March 15, 2012
Free Book Friday: March Madness edition
Enter to win a copy of ‘One Fantastic Ride’ or ‘Carolina Basketball,’ signed by author Adam Lucas. Continue Reading Free Book Friday: March Madness edition
March 14, 2012
Interview: Miguel La Serna on research in the aftermath of Peru’s Shining Path insurgency
Any kind of research dealing with living human subjects is sensitive, even more so when it involves recent political violence. One thing I was reminded constantly was that my very presence in the field stirred up a host of issues and anxieties that villagers had either suppressed or were still dealing with. Continue Reading Interview: Miguel La Serna on research in the aftermath of Peru’s Shining Path insurgency
March 12, 2012
Interview: Michael H. Hunt and Steven I. Levine on America’s quest for empire
Most Americans have been inoculated against the notion that our country can behave like an empire. Therefore, some readers may well find the focus on empire unsettling. After all, we are regularly reminded by our politicians, clergy, teachers, and the media that the U.S. is an exceptional country. We don’t do empire. That’s for the bad guys. We like to believe that whatever America does internationally is for the common good of humanity. As authors, all we ask is that readers consider our general definition of empire on its historical merits and give our treatment of the U.S. case a fair hearing. Continue Reading Interview: Michael H. Hunt and Steven I. Levine on America’s quest for empire
March 9, 2012
ACC Tourney Time: Have Patience, Tar Heel Fans
It’s important for Heels fans to remember what Lucas tells us in ‘Carolina Basketball’: while the ACC tournament is important to fans and programs for many reasons, winning on Sunday doesn’t necessarily lead to ultimate success at end of season. Of the last three Tar Heels’ NCAA championship runs, none started by winning the ACC tournament. Continue Reading ACC Tourney Time: Have Patience, Tar Heel Fans
March 8, 2012
Carrie Hamilton: New Cuban Women
At first glance, the stories of Cuban women in heterosexual relationships seem to confirm clichés about the island’s machismo. But interviews with other men and women tell a subtler story. They show that the Revolution has changed gender relations, even if some patterns are hard to break. Continue Reading Carrie Hamilton: New Cuban Women
March 7, 2012
Andre M. Fleche: The “Second American Revolution” in a Global Age
Many scholars have traced the parallels between the American Revolution and the Civil War. But in today’s global age, it is time we recognize that the first American Revolution was not the only revolution to influence America’s Civil War. Continue Reading Andre M. Fleche: The “Second American Revolution” in a Global Age
March 6, 2012
Our Spring Sale grows: books in women’s studies and art now half off!
Our 90th anniversary sale expands this month to include select books in women’s studies and art/architecture/craft now 50% off. Free shipping on orders of $75+. Continue Reading Our Spring Sale grows: books in women’s studies and art now half off!
March 6, 2012
Excerpt: Sufi Narratives of Intimacy, by Saʿdiyya Shaikh
It is Cairo on a sweltering afternoon, and the faithful are streaming into a beautiful, simple mosque. The Friday (jumu‘a) prayers are about to begin. In the courtyard, people take their ablutions in the cool fountain water that provides welcome relief from the heat of the Cairene afternoon. A group of women sitting close together is silently reciting the Qur’ān. An old man, his face kissed gently by time, is sitting easily upright with eyes closed, meditating on the beautiful names of God. Two old friends, both returning to the city after years of travel, trade, and learning, are greeting each other with a tender embrace. A young man, hands raised in supplication, is softly murmuring his deepest yearnings into the hearing of the omniscient One. As the call to prayer is given, a hush falls over the crowd, with each person repairing to his or her private supplications before the sermon begins. Continue Reading Excerpt: Sufi Narratives of Intimacy, by Saʿdiyya Shaikh
March 5, 2012
Nadine Cohodas: Nina Simone and Israeli Folk Music
Nina Simone—the High Priestess of Soul to some, a fierce advocate of racial justice to others—would seem to be an unlikely interpreter of Israeli folk songs. Yet in 1962, as her career was taking off, Simone incorporated “Eretz Zavat Chalev” (“The Land of Milk and Honey”) into her repertoire. It proved to be an early example of her eclectic musical taste and one of her initial steps in moving beyond the traditional jazz combo–piano, bass, and drums–an evolution that would cement her place among world-renowned artists.
Continue Reading Nadine Cohodas: Nina Simone and Israeli Folk Music
March 1, 2012
Interview: Paul & Angela Knipple on immigrant cuisine around the South
People’s hospitality was amazing, as was their openness. Many people were very proud of their accomplishments. A few were very humble, but fortunately they had cheerleaders, usually in the form of a relative, who helped them share their stories. They were also very excited about giving us recipes. Their food is their life, and you can’t share one without sharing the other. Continue Reading Interview: Paul & Angela Knipple on immigrant cuisine around the South
February 29, 2012
Excerpt: Arc of Empire, by Michael H. Hunt and Steven I. Levine
The history of American empire building and warfare in one region speaks to the current imbroglio across the Middle East and Central Asia in a striking variety of ways. U.S. policymakers have ignored or have deliberately forgotten the lessons from the conflicts in eastern Asia. Continue Reading Excerpt: Arc of Empire, by Michael H. Hunt and Steven I. Levine
February 28, 2012
Cynthia A. Kierner: The Third First Family
Thomas Jefferson—arguably the most outspokenly anti-monarchical of all—pioneered the use of family and domesticity as political theater. His daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, was the star of these shows. Continue Reading Cynthia A. Kierner: The Third First Family
February 24, 2012
Excerpt: John Tyler, the Accidental President, by Edward P. Crapol
Never the weeping willow of a creature his enemies loved to mock and deride, President Tyler was a decisive and energetic leader who established several important executive precedents that helped shape the direction of America’s nineteenth-century imperial destiny. Continue Reading Excerpt: John Tyler, the Accidental President, by Edward P. Crapol
February 23, 2012
Sarah S. Elkind: Los Angeles and the History of Air Pollution
We have become so used to hearing of regulations–particularly consumer protections like banking rules or the proposed controls on mercury emissions—as threats to prosperity that it has become nearly impossible to imagine these debates in any other way. But in 1940s Los Angeles, controlling air pollution and creating a healthy environment was understood as essential to prosperity, and the business community led the regulatory effort. Continue Reading Sarah S. Elkind: Los Angeles and the History of Air Pollution
February 22, 2012
Excerpt: How to Read the Qur’an, by Carl W. Ernst
A historical and literary approach at least offers the prospect of a fair-minded and reasonable approach to other people’s religions, which is why such a method seems both attractive and necessary today. Continue Reading Excerpt: How to Read the Qur’an, by Carl W. Ernst
February 21, 2012
Happy Birthday, Nina Simone
“My work completely takes all my energy,” Nina said later, “but when there are kids who come backstage afterward who want to talk, or who are moved to the point sometimes, they’re moved to tears and want to know more about it, they shake my hand and kiss me and want to talk about their problems, I find the time to do so.” Continue Reading Happy Birthday, Nina Simone
February 20, 2012
Eugene Walter on Mardi Gras, with a recipe for the morning after the carnival ball
For ladies who are feeling delicate after a carnival ball or wedding party, or horse race, or visits from out-of-town cousins, the following julep-type freshener, from Monroeville, Alabama, is the perfect medicine. Continue Reading Eugene Walter on Mardi Gras, with a recipe for the morning after the carnival ball
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