Alexis Coe
@alexiscoe.bsky.social
Presidential historian. American History Columnist @NYTBR. Senior Fellow @NewAmerica. NYT bestselling author of (almost!) 3 books.
My Q&A with @tj-stiles.bsky.social is a masterclass in intellectual humility, narrative ambition, and the unromantic economics of writing.
Also, a perfect editor moment after his NBA win — tears, applause, a dry reminder: aren’t you glad I made you cut all that stuff?
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Also, a perfect editor moment after his NBA win — tears, applause, a dry reminder: aren’t you glad I made you cut all that stuff?
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Q&A: T.J. Stiles
"So [the National Book Award] announced my name. I was in tears, and [my editor] sits back, and he goes, 'Aren't you glad I made you cut out all that stuff?'”
substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:27 PM
My Q&A with @tj-stiles.bsky.social is a masterclass in intellectual humility, narrative ambition, and the unromantic economics of writing.
Also, a perfect editor moment after his NBA win — tears, applause, a dry reminder: aren’t you glad I made you cut all that stuff?
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Also, a perfect editor moment after his NBA win — tears, applause, a dry reminder: aren’t you glad I made you cut all that stuff?
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Alexis Coe
Sometimes you learn the most from writers working in very different disciplines than your own.
So: Huge thanks to @alexiscoe.bsky.social for agreeing to talk about shaking up the historical canon and the risks (and pleasures) of researching very dead white dudes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...
So: Huge thanks to @alexiscoe.bsky.social for agreeing to talk about shaking up the historical canon and the risks (and pleasures) of researching very dead white dudes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...
Alexis Coe on You Never Forget Your First
Podcast Episode · Origin Stories · 01/28/2026 · 34m
podcasts.apple.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Sometimes you learn the most from writers working in very different disciplines than your own.
So: Huge thanks to @alexiscoe.bsky.social for agreeing to talk about shaking up the historical canon and the risks (and pleasures) of researching very dead white dudes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...
So: Huge thanks to @alexiscoe.bsky.social for agreeing to talk about shaking up the historical canon and the risks (and pleasures) of researching very dead white dudes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/o...
Reposted by Alexis Coe
Who should organize this?
Our next POTUS. Dems can't do much in Congress but efforts by 2028 hopefuls haven't done what's needed: Booker’s marathon speech, AOC–Bernie's anti-fascist tour, Newsom’s influencer politics.
Our next leader won't comment on history. He or she will force it.
/7
Our next POTUS. Dems can't do much in Congress but efforts by 2028 hopefuls haven't done what's needed: Booker’s marathon speech, AOC–Bernie's anti-fascist tour, Newsom’s influencer politics.
Our next leader won't comment on history. He or she will force it.
/7
January 26, 2026 at 1:33 PM
Who should organize this?
Our next POTUS. Dems can't do much in Congress but efforts by 2028 hopefuls haven't done what's needed: Booker’s marathon speech, AOC–Bernie's anti-fascist tour, Newsom’s influencer politics.
Our next leader won't comment on history. He or she will force it.
/7
Our next POTUS. Dems can't do much in Congress but efforts by 2028 hopefuls haven't done what's needed: Booker’s marathon speech, AOC–Bernie's anti-fascist tour, Newsom’s influencer politics.
Our next leader won't comment on history. He or she will force it.
/7
Reposted by Alexis Coe
It’s my birthday and I have one wish: understand this critical distinction.
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
January 26, 2026 at 1:19 PM
It’s my birthday and I have one wish: understand this critical distinction.
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
It’s my birthday and I have one wish: understand this critical distinction.
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
January 26, 2026 at 1:19 PM
It’s my birthday and I have one wish: understand this critical distinction.
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
Protests matter. They shape memory. But they do not deliver relief within the timeframe we need.
That comes from a concurrent form of protest:
***sustained nationwide economic non-participation***
A 🎂 thread.
/1
Reposted by Alexis Coe
I'm by pure coincidence on a trip to south Florida during the awful weather in North Carolina, and I'm greatly enjoying @alexiscoe.bsky.social bio on George Washington. 😊
January 25, 2026 at 1:56 PM
I'm by pure coincidence on a trip to south Florida during the awful weather in North Carolina, and I'm greatly enjoying @alexiscoe.bsky.social bio on George Washington. 😊
This was a tough one. open.substack.com/pub/alexisco...
