Clio and the Contemporary
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social
Connecting history to the present—articles, teaching materials, & advice for the contemporary historian. Accepting submissions. Eds
@sarahking.bsky.social & @malszy.bsky.social
clioandthecontemporary.com | #bskystorians
@sarahking.bsky.social & @malszy.bsky.social
clioandthecontemporary.com | #bskystorians
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Happy Victory for US Arms and Down With Treasonous Slavers Day!
Uncomfortable with the First Thanksgiving Narrative? Good News, it’s Actually a Civil War Holiday
Take heart, all you who grow unsettled at the time of year where the narrative of friendly Pilgrims and American Indians is spread around to make us feel good about a brief moment in American histo…
angrystaffofficer.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Happy Victory for US Arms and Down With Treasonous Slavers Day!
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
The Internet Archive just released tens of thousands of seed catalogs, spanning over two centuries!
They are both lovely and interesting. Check them out!
archive.org/details/usda...
🗃️ #c18th #c19th #c20th #illustration
They are both lovely and interesting. Check them out!
archive.org/details/usda...
🗃️ #c18th #c19th #c20th #illustration
November 26, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The Internet Archive just released tens of thousands of seed catalogs, spanning over two centuries!
They are both lovely and interesting. Check them out!
archive.org/details/usda...
🗃️ #c18th #c19th #c20th #illustration
They are both lovely and interesting. Check them out!
archive.org/details/usda...
🗃️ #c18th #c19th #c20th #illustration
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
You know what we won't need once handwriting recognition software has done its thing? Archivists, curators, conservators, catalogers, codicologists, or paleographers. We won't need archives either. We won't need diplomatics, editorial theory, book or media history, or material culture studies 🗃️🧵
November 26, 2025 at 10:12 PM
You know what we won't need once handwriting recognition software has done its thing? Archivists, curators, conservators, catalogers, codicologists, or paleographers. We won't need archives either. We won't need diplomatics, editorial theory, book or media history, or material culture studies 🗃️🧵
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Historians of recent US -- insightful piece about late-20th and an exemplar article for how academic historians can write as pop intellectuals.
Pop culture of massive chart hit + scholarly analysis + vernacular vocab and syntax = smart pop history nugget
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social
Pop culture of massive chart hit + scholarly analysis + vernacular vocab and syntax = smart pop history nugget
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social
What the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Can Teach Us Fifty Years Later
Fifty years ago the ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a Lake Superior storm. But more than the “gales of November” wrecked the Fitz. The ship was also the casualty of a globalizing neoliberal…
clioandthecontemporary.com
November 26, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Historians of recent US -- insightful piece about late-20th and an exemplar article for how academic historians can write as pop intellectuals.
Pop culture of massive chart hit + scholarly analysis + vernacular vocab and syntax = smart pop history nugget
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social
Pop culture of massive chart hit + scholarly analysis + vernacular vocab and syntax = smart pop history nugget
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Hey historians 🗃️: Do you know of presses that publish short books (around 30K words / 90 pages plus notes)? I have been working on an article project that could easily turn into an great micro-history of that length, but I'm not sure it would make it to the usual full 60-90K words...
November 19, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Hey historians 🗃️: Do you know of presses that publish short books (around 30K words / 90 pages plus notes)? I have been working on an article project that could easily turn into an great micro-history of that length, but I'm not sure it would make it to the usual full 60-90K words...
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
The vast body of research that Ken Burns relied upon to make his new documentary on the American Revolution would be practically impossible to be produced today, what with the defunding of humanistic scholarship, the collapse of stable academic jobs, the attack on public history & academic freedom.🗃️
November 17, 2025 at 9:43 PM
The vast body of research that Ken Burns relied upon to make his new documentary on the American Revolution would be practically impossible to be produced today, what with the defunding of humanistic scholarship, the collapse of stable academic jobs, the attack on public history & academic freedom.🗃️
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 250! (11/16/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more ...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
It's #DigitalFriday ! This is my routine appeal to #skystorians and all other academics prepping for teaching to share any software, hardware, online resources (primary, secondary, teaching tools, blogs) tips and tricks that they've found useful this week! #AcademicSky 🗃️(pls boost to relevant feeds)
November 14, 2025 at 8:07 AM
It's #DigitalFriday ! This is my routine appeal to #skystorians and all other academics prepping for teaching to share any software, hardware, online resources (primary, secondary, teaching tools, blogs) tips and tricks that they've found useful this week! #AcademicSky 🗃️(pls boost to relevant feeds)
On the 50th Anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Jerald Podair shares the broader significance of the tragedy, not just on the lives of those involved, but on the broader implications it represented for the post-WWII US economy. 🗃️
clioandthecontemporary.com/2025/11/10/w...
