Father’s Day is my most important holiday of the year, for a pair of interconnected reasons that I’ll get into at the end of this thread. So I’m really excited to share my latest #ScholarSunday thread as part of this occasion (for those who celebrate), but also because it’s full of so much great work & so many folks worth celebrating!
So here it is, my 281st #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all!
Articles:
Starting with an excellent Juneteenth piece, Kaitlyn Greenidge in Harper’s Bazaar with an oral history of a new documentary about the Black Panther Party in North Carolina, Power to the People, Y’all.
As Pride 2026 continues, the folks at NiCHE Canada are featuring a series on Queering the Environment through Queer Joy, which this week included three pieces: Ishaan Selby on T.H. White, queer misanthropic joy, & interspecies connection; Kaden Jelsing on punk rock, queer joy, & settler belonging on the Salish Sea; & Juliano Bentes on Carimônias, queer joy, & an Amazon that moves from within.
A pair of great new pieces for the Urban History Association’s Metropole this week, including Anna Rose on living with risk on the edge of late 20C Mexico City, & the latest in the ongoing Cities at Play series, Sandra Coffey on everyday play with the Roman past in a Spanish city.
Also a pair of excellent new pieces for the AHA’s Perspectives, including Marta V. Vicente on the long making of the iconic Sagrada Família in her hometown of Barcelona, & Margaret Burnham & Brenda E. Stevenson on what we find when we open the federal archives on Civil Rights cold cases.
Maybe my favorite piece of the week was Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera in Public Books on Edward Said, Herlihy-Mera’s grandfather, & the problem of home.
As America’s 250th commemorations deepen, a trio of thoughtful pieces to share this week, including Lawrence B.A. Hatter for the Journal of the Early Republic Panorama on commemorating George Washington in the state named after him.
David Waldstreicher wrote for Boston Review on what is living & what is dead in our collective memories of the American Revolution.
& for The Nation, Simon Moya-Smith offered an appropriately bracing & necessary examination of 250 years of indigenous genocide, theft, & displacement.
When the Pittsburgh Review of Books returns from vacation, I’ll have a July 4th essay on critical patriotism, but in the meantime check out this tribute to the awesome new magazine’s first cohort of student editors.
For the Law & Political Economy (LPE) Project, a group of their editors including Amy Kapczynski, Corinne Blalock, & more shared short descriptions of this vital scholarly community & blog.
& for Clio & the Contemporary, Amalia S. Levi shared the second part of a series on using digital archives to engage students, this time focused on accessing & using sensitive material online.
A trio of open-access scholarly articles to share this week, including Josh Chafetz in SSRN reviewing the important new edited collection Building Democratic Capacity: Essays on Administrative Law’s Futures.
Also open-access is Kevin J. Elliott’s Annual Review of Political Science article “Participatory Democracy & Its Limits.”
& check out this History Workshop companion piece for Holly Fletcher & Sasha Handley’s open-access History Workshop Journal article on sleep, scent, & household medical care in Early Modern England.
Two articles from Saturday Evening Post colleagues to share, including Jill Robbins on Galveston’s foundational & enduring role in Juneteenth celebrations.
While Post editor Troy Brownfield highlighted the 50th anniversary of the NBA-ABA merger that changed basketball forever.
& I’m really proud of my own latest Considering History Post column, a Pride month piece on the immigrant, WWI vet, & postal worker Henry Gerber & his groundbreaking 1920s LGBTQ+ organization the Society for Human Rights.
Current Events:
Turning to current events articles, a number of thoughtful responses this week to the deeply frustrating recent “Report on the State of Scholarship in the Humanities,” including Michael Bérubé for the Pittsburgh Review of Books.
For Inside Higher Ed, Dwight A. McBride considered whether what’s really happening is that a more diverse academy is asking different questions.
For her History Teaches… newsletter, Felicia Kornbluh offered bracing & vital thoughts on the realities of history & the humanities on the ropes.
& for Public Books, Iván Chaar López and Erin McElroy offered a response to a different but frustratingly parallel report on “the distortion of American Studies.”
Turning to other current events, for Texas Monthly Robert Downen wrote about how the State Board of Education might approve teaching about the controversial, Christian Nationalist “Black Robe Regiment” in public schools.
For her newsletter, Marianne Dhenin traced how lawyers are organizing “habeas projects” to fight Trump’s deportation machine.
Over at her Handbasket newsletter, Marisa Kabas argued that the livestream of Trump’s name being removed from the Kennedy Center was a rare moment of monoculture.
For Mother Jones, Arianna Coghill interviewed Kemi Doll about her new book & why we need to talk about Black women & uterine cancer.
In a similar vein, Nicole Carr wrote for LitHub on her family’s history of struggle & survival in Jamaica & Black exclusion & erasure in healthcare.
& two current events articles from NiCHE Canada to share, including Hayden Nelson on the past, present, & future of forest fires, & the latest in their Great Acceleration series with Active History, Jim Clifford on what Saskatchewan can tell us about when the Great Acceleration started.