Enslaver-in-Chief: When Public History Is Removed from the Public
Upcoming Event
open.substack.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:42 PM
This was a tough one. open.substack.com/pub/alexisco...
When the palace is exempt from the fire code and the king says it’s fine to strike a match, why wouldn’t you?
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/reply-some...
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/reply-some...
Reply Some: Above Code. Open Flame.
Author’s Note
alexiscoe.substack.com
January 9, 2026 at 4:19 PM
When the palace is exempt from the fire code and the king says it’s fine to strike a match, why wouldn’t you?
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/reply-some...
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/reply-some...
Reposted by Alexis Coe
Just three months from today, my book about Americans’ 250 year struggle over slavery’s place in George Washington’s legacy will be out in the world. Some great (and NYT bestselling!) writers have said kind things about it. I hope you’ll consider pre-ordering a copy. bookshop.org/p/books/thy-...
January 7, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Just three months from today, my book about Americans’ 250 year struggle over slavery’s place in George Washington’s legacy will be out in the world. Some great (and NYT bestselling!) writers have said kind things about it. I hope you’ll consider pre-ordering a copy. bookshop.org/p/books/thy-...
Reposted by Alexis Coe
Feed: "NYT > Books > Book Review"
By: Alexis Coe on Monday, December 15, 2025
By: Alexis Coe on Monday, December 15, 2025
What’s the Deal With the U.S. Economy?
As costs are rising and wallets are hurting, these books explore the promises and pitfalls of the U.S. economy.
www.nytimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Feed: "NYT > Books > Book Review"
By: Alexis Coe on Monday, December 15, 2025
By: Alexis Coe on Monday, December 15, 2025
Reposted by Alexis Coe
I went live with historian Alexis Coe to talk about history as something we are doing, not just remembering—democracy, national myth, and what it means to stay in the room when the story feels unfinished.
History, Democracy, and the Work of Meaning — with Alexis Coe
A recording from Mike Brock's live video
www.notesfromthecircus.com
December 17, 2025 at 10:39 PM
I went live with historian Alexis Coe to talk about history as something we are doing, not just remembering—democracy, national myth, and what it means to stay in the room when the story feels unfinished.
@kalpenn.bsky.social: I'm still floored that you read [Contract with America] in the fourth grade.
Me: I mean, it really messed me up for a while.
I joined "Here We Go Again" to talk forgotten families and what all of this means heading into America’s 250th.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
Me: I mean, it really messed me up for a while.
I joined "Here We Go Again" to talk forgotten families and what all of this means heading into America’s 250th.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
Is the Dynasty Dead? with Alexis Coe
Podcast Episode · Here We Go Again With Kal Penn · 06/01/2026 · 43m
podcasts.apple.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:10 PM
@kalpenn.bsky.social: I'm still floored that you read [Contract with America] in the fourth grade.
Me: I mean, it really messed me up for a while.
I joined "Here We Go Again" to talk forgotten families and what all of this means heading into America’s 250th.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
Me: I mean, it really messed me up for a while.
I joined "Here We Go Again" to talk forgotten families and what all of this means heading into America’s 250th.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...
Have yourself a demented little Christmas [card]
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/demented-c...
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/demented-c...
Demented Christmas Cards: Seasonal Goodwill, Yes—But Also Vigilance
In the 1840s, British postal reforms made mass mail cheap and reliable, Queen Victoria turned Christmas into a national mood board, and a new consumer ritual snapped into place.
alexiscoe.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Have yourself a demented little Christmas [card]
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/demented-c...
alexiscoe.substack.com/p/demented-c...
December 2020:
“Santa is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody.” — Dr. Anthony Fauci
December 2025:
RFK Jr. wants the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to look like Denmark’s. In response, Danish officials say the U.S. is getting “crazier and crazier," has diseases they don’t.
“Santa is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody.” — Dr. Anthony Fauci
December 2025:
RFK Jr. wants the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to look like Denmark’s. In response, Danish officials say the U.S. is getting “crazier and crazier," has diseases they don’t.
