November 28, 2014: 21st Century Thanks: E-Colleagues

[For my annual Thanksgiving series, I thought I’d express my gratitude for some of the best of our 21^st century digital age and what it has contributed to my work and life. I’d love to hear your thanks, for anything and everything, as well!]

On five colleagues I haven’t yet had the chance to meet in person—but to whom I feel connected thanks to 21^st century communities.

1)      Kevin Levin: I’ve written before about Kevin’s Civil War Memory blog, and it remains one of my models for public scholarly blogging and work. But Kevin’s equally impressive for the way he balances teaching, speaking engagements, and publication with maintaining that wonderful blog.

2)      William Kerrigan: William and I have Guest Posted on each other’s blogs, which is pretty much the pitch-perfect version of this post’s point. But even without that synchronicity, William’s cultural and historical AmericanStudying exemplifies this gig.

3)      Robert Greene II: Rob contributed a Guest Post of his own earlier this fall, and it illustrated much of what makes his blossoming career in American Studies and history so exciting: his interconnected interests in sports, region, race, and intellectual history, and they way he develops them with nuance and power.

4)      Anna Mae Duane: When I linked to this post of Anna Mae Duane’s on House of Cards, I neglected to include as much of a bio as I normally do for full Guest Posters. So I’m happy to have this chance to highlight her exciting edited collection, her consistently entertaining and thought-provoking blog, and her exemplary public scholarly Tweeting.

5)      Rachel Collins: When I shared this Guest Post of Rachel’s on Undercover Boss, I highlighted her publications on My Antonia and Sister Carrie. Any young scholar who can write equal complexity and significance about reality TV and Cather and Dreiser—well, that’s my kind of 21^st century AmericanStudier!

While I hope to meet all five of those great scholars, right now I have to thank the 21^st century for my connections to all of them—and thank it I do!

November Recap this weekend,

Ben

PS. What do you think? Other AmericanThanks you’d share?