Comments on: Cultural histories http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123 A weblog on early modern culture, teaching English literature, and what else comes to mind Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:45:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: The Guilty Reader http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-14717 The Guilty Reader Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:39:28 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-14717 Historical dictionary of the Elizabethan world : Britain, Ireland, Europe, and America / by John A. Wagner. (Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1999). This one probably isn't exactly right either, but I think it's the one I used as a quick reference in one of my classes a while back. By the time the semester was over, I remembered thinking that I should have ordered it and had everyone buy it. The entries are really pretty substantive, and you can assign several entries at a time. Obviously, it's less of a "read straight through" and more of a "pick and choose" type of text--but I think there are some real virtues there. For instance, you can have different students read different entries and contribute to class discussion by sharing their entry. ALso, the fact that there's no "main" narrative allows students to get a different kind of sense of history-making. I kind of prefer this fragmented understanding of things to a full-length study in certain classroom contexts. Historical dictionary of the Elizabethan world : Britain, Ireland, Europe, and America / by John A. Wagner. (Phoenix, Ariz. : Oryx Press, 1999).

This one probably isn’t exactly right either, but I think it’s the one I used as a quick reference in one of my classes a while back. By the time the semester was over, I remembered thinking that I should have ordered it and had everyone buy it. The entries are really pretty substantive, and you can assign several entries at a time. Obviously, it’s less of a “read straight through” and more of a “pick and choose” type of text–but I think there are some real virtues there. For instance, you can have different students read different entries and contribute to class discussion by sharing their entry.

ALso, the fact that there’s no “main” narrative allows students to get a different kind of sense of history-making. I kind of prefer this fragmented understanding of things to a full-length study in certain classroom contexts.

]]> By: Kristine http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-12068 Kristine Tue, 03 Oct 2006 11:11:40 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-12068 Hey eb -- yes, done that, but there are not many of these big survey courses, or I am looking in the wrong place perhaps... Thanks to both of you for pointing me to those two books - even if they may not be exactly what we need, they seem just the ticket for my own preparations for teaching the course! Hey eb — yes, done that, but there are not many of these big survey courses, or I am looking in the wrong place perhaps… Thanks to both of you for pointing me to those two books - even if they may not be exactly what we need, they seem just the ticket for my own preparations for teaching the course!

]]> By: eb http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-12059 eb Tue, 03 Oct 2006 05:06:22 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-12059 Wilson's right that <em>American Colonies</em> is good, but it really is more social than cultural. Taylor's earlier <em>William Cooper's Town</em>, tracing the development of a town in upstate New York during the period of the early republic and ending with a discussion of William's son James Fenimore's writings is very, very good. It's not a survey but it does start to get into American literature and connect it to social history through a sort of microhistorical/biographical approach. You might also try searching for syllabi on American and English cultural history and see what others are assigning (you've probably already done this). Wilson’s right that American Colonies is good, but it really is more social than cultural. Taylor’s earlier William Cooper’s Town, tracing the development of a town in upstate New York during the period of the early republic and ending with a discussion of William’s son James Fenimore’s writings is very, very good. It’s not a survey but it does start to get into American literature and connect it to social history through a sort of microhistorical/biographical approach.

You might also try searching for syllabi on American and English cultural history and see what others are assigning (you’ve probably already done this).

]]> By: Wilson http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-12052 Wilson Mon, 02 Oct 2006 23:27:03 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-12052 The only things that come to mind are heavily focused on colonial history. I rather liked <em>American Colonies</em> (by Alan Taylor) when I read it as an undergrad, although it actually might not be Anglocentric enough for your needs, and I would describe it as more social than cultural. It was a remarkably good read, though. The only things that come to mind are heavily focused on colonial history. I rather liked American Colonies (by Alan Taylor) when I read it as an undergrad, although it actually might not be Anglocentric enough for your needs, and I would describe it as more social than cultural. It was a remarkably good read, though.

