Category: AmericanStudier
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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…
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December 23, 2025: Revisiting My Books: Redefining American Identity
[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 22, 2025: Revisiting My Books: Contesting the Past, Reconstructing the Nation
[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 20-21, 2025: Refugee Stories in 2025
[On December 14th, 1950, the United Nations adopted its Statute on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. So for the 75th anniversary of that important moment, this week I’ve AmericanStudied the UNHCR and…
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December 19, 2025: Refugee Stories: Refugees in 2020 (and Today)
[On December 14th, 1950, the United Nations adopted its Statute on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. So for the 75th anniversary of that important moment, this week I’ll AmericanStudy the UNHCR and…
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December 18, 2025: Refugee Stories: Tina Powell’s Guest Post
[On December 14th, 1950, the United Nations adopted its Statute on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. So for the 75th anniversary of that important moment, this week I’ll AmericanStudy the UNHCR and…
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December 17, 2025: Refugee Stories: The Marielitos
[On December 14th, 1950, the United Nations adopted its Statute on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. So for the 75th anniversary of that important moment, this week I’ll AmericanStudy the UNHCR and…
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December 16, 2025: Refugee Stories: WWII Refugees
[On December 14th, 1950, the United Nations adopted its Statute on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. So for the 75th anniversary of that important moment, this week I’ll AmericanStudy the UNHCR and…
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December 15, 2025: Refugee Stories: Global Organizations
[On December 14th, 1950, the United Nations adopted its Statute on the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. So for the 75th anniversary of that important moment, this week I’ll AmericanStudy the UNHCR and…
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December 13-14, 2025: Kyle at Michigan!
[This week marks the conclusion of another Fall semester, my 21st at Fitchburg State. Since we’re all going through it at the moment, I thought I’d share one significant challenge I…
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December 12, 2025: Semester Reflections: Our Graduate Programs
[This week marks the conclusion of another Fall semester, my 21st at Fitchburg State. Since we’re all going through it at the moment, I thought I’d share one significant challenge I…
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December 11, 2025: Semester Reflections: American Lit Online
[This week marks the conclusion of another Fall semester, my 21st at Fitchburg State. Since we’re all going through it at the moment, I thought I’d share one significant challenge I…
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December 10, 2025: Semester Reflections: American Lit II
[This week marks the conclusion of another Fall semester, my 21st at Fitchburg State. Since we’re all going through it at the moment, I thought I’d share one significant challenge I…
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December 9, 2025: Semester Reflections: Honors Lit Seminar
[This week marks the conclusion of another Fall semester, my 21st at Fitchburg State. Since we’re all going through it at the moment, I thought I’d share one significant challenge I…
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December 8, 2025: Semester Reflections: First-Year Writing
[This week marks the conclusion of another Fall semester, my 21st at Fitchburg State. Since we’re all going through it at the moment, I thought I’d share one significant challenge I…
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December 5, 2025: Urban Legends: The Bermuda Triangle
[On December 5th, 1945, five naval planes disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle, helping establish an urban legend that has endured to this day. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy five such urban legends, leading…
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December 4, 2025: Urban Legends: Those Damn Clowns
[On December 5th, 1945, five naval jets disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle, helping establish an urban legend that has endured to this day. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy five such urban legends, leading…
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December 3, 2025: Urban Legends: Sewer Gators
[On December 5th, 1945, five naval jets disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle, helping establish an urban legend that has endured to this day. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy five such urban legends, leading…
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December 2, 2025: Urban Legends: Cryptids in Culture
[On December 5th, 1945, five naval jets disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle, helping establish an urban legend that has endured to this day. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy five such urban legends, leading…
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December 1, 2025: Urban Legends: The Bell Witch
[On December 5th, 1945, five naval jets disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle, helping establish an urban legend that has endured to this day. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy five such urban legends, leading…
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Guest Post: Mia Moriarty & Dr. Michael Millner on Jack Kerouac
[Michael Millner is an old friend of mine from the New England ASA, and has been a professor of English and American Studies at UMass Lowell for many years. Mia…
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November 28, 2025: Indigenous Voices: Ned Blackhawk
[Thanksgiving is a hugely fraught holiday for us AmericanStudiers, but I also have a ton I’m thankful for. So this year I wanted to combine those two perspectives by highlighting indigenous voices, past…
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November 27, 2025: Indigenous Voices: Wamsutta James
[Thanksgiving is a hugely fraught holiday for us AmericanStudiers, but I also have a ton I’m thankful for. So this year I wanted to combine those two perspectives by highlighting indigenous voices, past…
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November 26, 2025: Indigenous Voices: Sarah Winnemucca
[Thanksgiving is a hugely fraught holiday for us AmericanStudiers, but I also have a ton I’m thankful for. So this year I wanted to combine those two perspectives by highlighting indigenous voices, past…
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November 25, 2025: Indigenous Voices: William Apess
[Thanksgiving is a hugely fraught holiday for us AmericanStudiers, but I also have a ton I’m thankful for. So this year I wanted to combine those two perspectives by highlighting indigenous voices, past…
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November 24, 2025: Indigenous Voices: Joseph Lee’s Nothing More of This Land
[Thanksgiving is a hugely fraught holiday for us AmericanStudiers, but I also have a ton I’m thankful for. So this year I wanted to combine those two perspectives by highlighting indigenous voices, past…
