John L. Allen, Jr.,"'Poped out' Wills seeks broader horizons," National Catholic Reporter, 28 November. Despite its foolish title, this is an excellent profile of Garry Wills, who Allen calls America's most important presidential historian. His current project? A book about William Shakespeare's"Antony and Cleopatra" and"Coriolanus." With a doctorate in classics from Yale, Wills was denied tenure at Johns Hopkins. Since then, what has he not written about? Hat tip.

H-Shear, the H-Net listserv about the early American republic, has been sponsoring a series of essays that examine Daniel Walker Howe's What Hath God Wrought. It includes: Introduction (Oct. 27), James Huston on Economic History (Oct. 27), Michael A. Morrison on Political History (Nov. 3), David M. Henkin on the "Communications Revolution" (Nov. 10), Mary P. Ryan on Women and Gender (Nov. 17), James Taylor Carson on Native American History (Nov. 24), and Manisha Sinha on Slavery and Race (Dec. 2). It continues next week with a piece by Bertram Wyatt-Brown on Religion and Reform and concludes the following week with Howe's rejoinder to his critics.

Donald Ritchie,"Why Does the Transition Take So Long?" OUP Blog, 2 December, considers the interregnum between American presidential elections and inaugurations.