Zachary Schrag

WENDY. Why are you telling everyone?
OTTO. It's a smoke screen?
WENDY. What?
OTTO. Double bluff. You obviously don't know anything about intelligence work, lady. It's an XK Red 27 technique.

📚 A new chapter begins! Island Press will be joining @princetonupress.bsky.social in 2026 — uniting two mission-driven publishers dedicated to shaping a better planet.

Learn more about this historic collaboration: islandpress.org/PUP

PSA: Get Your AI Money, Authors The Anthropic settlement has been preliminarily approved, which means people can join in to be a member in this class action suit.

Had a book published before mid-2021? Take 5 minutes to see if it's listed here and if so another 5 to enter info. And look up your grandma's book, the book of your friend, etc. and let them know

Taylor’s Version “With unfailing lucidity, empathy, and wit” (Greil Marcus), a preeminent Harvard professor and poetry expert explains the artistry—and the celebrity—...

Publication day for Taylor's Version! I'm so happy for my baby and for all the work @hachetteus.bsky.social & @johnmurrays.bsky.social did to bring her out into the world. Consider an order here: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/steph...

LED definition in American English | Collins English Dictionary 3 senses: → the past tense and past participle of lead1 light-emitting diode → a diode of semiconductor material, such as.... Click for more definitions.

Collins states that -led combines with nouns, not adjectives. www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionar...

“Forcing knowledge to pass through a political filter is a tactic adopted by the Soviet Union and other authoritarian states.”

Better than nothing, but in the canon of federal literature, they are pretty far below National Transportation Safety Board accident reports, inspector general reports, or New Starts Before and After studies. Maybe you have tips for making the most of them.

I was told not to teach a class on the intellectual histories of Zionism and Anti-Zionism next year - not because they doubted I could teach it fairly, but because it would attract too many politicians scrutinizing the syllabus.

A society where that is a valid fear is no longer fully democratic.

For a long time to come, it will not be possible to maintain a large army; and as the means of doing this increase, the population and natural strength of the community will proportionably increase. When will the time arrive that the federal government can raise and maintain an army capable of erecting a despotism over the great body of the people of an immense empire, who are in a situation, through the medium of their State governments, to take measures for their own defense, with all the celerity, regularity, and system of independent nations? The apprehension may be considered as a disease, for which there can be found no cure in the resources of argument and reasoning.

In 1787, Hamilton dismissed fears that the national government would establish a military despotism. I do not think he would be as sanguine today.
(Federalist 28)
avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century...

The paperback version of The Contagion of Liberty: The Politics of Smallpox in the American Revolution.

My book, The Contagion of Liberty is coming out (in January) in paperback, and I got some preview copies of this cheaper, more flexible version with new blurbs on the cover!

For the 250th anniversary, it argues that American independence was only achieved through inoculation and public health.

The Last Lincoln Republican Of all the great “what if” scenarios in American history, the aftermath of the presidential election of 1880 stands out as one of the most tantal...

kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700636037/

Please buy my book. Since I’m unemployed and all.

That quotation is from Sarah Babb, whose excellent book I reviewed for Academe. Good choice by NYT reporters. www.aaup.org/academe/issu...

Contents of 31 U.S. Code Subtitle IV Chapter 51 Subchapter II - GENERAL AUTHORITY https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/31/subtitle-IV/chapter-51/subchapter-II

Coins are 31 USC 5112, not 5114

UC’s Academic Council calls on the Office of the President & the UC Board of Regents to unequivocally reject governmental demands that compromise institutional autonomy and #academicfreedom.

This is the way.

#DefendHigherEd

Ask me about the time I put my lunchbox on the grass while changing a tire.

No, no. Don't ask. Let us never speak of that again.

Colleges weigh whether to sign onto Trump plan or forgo federal benefits A new proposal from the Trump administration would give colleges funding advantages if they adopt conservative priorities.

