No better way to cap off this historic & inspiring week than with all the phenomenal public scholarly writing, podcasts, & books in my 301st #ScholarSunday thread! Add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all!
Speaking of the week’s historic electoral results, I blogged about them in a special weekend post (concluding a weeklong series on the 50th anniversary of Jimmy Carter’s election to the presidency).
& while you’re checking out AmericanStudier, please take a look at my latest Guest Post, my awesome FSU Honors student Chris Martin on his in-progress screenplay on the NFL’s only MVP kicker!
One more prefatory note: since I’ve been unable to tag featured authors on Bluesky, pageviews for my threads have dropped significantly. I do a ton of work to find & share all this great work, & more people need to see it. Please share these threads anywhere & everywhere you can, & thanks!
Articles:
Starting with some favorites from the week as usual, including Adam Kovac for Scientific American on another 50th anniversary, of the technological, musical, Afrofuturist marvel that was George Clinton & P-Funk’s Mothership.
For the Society for U.S. Intellectual History blog, Paul J. Croce shared some provocative & convincing thoughts on unnamed Marxist ideas that permeate American society.
Zethyn McKinley wrote for Civil War Monitor (free sign-up required) on where we can find & what we can learn from Richmond’s remaining Civil War monuments.
& for his Pittsburgh City Paper column, David S. Rotenstein traced how Ida Tarbell & other local muckraking journalists found material in the city’s corrupt histories.
For the Journal of the Early Republic Panorama, Andrew Miller reflected & expanded upon his recent JER article on enslaved man Titus Shropshire & his encounters with the American Colonization Society.
The folks at the Urban History Association Metropole shared the final entry in their Graduate Student Blogging Contest, Emi Higashiyama on Cairo’s counterrevolutionary landscape.
A pair of excellent LitHub essays to share this week, including Ed Simon on how Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta is a dystopia for our times, & Hanif Abdurraqib on enduring lessons from legendary author & activist June Jordan.
Likewise a pair of new History Workshop articles to pass along: Lola Dickinson on the frustrating Catch-22 of how practicing safe sex can get sex workers arrested; & Steve Jefferys & Richard Kuper’s fascinating reflections on their participation in the 1967 London School of Economics sit-in.
Four pieces from the folks at NiCHE Canada this week: Nicole Miller with a new piece for the Dwelling in Place series, on spiderwebs & the interior as shared habitat; Rachel Anderson & Sigrid Danielson introducing a new series, “Mutual Interests: Collaboration Across the Arts & Humanities”; & the first two entries in that series, Maggie ten Berge & Shalom Yabilsu-Anyaduba’s collaborative work on visualizing absent Roman lives, & Blair Stein & Marianne Hoffmeister Castro’s collaborative depiction of the 1948 Idaho beaver drop.
& likewise four essays for the Pittsburgh Review of Books to highlight in this section: Sean Murphy’s two-part series on the lies we learned to love, a piece on when we started rooting for villains & another on the two Americans we’ve been building; Lisa Slage Robinson on the fascinating, nearly lost legacy of her mother’s essay “America is Everybody’s Business”; & Bill Gormley with some thoughts on why amateur detective stories have proliferated in recent decades.
A number of open-access academic publications to share this week, including four articles from Gender & History: Alex Worsfold on British women & the 1930s Arab Revolt in Palestine; Johannes Bosch on the body as a feminist resource in German Naturism around 1900; Elizabeth Vander Meer & Alette Willis on gender & the politics of veterinary medicine in early 20C Scotland; & Eva Marie Lehner on enslaved wet nurses in the 18th-century Cape Colony.
Also open-access is Florian Bieber in the Journal of European Studies on how “Europeanness” has become a transnational idea of the far right.
& check out the entirely open-access inaugural issue of a new journal, Sonance: A Journal of Early Modern Sound Studies, this one a tribute to the scholar Bruce R. Smith.
A trio of columns from Saturday Evening Post colleagues to share this week: Barbara Noe Kennedy on Mollie Beattie, the woman who fought for Yellowstone’s wolves; boxing writer Andrew Rihn on why Rocky continues punching after 50 years; & Julie Silverbrook on how civic parenting can complement education to help us raise engaged citizens.
& I’m very proud of my latest Considering History Post column, a pre-Election Day special on the election’s Constitutional, founding, deeply American stakes—which of course will remain with us as we move forward from this historic week.
