanks, happy reading, listening, & learning, & may it be a restful & reflective holiday weekend, all!
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