Author: Black & White & Read All Over
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April 2, 2026: Selling Out Santa Out in the World: Op Eds
[My awesome wife Vaughn Joy’s book Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy has been out for about four months, which means Vaughn has had the…
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April 1, 2026: Selling Out Santa Out in the World: Podcasts
[My awesome wife Vaughn Joy’s book Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy has been out for about four months, which means Vaughn has had the…
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March 31, 2026: Selling Out Santa Out in the World: FSU Grad Colloquium
[My awesome wife Vaughn Joy’s book Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy has been out for about four months, which means Vaughn has had the…
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March 30, 2026: Selling Out Santa Out in the World: Edgartown Public Library
[My awesome wife Vaughn Joy’s book Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy has been out for about four months, which means Vaughn has had the…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 269 (3/29/26)
#NoKings, but lots of badass public scholars in my 269th #ScholarSunday thread of public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more…
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March 28-29, 2026: Historic Baseball Teams: My Podcast’s New Second Season on Baseball at Manzanar
[In honor of MLB’s Opening Day, this week I’ve blogged about historic baseball teams! Leading up to this weekend post on the upcoming second season of my narrative history &…
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March 27, 2026: Historic Baseball Teams: The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
[In honor of MLB’s Opening Day, this week I’ll be blogging about historic baseball teams! Leading up to a weekend post on the upcoming second season of my narrative history…
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March 26, 2026: Historic Baseball Teams: The House of David
[In honor of MLB’s Opening Day, this week I’ll be blogging about historic baseball teams! Leading up to a weekend post on the upcoming second season of my narrative history…
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March 25, 2026: Historic Baseball Teams: The Braves
[In honor of MLB’s Opening Day, this week I’ll be blogging about historic baseball teams! Leading up to a weekend post on the upcoming second season of my narrative history…
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March 24, 2026: Historic Baseball Teams: The Celestials
[In honor of MLB’s Opening Day, this week I’ll be blogging about historic baseball teams! Leading up to a weekend post on the upcoming second season of my narrative history…
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March 23, 2026: Historic Baseball Teams: The Massachusetts Game
[In honor of MLB’s Opening Day, this week I’ll be blogging about historic baseball teams! Leading up to a weekend post on the upcoming second season of my narrative history…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 268 (3/22/26)
Bracket busted? Join the club, & then check out all the winning picks in my 268th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming…
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March 21-22, 2026: Lilah Francis Mabee on Maritime Meanings
[On March 19th, 1951, Herman Wouk published The Caine Mutiny. That’s one of many important American novels set on ships, so this week for its 75th anniversary I’ve AmericanStudied Caine…
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March 20, 2026: Nautical Novels: The Hunt for Red October
[On March 19th, 1951, Herman Wouk published The Caine Mutiny. That’s one of many important American novels set on ships, so this week for its 75th anniversary I’ll AmericanStudy Caine…
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March 19, 2026: Nautical Novels: The Caine Mutiny
[On March 19th, 1951, Herman Wouk published The Caine Mutiny. That’s one of many important American novels set on ships, so this week for its 75th anniversary I’ll AmericanStudy Caine…
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March 18, 2026: Nautical Novels: The Old Man and the Sea
[On March 19th, 1951, Herman Wouk published The Caine Mutiny. That’s one of many important American novels set on ships, so this week for its 75th anniversary I’ll AmericanStudy Caine…
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March 17, 2026: Nautical Novels: The Sea-Wolf
[On March 19th, 1951, Herman Wouk published The Caine Mutiny. That’s one of many important American novels set on ships, so this week for its 75th anniversary I’ll AmericanStudy Caine…
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March 16, 2026: Nautical Novels: Billy Budd
[On March 19th, 1951, Herman Wouk published The Caine Mutiny. That’s one of many important American novels set on ships, so this week for its 75th anniversary I’ll AmericanStudy Caine…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 267 (3/15/26)
Before tonight’s Oscars, I’d like to nominate myself for Best Supporting Scholar with my 267th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books from the past…
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March 14-15, 2026: James Wong Howe in Context: The You’re Missing Out Podcast
[Late last year, in preparation for a podcast appearance of my wife’s, we watched Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and through it were introduced to the groundbreaking cinematographer and all-around amazing…
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March 13, 2026: James Wong Howe in Context: Sanora Babb and Mid-Century America
