[16 years ago this week, I launched this AmericanStudies daily blog. For this year’s anniversary series, I thought I’d revisit some significant months across those 16 years, leading up to my usual weekend thank-full post paying tribute to some of the countless folks who’ve helped along the way.]
A lot of things shifted and grew in the first year of this blog, including the addition of Guest Posts, Tribute Posts, and posts focused on academic work in progress, the start of semester reflections series at the end of each term and follow-up series to events like my 2011 New England American Studies Association Conference at Plimoth Plantation, and more. But if I had to pinpoint a key moment when things really, permanently changed, it was at the start of my second year, in December 2011. That was the month when I started consistently featuring weeklong series, not on certain occasions like the end of semester, but as the structuring principle of this blog moving forward. Perhaps the first of those was the series that began with this December 5th post articulating my definition of foundational American diversity, and then continued with a series of posts considering “So what?” that might mean for lots of other layers of our history, culture, conversations, and more. I love the fact that the first weeklong series with which I launched the structure that this blog has maintained for the 15 years since (and I believe always will) was focused on what is without doubt the idea about America that has most enduringly animated everything I write and teach and talk about and do.
Next monthly moment tomorrow,
Ben
PS. Whether you’re a recent or long-time reader, say hi in comments, please!
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