Podcasts:
I missed the recent pair of episodes that closed out Season 5 of Mike Natale & Tom Lorenzo’s You’re Missing Out podcast, including this one on Sweet Smell of Success (1957) & the season finale on Point of Order (1964).
For more pop culture conversations, out this week was the latest episode of Emily J. Edwards’ Silver Screen Sleuths podcast, featuring Tony Wirt on Clue.
For the 8th episode of Bloody Kisses, host Tori Eberle was joined by Matthew Guariglia to discuss Van Helsing.
While episode 5 of Alan Sepinwall & Kathryn VanArendonk’s TV is Good focuses on Widow’s Bay & Gilligan’s Island.
Turning to more historical conversations, episode 443 of Liz Covart’s Ben Franklin’s World podcast starts a series on how independence happened with Woody Holton & Terrance Rucker on Richard Henry Lee’s Virginia Resolution.
For the latest episode of their War of the Rebellion podcast, Niels Eichhorn & Andrew Houck interviewed Beau Cleland about his book Between King Cotton & Queen Victoria: How Pirates, Smugglers, & Scoundrels Almost Saved the Confederacy.
Episode 104 of Kate Carpenter’s Drafting the Past podcast features Anna O. Law on her new book on the origins of American citizenship & how a political scientist read her way into history.
For the latest episode of her Unsung History podcast, Kelly Therese Pollock interviewed Vaneesa Cook about her book Empire & Liberty: The Tied Histories of Two American Landmarks.
For Dig: A History Podcast, Marissa Rhodes & Sarah Handley-Cousins discussed the nearly-lost story of lesbian volunteerism in the AIDS epidemic.
While for his America: The Story of the USA podcast, Liam Heffernan was joined by Stephen Colbrook to discuss that epidemic’s histories.
& for the new episode of his Presidencies of the United States podcast, Jerry Landry interviewed Laurence Jurdem about George H.W. Bush & the hidden power of personal diplomacy.
Turning to global histories, the latest episode of Matt Gabriele’s American Medieval podcast features Hannah Weaver on opera & medievalism.
Episode 7 of Howard Burton’s Exploring Art History podcast features Jill Burke on the development of the nude in the Italian Renaissance.
The new episode of Kate Lister’s Betwixt the Sheets podcast features Christine Adams on the 18th century royal mistress Madam du Barry.
For part two of the Norton Library Podcast’s discussion of Crime & Punishment, translator Michael R. Katz returned to discuss symbolic covers & favorite lines.
& two new episodes of Rich Napolitano’s Shipwrecks & Sea Dogs podcast this week, including this one on the 1987 tragedy of the ferry Herald of Free Enterprise, & this conversation with Based on a True Story host Dan Lefebvre about fact vs. fiction in the TV show The Terror.
Turning to current events conversations, the latest episode of the Scholars Strategy Network’s No Jargon podcast features Brittany Friedman on the true costs of incarceration.
For her the Academic Life podcast, Christina Gessler interviewed Indiana Innocence Project co-founder Valena Beety on the fight against the criminalization of motherhood, pregnancy, & queer identity.
For his Axelbank Reports History & Today podcast, Evan interviewed Maya Kornberg about her book Stuck: How Money, Media, & Violence Prevent Change in Progress.
Alycia Asai also interviewed Kornberg for her Civics & Coffee podcast. & for the latest Saturday episode, Alycia started a new series on the suffrage activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Over at their Half the Answer podcast for Liberal Currents, Caitlin M. Green & Trent R. Nelson were joined by Madiba K. Dennie to talk about what’s next for voting rights.
While for their The Oath & the Office podcast, John Fugelsang & Corey Brettschneider were joined by Harry Litman to talk about habeas corpus & DOJ independence.
Finally, two new Heather Cox Richardson episodes this week: her latest American Conversation, with former federal prosecutor turned legal analyst Barbara McQuade; & the latest installment of her & Paul Krugman’s Lunch Money.
Books:
A handful of important new books out this week, including Sari Altschuler’s Before Disability: A History of American Citizenship from Penn Press. & also check out Altschuler’s conversation with Julia Métraux from Mother Jones.
Out this week from Harper Collins is Sarah J. Jackson’s A Second Sight: How the Wonder & Vision of Black Mediamakers Push America Toward Freedom.
& four new books from UNC Press this week: Pamela A. Popielarz’s Order of Business: The Golden Age of Fraternity & Its Legacy of Inequality; Anna Krome-Lukens’ Strong State, Weak Links: Eugenics & the Southern Politics of Welfare; the Cumberland County Public Library’s The Voices of Resolve: The Patriots of Liberty Point; & Youssef J. Carter’s The Vast Oceans: Remembering Allah & Self on the Mustafawiyya Sufi Path.
For Public Books, Emma Heaney interviewed Durba Mitra about her new book The Future That Was: A History of Third World Feminism Against Authoritarianism.
& also for Public Books, Lauren Arrington reviewed Rebecca Donner’s All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler.
For the latest USIH book review, Callie Avondet wrote about Aaron Fountain Jr.’s High School Students Unite!: Teen Activism, Education Reform, & FBI Surveillance in Postwar America.