clioandthecontemporary.com/2025/11/10/w...
What the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Can Teach Us Fifty Years Later
Fifty years ago the ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a Lake Superior storm. But more than the “gales of November” wrecked the Fitz. The ship was also the casualty of a globalizing neoliberal…
clioandthecontemporary.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:47 PM
On the 50th Anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Jerald Podair shares the broader significance of the tragedy, not just on the lives of those involved, but on the broader implications it represented for the post-WWII US economy. 🗃️
clioandthecontemporary.com/2025/11/10/w...
clioandthecontemporary.com/2025/11/10/w...
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
I was talking to a friend about the review process and I told them sometimes you just run into the wrong reviewer. It ain’t always you. 🤷🏾♂️
November 8, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I was talking to a friend about the review process and I told them sometimes you just run into the wrong reviewer. It ain’t always you. 🤷🏾♂️
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Had a blast writing this piece for @cliocontemporary.bsky.social!
Great advice from @mingsga.bsky.social on using comps to craft your dissertation prospectus!
"When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool."
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
November 3, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Had a blast writing this piece for @cliocontemporary.bsky.social!
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
It’s November, and like Mariah it’s time for my 248th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week to be defrosted. Add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 248 (11/2/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
It’s November, and like Mariah it’s time for my 248th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week to be defrosted. Add ...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM
It’s November, and like Mariah it’s time for my 248th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week to be defrosted. Add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Check out Clio’s latest from our very own @oaverettephillips.bsky.social with fantastic advice for PhD students. Check it out!
Our "Comps Series," continues with @oaverettephillips.bsky.social giving advice on taking your oral and written exams: "The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready."
Written & Oral Comps
The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready.
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Check out Clio’s latest from our very own @oaverettephillips.bsky.social with fantastic advice for PhD students. Check it out!
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
I was very excited to write this advice piece with tips on how to take, and pass, your comprehensive exams. I received some good advice leading up to my exam on how to tackle comps and that—as well as my own lived experience—is passed on in this piece.
Our "Comps Series," continues with @oaverettephillips.bsky.social giving advice on taking your oral and written exams: "The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready."
Written & Oral Comps
The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready.
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:15 PM
I was very excited to write this advice piece with tips on how to take, and pass, your comprehensive exams. I received some good advice leading up to my exam on how to tackle comps and that—as well as my own lived experience—is passed on in this piece.
Our "Comps Series," continues with @oaverettephillips.bsky.social giving advice on taking your oral and written exams: "The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready."
Written & Oral Comps
The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready.
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Our "Comps Series," continues with @oaverettephillips.bsky.social giving advice on taking your oral and written exams: "The written and oral portions of your comprehensive exams may seem daunting, but try to remember that when you get to this step you are ready."
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
October 30, 2025 at 8:07 AM
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Here it is, my 247th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 247 (10/26/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
Here it is, my 247th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy,...
blackwhiteandread.com
October 26, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Here it is, my 247th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Great advice from @mingsga.bsky.social on using comps to craft your dissertation prospectus!
"When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool."
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
From the Comprehensive Exam to the Prospectus Defense: Using Comps as a Roadmap for the Prospectus
When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool. Here’s some advice on how to use your comps for a great prospectus.
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Great advice from @mingsga.bsky.social on using comps to craft your dissertation prospectus!
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social “Comps Series” continues with a helpful piece by @mingsga.bsky.social. Be sure to charge this series with grad students currently or planning to dive into comps or prospectus defenses.
