I didn’t know how much I hated the term “independent scholar” until people began to use it to describe me. I left academia four years ago to try to make it as a full-time writer; when anyone asks me what I do, I say, “I am a writer.” Academics, however, still seem . . .
Read MoreGiven that the two major academic conferences are convening this week in Denver (American Historical Association) and Philadelphia (Modern Language Association), I present my annual fashion post: this year, a list of recommended looks for that accessory almost all academics sport: glasses. Sure, there are probably academics out there with perfect vision. . . .
Read MoreAt the Southern Historical Association last month, between stops at the beachside bars and breaks to fill out my Beach Blanket Bingo cards, I went to sessions. I know, it seems crazy. But after working at home or in cafés alone for months over the summer and fall, I needed to be . . .
Read MoreThis week, hundreds of academics will descend upon St. Pete’s Beach, Florida, ready to slather on the sunscreen, order some umbrella drinks, and talk about history at the Southern Historical Association meeting. In honor of this annual academic ritual, I offer participants the SHA 2016 Bingo Card. Click to download a printable . . .
Read MoreThe air is crisp. The leaves are falling. In New England there are cider donuts. All of this is delightful. And it means that it is – praise be! – the beginning of my Academic Conference Season. And you know I love to write about conferences. Should I go to them? What . . .
Read MoreAs I pack my bags to go to the Western Association of Women Historians conference in Denver, I ask myself: why am I doing this? I don’t need another line on my cv. In fact, I don’t even need a cv these days. And conferences are expensive. The plane flight, hotel, transportation . . .
Read More‘Tis the season, my friends. You get on a plane with your pile of papers to grade or that book you have to prep for class or that sheaf of printed primary docs you need to annotate. You fly to a mid-size city, take a cab to a conference hotel, dump your . . .
Read MoreThis week, more than a thousand academics will gather in St. Louis for the Organization of American Historians meeting. Sadly, I won’t be at the OAH (have fun, everyone!) but I will be attending several conferences in the summer and fall. I’ll go to panels (fewer than I should); I’ll go to . . .
Read MoreOver the past few weeks I’ve been party to several conversations about blogging, its role in the field of history, and in academia in general. What is the point? some people ask. Why would anyone do this? Blogging invites trolls; it doesn’t help anyone get tenure; it’s a ton of work. Yes, . . .
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