Frances Bell

Thank you!! It was such a pleasure to work with you on this - wonderful to see it out in the world!

Thank you Casey! And btw, a group of my students read Chapter 6 of The Predatory Sea earlier this semester, and found it fascinating. You have some fans at Bates!

This was a real pleasure to work on, in no small part thanks to the guidance of @ronajohnson.bsky.social and three very constructive reviewers. Thrilled that it's now out in the world.

Briefly returning from my social media hiatus to share that my article for the Journal of the Early Republic, on Philadelphian freedom-seeking in the Haitian Revolutionary diaspora, is now live (thank you to @chelseastieber.bsky.social for alerting me!).

muse.jhu.edu/pub/12/artic...

"Like people, but commodities."

In the summer of 1950 most US newspapers ran an AP story about how race had become the main issue in the upcoming Georgia governor's race. Segregationist Herman Tallmadge, governor from '47 to '55 and then a Senator until 1981 made a name for himself by refusing to "apologize for being a white man."

"Khatte Chhole" Sour Indian Chickpeas | Two Jade Bowls Khatte Chhole, Madhur Jaffrey's attempt to recreate her childhood memories of the intensely-flavored chickpeas sold as street food.

Madhur Jaffrey's Khatte Chhole (sour chickpeas) always hits. It's the go-to store cupboard recipe in our house: twojadebowls.com/recipes/khat...

As the U.S. Moves to End Haiti’s TPS, Families Brace for the Unthinkable - Documented The decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haiti has left thousands of families facing the prospect of returning to a country engulfed by violence and political collapse.

“The day the government announced it would end [TPS] for Haiti, Sophie barely slept. Her fear reemerged as she thought about her two children, ages eight and four, and her husband, who had finally found some peace in Flatbush, Brooklyn, among NYC’s largest concentration of Haitian immigrants.”

I am a student at Brown in communication with a friend at RIBC.

There is an urgent need for blood donations to support RI. Donations in NY, NJ, MN, NB, DE or NJ can help supply RI.

Spread the word.

www.ribc.org/donate-blood/

I used to teach in a seminar room in which one entire wall was made of glass, and which only had one door. I thought about this constantly. It's awful.

AS A PROFESSOR, I AM ASKING

HOW ARE OUR STUDENTS SUPPOSED TO LEARN IN THESE CONDITIONS?

HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOL AND TAKE EXAMS KNOWING SOMEONE MIGHT JUST SHOW UP WITH AN EASY TO ACQUIRE AUTOMATIC WEAPON?

HOW??????????

Active shooter reported at Brown University. Shelter in place if you are on or near campus. Heartbroken. 🗃️

Currently tuned in to the great @wwozneworleans.bsky.social, listening to a NOLA big band transition from the Star Spangled Banner to...the Flintstones theme song. Glorious.

An Arizona lineman successfully coaxed a bear off a utility pole after it climbed to the top and was in danger of being electrocuted. The bear eventually got down from the pole and ran away unharmed. TikTok video by AccuWeather

🎶 "I am a lineman for the county, and I drive everywhere/searchin' in the sun for another climbing bear..." 🎶

www.tiktok.com/@accuweather...

Fellow Frederick Douglass fans should join us on Dec. 10 for the "Frederick Douglass' Fell's Point" walking tour fullstorybaltimore.tours/our-tours/#f...

Become a Donor | Find a Grocery Buddy Fund a verified grocery order through Find a Grocery Buddy. Pay securely via PayPal — we’ll place the Instacart order and send you proof of delivery.

I learned about two projects that are supporting people to get food.

This one allows you to cover someone's groceries: findagrocerybuddy.com/become-a-don...

And if you want to know more, Prof. Theoharis's chapter “A Life History of Being Rebellious: The Radicalism of Rosa Parks" went down a treat with my students last year! 🗃️

The scholars I follow here are brilliant, politically astute, funny, and quick. It's a pleasure to watch them bat around issues on Bluesky.

It happens in a transdisciplinary way. Many are outside of institutions. Or have a Ph.D. not obviously applicable to their work.

I learn so much from y'all. 🙏🏼

Nothing more disconcerting than watching a film set in a place whose geography you actually know well. I felt the same about Sunshine on Leith!

I once asked a bookseller at a large indie store how many people would have to buy a book for it to get the attention of the store buyer and cause an additional order and they said: Three.

(haven't seen beyond that point yet, so maybe it'll change! 🤷🏼)

Finally catching up on Ken Burns's The American Revolution: it's interesting to think about the types of histories he wants to tell based on the talking heads. Alan Taylor & Jane Kamensky as regular interlocutors; Gordon Wood appearing for the first time, briefly, halfway through ep. 2. 🗃️

🗃️

Hey historians 🗃️: Do you know of presses that publish short books (around 30K words / 90 pages plus notes)? I have been working on an article project that could easily turn into an great micro-history of that length, but I'm not sure it would make it to the usual full 60-90K words...

Not only qualifying (for the first time in 28 years!), but doing it with such spectacular goals. Might even buy the jersey... #WCQ #SCODEN

The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.

Call for Abstracts: Academic Conference - Slavery North Rebellion, Resistance, and Refuge: Slavery and Border-Crossing during the American Revolution Call for Abstracts: Academic Conference Dates: Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12, 2026 Location: Univers...

CFP for Slavery North conference on "Rebellion, Resistance, and Refuge: Slavery and Border-Crossing during the American Revolution" @umassamherst.bsky.social 7/9-7/12/2026, abstracts due 12/19/2025 #vastearlyamerica slaverynorth.com/event/call-f... 🗃️

As @prisonculture.bsky.social has said, hope is a discipline!

Job alert: the University of Illinois Library is hiring a Humanities Librarian to serve as liaison to African-American Studies and English Literatures. I’m sure someone here would be a great fit for this job—& we’ve got a pretty phenomenal community here

Please share!

Bought - so excited to read this!