Things Noted Here and There ...

by Cliopatria

Early in the new school year, History News Network will feature an article or series on Ten Young Historians to Watch by its assistant editor, Bonnie Goodman. I have nominated someone to be included among those ten and you are invited to nominate candidates to be considered for inclusion among them, as well. Your nominee must be someone under forty, who currently holds a tenure track appointment in history at a college or university in North America and who we have reason to expect will publish distinguished scholarship. Send your nominations to bonnie*dot*goodman*at*elf*dot*mcgill*ca.

At Chapati Mystery, Sepoy has a good series on"The Trial of Mangal Pandey," Part I and Part II.

At War Historian, Mark Grimsley is doing a series of posts on Frederick Douglass,"Journey to Washington", Part I, Part II, and Part III. ...

On the so-called"Intelligent Design" controversy, I recommend Tim Burke's"Intelligent Design: A Small Point, A Medium Point and A Big Point," Easily Distracted, 12 August. Tim entertains a good discussion with Alan Jacobs and Caleb McDaniel.

Congratulations to a couple of Cliopatria's friends who have recently clawed their way up in TTLB's Ecosystem. After a time as an Adorable Little Rodent, Adam Kotsko's The Weblog reclaims status as a Marauding Marsupial; and Jonathan Wilson's The Elfin Ethicist has moved up from being a Marauding Marsupial to join Cliopatria as a Large Mammal. Jez, whaddya hafta do to get up there with the celestial beings like Matt Drudge and Michelle Malkin? Never mind. Some things aren't worth it.

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David Lion Salmanson - 8/16/2005

One thinks of Susan Porter Benson (RIP), as another "young scholar." But with so many hot shot scholars not working in the traditional academy anymore, I wonder about the tenure track requirement. For example, has anybody else been just blown away by Captives and Cousins besides me and the awards committees?

Sherman Jay Dorn - 8/13/2005

I've sent an e-mail, and I'll be curious how Goodman responds. Thanks, Rebecca, for the timely example!

Rebecca Anne Goetz - 8/13/2005

Hmmm...my own advisor didn't get started until all her five children were at least in elementary school. That meant that she didn't publish Good Wives until she was 44, and A Midwife's Tale appeared when she was 52. So, historians over forty can still transform their fields.

I'm wondering too if women who slow the pace of their careers in order to bear and raise children are also more likely to bloom after the age of 40?

See Ralph, we can still expect great things from you! :)

Manan Ahmed - 8/13/2005

In the software industry, they have a term for that, vaporware. Lauding things that do not yet exist.
Much, much more worthwhile would be a list of Ten Historians who have taught, and published for more than 25 years. Let the students, the distinguished scholarship, the ideas be acknowledged. Those that have already produced and are known in their respective fields but not in the wider world of historians.

Yes, I am currently arranging a festschrift, so...

Ralph E. Luker - 8/13/2005

Sure and maybe you should send a note to Ms. Goodman to that effect. I'm merely reporting the criteria as she outlined them to me. If there were some monetary reward in it, it might be worthy of legal action.

Sherman Jay Dorn - 8/13/2005

Since I don't know how old you were when you started grad school, I can't tell. But the implication of the "new scholar" description is that someone who starts grad school over 40 (or 35, for that matter) can't be someone to watch. I find that pretty wasteful for the field. Don't we want to encourage people to think of serious history as something you can take up at almost any time?

Ralph E. Luker - 8/13/2005

I'm told that delaying the publication of my dissertation until I was 52 didn't necessarily make me a great new scholar to watch. Prior to that, watching me ranked right up there with watching the grass grow.

Sherman Jay Dorn - 8/13/2005

Yikes! Surely HNN folks can't believe that only those under 40 can be great new scholars.