& for the Urban History Association Metropole, Hannah Bruno reviewed Crystal Marie Moten’s Continually Working: Black Women, Community Intellectualism, & Economic Justice in Postwar Milwaukee.
Made By History:
A handful of great new pieces for the relaunched Made By History this week, including Charlotte Brooks on the Philadelphia-born Chinese American who tested the limits of birthright citizenship.
Daniela Blei & Tamara Venit-Shelton wrote for Made By History on why history suggests libertarian “freedom cities” won’t be able to achieve their goals.
Here’s Vaneesa Cook for Made By History on how Rocky was the hero Americans needed during the messy Bicentennial.
While Ulla Berg & Mary Rizzo wrote for Made By History on the decades of New Jersey immigration detention behind the crisis at Delaney Hall.
Finally for Made By History, Aram Goudsouzian highlighted the 1966 day in Philadelphia, MS that showcased MLK’s greatness.
Newsletters and Blog Posts:
Gonna end with a bunch of great newsletters & blog posts as usual, including Pamela D. Toler for her History in the Margins blog, starting a 250th anniversary series with Kathleen DuVal’s Independence Lost.
The founders of the Defenders of Our Republic (DOOR) project shared a post on taking our flag back from Christian Nationalists.
Three excellent posts from Kevin M. Levin for his Civil War Memory newsletter this week: this one on how Trump’s Reflecting Pool disaster explains his approach to American history; this one on why Juneteenth is all of our story; & this one on the frustrating new Trumptastic panels at Philadelphia’s President’s House.
For his Campaign Trails newsletter, Kevin M. Kruse contrasted the DC of Trump’s UFC fight with the NYC of the Knicks.
On the inspiring latter note, also check out SAGE GRAY (Walter D. Greason) for his Genius Locus blog on race, media, & the story of Villanova Men’s Basketball.
Over at his newsletter, Thomas Lecaque shared the full text of a recent talk on religion & anti-immigrant discourse in the U.S.
For her Degenerate Art newsletter, Andrea Pitzer traced the story of forced labor in concentration camps, past & present.
For his Tattooed Historian’s Dispatch newsletter, John R. Heckman shared why he’s starting the new “Playing the Past” Twitch series.
& on a similar note, the folks at Chaosium posted about the experience of playing the boardgame Credo at the site of the first Council of Nicaea.
Turning to more historical subjects, two new posts for the In Pursuit project this week: Stanley McChrystal on Ulysses Grant & why loyalty to principle is harder & more vital than loyalty to power; & Yuval Levin on Julia Grant & reconciliation.
For her Imperfect Union newsletter, Lindsay M. Chervinsky contextualized King Charles II’s speech to Congress with Queen Elizabeth II’s 1976 visit.
The latest Verbum Libere newsletter focuses on how the legend & mythos of Robin Hood has been created across the centuries.
For the new installment of Sarah E. Bond’s Pasts Imperfect, Erika Valdivieso writes about her new book Empire’s Companion: Virgilian Epics from Colonial Iberoamerica.
While for his Looking Through the Past newsletter, George Dillard traced the history of Carthage through mosaics.
& for her Strange & Wondrous newsletter, Sureka Davies highlighted surprising visual gems in the histories of science & globalization.
Over at her blog, novelist Kara Jorgensen shared reflections & advice on getting unstuck after a challenging time.
Gonna conclude with great cultural studies pieces as ever, including info about an interesting forthcoming film, Shane Johnson’s Courage & Conviction: Dr. Mary Walker’s War (h/t Theresa Kaminski).
For Clio & the Contemporary, Kate L. Flach shared a retrospective on Laverne & Shirley & the “single-girl” sitcom.
For his Patreon (& free for all readers), Alex Pagliuca used current horror hits to discuss the art of fear & the power of the frame.
Over at Bright Wall/Dark Room, Payton McCarty-Simas interviewed the groundbreaking queer filmmakers Harry Dodge & Silas Howard for the 25th anniversary of their By Hook or By Crook.
For the Mid Theory Collective, Maddy Trépanier wrote about the new Wuthering Heights & Emerald Fennell’s love affair with 1939.
Vaughn Joy’s latest Review Roulette newsletter will drop soon, but in the meantime you can check out one of my favorite of her careers & a perfect one for the start of summer, this piece on The Long, Hot Summer.
For his Academic Bubble newsletter, Dion Georgiou returned to the historical & patriotic fantasies of Rambo: First Blood Part II.
& if you need more public scholarly goodness, check out the 58th installment of Dion’s Stop, Look, & Listen newsletter.
Finally, I need to share two of my most personal pieces of writing, to highlight why this holiday is so important to me: this Saturday Evening Post tribute to my Dad, not long after his passing last year; & this Post tribute to just a tiny percentage of the things I’ve learned from being a Dad to my two sons.
PS. I’m sure I missed plenty as ever, so please share more writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books below. Thanks, happy reading, listening, & learning, & happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate!
PPS. Thanks to Marty Olliff for sharing episode 96 of the Alabama History Podcast, featuring Ryan Cole & Ed Bridges discussing Lafayette’s visit to the state!
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