[Late last year, in preparation for a podcast appearance of my wife’s, we watched Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and through it were introduced to the groundbreaking cinematographer and all-around amazing…
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March 12, 2026: James Wong Howe in Context: Cinematography and Film History
[Late last year, in preparation for a podcast appearance of my wife’s, we watched Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and through it were introduced to the groundbreaking cinematographer and all-around amazing…
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March 11, 2026: James Wong Howe in Context: Cecil B. DeMille and the American Dream
[Late last year, in preparation for a podcast appearance of my wife’s, we watched Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and through it were introduced to the groundbreaking cinematographer and all-around amazing…
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March 10, 2026: James Wong Howe in Context: Boxing and Semi-Pro Sports in America
[Late last year, in preparation for a podcast appearance of my wife’s, we watched Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and through it were introduced to the groundbreaking cinematographer and all-around amazing…
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March 9, 2026: James Wong Howe in Context: Chinese Americans at the Turn of the Century
[Late last year, in preparation for a podcast appearance of my wife’s, we watched Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), and through it were introduced to the groundbreaking cinematographer and all-around amazing…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 266 (3/8/26)
Not ready to emerge into the “daylight” yet? Check out my super-sized 266th #ScholarSunday thread, chock-full o’ public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add…
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March 7-8, 2026: Incorporating America: Our 21st Century Moment
[125 years ago this week, the United States Steel Corporation was created. That was and remains one of the most striking moments of incorporation in American history, but it’s far…
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March 6, 2026: Incorporating America: Ida Tarbell and Standard Oil
[125 years ago this week, the United States Steel Corporation was created. That was and remains one of the most striking moments of incorporation in American history, but it’s far…
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March 5, 2026: Incorporating America: U.S. Steel
[125 years ago this week, the United States Steel Corporation was created. That was and remains one of the most striking moments of incorporation in American history, but it’s far…
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March 4, 2026: Incorporating America: Santa Clara County
[125 years ago this week, the United States Steel Corporation was created. That was and remains one of the most striking moments of incorporation in American history, but it’s far…
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March 3, 2026: Incorporating America: The Bank of the United States
[125 years ago this week, the United States Steel Corporation was created. That was and remains one of the most striking moments of incorporation in American history, but it’s far…
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March 2, 2026: Incorporating America: Trachtenberg’s Book
[125 years ago this week, the United States Steel Corporation was created. That was and remains one of the most striking moments of incorporation in American history, but it’s far…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 265 (3/1/26)
March has come in with more administration lyin’, which means all the more reason to share my 265th #ScholarSunday thread of public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books from…
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February 27, 2026: Hawaiian Stories: From Here to Eternity
[Back in December 2024, I dedicated a weeklong series to histories from our 50th state. This week, in honor of the 75th anniversary of James Jones’s debut novel From Here…
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February 26, 2026: Hawaiian Stories: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
[Back in December 2024, I dedicated a weeklong series to histories from our 50th state. This week, in honor of the 75th anniversary of James Jones’s debut novel From Here…
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February 25, 2026: Hawaiian Stories: Blue Crush
[Back in December 2024, I dedicated a weeklong series to histories from our 50th state. This week, in honor of the 75th anniversary of James Jones’s debut novel From Here…
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February 24, 2026: Hawaiian Stories: Hawaii 5-0
[Back in December 2024, I dedicated a weeklong series to histories from our 50th state. This week, in honor of the 75th anniversary of James Jones’s debut novel From Here…
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February 23, 2026: Hawaiian Stories: James Michener
[Back in December 2024, I dedicated a weeklong series to histories from our 50th state. This week, in honor of the 75th anniversary of James Jones’s debut novel From Here…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 264 (2/22/26)
Neither travel nor snowstorms can keep my #ScholarSunday threads from their appointed rounds—so here’s my 264th of public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add…
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February 20, 2026: Non-Favorite Scholarly Ideas: Silos
[For this year’s post-Valentine’s non-favorites series, I wanted to follow up last week’s on scholarly books I’ve loved with a handful of scholarly ideas I don’t. Leading up to a…
