I used to tell my classes (History and Women's Studies) that on matters of fact, I was the authority (like saying the French revolution began in 1789), but that matters of opinion were debatable (the French Revolution was a good thing). As long as the opinion arguments were intelligent, they were allowed without prejudice.
Honestly, it’s my exposure to social media (despite all its downsides) that drew my attention to historians like you and Heather Cox Richardson and a host of other scholars I would not have heard of had it not been for the ease of the internet and making these connections. For me, it’s been a remote learning experience that led me to pursue an advanced degree of my own. I earned a degree in a completely unrelated field 20 years ago and have been a stay-at-home mom for over a decade. Digital media like Substack offers people like me, without any personal experience or connection to members of academia in fields that interest us, a way to learn and consider new ideas and involve us in a conversation we never would have had the courage to join before. At least that’s how it’s been for me. So thank you, and I would definitely love to contribute something more formally.
(Unrelated to your post.) I mentioned in class that I enjoy your Substack writings and asked my professor if she had heard of you. Oddly, you were her advisor’s advisor (I didn’t get the person’s name) at one time. Small world. You and other people I follow through Substack came up in a discussion about career expectations for historians. Writing books for little monetary compensation was bemoaned and I pointed out there are other mediums to share what you know, think, or want to discuss that could be more profitable. Not necessarily as a replacement for writing books, but an option for branching out and maybe reaching an audience who wouldn’t read the book (for whatever reason) but they’d enjoy this sort of discussion. I think every method of adding to the conversation can have value. It has for me anyway. Thanks :-)
I used to tell my classes (History and Women's Studies) that on matters of fact, I was the authority (like saying the French revolution began in 1789), but that matters of opinion were debatable (the French Revolution was a good thing). As long as the opinion arguments were intelligent, they were allowed without prejudice.
Honestly, it’s my exposure to social media (despite all its downsides) that drew my attention to historians like you and Heather Cox Richardson and a host of other scholars I would not have heard of had it not been for the ease of the internet and making these connections. For me, it’s been a remote learning experience that led me to pursue an advanced degree of my own. I earned a degree in a completely unrelated field 20 years ago and have been a stay-at-home mom for over a decade. Digital media like Substack offers people like me, without any personal experience or connection to members of academia in fields that interest us, a way to learn and consider new ideas and involve us in a conversation we never would have had the courage to join before. At least that’s how it’s been for me. So thank you, and I would definitely love to contribute something more formally.
JFC on a crutch!!!
We are all captive audiences!!!!!!
What else is new????
(Unrelated to your post.) I mentioned in class that I enjoy your Substack writings and asked my professor if she had heard of you. Oddly, you were her advisor’s advisor (I didn’t get the person’s name) at one time. Small world. You and other people I follow through Substack came up in a discussion about career expectations for historians. Writing books for little monetary compensation was bemoaned and I pointed out there are other mediums to share what you know, think, or want to discuss that could be more profitable. Not necessarily as a replacement for writing books, but an option for branching out and maybe reaching an audience who wouldn’t read the book (for whatever reason) but they’d enjoy this sort of discussion. I think every method of adding to the conversation can have value. It has for me anyway. Thanks :-)