I think many are excited. And encouraged. And grateful for your willingness to devote so much energy to divining the news.
I started reading Letters last fall (my memory was late Sept/early Oct but the archives indicate you started in Nov) first as a way to make sense of the news. I got hooked and continued to make up for my poor high school history education. Now it takes me a couple hours each day to read, think, and interact. I have learned much from your Letters and the video sessions. Not an A student yet, but I'm working on it.
It will be interesting to see whether the comment dialog on FB will change. Will the deep conversations happen here, there, or in both locations? I enjoy the interaction with others, but the FB interface is absolutely horrible in terms of promoting meaningful exchange between readers.
Started the letters September 15. Still have the scar from the yellow jacket, too! I don't know what will happen to the comments on Facebook, which I will still keep up with. As the page has gotten more prominent, though, it has gotten completely swarmed with bots and trolls. What finally drove me over here was when they hit my personal page, too, and I was just done. I would like for this community to become forward thinking as well as backward looking, and we can't do that while we're doing combat with dementors.
I can't engage with all the hate. I'm so frustrated with any "friends" on FB who cite speculative garbage from questionable sources. I'm a centrist-liberal Navy Brat but grew up in a bipartisan household, so I can see both sides on some issues.
You could turn off comments on your FB page if you get too fed up....
I'm on FB because that's where the disinformation is most effective. So I'm trying to combat it. But it's really hard to brainstorm in that format, because every time someone says something interesting, some troll comes in with something vicious. We'll see if we can do better over here. Plus, if you guys can tolerate it, I'd like some space for more content that is more wide-ranging. I'd love to do a piece on the changing roles of women in politics since 1981, but there really isn't room in the Letters for what is essentially a separate essay. Don't want to clutter up people's inboxes, though, so trying to figure out how to do that. Thinking about a separate column here that people can check as they wish, rather than sending emails out for the material in that column. Thoughts?
I'd be content with a separate, not-emailed, column here. It'd be sort of like knowing where the pie cupboard is so you can check it to see what goodies might have shown up.
And I'd *love* to see more wide-ranging essays & discussions. Here's a request for one/some: Food in American Politics.
In one of your taped talks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZDCBe3TcbU ...I think) you had an aside about writing on "sugar as the gateway drug to everything." I'd read the living heck out of that...as also your reflections on the Colombian Encounter consumables, especially corn and tobacco. Or, whatever! You tell a good yarn, your storytelling role-models would be proud.
I'm glad to hear this. This is exactly how I'm thinking about it. I have a number of websites I run off and check when I'm taking a break from work, and that's what I'd like to do here, in addition to the rest. If those writers dumped another email on me I'd be annoyed, but if I could just hop in and go "oh, cool" and then click off again it would be a nice break. We'll see how this develops.
I know you are super busy, and I just wanted to say I'm grateful for the time you put into this. I know it can be so very consuming. I don't see how you have time to read all of these comments, prepare your lectures when you're teaching, and have a life. I do hope you get in some self-care. Also, I'm glad you are getting paid something from us. To echo what someone else said, this is like the history I either don't remember or didn't learn in high school and college. It is helping me so very much to understand why we're where we are today. Thank you!
Also would love to see your writing on women in politics. You have such encyclopedic knowledge that I always learn something when I read your Letters. Extra essays would just be icing!
Would LOVE discussion on womenтАЩs roles in politics, in fact ANYTHING you choose to discussЁЯШБ, tho I agree this space is a little cumbersome. Wish there was more immediacy possible to make more like conversation.
I'll do threads soon where we're all on at the same time. What that loses in F2F it will gain in thoughtfulness from me. I actually find personal appearances absolutely exhausting, while I can write for hours.... :)
Is there a тАЬchat roomтАЭ option available? An opportunity for real time back and forth dialogue would be so refreshing, without the draining component of having to speak actual words out loud ЁЯШК
I would love to see that. I am learning so much. I moved around a lot as a child, even living in South America. Therefore, my history education was very spotty. Your letters and videos have inspired me to learn more and I love it. Now that I am retired (and locked in during the pandemic) I have loads of time to learn new things. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.
I'm excited also about the inaugural comment section and am commenting just so I can say I was part of the inaugural comment section! I am so grateful for you and love your enthusiasm for history, which is infectious - in a good way. Thank you!
Scrolled thru until I saw the little comment icon show up, then dove right in! I so love this space, and the community that has come together - not in some sheeple-following way, but as humans who just CARE and crave civilized and honest discourse about WTF is happening in our country. Thank you for this space ЁЯТЧ
Excited by the inaugural comment section. Cannot wait to see what happens over here. Off to bed now, but will check this out in the morning....
I think many are excited. And encouraged. And grateful for your willingness to devote so much energy to divining the news.
