The American Historical Association convention meets this week in Philadelphia, beginning on Thursday and concluding on Sunday. It's the rare occasion when the Cliopatricians can gather in one place. About half of us will be there, a larger gathering and somewhat different mix of us than last year. Here are some places where we'll be found:

Jonathan Reynolds is bringing a group of students from Northern Kentucky University to the Phi Alpha Theta biennial convention in Philadelphia on 4-6 January. It has a different program, but we may cross paths with him at some point on Thursday or Friday. Alan Allport is staff support to the AHA's local arrangements committee and offers this review of nearby places to eat and drink. Alan will be busy during the convention, but Cliopatricians are very likely to be seen eating and drinking in Philadelphia. I started to say"thanks to him," but Cliopatricians are likely to eat and drink wherever. We'll be eating and drinking better, thanks to him.

For serious convention-goers, the AHA convention program is here. In a session on"Transnational Histories of the Civil War Era" on Friday at 9:30 a.m., Caleb McDaniel leads off with a presentation on"Repealing Unions: American Abolitionists, Irish Nationalists, and the Coming of the American Civil War." He's given us tantalizingforetastes of it at Mode for Caleb. At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Cliopatria's contributing editor, Paula Petrik, will participate in a Roundtable Discussion of"Teaching and Learning with New Media." No one knows more or has more experience in it than she does.

Cliopatria and her friends get up early on Saturday for a full day. There's a history bloggers' meetup for breakfast. We'll meet in front of the Marriott Hotel registration desk at 7:30 a.m. and go to a convenient restaurant for the feed. All history bloggers are welcome to join us. Please let Another Damned Medievalist know if you plan to be there. From breakfast, we'll adjourn to a Roundtable:"Were All the World a Blog: History Bloggers and History Blogs." Rick Shenkman of History News Network and POTUS will chair the panel. I'll do three things there: 1) announce the winners of The Cliopatria Awards; 2) invite all history bloggers there, who want to do so, to introduce themselves and their blogs; and 3) listen eagerly to my friends on the panel: Manan Ahmed of Chapati Mystery, David Beito of Liberty & Power, Juan Cole of Informed Comment, and Sharon Howard of Early Modern Notes. It's a very large round table and all are invited to join in its discussion.

[The laws of physics and the American Society of Church History conspired against me. Concurrent with the roundtable on history blogging, Cliopatria's contributing editor, Michael Kazin, author of the recent biography of William Jennings Bryan, will participate in another roundtable discussion on"The Craft of Religious Biography" and, at the same time, I was originally scheduled to comment on three papers in a session on"The Religious Origins of the Civil Rights Movement." My New Year's Resolution is to finish my book on Vernon Johns and the Origins of the Civil Rights Movement, even if I don't get the benefit of those two sessions.]

After the history blogging session, Alan Allport will lead the Cliopatricians and a few invited guests from the history blogging session to their 3rd Annual Banquet at a nearby restaurant. We'd love to have everyone join us, but we had to restrict it to reservations. Keep your fingers crossed for three or four of us who will be doing job interviews in the afternoon. Others may visit the book exhibits. At 2:45 p.m., David Beito and I will carry the banner for equity, justice, and free speech at the Historians Against War business meeting; and, at 4:45 p.m., I will be with him at the AHA business meeting. We'll miss having KC with us at the convention. Fortunately, Manan Ahmed will be holding some spots for us at a pub several blocks from the convention headquarters. Let him know if you intend to join us there for drinks and/or dinner. Caleb McDaniel, who owes me a drink, needs to be there.

Cliopatria will probably have a slow Sunday morning. Tom Bruscino will be presenting on some suitably aggressive topic; Kazin will be chairing another session; and David Salmanson will be presenting in a session on"Teaching the Nation as Imagined Community." Some of us will be clearing out the book exhibits, but mostly we'll be checking out of hotels and trying to find our way to the airport.

Tom Bruscino - 1/5/2006

I recently moved, so I had to cancel on my roundtable. Sorry for all you running to attend bright and early Sunday morning.

Marc A. Comtois - 1/4/2006

I'll second that. Wish I could have taken some time, hopefully I'll have more foresight the next time the AHA is up in the Northeast!

Ralph E. Luker - 1/4/2006

Ya don' gotta do nothin', but why waste a new haircut on sittin' in da back of da class?

Nathanael D. Robinson - 1/4/2006

I'd rather be the one to throw spitballs and draw pictures of the panelists than get up in front of the class.

Ralph E. Luker - 1/4/2006

Thanks for calling my attention to it, David. I've got that oversight corrected now.

David T. Beito - 1/4/2006

Banner? We have to get picture of Luker and Beito carrying that banner!

Rob MacDougall - 1/4/2006

Have a great time, all. I'm really sorry to miss the Cliopatrian convergence. And I'm thinking about, and hopefully sending good luck ESPs, to all those interviewing there this year. Courage!

David Lion Salmanson - 1/4/2006

As an ex-guestcliopatriarch, can I hype my session on Teaching the Nation on Sunday morning?