]]> By: W. Turkell and Nicolas Quiroga http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11977 W. Turkell and Nicolas Quiroga Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:34:45 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11977 October / 2006 We are interested in learning more about history blogs and in finding ways to promote them. To aid in this effort, we are circulating a small questionnaire and will make the results available in Tapera (in Spanish) and in Digital History Hacks (in English). If you wish to participate, please return the questionnaire to tapera@tapera.info Thank you very much. William Turkel - Digital History Hacks - http://digitalhistoryhacks.blogspot.com/ Nicolás Quiroga – Tapera – http://tapera.info Blog: URL: Authors: First post (mm/dd/Y): Questions: 1. Which history-related blogs do you visit most frequently? (1-5) 2. What factors do you think are involved in your choice of blogs to read? (For example: quality of information, writing, institution, author profile, rankings, entertainment value...) 3. What factors characterize your own blog? Which are most important? 4. Have you changed the objectives of your blog since you created it? October / 2006

We are interested in learning more about history blogs and in finding ways to promote them. To aid in this effort, we are circulating a small questionnaire and will make the results available in Tapera (in Spanish) and in Digital History Hacks (in English). If you wish to participate, please return the questionnaire to tapera@tapera.info
Thank you very much.

William Turkel - Digital History Hacks - http://digitalhistoryhacks.blogspot.com/
Nicolás Quiroga – Tapera – http://tapera.info

Blog:
URL:
Authors:
First post (mm/dd/Y):

Questions:
1. Which history-related blogs do you visit most frequently? (1-5)
2. What factors do you think are involved in your choice of blogs to read? (For example: quality of information, writing, institution, author profile, rankings, entertainment value…)
3. What factors characterize your own blog? Which are most important?
4. Have you changed the objectives of your blog since you created it?

]]> By: Kristine http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11964 Kristine Sat, 30 Sep 2006 11:52:08 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11964 Mmm, I thought so. I have been looking at course programmes at British and American Universities, and there are not many survey courses that deal with cultural history -- so there is probably not much of a market for my dream book, either. Perhaps I should stick to something like <i>A Very Short Introduction to British History</i> (which doesn't exist, but I love the <a href="http://www.oup.co.uk/general/vsi/" target="new" rel="nofollow">Very Short Introductions</a> from Oxford) and something similar for America as a backbone, and then do selected highlights of cultural history in the lectures. Thanks for thinking along! Mmm, I thought so. I have been looking at course programmes at British and American Universities, and there are not many survey courses that deal with cultural history — so there is probably not much of a market for my dream book, either.

Perhaps I should stick to something like A Very Short Introduction to British History (which doesn’t exist, but I love the Very Short Introductions from Oxford) and something similar for America as a backbone, and then do selected highlights of cultural history in the lectures. Thanks for thinking along!

]]> By: sharon http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11963 sharon Sat, 30 Sep 2006 11:03:02 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11963 (And I just realised you really asked for 'cultural' history introductions, and I don't know that either of those two suggestions could be considered that.) (And I just realised you really asked for ‘cultural’ history introductions, and I don’t know that either of those two suggestions could be considered that.)

]]> By: sharon http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11961 sharon Sat, 30 Sep 2006 10:59:08 +0000 http://earmarks.org/archives/2006/09/30/123#comment-11961 I think you might indeed be asking the impossible. I don't know of anything like that that covers both England and America... and I can't think of anything that comes particularly close even for one of them. Even for one of them, there are fewer and fewer scholars likely to venture into trying to write surveys, because a) the mass of research to be covered is now so vast and b) in important respects (eg, getting tenure or attracting research funding) this kind of enterprise is less valued than original research. When they do get written, they're not exactly concise - Norman Davies' <em>The Isles</em> comes in at about 1000 pages. On America, I remember liking Carl Degler's <em>Out of Our Past</em> when I was an undergraduate, although I don't remember if it paid any attention to gender... and I'm not at all sure whether it covers the pre-Revolution period (my old copy is hidden away in a box somewhere so I can't check right now). If I think of anything later, I'll let you know... I think you might indeed be asking the impossible. I don’t know of anything like that that covers both England and America… and I can’t think of anything that comes particularly close even for one of them. Even for one of them, there are fewer and fewer scholars likely to venture into trying to write surveys, because a) the mass of research to be covered is now so vast and b) in important respects (eg, getting tenure or attracting research funding) this kind of enterprise is less valued than original research. When they do get written, they’re not exactly concise - Norman Davies’ The Isles comes in at about 1000 pages. On America, I remember liking Carl Degler’s Out of Our Past when I was an undergraduate, although I don’t remember if it paid any attention to gender… and I’m not at all sure whether it covers the pre-Revolution period (my old copy is hidden away in a box somewhere so I can’t check right now).

If I think of anything later, I’ll let you know…

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