Current Events:
Speaking of that historic election, the Pittsburgh Review of Books shared a trio of excellent essays reflecting on it: Michael Bérubé celebrating the night’s many groundbreaking individuals & moments; James Livington on how the landslide finally demonstrates that the American people aren’t polarized; & Molly Crabapple with a reminder that when we fight, we win.
PRoB also featured two other current events essays this week: Victoria Bello on Hasan Piker, Charlie Kirk, & the memeification of politics; & Samuele F.S. Pardini on what J.D. Vance’s new book on religion reveals about his mediocre as both writer & thinker.
For his Everything is Horrible newsletter, Noah Berlatsky argued that democracy has become a “kitchen table issue” in 2026.
For Defector magazine, John Garrison Marks analyzed why Trump wants to replace American history with big statues of famous people.
My friend Josh Eyler shared a vital guest post on AI & Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed for John Warner’s Inside Higher Ed column.
For their Dallas Observer column, Michael Phillips, Rick Halperin, & Hadi Jawed argued that it’s long past time for the city to deliver clean water to the Sand Branch community.
While for Public Books, William Major interviewed Erik Reece about strip mining, climate change, & his book Lost Mountain: A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness.
& a trio of Liberal Currents articles to conclude this section: Kiran Pfitzner on the Iran War & the reality that airpower offers no way to force a favorable peace; Y. L. Al-Sheikh’s Reconstruction Papers chapter on how we can & must rebuild international law; & Katherine Alejandra Cross on why one of liberalism’s duties is to guard the ability to create, speak, & sing & dance freely.
Podcasts:
Starting with cultural conversations as usual, including the latest episode of Ross Lennon’s History on Film podcast, a conversation with Oscar Winberg about his book on All in the Family.
For their TV is Good podcast, Alan Sepinwall & Kathryn Van Arendonk discussed the return of The Gilded Age as well as the masterpiece Arrested Development.
The latest episode of Dan LeFebvre’s Based on a True Story podcast features Aimee Loiselle on the histories behind Norma Rae.
While the new episode of Pop Culture Basement’s Sleaze Bag Cinema focuses on the Dan Ackroyd film Doctor Detroit.
The Norton Library Podcast kicked off a series on Gulliver’s Travels with a conversation with editor Daniel Cook about Jonathan Swift’s many genres.
The long-running Critical Readings podcast has turned its attention to Melville’s Billy Budd, starting with a panel conversation on the first half & its allegorical framework.
For the Chicago Review of Books Book Stuff podcast, host Tucker Legerski interviewed poet Bob Hicok on how poetry can frame work life.
While for Public Books’ Novel Dialogue podcast, host Rebecca Ballard was joined by novelist Imbolo Mbue & critic Sarah Dimick to discuss editors & the literary ecosystem.
Turning to American history conversations, for Axelbank Reports History & Today Evan interviewed Tony Williams about his book Divided Over the Declaration: How an Enduring Debate Sustains the Vision of America.
Episode 455 of Liz Covart’s Ben Franklin’s World podcast features Museum of the City of New York Curator Sarah Henry & historian Blake McGready on occupied NYC during the Revolution.
While for the third of her five lectures for The United States at 250: Remembering & Forgetting, Shira Lurie discussed Alexander Hamilton in history & on stage.
Alycia Asai’s Civics & Coffee podcast featured two new episodes this week: an interview with Rachel Shelden about her new book on the history of the political Supreme Court; & Alycia’s regular Saturday episode, this week focused on the life & legacy of frontier celebrity Buffalo Bill Cody.
For the latest collaboration between Rich Napolitano’s Shipwrecks & Sea Dogs podcast & the Southern Gothic podcast, they discussed the real 1913 tragedy & spooky aftermaths of the steamboat James T. Staples.
Over at his America: The Story of the USA podcast, Liam Heffernan was joined by Sean Vanatta to trace the histories of the 1929 Wall Street crash.
For one of the most iconic effects of that crash, check out Midwestern History Association podcast co-hosts Josh Kluever & Kevin Mason interviewing Robert Suits about his book The Hobo: A History of America’s First Climate Migrants.