I started reading Letters last fall (my memory was late Sept/early Oct but the archives indicate you started in Nov) first as a way to make sense of the news. I got hooked and continued to make up for my poor high school history education. Now it takes me a couple hours each day to read, think, and interact. I have learned much from your Letters and the video sessions. Not an A student yet, but I'm working on it.
It will be interesting to see whether the comment dialog on FB will change. Will the deep conversations happen here, there, or in both locations? I enjoy the interaction with others, but the FB interface is absolutely horrible in terms of promoting meaningful exchange between readers.
Andrew
Started the letters September 15. Still have the scar from the yellow jacket, too! I don't know what will happen to the comments on Facebook, which I will still keep up with. As the page has gotten more prominent, though, it has gotten completely swarmed with bots and trolls. What finally drove me over here was when they hit my personal page, too, and I was just done. I would like for this community to become forward thinking as well as backward looking, and we can't do that while we're doing combat with dementors.
I can't engage with all the hate. I'm so frustrated with any "friends" on FB who cite speculative garbage from questionable sources. I'm a centrist-liberal Navy Brat but grew up in a bipartisan household, so I can see both sides on some issues.
You could turn off comments on your FB page if you get too fed up....
Yes, I was missing the promised back and forth, tho I DO want off fb
I'm on FB because that's where the disinformation is most effective. So I'm trying to combat it. But it's really hard to brainstorm in that format, because every time someone says something interesting, some troll comes in with something vicious. We'll see if we can do better over here. Plus, if you guys can tolerate it, I'd like some space for more content that is more wide-ranging. I'd love to do a piece on the changing roles of women in politics since 1981, but there really isn't room in the Letters for what is essentially a separate essay. Don't want to clutter up people's inboxes, though, so trying to figure out how to do that. Thinking about a separate column here that people can check as they wish, rather than sending emails out for the material in that column. Thoughts?
I'd be content with a separate, not-emailed, column here. It'd be sort of like knowing where the pie cupboard is so you can check it to see what goodies might have shown up.
And I'd *love* to see more wide-ranging essays & discussions. Here's a request for one/some: Food in American Politics.
In one of your taped talks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZDCBe3TcbU ...I think) you had an aside about writing on "sugar as the gateway drug to everything." I'd read the living heck out of that...as also your reflections on the Colombian Encounter consumables, especially corn and tobacco. Or, whatever! You tell a good yarn, your storytelling role-models would be proud.
I'm glad to hear this. This is exactly how I'm thinking about it. I have a number of websites I run off and check when I'm taking a break from work, and that's what I'd like to do here, in addition to the rest. If those writers dumped another email on me I'd be annoyed, but if I could just hop in and go "oh, cool" and then click off again it would be a nice break. We'll see how this develops.
I know you are super busy, and I just wanted to say I'm grateful for the time you put into this. I know it can be so very consuming. I don't see how you have time to read all of these comments, prepare your lectures when you're teaching, and have a life. I do hope you get in some self-care. Also, I'm glad you are getting paid something from us. To echo what someone else said, this is like the history I either don't remember or didn't learn in high school and college. It is helping me so very much to understand why we're where we are today. Thank you!
LOL at тАЬpie cupboardтАЭ... exactly that!
Also would love to see your writing on women in politics. You have such encyclopedic knowledge that I always learn something when I read your Letters. Extra essays would just be icing!
It could be interesting to speculate on who Joe Biden will end up selecting as his running mate. Female? Of color? Hmmmm.....
Would LOVE discussion on womenтАЩs roles in politics, in fact ANYTHING you choose to discussЁЯШБ, tho I agree this space is a little cumbersome. Wish there was more immediacy possible to make more like conversation.
I'll do threads soon where we're all on at the same time. What that loses in F2F it will gain in thoughtfulness from me. I actually find personal appearances absolutely exhausting, while I can write for hours.... :)
Is there a тАЬchat roomтАЭ option available? An opportunity for real time back and forth dialogue would be so refreshing, without the draining component of having to speak actual words out loud ЁЯШК
I would love to see that. I am learning so much. I moved around a lot as a child, even living in South America. Therefore, my history education was very spotty. Your letters and videos have inspired me to learn more and I love it. Now that I am retired (and locked in during the pandemic) I have loads of time to learn new things. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us.
I'm excited also about the inaugural comment section and am commenting just so I can say I was part of the inaugural comment section! I am so grateful for you and love your enthusiasm for history, which is infectious - in a good way. Thank you!
Scrolled thru until I saw the little comment icon show up, then dove right in! I so love this space, and the community that has come together - not in some sheeple-following way, but as humans who just CARE and crave civilized and honest discourse about WTF is happening in our country. Thank you for this space ЁЯТЧ