40 years ago this week a student newspaper started one of the most notorious rumors of the 1960s. Check it out here. [BP]
The History Blog
Past and Present
Archive for September, 2009
Feeling a Little too Clever
Feeling Clever. One of the perils of being a professor is that it can encourage you to think you are clever. I’m sure there are other professions where this is true, but it is definitely the case here. This is the story. As a life-long resident of the northeast and a person with specific view Read More
Arguing over the Uses and Abuses of History
Last Saturday’s march in Washington, D.C. has sparked controversy among pundits, politicians, and yes, even historians. Two issues seem to dominate the discussions. The first, on whether racism played a significant role in the protests, has ignited a particularly sharp debate. The second, the uses and abuses of history, raises critical questions for history Read More
Let Them Eat Cake! and Other American Stories
“Less Government! Am I Alone?” reads a yard sign in Bethel. Every time I pass it, I’m tempted to stop and invite the sign’s author to tell me more. I had the same reaction to the folks in August’s town hall meetings when angry constituents yelled at Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Arlen Specter of Read More
Loving Students in the Fall
In my last post – which I forgot to sign – I started my positive professor campaign. I don’t want anyone to be confused, I can complain with the best of them, but the truth is that ground is well covered elsewhere. But I am neither as erudite (which I can’t spell correctly either) nor Read More
The Tightening Double Bind: Women in the News
ABC News announced the appointment of Diana Sawyer this week as the replacement for announcer Charlie Gibson on its nightly news. Critics quickly complained that Sawyer lacked journalistic chops, and noted the prospect of two female anchors, Sawyer and CBS’s Katie Couric. Because I’m not particularly a Sawyer fan – how does she look so Read More