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November 22-23, 2025: AmericanStudying Closeted Gay Celebrities
[On November 17th, 1925, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career and complex life open up a lot of American histories, so this week I’ve AmericanStudied a…
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November 21, 2025: AmericanStudying Rock (Hudson): AIDS
[On November 17th, 1925, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career and complex life open up a lot of American histories, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy a…
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November 20, 2025: AmericanStudying Rock (Hudson): WWII Service
[On November 17th, 1925, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career and complex life open up a lot of American histories, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy a…
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November 19, 2025: AmericanStudying Rock (Hudson): Two TV Roles
[On November 17th, 1925, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career and complex life open up a lot of American histories, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy a…
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November 18, 2025: AmericanStudying Rock (Hudson): The Doris Day Films
[On November 17th, 1925, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career and complex life open up a lot of American histories, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy a…
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November 17, 2025: AmericanStudying Rock (Hudson): Come September
[On November 17th, 1925, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career and complex life open up a lot of American histories, so this week I’ll AmericanStudy a…
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November 15-16, 2025: Veterans’ Stories: Three 21C Stories
[For Veterans Day, I’ve AmericanStudied five examples of texts that can help us remember and engage with veterans’ experiences from five of our defining wars. Leading up to this weekend…
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November 14, 2025: Veterans’ Stories: The Best Years of Our Lives and WWII
[For Veterans Day, I’ll be AmericanStudying five examples of texts that can help us remember and engage with veterans’ experiences from five of our defining wars. Leading up to a…
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November 13, 2025: Veterans’ Stories: “Returning Soldiers” and WWI
[For Veterans Day, I’ll be AmericanStudying five examples of texts that can help us remember and engage with veterans’ experiences from five of our defining wars. Leading up to a…
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November 12, 2025: Veterans’ Stories: A Fool’s Errand and the Civil War
[For Veterans Day, I’ll be AmericanStudying five examples of texts that can help us remember and engage with veterans’ experiences from five of our defining wars. Leading up to a…
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November 11, 2025: Veterans’ Stories: William Apess and the War of 1812
[For Veterans Day, I’ll be AmericanStudying five examples of texts that can help us remember and engage with veterans’ experiences from five of our defining wars. Leading up to a…
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November 10, 2025: Veterans’ Stories: The Shoemaker and the Tea Party
[For Veterans Day, I’ll be AmericanStudying five examples of texts that can help us remember and engage with veterans’ experiences from five of our defining wars. Leading up to a…
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November 8-9, 2025: 15 Years (!) of AmericanStudying: My Dad
[15 years ago this week, I started this here public scholarly blog. There have been lots of twists and turns since, and the best ones have been aided & abetted…
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November 7, 2025: 15 Years (!) of AmericanStudying: Vaughn Joy’s Partnership
[15 years ago this week, I started this here public scholarly blog. There have been lots of twists and turns since, and the best ones have been aided & abetted…
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November 6, 2025: 15 Years (!) of AmericanStudying: Jen Bortel’s Journalistic Editing
[15 years ago this week, I started this here public scholarly blog. There have been lots of twists and turns since, and the best ones have been aided & abetted…
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November 5, 2025: 15 Years (!) of AmericanStudying: Avi Green’s Aid
[15 years ago this week, I started this here public scholarly blog. There have been lots of twists and turns since, and the best ones have been aided & abetted…
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November 4, 2025: 15 Years (!) of AmericanStudying: Heather Cox Richardson’s Help
[15 years ago this week, I started this here public scholarly blog. There have been lots of twists and turns since, and the best ones have been aided & abetted…
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November 3, 2025: 15 Years (!) of AmericanStudying: Rob Velella’s Role Modeling
[15 years ago this week, I started this here public scholarly blog. There have been lots of twists and turns since, and the best ones have been aided & abetted…
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Guest Post: Regina Mills on Carmen Sandiego & Latinx Representation in Video Games
[Regina Mills is an incoming Associate Professor of American Culture at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Her first book, Invisibility and Influence: A Literary History of AfroLatinidades, was published in…
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October 31, 2025: AmericanStudying a Springsteen “Lost” Album: Inyo & Western Stars
[This past June, Bruce Springsteen released Tracks 2, a stunning collection featuring 7 previously unreleased full albums (totaling 9 LPs) from the early 80s through the late 2010s. It’s full of…
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October 30, 2025: AmericanStudying a Springsteen “Lost” Album: “The Lost Charro” & My Book
[This past June, Bruce Springsteen released Tracks 2, a stunning collection featuring 7 previously unreleased full albums (totaling 9 LPs) from the early 80s through the late 2010s. It’s full of…
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October 29, 2025: AmericanStudying a Springsteen “Lost” Album: “The Aztec Dance” y Anzaldúa
[This past June, Bruce Springsteen released Tracks 2, a stunning collection featuring 7 previously unreleased full albums (totaling 9 LPs) from the early 80s through the late 2010s. It’s full of…
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October 28, 2025: AmericanStudying a Springsteen “Lost” Album: “Adelita” & Mexican American Wars
[This past June, Bruce Springsteen released Tracks 2, a stunning collection featuring 7 previously unreleased full albums (totaling 9 LPs) from the early 80s through the late 2010s. It’s full of…
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October 27, 2025: AmericanStudying a Springsteen “Lost” Album: “Inyo” & Los Angeles
[This past June, Bruce Springsteen released Tracks 2, a stunning collection featuring 7 previously unreleased full albums (totaling 9 LPs) from the early 80s through the late 2010s. It’s full of…
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October 25-26, 2025: My Favorite Civil Engineer!