"When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool."
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
From the Comprehensive Exam to the Prospectus Defense: Using Comps as a Roadmap for the Prospectus
When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool. Here’s some advice on how to use your comps for a great prospectus.
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:34 PM
@cliocontemporary.bsky.social “Comps Series” continues with a helpful piece by @mingsga.bsky.social. Be sure to charge this series with grad students currently or planning to dive into comps or prospectus defenses.
"When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool."
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
From the Comprehensive Exam to the Prospectus Defense: Using Comps as a Roadmap for the Prospectus
When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool. Here’s some advice on how to use your comps for a great prospectus.
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 24, 2025 at 4:11 PM
"When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool."
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
In the next piece in our "Comps Series," @mingsga.bsky.social gives advice on using comps to create your dissertation prospectus.
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
In the second piece of our "Comps Series" @keanuheydari.bsky.social gives advice on how to read and remember for comps: "Read with precision, take structured notes, test your memory, and lean on community—the process is as much formation as it is evaluation."
Reading, Remembering, and Reorienting for Comprehensive Exams
Comprehensive exams are less about recalling every detail of every book than about building a durable system of arguments, interventions, and stakes. Read with precision, take structured notes, tes…
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:18 PM
In the second piece of our "Comps Series" @keanuheydari.bsky.social gives advice on how to read and remember for comps: "Read with precision, take structured notes, test your memory, and lean on community—the process is as much formation as it is evaluation."
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
From @keanuheydari.bsky.social : “The comprehensive exam is a strange hybrid: part intellectual calisthenics, part memory sport, part existential reckoning.”
This is so useful for current and prospective graduate students. 🗃️
This is so useful for current and prospective graduate students. 🗃️
In the second piece of our "Comps Series" @keanuheydari.bsky.social gives advice on how to read and remember for comps: "Read with precision, take structured notes, test your memory, and lean on community—the process is as much formation as it is evaluation."
Reading, Remembering, and Reorienting for Comprehensive Exams
Comprehensive exams are less about recalling every detail of every book than about building a durable system of arguments, interventions, and stakes. Read with precision, take structured notes, tes…
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 22, 2025 at 4:11 PM
From @keanuheydari.bsky.social : “The comprehensive exam is a strange hybrid: part intellectual calisthenics, part memory sport, part existential reckoning.”
This is so useful for current and prospective graduate students. 🗃️
This is so useful for current and prospective graduate students. 🗃️
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
@keanuheydari.bsky.social has written a GREAT piece on how to read—and remember what you read—for comps
In the second piece of our "Comps Series" @keanuheydari.bsky.social gives advice on how to read and remember for comps: "Read with precision, take structured notes, test your memory, and lean on community—the process is as much formation as it is evaluation."
Reading, Remembering, and Reorienting for Comprehensive Exams
Comprehensive exams are less about recalling every detail of every book than about building a durable system of arguments, interventions, and stakes. Read with precision, take structured notes, tes…
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:54 PM
@keanuheydari.bsky.social has written a GREAT piece on how to read—and remember what you read—for comps
In the second piece of our "Comps Series" @keanuheydari.bsky.social gives advice on how to read and remember for comps: "Read with precision, take structured notes, test your memory, and lean on community—the process is as much formation as it is evaluation."
Reading, Remembering, and Reorienting for Comprehensive Exams
Comprehensive exams are less about recalling every detail of every book than about building a durable system of arguments, interventions, and stakes. Read with precision, take structured notes, tes…
clioandthecontemporary.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:18 PM
In the second piece of our "Comps Series" @keanuheydari.bsky.social gives advice on how to read and remember for comps: "Read with precision, take structured notes, test your memory, and lean on community—the process is as much formation as it is evaluation."
Reposted by Clio and the Contemporary
Again, your mostly non-profit mostly uni press humanities publishers are not the thing making a wreckage of scholarly publishing. Paying for their work is a good thing, and we should keep doing that.
October 22, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Again, your mostly non-profit mostly uni press humanities publishers are not the thing making a wreckage of scholarly publishing. Paying for their work is a good thing, and we should keep doing that.