May 1-2, 2021: April 2021 Recap

[A Recap of the month that was in AmericanStudying.]

April 5: NeMLA Recaps: Opening Address and Keynote Event: A series recapping the 2021 NeMLA conference kicks off with two ways of thinking about creative and cultural work—and making the case for organizations like NeMLA!

April 6: NeMLA Recaps: Grace Sanders Johnson’s Talk: The series continues with one specific and one universal inspiration I took from a wonderful Special Event.

April 7: NeMLA Recaps: Three of My Chaired Sessions: The first of two posts highlighting the six phenomenal sessions I had the chance to chair at NeMLA 2021.

April 8: NeMLA Recaps: Three More of My Chaired Sessions: And the second of those posts highlighting my chaired sessions.

April 9: NeMLA Recaps: A Few Other Highlights: The series concludes with a few other awesome panels I watched in my last year as American Area Director.

April 10-11: NeMLA Recaps: Virtual Conferences: A special weekend post on what virtual conferences can’t do, what they can offer, and how to keep the latter as we move forward.

April 12: Latin American Invasions: Nicaragua: A series for the Bay of Pigs invasion’s 60^th anniversary kicks off with two historical conflicts that are all too representative.

April 13: Latin American Invasions: The School of the Americas: The series continues with three telling stages in the history of a longstanding, controversial US government institution.

April 14: Latin American Invasions: Granada: Fictional and symbolic wars on and off the big screen, as the series rolls on.

April 15: Latin American Invasions: Panama: What it would mean to truly grapple with our history of alliances with brutal dictators.

April 16: Latin American Invasions: The Bay of Pigs: On the invasion’s 60^th, the series concludes with three lesser-known figures who reveal its contours and aftermaths.

April 19: RadioStudying: Amos and Andy: For NPR’s 50^th bday, a radio series kicks off with blackface radio and what makes it distinct from other such stereotypical performances.

April 20: RadioStudying: NPR: The series continues with three programs that illustrate the network’s evolution and variety.

April 21: RadioStudying: Alan Freed: Two contrasting sides to the pioneering DJ and how to bridge the gap, as the series (rocks and) rolls on.

April 22: RadioStudying: Sports Radio: Two lessons I learned from many years’ worth of commutes hate-listening to sports radio.

April 23: RadioStudying: Songs about Radio: The series concludes with quick takeaways from a handful of the many great pop songs about radio.

April 24-25: Kate Jewell’s Guest Post: A Love Letter to College Radio: My latest Guest Post, from my FSU colleague who’s also finishing a vital book on college radio!

April 26: Classic FilmStudying: Birth of a Nation: For Citizen Kane’s 80^th anniversary, a classic film series starts with how to re-view racist classics.

April 27: Classic FilmStudying: The Wizard of Oz: The series continues with a couple ways to read the surprisingly celebratory core of the Depression-era film.

April 28: Classic FilmStudying: Casablanca: Two ways the iconic film resonates in the age of Trump, as the series screens on.

April 29: Classic FilmStudying: Stewart, Wayne, and Valance: Two mythic Hollywood lives and legacies, and the film that purposefully complicates both of them.

April 30: Classic FilmStudying: Citizen Kane: The series concludes with two very American problems with one of our most important films.

Next series starts Monday,

Ben

PS. Topics you’d like to see covered in this space? Guest Posts you’d like to contribute? Lemme know!