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February 19, 2026: Non-Favorite Scholarly Ideas: Walter Benn Michaels’s First Two Books
[For this year’s post-Valentine’s non-favorites series, I wanted to follow up last week’s on scholarly books I’ve loved with a handful of scholarly ideas I don’t. Leading up to a…
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February 18, 2026: Non-Favorite Scholarly Ideas: New Critical Fallacies
[For this year’s post-Valentine’s non-favorites series, I wanted to follow up last week’s on scholarly books I’ve loved with a handful of scholarly ideas I don’t. Leading up to a…
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February 17, 2026: Non-Favorite Scholarly Ideas: The Dunning School
[For this year’s post-Valentine’s non-favorites series, I wanted to follow up last week’s on scholarly books I’ve loved with a handful of scholarly ideas I don’t. Leading up to a…
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February 16, 2026: Non-Favorite Scholarly Ideas: The Turner Thesis
[For this year’s post-Valentine’s non-favorites series, I wanted to follow up last week’s on scholarly books I’ve loved with a handful of scholarly ideas I don’t. Leading up to a…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 263 (2/15/26)
Celebrating Presidents in 2026? Fraught as hell, but what’s not is celebrating all the great public scholarship in my 263rd #ScholarSunday thread of writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books. Add…
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February 14-15, 2026: A Scholar and Scholarly Book I Love
[For this year’s Valentine’s series, I wanted to build on the weekend post on my Dad’s book and highlight a handful of other scholarly books that have been especially meaningful…
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February 13, 2026: Scholarly Books I’ve Loved: Colleagues
[For this year’s Valentine’s series, I wanted to build on the weekend post on my Dad’s book and highlight a handful of other scholarly books that have been especially meaningful…
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February 12, 2026: Scholarly Books I’ve Loved: Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments
[For this year’s Valentine’s series, I wanted to build on the weekend post on my Dad’s book and highlight a handful of other scholarly books that have been especially meaningful…
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February 11, 2026: Scholarly Books I’ve Loved: A Different Mirror
[For this year’s Valentine’s series, I wanted to build on the weekend post on my Dad’s book and highlight a handful of other scholarly books that have been especially meaningful…
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February 10, 2026: Scholarly Books I’ve Loved: The Unredeemed Captive
[For this year’s Valentine’s series, I wanted to build on the weekend post on my Dad’s book and highlight a handful of other scholarly books that have been especially meaningful…
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February 9, 2026: Scholarly Books I’ve Loved: The Two-Ocean War
[For this year’s Valentine’s series, I wanted to build on the weekend post on my Dad’s book and highlight a handful of other scholarly books that have been especially meaningful…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 262 (2/8/26)
Whether you’re most excited for the Super Bowl, the Puppy Bowl, or the Superb Owl, start tailgating early with my 262nd #ScholarSunday thread of public scholarly writing, podcasts, new &…
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February 7-8, 2026: Fenimore Cooper Studying: Dad’s Book
[200 years ago Wednesday, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans was published. That’s one of many Cooper novels with a lot to tell us about his and our…
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February 6, 2026: Fenimore Cooper Studying: Complementary Nonfiction
[200 years ago Wednesday, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans was published. That’s one of many Cooper novels with a lot to tell us about his and our…
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February 5, 2026: Fenimore Cooper Studying: Homeward Bound & Home as Found
[200 years ago Wednesday, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans was published. That’s one of many Cooper novels with a lot to tell us about his and our…
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February 4, 2026: Fenimore Cooper Studying: The Last of the Mohicans & The Prairie
[200 years ago Wednesday, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans was published. That’s one of many Cooper novels with a lot to tell us about his and our…
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February 3, 2026: Fenimore Cooper Studying: The Pioneers & The Pilot
[200 years ago Wednesday, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans was published. That’s one of many Cooper novels with a lot to tell us about his and our…
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February 2, 2026: Fenimore Cooper Studying: Precaution & The Spy
[200 years ago Wednesday, James Fenimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans was published. That’s one of many Cooper novels with a lot to tell us about his and our…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 261 (2/1/26)
As we begin this most fraught & most important Black History Month, & amidst every damn thing else, #ScholarSunday threads carry on—here’s my 261st of great public scholarly writing, podcasts,…
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January 31-February 1, 2026: Crowd-sourced Challenger Studying
[Forty years ago this week, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart upon takeoff, instantly becoming one of the most visible and tragic American stories of the last half-century. So this…
