By Nancy F. Cott (NHC Fellow, 2015–16) In the fragile peace following the Great War, a surprising number of restless young Americans abandoned their homes and set out impulsively to see the changing world. In Fighting Words, Nancy F. Cott follows four who pursued global news — from contested Palestine to revolutionary China, from Stalin’s Moscow … Continued
By Fred Hobson (NHC Fellow, 1991–92) Ever in control, H. L. Mencken contrived that future generations would see his life as he desired them to. He even wrote Happy Days, Newspaper Days, and other books to fit the pictures he wanted: first, the carefree Baltimore boy; then, the delighted, exuberant critic of American life. But he … Continued
By Daniel Horowitz (NHC Fellow, 1984–85) Vance Packard’s bestselling books–Hidden Persuaders (1957), Status Seekers (1959), and Waste Makers (1960)–taught the generation that came of age in the late 1950s and early 1960s about the dangers posed by advertising, social climbing, and planned obsolescence. Like Betty Friedan and William H. Whyte, Jr., Packard (1914- ) was … Continued
In recent years, historians have increasingly taken to social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook to engage with each other, with journalists, and with the general public too. But the social media landscape can be tricky to navigate. In this webinar, historian Kevin M. Kruse will guide participants through a discussion of best practices for … Continued
Betty Debnam created and edited the Mini Page, a nationally syndicated newspaper supplement that ran from 1969 to 2007. Inducted into the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame in 1999, her journalistic efforts introduced children to forms of news and ignited their curiosity. In this Humanities Moment, Debnam reflects on both her familial ties to … Continued
I was a newspaper reporter covering the War in Iraq in the late 2000s. My assignment was exciting, but often lonely. I bounced from town to town, usually embedded with the U.S. Army. At the end of a long day, there often was no one to talk to, grab a bite with or even watch … Continued