“This Mass of Trash” — Jane Austen and Thomas Jefferson

You find Jane Austen fans in the most unexpected places. Though not likely Thomas Jefferson.
Tagged under: , ,
The 1936 public execution of a 22-year-old Black man, Bethea, convicted of the rape and robbery of a 70-year-old white woman. An estimated 10,000 to 20,000 spectators gathered around the wooden scaffold in a public courtyard. Widespread public disorder and criticism surrounding the spectacle led Kentucky (and other states) to ban public executions, making Bethea's hanging widely recognized as the last officially sanctioned public execution in the United States.

America’s Enlightenment Crisis

Recent events, including the proposal that the federal government live-stream the public execution of a convicted terrorist, are corroding our nation’s long enlightenment heritage.
Tagged under: , ,
The Pantheon in Rome, Italy, originally built by Marcus Agrippa, Emperor Augustus's right-hand man, is an architectural masterpiece completed in 25 BCE. The wording at the entrance translates to “Made by Marcus Agrippa, the Son of Lucius, During his Third Consulship.” (Photo Wikimedia)

Serendipity and Ancient Rome

The new historical novel Agrippa, by bestselling author Robert Harris, brings to life the engineering marvels of Classic Rome, many of which still stand today.
Tagged under: , ,
Canal du Midi

Reading Charles Dickens at the End of My Endless Summer

I write this as a personal letter to all of you who read my work. My work is exceedingly important to me — these weekly essays — and writing them is one of the principal joys of my life.
Tagged under: ,
Clay in front of the historic Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, on the Left Bank of the River Seine in Paris, France.

Americans in Paris: Clay’s Thomas Jefferson in France Tour

This week, Clay has been leading his fourth Jefferson in France Cultural Tour. Thomas Jefferson served as an American minister to France in the late 1780’s and considered it some of the happiest times of his life.
Tagged under: , ,
Harper's Magazine cover, January 1947, featuring the title 'The West Against Itself' by Bernard Devoto (Vol. 194, No. 1160).

Where Is Bernard DeVoto When We Need Him?

Struck by the breathtaking speed of change in American life since World War II, Clay is writing a series of essays about what has transpired within a single humanities scholar’s lifetime. This week he writes about how our media channels shape our sense of history, current events, and national outlook.
Tagged under: , , , ,
American and European Bison.

Reporting From Switzerland: a Euro-Bison Comeback. Who Knew?

Iconic to the American West, I was surprised to learn of a British preservation program for European bison.
Tagged under: , ,

A Lament for the Snail-Mail Letter — A Great Technological Casualty?

During my lifetime, I have witnessed the death of the letter. Future historians will have to sift through an infinite number of mostly inane cellphone texts, with little real revelation of the individuals and the periods they are studying.
Tagged under: , ,
The Beatles perform

In My Life: The Beatles and Global Connectivity

I tuned in, along with over 300 million others from around the globe, on that landmark day when popular music connected with the space age and changed the world forever.
Tagged under: , ,
Matt Damon as the hero Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s new film epic The Odyssey.

A Review of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey

I rushed from Missoula, Montana, to Billings the other day to see Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey at a modified limited IMAX theater. This was the same theater where I first saw Nolan’s Oppenheimer three years ago. Quick take: I liked Oppenheimer better, but read on ...
Tagged under: ,