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January 30, 2026: The Challenger Disaster: Cultural Representations
[Forty years ago this week, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart upon takeoff, instantly becoming one of the most visible and tragic American stories of the last half-century. So this week I’ll…
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January 29, 2026: The Challenger Disaster: Aftermaths
[Forty years ago this week, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart upon takeoff, instantly becoming one of the most visible and tragic American stories of the last half-century. So this week I’ll…
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January 28, 2026: The Challenger Disaster: The Explosion
[Forty years ago this week, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart upon takeoff, instantly becoming one of the most visible and tragic American stories of the last half-century. So this week I’ll…
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January 27, 2026: The Challenger Disaster: Christa McAuliffe
[Forty years ago this week, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart upon takeoff, instantly becoming one of the most visible and tragic American stories of the last half-century. So this week I’ll…
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January 26, 2026: The Challenger Disaster: Predecessors
[Forty years ago this week, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart upon takeoff, instantly becoming one of the most visible and tragic American stories of the last half-century. So this week I’ll…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 260 (1/25/26)
Extreme & dangerous ice out there, & a nasty winter storm too, so stay in with all the great public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books (well, those you…
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January 24-25, 2026: Occasional Poems: Mine!
[65 years ago Tuesday, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President. One of the most famous parts of that January 1961 event was Robert Frost’s powerful poem, so this week…
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January 23, 2026: Occasional Poems: 21st Century Inaugural Poems
[65 years ago Tuesday, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President. One of the most famous parts of that January 1961 event was Robert Frost’s powerful poem, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy…
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January 22, 2026: Occasional Poems: Angelou and Williams for Clinton
[65 years ago Tuesday, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President. One of the most famous parts of that January 1961 event was Robert Frost’s powerful poem, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy…
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January 21, 2026: Occasional Poems: Frost for Kennedy
[65 years ago Tuesday, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President. One of the most famous parts of that January 1961 event was Robert Frost’s powerful poem, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy…
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January 20, 2026: Occasional Poems: Whitman on Lincoln
[65 years ago Wednesday, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President. One of the most famous parts of that January 1961 event was Robert Frost’s powerful poem, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy…
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January 19, 2026: Occasional Poems: Wheatley to Washington
[65 years ago Wednesday, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President. One of the most famous parts of that January 1961 event was Robert Frost’s powerful poem, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 259 (1/18/26)
For your holiday weekend reading & reflection, here’s my 259th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, share…
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January 17-18, 2026: Crowd-sourced 60s & 70s TVStudying
[This week marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of the Batman TV show & the 50th of The Bionic Woman. So I’ve AmericanStudied those shows & three others from…
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Guest Post: Walter Greason & Tim Fielder’s New Comic Dearly Beloved
[Walter Greason, AKA SAGE GRAY, is a longtime friend and collaborator. With artist Tim Fielder he is the author of the acclaimed The Graphic History of Hip Hop. I’m very…
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January 16, 2026: The Boob Tube in the 60s & 70s: The Brady Bunch
[This week marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of the Batman TV show & the 50th of The Bionic Woman. So I’ll AmericanStudy those shows & three others from the 60s & 70s, all of which happen…
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January 15, 2026: The Boob Tube in the 60s & 70s: Bewitched
[This week marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of the Batman TV show & the 50th of The Bionic Woman. So I’ll AmericanStudy those shows & three others from the 60s & 70s, all of which happen…
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January 14, 2026: The Boob Tube in the 60s & 70s: The Bionic Woman
[This week marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of the Batman TV show & the 50th of The Bionic Woman. So I’ll AmericanStudy those shows & three others from the 60s & 70s, all of which happen…
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January 13, 2026: The Boob Tube in the 60s & 70s: Bonanza
[This week marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of the Batman TV show & the 50th of The Bionic Woman. So I’ll AmericanStudy those shows & three others from the 60s & 70s, all of which happen…