“No self-respecting university could ever accept something like this,” said Lee Bollinger, a First Amendment scholar and former Columbia University president. “Trying to protect conservative ideas against being ‘belittled’ — that’s about as violative of the First Amendment interests as you can get.”

d101vc9winf8ln.cloudfront.net/syllabuses/3...

A Yom Kippur Viddui, but instead of being alphabetical, it catalogs sins by Library of Congress classification.

How the Silver Line has shaped transit-oriented development in Northern Virginia View this post on ggwash.org

Take a look at how the Silver Line has reshaped the Reston and Tysons areas in the past decade-plus:

Playing with Fire: Pyrotechnic New York Youth at the Turn of the Twentieth Century This post is an entry in our ninth annual Graduate Student Blogging Contest. This year’s theme is “Light.” By Alexandra Miller BOOM! The sound of the explosion “Shook the houses b…

Today we kick off our Graduate Student Blog Contest for 2025. George Mason's Alexandra Miller kicks us off with a look at the intersection of adolescence, civic expectations, and the scourge of urban America, fireworks in early 20th century NYC

If you've done in-person research at any of the following presidential libraries in the last 8 months, can you please follow me/contact me—soon—for a story I'm working on (can be off the record)?

Hoover
FDR
Truman
Eisenhower
JFK
LBJ
Ford
Carter

And either way, can you please share this request? 🙏

I joined AAUP because I saw they were one of the few organizations taking a stand. They also organized the lobbying trip I took to DC a couple of weeks ago. If you’re an academic, supporting them is good use of our money.

Philly to get 14 new state historical markers, including for Bellevue hotel, Kensington riots The Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission approved 45 additional plaques that will be installed statewide.

"Another historical marker is planned to commemorate the Kensington Riots of 1844, a series of clashes between nativist Protestants and Irish Catholic immigrants in the city."

"For God's sake, men, what are you about?"

www.phillyvoice.com/philly-histo...

Cover of Western Wheel Works Bicycle Manufacturers 1893 catalog with an illustration of cyclists in front of the entrance to the Transportation Building at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

From the Transportation Library's Instagram: 1893 Western Wheel Works bicycle catalog. www.instagram.com/p/DPO6pVSEXgS/

Wide angle lens photo of cat whose prominent ruff hides her body, making her appear to be decapitated

Fun with the wide angle lens

Well, the crankset and rear derailleur won’t be joining the 31,000-mile club. But thanks to the good folks at @bikenetic.bsky.social for getting me back on the road, as well as the snazzy new handlebar tape.

The Surprising Story behind Indiana’s 1897 Vote to Change the Value of Pi How an incorrect value of pi almost got codified into law

Texas Tech Moves to Limit Academic Discussion to 2 Genders

www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

A poster announcing a teach-in in washington DC. Sunday, October 26th - Sunup to Sundown Washington, DC - The National Mall “AMERICA’S FRONT YARD” FEATURING KELLIE CARTER JACKSON, NICOLE HEMMER, DEREK MUSGROVE, NATE DIMEO, TRESSIE MCMILLAN COTTOM, AMANDA SEALES, JODY AVIRGAN, JAMES FALLOWS, MARTHA JONES, MARCIA CHATELAIN, PAUL BUTLER, NATHAN CONNOLLY, AND MORE

Announcing a good ol’ fashioned Teach-In in Washington, DC on Sunday, October 26th.

We’ll convene for a series of lectures, stories, and conversations to celebrate and stand up for the work of history and museums.

Shoutout to @natedimeo.bsky.social for bringing this idea to us.

See you in DC!

Thanks, Nilo. I think this is free to read on JSTOR should you want more.
www.jstor.org/stable/25147...

AHA Sends Letter Objecting to Firing of Texas State University Professor The AHA has sent a letter to Texas State University professor Kelly Damphousse registering strong objection to the university’s decision to terminate the employment of Dr. Thomas Alter without due pro...

The AHA has sent a letter to Texas State University president Kelly Damphousse registering strong objection to the university’s decision to terminate the employment of Dr. Thomas Alter without due process. 🗃️