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So…What IS Public History?

I sometimes struggle to explain, efficiently, what I am, as a Public Historian. (As an individual, I identify as she/her, Taurus, mom, wife, gardener, and lapsed runner.) “Public History” is simultaneously unfamiliar and common, broad and precise. Even the National Council on Public History dances around the definition, ultimately deferring to its (very good) blog,Continue reading “So…What IS Public History?”

Narrative Philosophy

“Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” —Hamilton musical (Hey, if you’re going to borrow, may as well borrow from the best, right?) As we watch a particularly tumultuous chapter of American history unfold, I’ve been thinking a lot about how future historians will tell our story. Unreliable sources, extreme viewpoints, and (sigh) “alternativeContinue reading “Narrative Philosophy”

City Classroom

When considering graduate programs, something they don’t tell you is that you will get to know that city VERY well. I was drawn to Chicago for my studies in large part for its museums, culture, stunning lakefront, and despite its terribly cold weather. But through my time there I also got to know the city’sContinue reading “City Classroom”

Our Story: Why Aster?

In Detroit, between the months of August and October, asters grow like mad: edging gardens, popping through sidewalk cracks, rambling along the edges of highways. They bloom in gravel parking lots, alongside wetlands, in sandy forest clearings, and in fields of heavy clay. They endure the brutal shift in seasons and a fair amount ofContinue reading “Our Story: Why Aster?”