I leave for the AHA convention this afternoon. Most of my colleagues at Cliopatria will not, so they'll keep conversation here lively for the next few days. If you are a blogger and will be at the convention, there are blogger meet-ups on Saturday at 7:00 a.m. at Café International for breakfast; and at noon at City Lights Restaurant for lunch.

William Grimes,"An Intellectual Insider, Forever on the Outside," NYT, 2 January, reviews Richard M. Cook's Alfred Kazin: A Biography.

William J. Cronon,"When the G.O.P. was Green," NYT, 8 January, is a timely reminder. Hat tip to Ari Kelman at The Edge of the American West.