[A Recap of the
month that was in AmericanStudying.]
April
29: Rodney King in Context: Rodney King: On the anniversary of the King
verdict, a series on related histories begins with King himself beyond the
stereotypical soundbites.
April
30: Rodney King in Context: The LAPD: The series continues with two mid-20th
century riots that together anticipated the King story.
May
1: Rodney King in Context: Korean American Businesses: An ethnic and
communal space that was complicatedly pulled into the King riots, as the series
rolls on.
May
2: Rodney King in Context: Anna Deavere Smith’s Dramas: Two one-woman shows
that are as evocative and historically informative on the page as on the stage.
May
3: Rodney King in Context: The People vs. O.J. Simpson: The problems and
possibilities of shoehorning historical footage into historical fictions.
May
4-5: Rodney King in Context: “Race Riots”: The series concludes with the
need to remember specific riots while pushing back on the whole phrase and
concept.
May
6: Travel Writing: Good Newes from New England: A travel writing series
kicks off with what separates and links colonial propaganda from travel
literature.
May
7: Travel Writing: Sarah Kemble Knight: The series continues with what a
unique 18th century travel narrative helps us understand about the
period.
May
8: Travel Writing: Thoreau’s Cape Cod: Two complementary reasons to read
Thoreau’s often overlooked travel book, as the series journeys on.
May
9: Travel Writing: The Boston Cosmopolitans: Two positive American effects
of an elite community’s international travels.
May
10: Travel Writing: Exiles’ Returns: The series concludes with the promise
and perils of returning home after many years away.
May
11-12: “I Stand Here Ironing” and the Challenges of Motherhood: A special
Mother’s Day post on a short story that helps us remember and celebrate one of
society’s toughest and most vital roles.
May
13: Spring Semester Reflections: Hurston and Beyoncé in 20C Af Am Lit: A
Spring recap series kicks off with a pairing that helped me add African
American women’s voices into my class more fully.
May
14: Spring Semester Reflections: Espada and Cisneros in Ethnic American Lit:
The series continues with two distinct but complementary ways to challenge exclusionary
propaganda.
May
15: Spring Semester Reflections: Chopin and Far in American Lit II: The
delightful surprises that come from juxtaposing texts, as the series rolls on.
May
16: Spring Semester Reflections: Celeste Ng in Capstone: How a class full
of readers and writers can offer distinct and valuable takes on a familiar text.
May
17: Spring Semester Reflections: Short Stories in my Adult Learning Class:
The recap series concludes with three of the wonderful stories highlighted in
my ALFA course.
May
18-19: Summer and Fall Book Plans: A special post on my plans and goals for
my forthcoming book (now due out a full month earlier, on July 15!).
May
20: As American as Blue Jeans: Levi Strauss: On the anniversary of their
patent, a blue jeans studying series kicks off with three exemplary American
sides to their co-inventor.
May
21: As American as Blue Jeans: Cowboys: The series continues with myths,
realities, and an iconic American type.
May
22: As American as Blue Jeans: James Dean: How blue jeans do and don’t help
us remember the iconic actor, as the series rolls on.
May
23: As American as Blue Jeans: Jean Jackets: Three famous denim jackets that
embody three recent eras.
May
24: As American as Blue Jeans: Advertisements, Then and Now: The series
concludes with what two older and two contemporary ads tell us about
continuities and changes over time.
May
25-27: Remembering Memorial Day: My annual Memorial Day special post, on
why and how to remember the holiday’s origins and meanings more fully.
May
28: Decoration Day Histories: Frederick Douglass: A Decoration Day series
kicks off with Douglass’s stirring 1871 speech.
May
29: Decoration Day Histories: Roger Pryor: The series continues with an
invitation and shift that mark two troubling changes in American attitudes.
May
30: Decoration Day Histories: “Rodman the Keeper”: A local color short
story that helps us remember a community for whom the holiday didn’t change, as
the series rolls on.
May
31: Decoration Day Histories: So What?: The series concludes with three
ways to argue for remembering Decoration Day as well as Memorial Day.
Next series
starts Monday,
Ben
PS. Topics like
you’d to see covered in this space? Guest Posts you’d like to contribute? Lemme know!
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