[On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal officially opened. So this week, I’ve honored the 200th anniversary of that huge & hugely important project by highlighting a handful of figures connected to…
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October 24, 2025: Erie Canal Studying: That Song
[On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal officially opened. So this week, I’ll honor the 200th anniversary of that huge & hugely important project by highlighting a handful of figures connected to…
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October 23, 2025: Erie Canal Studying: Ely Parker
[On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal officially opened. So this week, I’ll honor the 200th anniversary of that huge & hugely important project by highlighting a handful of figures connected to…
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October 22, 2025: Erie Canal Studying: Canvass White
[On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal officially opened. So this week, I’ll honor the 200th anniversary of that huge & hugely important project by highlighting a handful of figures connected to…
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October 21, 2025: Erie Canal Studying: DeWitt Clinton
[On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal officially opened. So this week, I’ll honor the 200th anniversary of that huge & hugely important project by highlighting a handful of figures connected to…
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October 20, 2025: Erie Canal Studying: Starting the Project
[On October 26, 1825, the Erie Canal officially opened. So this week, I’ll honor the 200th anniversary of that huge & hugely important project by highlighting a handful of figures connected to…
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October 18-19, 2025: Not Just (Video) Games: Nintendo Classics
[Forty years ago this weekend, Nintendo released its first game system, and video gaming and American culture changed significantly. So this week I’ve blogged about a handful of other games that likewise…
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October 17, 2025: Not Just (Video) Games: Video Game Studiers
[Forty years ago this weekend, Nintendo released its first game system, and video gaming and American culture changed significantly. So this week I’ll blog about a handful of other games that likewise…
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October 16, 2025: Not Just (Video) Games: GTA
[Forty years ago this weekend, Nintendo released its first game system, and video gaming and American culture changed significantly. So this week I’ll blog about a handful of other games that likewise…
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October 15, 2025: Not Just (Video) Games: Oregon Trail
[Forty years ago this weekend, Nintendo released its first game system, and video gaming and American culture changed significantly. So this week I’ll blog about a handful of other games that likewise…
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October 14, 2025: Not Just (Video) Games: Pac-Man
[Forty years ago this weekend, Nintendo released its first game system, and video gaming and American culture changed significantly. So this week I’ll blog about a handful of other games that likewise…
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October 13, 2025: Not Just (Video) Games: Pong
[Forty years ago this weekend, Nintendo released its first game system, and video gaming and American culture changed significantly. So this week I’ll blog about a handful of other games that likewise…
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October 11-12, 2025: American Crime Fiction: Elmore Leonard
[This weekend marks the 100th birthday of the great crime novelist Elmore Leonard. So this week I’ve AmericanStudied a handful of phenomenal crime and mystery writers, leading up this weekend post on…
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October 10, 2025: American Crime Fiction: Presumed Innocent
[This coming weekend marks the 100th birthday of the great crime novelist Elmore Leonard. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy a handful of phenomenal crime and mystery writers, leading up a weekend post…
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October 9, 2025: American Crime Fiction: Tana French
[This coming weekend marks the 100th birthday of the great crime novelist Elmore Leonard. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy a handful of phenomenal crime and mystery writers, leading up a weekend post…
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October 8, 2025: American Crime Fiction: Attica Locke
[This coming weekend marks the 100th birthday of the great crime novelist Elmore Leonard. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy a handful of phenomenal crime and mystery writers, leading up a weekend post…
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October 7, 2025: American Crime Fiction: Tony Hillerman
[This coming weekend marks the 100th birthday of the great crime novelist Elmore Leonard. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy a handful of phenomenal crime and mystery writers, leading up a weekend post…
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October 6, 2025: American Crime Fiction: Ross MacDonald
[This coming weekend marks the 100th birthday of the great crime novelist Elmore Leonard. So this week I’ll AmericanStudy a handful of phenomenal crime and mystery writers, leading up a weekend post…
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October 4-5, 2025: Lou Moore’s Sensational Sports Studying
[50 years ago this week, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met in Manila for their third and final professional boxing bout. So this week on the blog I’ve stepped into…
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October 3, 2025: The Thrilla in Manila: Part 3s
[50 years ago this week, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met in Manila for their third and final professional boxing bout. So this week on the blog I’ll step into…