Richard C. Keller, PhD
@richardckeller.bsky.social
2.8K followers 400 following 1.9K posts
Chair of MedHist/Bioethics at UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Author of Fatal Isolation from the University of Chicago Press (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo20145393.html). Bicycles/dogs. Views mine. He, him, his.
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richardckeller.bsky.social
An editor at Hopkins gave me that advice when she shot down my proposal. She was right. I had very few Hopkins books at the time, and a ton from California, Cornell, and Chicago. I wound up going with Chicago for two books and it was a great fit.
richardckeller.bsky.social
Very good advice. Related: look at your bookshelves. What presses are most represented? That should help determine your target press.
audrajwolfe.bsky.social
My best advice to aspiring authors of scholarly books is to read other scholarly books recently published by your target press. This may seem obvious and yet is not!
richardckeller.bsky.social
Absolutely. And add to this the difficulty of even finding full profs in some small or emerging fields that are at arm's length. (In particular, niche-y fields in HSMT where *everyone* has collaborated.)
richardckeller.bsky.social
On the one hand, it's not much different from presses offering payment for reading manuscripts. On the other, it's a practice that will disadvantage small departments with few resources. 🤷‍♂️
richardckeller.bsky.social
As a chair, one of the hardest things is soliciting these letters--there's an epidemic of non-response to requests. But this is not the answer to the unpaid labor problem. Some schools are now paying for these letters, which seems like a better, if imperfect, solution.
richardckeller.bsky.social
I understand that writing these is time- and energy-consuming, but that's what makes them valuable! And yes, it is an honor to support good people doing good work.
richardckeller.bsky.social
Oh wow I didn't even think about the confidentiality part.
richardckeller.bsky.social
Same. If so what's the value of these letters?
richardckeller.bsky.social
I give up--who is this referring to, so I can block them?
richardckeller.bsky.social
I remember that from my undergrad days!
richardckeller.bsky.social
5/4 football. Just like when Bill McCartney got 5 downs against Mizzou in 1990.
richardckeller.bsky.social
Dear colleagues: please see the attached CFP for the Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science 2026 meeting.
CALL FOR
PAPERS
28TH ANNUAL MEETING
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION FOR THE
HISTORY OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE
SAHMS is seeking paper and panel
abstracts for our upcoming conference.
We welcome submissions from scholars
at all stages in their career engaged in
original scholarship in the history of
science, medicine, technology, and
related fields. Papers related to historical
collections, public history, and pedagogy
are also encouraged.

April 2-4, 2026
Arkansas Colleges of
Health Education
Fort Smith, Arkansas

21 NOVEMBER 2025ABSTRACTS <350 WORDS DUE at  WWW.SAHMS.WILDAPRICOT.ORG
richardckeller.bsky.social
Don't even think about it, Wisconsin
ollieconnolly.bsky.social
Per sources: Bill Belichick has discussed buyout options with North Carolina’s hierarchy. Belichick has signaled a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he can find a soft landing with another team or in media
richardckeller.bsky.social
Wisconsin has the chance to do the funniest thing ever. (Don't you dare, Badgers!)
richardckeller.bsky.social
So I've since learned we did this twice before: 1985 (Bill Cronon and Joel Rogers) and 2019 (Lynda Barry and Andrea Dutton).
richardckeller.bsky.social
Two from Wisconsin this year! Not sure we’ve ever done that before.
bakerdphd.bsky.social
It's MacArthur day! It's MacArthur day!

I have a little ritual where, every announcement day, I watch the video, read the Fellows' bios, and ask myself how I'm being creative in my own work. Just a nice push to think outside the box.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ3K...
Meet the 2025 MacArthur Fellows
YouTube video by macfound
m.youtube.com
richardckeller.bsky.social
He's no longer with us, but Henry was a truly epic sleeper.
An English Setter sleeps in an impossible position. His body is on a grey tweed couch. His head is on a black leather ottoman. His forelegs are between the two, draping down to touch a red, gold, and beige Kilim rug.
richardckeller.bsky.social
When I was like 6 I met Ron Jaworski when he was doing autographs at a central Jersey Kmart. Go Birds.
richardckeller.bsky.social
Excellent point. Big contrast with Minnesota! (the other good public option here, as Wisconsin and Minnesota have in-state reciprocity)
richardckeller.bsky.social
Also it's gotten VERY difficult to get into UW for students from Madison.
richardckeller.bsky.social
There's a surprising trend right now of upper-middle-class kids from Madison going to SEC schools. I think BamaRushTok or whatever it's called has something to do with it as well.
richardckeller.bsky.social
They're delicious, clean wines. At least the amber is, which is the one I've had. You might also try this one: mysa.wine/products/can... (Can you tell it's been a summer of orange wine in our house?!)
Sikele 2022
Sikele, by Cantina Marilina, is a natural Orange Wine from Sicily, Italy. Made from Grecanico grapes with Minimal SO2. Buy online at MYSA Natural Wine.
mysa.wine