While for the latest episode of his Presidencies of the United States podcast, Jerry Landry was joined by Joel Nelson to discuss the unlikely connection between John F. Kennedy & Winston Churchill.
Continuing with global history conversations, the new episode of Matt Gabriele’s American Medieval podcast features filmmaker Caroline Golum & her new film about 14th century English woman mystic Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love.
For their War of the Rebellion podcast, Neils Eichhorn & Andrew Houck interviewed Michael Kenneth Huner about his new book Parishioners of Sovereignty: A History of Nationhood & War in Nineteenth-Century Paraguay.
Episode 841 of Jacke Wilson’s History of Literature podcast features Kir Kuiken on the history & current state of Caribbean Romanticism.
While episode 120 of Kate Carpenter’s Drafting the Past podcast features Durba Mitra on the complexities & opportunities of doing feminist history now.
& for the latest episode of the Infinite Women podcast, Heidi R. Lewis joined to discuss the fraught, longstanding relationships between hip hop & gender.
For Brandy Schillace’s Peculiar Book Club podcast, neuroscientist Anna Chambers joined to discuss the groundbreaking research behind her book Circuit Breakers.
A trio of new conversations this week for the Black Studies Podcast: Ashley Newby interviewing Juliet Hooker of Brown’s Department of Political Science; John Drabinski’s conversation with McKinley Melton of Rhodes College’s Department of Africana Studies; & Ashley Newby with Lisa Woolfork from the University of Virginia’s English Department (where my late Dad spent 45 years, many of them as Lisa’s colleague!).
A pair of new episodes for Lauren Lassabe Shepherd’s American Campus Podcast to share: this one with Barrett Taylor on the postliberal university; & Sam Goldman on the Hamilton School & conservative civics & leadership centers.
Continuing with current events conversations, for the Center for Ballot Freedom’s This Old Democracy podcast, Micah Sifry was joined by Rachel Janfaza of The Up & Up to talk about Gen Z in politics.
For their The Oath & the Office podcast, John Fugelsang & Corey Brettschneider discussed the historic midterm elections & what comes next.
A pair of Liberal Currents podcast conversations to share: the latest for Caitlin M. Green & Trent R. Nelson’s Half the Answer, their own election recap with Greg Sargent; & episode 97 of Samantha Hancox-Li’s Neon Liberalism, featuring Logan Wright on the myths & realities of China’s economy.
& Heather Cox Richardson’s American Conversations podcast featured a trio of election-week special episodes: this one with Governor JB Pritzker; an interview with Bulwark CEO Sarah Longwell; & one with Run for Something co-founder & President Amanda Litman.
Books:
Out this week from the University of Virginia Press is Kate Nesbit’s Willful Listeners: Reading Aloud & the Politics of Attention from Austen to Audiobooks.
Also published this week was Laura Mammina’s Hard Women, Hard War: How Southern Women Shaped U.S. Policy During the Civil War from the University of Georgia Press.
Likewise now out is Stephen Wade’s Our Common Life: Folksong from the Front Porch to the Concert Hall from the University of Illinois Press.
& finally in the week’s new publications, check out Rebecca Brückmann, Silke Hackenesch, & Charlotte A. Lerg’s edited collection Radical in the Ordinary: Women’s Activism in Everyday American Life.
Forthcoming Tuesday 11/17 from UNC Press is Mary-Elizabeth B. Murphy’s Policing Passengers: Black Women & the Fight Against Bus Violence.
While forthcoming on St. Patrick’s Day 2027 & available for pre-order (also from UNC) is Cian T. McMahon’s When All the World Was Irish: A Global History of Saint Patrick’s Day.
For the Journal of the History of Ideas’ blog, Kayhan Qaiser interviewed David Bates about his recent book An Artificial History of Natural Intelligence.
While for the Pittsburgh Review of Books, Jody DiPerna interviewed veteran journalist Diana Nelson Jones about her debut novel, The Page. & also for PRoB, Michael J. Kramer reviewed Alice Echols’ Black Power, White Heat: From Solidarity Politics to Radical Chic.
For the latest USIH book review, Theodore M. Brown wrote about Caitjan Gainty’s The Product of Medicine: How Efficiency Made American Health Care.
For Drafting the Past’s latest book review, Shaun Richman wrote about Shawn Gude’s American Socialist: The Life & Legacy of Eugene V. Debs. & Drafting the Past also debuted a new “first person” column, featuring co-founder Megan Kate Nelson on serving on a book prize committee.
