Saturday Notes

Tim Burke's History 62:"The Production of History" looks like another fascinating course. While you're over at Easily Distracted, have a look at the discussion precipitated by Tim's"The Bérubéan Moment." If we were giving a Cliopatria Award to Best Discussion, this one might be the winner.

When I run out of good things to link to, I routinely raid Rob MacDougall's The New New at Old Is The New New. His citations run a wide range, from Russell Davies'"How to be Interesting" ("#2 Start a Blog," says Davies."A necessary, but not a sufficient condition," says MacDougall) to serious stuff: MacDougall,"The Telephone on Mainstreet: Utility Regulation in the United States and Canada Before 1900," Business and Economic History Online, (2006): 1-23. Rob's other important recent article,"The Wire Devils: Pulp Thrillers, The Telephone, and Action at a Distance in the Wiring of a Nation," American Quarterly 57:3 (September 2006), is accessible via Project Muse.

Camille T. Taiara,"Latin American Intellectuals Join Ranks of ‘Ideologically Excluded'," New American Media, 13 November, updates the case of Waskar Ari, the Bolivian historian, who has been denied a VISA to take up his appointment at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. During eight years in the United States, he earned his doctorate at Georgetown, but despite the intervention of AHA officials on his behalf has been unable to get clearance to teach here. Thanks to Brian Ulrich at Brian's Study Breaks and Will at Kabobfest for the tip.

EugeneVolokh has been following the interesting case of a student at Missouri State University's School of Social Work, who has sued the University for being compelled to sign statements in defense of gay rights. It's a very interesting test of student speech rights and the line between professionalizing obligation and coerced opinion.

Arthur C. Brooks' new book, Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism, is likely to be controversial and his data needs to be tested. But would it be surprising if rightists placed greater trust in private initiatives to do what leftists expect of government?

Finally, congratulations to Dan Todman of Queen Mary, University of London. He blogs at Trench Fever, is the author of The Great War: Myth and Memory, and has just been named the Times' Young Academic Author of the Year.