Wednesday, February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012: February Recap

[Leap year posts resume tomorrow—but on this leap day, a recap of the month in American Studying.]

February 1: Tebow and Abdul-Rauf: The second post in my series on American sports studies analyzes religion, community, and identity through two very distinct individuals and stories.

February 2: The Three Acts of John Rocker: The third sports post analyzes the three complex and compellingly American stages of John Rocker’s saga.

February 3: The Growth of an American Sports Studier: The fourth sports post charts three of my own stages through baseball books I have loved.

February 4-5: A Key Question about Muhammad Ali: The sports series concludes with a question—to which I’d still love your answers!—about Ali’s reception and perception in the 1960s.

February 6: Remembering Lucille Clifton: My Black History Month series begins with one of our most multi-talented poets.

February 7: Remembering the Harlem Renaissance: The next Black History post adds three interesting writers and voices to our memories of the Harlem Renaissance.

February 8: Remembering Anna Julia Cooper: Black History post on one of the late 19th century’s most inspiring identities and texts.

February 9: Remembering Frances Ellen Watkins Harper: Black History post on an American whose writings and influences touched virtually every 19th century issue.

February 10: Remembering David Walker: The final Black History post, on a very aggressive, angry, and necessary abolitionist voice and work.

February 11-12: Remembering Whitney Houston: A brief tribute to one of the late 20th century’s most talented and troubled American popular artists.

February 13: Remembering Nat Love: A week of love-inspired posts starts with this account of the black cowboy, Pullman porter, and celebrated autobiographer.

February 14: Love in Color: On national narratives and images of interracial relationships.

February 15: Love, Puritan Style: On John Winthrop’s Arbella sermon and Puritan ideals of love, charity, and community.

February 16: Remembering Yasuhiro Ishimoto: A tribute to a Japanese American photographer about whose story, generally and for this American Studier specifically, there’s a lot to love.

February 17: Love Lessons: A Valentine’s-inspired tribute to books, films, and people this American Studier loves!

February 18-19: Tim McCaffrey’s Guest Post: My latest guest post, on Jackie Robinson’s World War II service and activism.

February 20: Precedents Day: My suggestion on how to make this national holiday into a more meaningful remembrance of our leaders and histories.

February 21: The Big Easy and Friends: A Mardi Gras-inspired tribute to cities and the American Studies lessons I have learned from them.

February 22: Chinatown and Los Angeles: The city series continues, with a post on Polanski’s film and the complex histories and stories of LA.

February 23: Images of Charleston: The city series heads east, to analyze three distinct but interconnected images of this South Carolina port.

February 24: Detroit Connections: The series moves to the Motor City, to analyze three distinct historical and cultural connections for a 1960s revolutionary movement.

February 25-26: Cities of Hope?: Philadelphia, Sayles, Springsteen, and narratives of decline and renewal in late 20th and early 21st century American cities.

February 27: 1848: The leap year series begins with three revolutionary 1848 moments and the histories to which they connect.

February 28: 1884: The next leap year post examines new cultural and social presences in 1884.

Hope you’ve enjoyed February here as much as I have! Next leap year post tomorrow,

Ben

PS. Any topics or areas you’d like to see in the blog in the months ahead?

2/29 Memory Day nominee: Dee Brown, whose best-selling, tragic, and completely compelling Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West (1970) exemplifies the very best that revisionist history, narrative history, and quite simply American history writing, scholarship, and study can be.

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