Rebecca Brannon

not with a bang but with a chatbot-written economic plan

Since the president has signed an EO making English the official language of the United States, here is the first non-English copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed in German just days after July 4, 1776. We have always been multilingual.
cdm16274.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/coll...

What It Means To Be Queer at the Oscars Put on your ruby slippers to strut down the red carpet as we ask what queerness means for Academy Awards voters past and present.

With the arts and the LGBTQ+ community under a prolonged political attack from far-right politicians, tonight’s Academy Awards offers a number of potentially groundbreaking moments for queer representation on the screen and behind the scenes.

I wrote more about queering the Oscars here:

So, I've heard jokes about the Senate looking like a retirement home... but um, it's kinda true. The age distribution of Senators is almost identical to The Villages, the largest retirement community in the U.S.

Nikki Giovanni, Poet Who Wrote of Black Joy, Dies at 81 As a writer, she tackled race, gender, sex, politics and love. She was also a public intellectual who appeared on television and toured the country.

Ashe. “I recommend old age,” Nikki Giovanni said. “There’s just nothing as wonderful as knowing you have done your job.” Rest in power www.nytimes.com/2024/12/09/o...

A Tale of Two Uncles: The Old Age of Uncle Tom and Uncle Remus - Commonplace Why does Uncle Tom grow old?

Today is the birthday of writer Joel Chandler Harris, best known for his Uncle Remus folk stories. Check out Nathaniel Windon's insightful piece in the @commonplacejrnl.bsky.social catalog on old age and the characters of Uncle Tom and Uncle Remus: 🗃️ commonplace.online/article/a-ta...

We just did a Reno and love our induction range. So home with kids too!

Cooking together tonight was joyful!

The big takeaway from these convos about nonfiction history book publishing is:

No one (authors, editors, PR) really understands the market.

So:
— Write the book you want to write
— Promote the hell out of it

@civilwarmemory.bsky.social
@lollardfish.bsky.social
@unlawfulentries.bsky.social

This is a must-watch lecture for higher ed admins, profs, politicians, foundations, donors, and really anyone who cares about America.
Newfield's discussion of public need for humanities research, his data on the near-absence of funding for it, and his vision of a way forward are all essential.

The Trial That Sparked Maine's 1840 Abortion Statute - Commonplace Maine passed its first abortion statute in 1840, not long after the pardon of Dr. Call. Could there be a connection?

Did you know that you could share Commonplace articles directly to Bluesky? On the top of each page next to Share Article, click on the little butterfly 🦋. Want to give it a try? Check out our latest by Patricia Cline Cohen on an 1830s abortion trial in Maine: 🗃️ commonplace.online/article/the-...

One tried two spoons. One ate about 10 spoons. One refused. Mother in law and wife loved it so glad I made it.

Absolutely!

I made a curry pumpkin soup from scratch tonight for dinner. Bet with me: How many of my kids will eat it?

1? 2? 3?

My bet is none.

Some things don't change over the centuries, and it sure started before 60 years of age! "An inability to retain the urine as long as in early or middle life. Few persons beyond 60 pass a whole night without being obliged to discharge their urine." Benjamin Rush, On Old Age. #agehistory

!!!!!!!

Hopeful request for the hivemind! I know that some 7 US states including New York had mandatory maximum age limits/mandatory retirement ages for judges in the early Republic. What can I read about this in any state?

A fun short piece for someone!

Well then good luck! May the odds ever be in your favor. And

To be fair, I did not take my own advice. My entire house is a work site right now. I am living with my in-laws for the duration.

Is this for a reno? If so, bathroom first. Smaller project, joy when it is done, should be a reasonable scope of work. Kitchens are a big job and disruptive.

Hivemind #twitterstorians -- What should I read to learn about salaries for public officials in the early republic? I am interested in relative value of different offices in particular. Thoughts?

Shabbat Shalom!

Thanks. I know you are making a lot of painful sacrifices to do your year away from home. So hard.

More power to you for doing all of this!

And I so grateful I got struck by lightening--I mean got an NEH grant this year. It makes all the difference. I have three kids between 2-11 years of age and a health care employed spouse. No moving.

We have been able to get one semester at 100% or sometimes a year at 50% salary every 6 years. It is application but has been designed to allow all department members who are in good standing to get one on more or less than schedule.

This story is appalling, but the silver lining is that I found out that the slogan for Blount Pride is apparently "There's Pride in Them/Their Hills" and they deserve all the credit for that one.

Again! Gerontocracy problems.