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January 12, 2026: The Boob Tube in the 60s & 70s: Batman
[This week marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of the Batman TV show & the 50th of The Bionic Woman. So I’ll AmericanStudy those shows & three others from the 60s & 70s, all of which happen…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 258 (1/11/26)
I’m not gonna lie, there are times when compiling & sharing threads of public scholarship feels like an entirely inadequate task. & of course it’s far from the only way…
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January 10-11, 2026: 2026 Anniversaries: Spring 2026 Plans
[The start of a new year meant my annual series on historic anniversaries. Leading up to this weekend post on some of what I’m planning for my Spring semester sabbatical!]…
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January 9, 2026: 2026 Anniversaries: On Screen in 1976
[The start of a new year means my annual series on historic anniversaries. Leading up to a weekend post on some of what I’m planning for my Spring semester sabbatical!]…
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January 8, 2026: 2026 Anniversaries: Heard in 1926
[The start of a new year means my annual series on historic anniversaries. Leading up to a weekend post on some of what I’m planning for my Spring semester sabbatical!]…
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January 7, 2026: 2026 Anniversaries: Published in 1876
[The start of a new year means my annual series on historic anniversaries. Leading up to a weekend post on some of what I’m planning for my Spring semester sabbatical!]…
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January 6, 2026: 2026 Anniversaries: Revolutionary Memory in 1826
[The start of a new year means my annual series on historic anniversaries. Leading up to a weekend post on some of what I’m planning for my Spring semester sabbatical!]…
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January 5, 2026: 2026 Anniversaries: Reframing 1776
[The start of a new year means my annual series on historic anniversaries. Leading up to a weekend post on some of what I’m planning for my Spring semester sabbatical!]…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 257 (1/4/26)
There’s a lot I don’t know about what 2026 (or today) might bring, but I can promise you this: the #ScholarSunday threads will continue! Here’s my 257th of public scholarly…
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Guest Post: Matt Dworkowitz on World War II’s Best Kept Secret: The Discovery of Chemotherapy in New Haven
[Matt Dworkowitz is a third year undergraduate student at Sacred Heart University, who majors in Health Science, and minors in American History and Chemistry. This past semester, Matt worked with…
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January 2, 2026: Year in Review: Dad
[The end of 2025 means another Year in Review blog series, AmericanStudying a handful of the year’s biggest stories. I’d love your 2025 reflections in comments!] Ten months ago today,…
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January 1, 2026: Year in Review: Rejuvenated Blockbusters
[The end of 2025 means another Year in Review blog series, AmericanStudying a handful of the year’s biggest stories. I’d love your 2025 reflections in comments!] On four films that…
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Special Best-of-2025 #ScholarSunday Thread!
As promised, here’s a year-end #ScholarSunday thread featuring some of the best public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new books, & more from throughout 2025. I really appreciate folks…
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December 31, 2025: Year in Review: AI
[The end of 2025 means another Year in Review blog series, AmericanStudying a handful of the year’s biggest stories. I’d love your 2025 reflections in comments!] I wrote about ChatGPT…
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December 30, 2025: Year in Review: Higher Ed
[The end of 2025 means another Year in Review blog series, AmericanStudying a handful of the year’s biggest stories. I’d love your 2025 reflections in comments!] How three university presidents…
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December 29, 2025: Year in Review: Fascism
[The end of 2025 means another Year in Review blog series, AmericanStudying a handful of the year’s biggest stories. I’d love your 2025 reflections in comments!] On overt and insidious…
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#ScholarSunday Thread 256 (12/28/25)
I know I said that last week’s #ScholarSunday thread was the final regular one of the year, but y’all did too much good work this week to ignore—so here’s a…
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December 27-28, 2025: Wishes for my Wife’s Book
[Many, many, many times over the last year, I’ve wished that more Americans would have the chance to read my writing and learn even a few of the many lessons…
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December 26, 2025: Revisiting My Books: We the People & Of Thee I Sing
[Many, many, many times over the last year, I’ve wished that more Americans would have the chance to read my writing and learn even a few of the many lessons…
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December 25, 2025: Revisiting My Books: History & Hope in American Literature
[Many, many, many times over the last year, I’ve wished that more Americans would have the chance to read my writing and learn even a few of the many lessons…
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December 24, 2025: Revisiting My Books: The Chinese Exclusion Act
[Many, many, many times over the last year, I’ve wished that more Americans would have the chance to read my writing and learn even a few of the many lessons…