While for her blog, Laura Tisdall reviewed new releases from three acclaimed authors: Emily St. John Mandel, Becky Chambers, & Sarah Moss.
Finally, if you want an amazing & still-growing list of book recommendations, check out David M. Perry’s generous book-promoting Bluesky thread.
Made By History:
A trio of excellent new columns for the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Made By History this week (all published before the midterms, just FYI): Colleen J. Shogan on lessons from Grover Cleveland for the “sixth-year curse”; Isabella Weber on why affordability & democracy are inseparable; & Michelle Nickerson on why the rising religious left isn’t new in American politics.
Newsletters and Blog Posts:
Starting this final section with a pair of post-election newsletters, including Sherrilyn Ifill on what the results mean & what they don’t.
While Jenn M. Jackson wrote for her Love Notes newsletter on why it’s time for Black women to stop shrinking to be palatable.
For her America & the Lost Cause newsletter, Karen L. Cox offered vital contexts for the Confederate monument set to return to Arlington National Cemetery.
Kevin M. Levin likewise wrote about that returning monument for his Civil War Memory newsletter. & Levin also shared an excellent post on why the question of whether self-government & America would endure was not in any way settled in 1865.
For the ongoing In Pursuit USA project, Judy Woodruff wrote about the wonderful life & legacy of Rosalynn Center. & I have to put that in conversation with the most fascinating of my Jimmy Carter Studying blog posts this week, on Carter’s startling & inspiring familial relationships.
For her Mimic of Modes website, Cassidy Percoco reflected on her work on the Fenimore Art Museum’s Elegant New York exhibition.
The latest installment of Sarah E. Bond’s Pasts Imperfect newsletter features Del A Maticic on Nobel winner Anne Carson’s translations, alongside comments on Carson from Martin W. Michalek, Ethan Ganesh Warren, & Vanessa Stovall.
The new Verbum Libere newsletter tells the story of Guy Fawkes & the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.
For her History in the Margins blog, Pamela D. Toler traced the delightful history of hippomania in Victorian England.
For his ongoing Looking Through the Past series on places on the brink of change, George Dillard focused on Mexico City in 1910.
While Matthew Eaton kicked off a new Historical Ephemera series on trailblazing WWII performer Gracie Fields.
Over at her blog, Theresa Kaminski shared her 23rd Dispatch from the Writing Life, on her November nonfiction readings & project revisions.
At his Genius Locus blog, SAGE GREY (Walter D. Greason) shared a new post on the Black Speculative Arts Movement.
While for his newsletter, Thomas Bevilacqua argued that writing as a generalist might not be good for algorithms, but it’s vital work (a position with which I fully agree!).
I’ll conclude with great cultural studies pieces as ever, including part 2 of Howard Burton’s Exploring Art History series on boocrania.
For Public Books, Sarah Gualtieri interviewed William Youmans & Jason Osder about their award-winning documentary film Who Killed Alex Odeh? & also for Public Books, Vayne Ong reviewed another recent documentary, Drop Dead City.
For the Pittsburgh Review of Books, Zach LeBeau traced some of the inspiration behind his & Dean Imperial’s indie film The Plea.
Over at Typebar Magazine, Jennie Lightweis-Goff reflected on Doug Liman’s groundbreaking film Go (1999) & the Long Millenium.
For Bright Wall/Dark Room’s ongoing Midlife Crisis issue, Russell Nichols wrote about another fascinating late 90s film, David Fincher’s The Game.
Two excellent new Outlaw Vern reviews to share this week: his take on the new Mahershala Ali film Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother; & this year’s Halloween review, a revisit of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
Speaking of Halloween specials, check out Vaughn Joy’s latest Review Roulette piece, a queer approach to the Jimmy Stewart-Kim Novak gem Bell, Book, & Candle.
Finally, for his Academic Bubble newsletter Dion Georgiou kicked off a series analyzing future PM Tony Blair’s 1996 appearance on Desert Island Discs. & if you can’t get enough public scholarship, check out the 71st installment of Dion’s Stop, Look, & Listen compilations.
PS. I’m sure Dion & I missed plenty as ever, so please share more writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books below. Thanks, & happy reading, listening, & learning, all!
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