OT: Michigan professor wins Pulitzer for history
Professor Heather Ann Thompson's book on the Attica prison uprising won the Pulitzer for history. Awards were announced a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think it was posted yet.
The book might not be ideal for a summer reading list--maybe a little too weighty (metaphorically and literally--it's over 700 pages). But it seems like it would be worth a read. Congratulations Professor Thompson!
http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/24746-u-michigan-historian-wins-pulitz…
P.S. ONTOPIC
- Anything Michigan sports related
- Anything related to other Big Ten teams or upcoming opponents
- Stuff about the blog itself
- University of Michigan topics that don't relate to sports
Yeah, that's why I put "OT." That's for "On-Topic," right? What else could it stand for?
/hoping this is a plausible cover
Offensive Tackle.
The scouting report says that Professor Thompson is one hell of an historian, but she needs to work on her pad level.
With all the negative news coming in every day, glad to see this... Congratulations professor!
This brightens my mood on the same day Danny Kanell got fired.
Congrats, Prof Thompson! I'll add this book to my summer reading list.
Did Danny Kanell getting fired bring your mood down?
Ummmm.....no.
This book is on my To Read list...disappointed that I missed her talk at the AADL last summer when it was published.
Here's an excerpt
Pete Finebaum thinks this is an unfair recruiting tool and the NCAA will pass a rule that will force it to be rescinded.
She also won the Bancroft Prize, which is pretty much the pinnacle in the field of American History. So, basically, she's set from here on out. I'm waiting on an ILL request to read it, but everyone I've talked to about the book says its magnificent. Going to be hearing her speak about it soon, too. This is really exciting stuff.
Her talk is amazing, as she talks about all the contingiencies of researching the history of events which New York State was actively trying to cover up, like finding a cache of records in the Erie County Courthouse that had, by the next time she visited, been disappeared, and being allowed, once, into a storage container in Albany where a lot of the physical artifacts from Attica, including blood soaked clothes, were being stored.
It's a phenomenal book that, despite its length and heavy material, reads almost like a novel. It totally deserves the huge number of awards it's received.
Real excited if she does this version of that. It's for an academic conference, so I don't know if she has different talks she gives based on the audience, but that would be great. I'm such a sucker for great archive/ethnographic research stories. If love this kind of stuff, the Russian/Soviet historian Sheila Fitzpatrick's memoir A Spy in the Archives, about writing and researching in 1960s Moscow as a Western woman, is a must-read.
That book also sounds phenomenal
I thought this would be right up your alley Bando. I seem to recall from earlier threads that you are completing or recently completed a PhD in history--is that correct?
Skurnie and Needs--is your interest professional? Or more of a hobby? Either way, it's nice to see so much interest in Thompson's book and her talks.
Professional. M History PhD.
I did my B.A. at Michigan in the early/mid-90s and then went elsewhere for my PhD. I had some professors and T.A.s who were great--really inspired me to want to keep studying history. Now I'm at a small liberal arts college, which is of course very different from Michigan. And yet in some ways historians are the same wherever you go.
I started in the late 90s, so I undoubtedly know a couple of the TAs that you had. I
Taught for a couple years at a LAC and now teach at a R1 on the east coast (got the job just before the 2008 financial market totally tanked the already bad academic job market).
Nice. Maybe we'll cross paths at the AHA some year!
April 26th, 2017 at 11:39 PM ^
You, me and 400 newly minted PhDs in suits that are either brand new or 7 years old.
Do not miss going to the AHA for interviews.
Amateur Hour for me...history major in college (modern ColdvWar stuff was my focus) and then decided against pursuing it (or Law School) but I try to read a book a week (try). Probably 70/30 Fiction these days, though.
That's great to hear. And no shame on the imbalance toward fiction--it's pretty clear that Americans simply do not read enough (good) literature. I tend to read mostly non-fiction for work reasons, but I try to read at least an occasional novel.
BYW, Cold War is one of my main interests too. Teaching a class on it this semester in fact!
I would still at some point like to get a Masters in History and teach some community college somewhere along the line. Difficult to make the career change now. Did an Independent Study and wrote about the Hungarian Revolution. I also found/find Khrushchev fascinating.
So I guess I'm too late to audit your class??
You'd like my colleague. We're co-teaching the course, and he is the specialist on Eastern Europe. (My area is U.S. with some interest in Asia.) My colleague is particularly interested in Poland and Hungary, but has sort of a soft spot for Khrushchev. He loves the picture below.
Whatever you decide caree-wise, keep up the history reading--there are some great books out there!
Policy History Conf?
Thompson did part of her research for her book on the uprising at the archives I work at. Does that make me partially responsible for her Pulitzer? Who's to say?
Are "archive/ethnographic research stories" a subgenre of fiction, because count me in. Any others like A Spy in the Archives?
Congrats, Professor Thompson!
Gattaca! Gattaca!
Pullitzer?! I barely know her!
Went to a panel she did with one of my grad school profs at Harvard last year (not quite on this topic) and she was really good. Also I'm especially excited to see this topic as a member of what I expect is the small mgoblog/RC crossover contingent.
I think previous poster is referring to the Residential College--Thompson's bio says she teaches in the RC.
(Raises hand)
East Quad, Best Quad.
April 27th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
3rd Strauss here....
To read her book. Will order from our M go Blog Amazon link :)
double post.
A nice, safe and comfortable home for misfit Wolverines.
April 27th, 2017 at 12:34 PM ^
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB6Gk5EtunI
in a casual setting, she'll be appearing this Saturday afternoon at the Midwest Literary Walk in Chelsea, about fifteen minutes west of Ann Arbor.
http://midwestliterarywalk.org
(If you come to the Walk, keep an eye out for me and say hi. I'll be wandering around with a couple cameras.)