December 23, 2025 at 5:50 PM
December 2020:
“Santa is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody.” — Dr. Anthony Fauci
December 2025:
RFK Jr. wants the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to look like Denmark’s. In response, Danish officials say the U.S. is getting “crazier and crazier," has diseases they don’t.
“Santa is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody.” — Dr. Anthony Fauci
December 2025:
RFK Jr. wants the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to look like Denmark’s. In response, Danish officials say the U.S. is getting “crazier and crazier," has diseases they don’t.
Captain’s Log, Day 337. Situation grim. Crew remains at posts out of spite, pedantry, and an old, stubborn attachment to an unfinished America.
—AC
Ie I contributed to this NYT survey:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
—AC
Ie I contributed to this NYT survey:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
December 23, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Captain’s Log, Day 337. Situation grim. Crew remains at posts out of spite, pedantry, and an old, stubborn attachment to an unfinished America.
—AC
Ie I contributed to this NYT survey:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
—AC
Ie I contributed to this NYT survey:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
My best subject line of 2025
Valuable life advice this week from @alexiscoe.bsky.social
December 17, 2025 at 3:55 PM
My best subject line of 2025
Reposted by Alexis Coe
Valuable life advice this week from @alexiscoe.bsky.social
November 23, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Valuable life advice this week from @alexiscoe.bsky.social
I spent my final NYTBR column of 2025 circling a question a deceptively simple question: what happened to the American Dream?
History, economics, and the mechanics of disappointment here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
History, economics, and the mechanics of disappointment here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
What Happened to the American Dream? Will It Ever Come Back?
www.nytimes.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:38 PM
I spent my final NYTBR column of 2025 circling a question a deceptively simple question: what happened to the American Dream?
History, economics, and the mechanics of disappointment here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
History, economics, and the mechanics of disappointment here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
In my last NYTBR column of 2025, I started with a question that has become unanswerable: What happened to the American Dream—and why does it feel so out of reach?
More books on the big bad economy here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
More books on the big bad economy here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
What Happened to the American Dream? Will It Ever Come Back?
www.nytimes.com
December 15, 2025 at 8:36 PM
In my last NYTBR column of 2025, I started with a question that has become unanswerable: What happened to the American Dream—and why does it feel so out of reach?
More books on the big bad economy here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
More books on the big bad economy here:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/b...
Relieved to say the saga is losing me as Lizza toggles between
“she was in a mental health crisis” and “she was running a multi-pronged psy-op with professional operatives.”
“she was in a mental health crisis” and “she was running a multi-pronged psy-op with professional operatives.”
December 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Relieved to say the saga is losing me as Lizza toggles between
“she was in a mental health crisis” and “she was running a multi-pronged psy-op with professional operatives.”
“she was in a mental health crisis” and “she was running a multi-pronged psy-op with professional operatives.”
The singular delight of being one's nerdiest, most ardent self on @NPR: www.npr.org/2025/12/07/n...
A surge of history on TV reflects race to define collective memory
A retelling of James Garfield's assassination and other recent TV programs about history show an interest in saying 'who we were, who we are and who we're going to be,' explains presidential historian...
www.npr.org
December 8, 2025 at 4:54 PM
The singular delight of being one's nerdiest, most ardent self on @NPR: www.npr.org/2025/12/07/n...
I want to die just looking at this yet he’s choosing to live it
December 3, 2025 at 2:27 PM
I want to die just looking at this yet he’s choosing to live it
Sleepy Don
Trump dozes while Marco Rubio speaks to him directly next to him. Just insane optics.
December 2, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Sleepy Don
I named my fists Abigail & John because I fight with love and receipts
I named my fists Iliad & Odyssey because I’m about to leave it hanging before I bring it home
I named my fists Moby and Dick because I’m about to sink the tyrant.
December 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
I named my fists Abigail & John because I fight with love and receipts
*channeling Sassy Mag*
It Happened to Me: My Country Pivoted from Democracy to Kleptocracy
It Happened to Me: My Country Pivoted from Democracy to Kleptocracy
December 1, 2025 at 3:01 PM
*channeling Sassy Mag*
It Happened to Me: My Country Pivoted from Democracy to Kleptocracy
It Happened to Me: My Country Pivoted from Democracy to Kleptocracy