Dr. Jim Downs
@jimdowns.bsky.social
Author of Author of Maladies of Empire & Sick from Freedom; Stand by Me: The Forgotten History of Gay Liberation; Gilder Lehrman NEH Prof at Gettysburg College; https://www.jimdownsofficial.com
Pinned
Dr. Jim Downs
@jimdowns.bsky.social
· Nov 16
As the history wars heat up, we’re releasing a new book that brings together some of the nation’s leading voices—Nikole Hannah-Jones, Annette Gordon-Reed, and many others—for an urgent, energizing conversation about the origins of the United States. Preorder is now available.
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
4-5 years ago there were MDs like Lucy McBride crowing about the urgency of normal, getting kids back to school. There were PR hacks like David Zweig supporting them. Now kids are being sent to immigration detention, getting measles & these folks are nowhere to be found. It was never about the kids.
February 18, 2026 at 11:25 AM
4-5 years ago there were MDs like Lucy McBride crowing about the urgency of normal, getting kids back to school. There were PR hacks like David Zweig supporting them. Now kids are being sent to immigration detention, getting measles & these folks are nowhere to be found. It was never about the kids.
My article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Always better in print! “Slavery was central to the presidency. The President’s House should say so” www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
February 1, 2026 at 9:28 PM
My article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Always better in print! “Slavery was central to the presidency. The President’s House should say so” www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
OPINION: "George Washington's home in Philadelphia stood on hallowed ground where the ideals of liberty were articulated alongside the daily practice of human bondage." — Jim Downs
Slavery was central to the presidency, and the President’s House |Opinion
www.inquirer.com
January 29, 2026 at 10:23 PM
OPINION: "George Washington's home in Philadelphia stood on hallowed ground where the ideals of liberty were articulated alongside the daily practice of human bondage." — Jim Downs
I wrote an Opinion Essay for the Phila Inquirer. The piece mentions the conference I’m directing for the Library Company of Phila. I’ve gifted the article, so there’s no paywall. www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
Slavery was central to the presidency, and the President’s House. | Opinion
George Washington's home in Philadelphia stood on hallowed ground where the ideals of liberty were articulated alongside the daily practice of human bondage.
www.inquirer.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:05 PM
I wrote an Opinion Essay for the Phila Inquirer. The piece mentions the conference I’m directing for the Library Company of Phila. I’ve gifted the article, so there’s no paywall. www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
Proud to be directing this conference. Even more excited about the speakers. Please share widely and register librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
January 19, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Proud to be directing this conference. Even more excited about the speakers. Please share widely and register librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
Blueskis, studies have shown that when folks see or hear about a book more than five times, they are likely to check it out, and buy it.
So in the spirit of creating buzz, here is the gorgeous cover of THE WESTERNERS, which will be published on March 31!
So in the spirit of creating buzz, here is the gorgeous cover of THE WESTERNERS, which will be published on March 31!
January 18, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Blueskis, studies have shown that when folks see or hear about a book more than five times, they are likely to check it out, and buy it.
So in the spirit of creating buzz, here is the gorgeous cover of THE WESTERNERS, which will be published on March 31!
So in the spirit of creating buzz, here is the gorgeous cover of THE WESTERNERS, which will be published on March 31!
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
Pleased to share the news that the latest issue of our journal "Civil War History"—edited by @jimdowns.bsky.social, and featuring articles by @legg.bsky.social, @nielseichhorn.bsky.social, and others—is now available at @projectmuse.bsky.social:
muse.jhu.edu/issue/56267
muse.jhu.edu/issue/56267
January 17, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Pleased to share the news that the latest issue of our journal "Civil War History"—edited by @jimdowns.bsky.social, and featuring articles by @legg.bsky.social, @nielseichhorn.bsky.social, and others—is now available at @projectmuse.bsky.social:
muse.jhu.edu/issue/56267
muse.jhu.edu/issue/56267
Outrageous: RFK questions germ theory—& wants to revive the Ancient Greek idea of the humors, a framework dismantled by the 17th century & considered atavistic by the time of the Civil War.After decades of scientific progress, this is the direction he’s pointing us. www.instagram.com/reel/DTjBszG...
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www.instagram.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Outrageous: RFK questions germ theory—& wants to revive the Ancient Greek idea of the humors, a framework dismantled by the 17th century & considered atavistic by the time of the Civil War.After decades of scientific progress, this is the direction he’s pointing us. www.instagram.com/reel/DTjBszG...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
Blueskis, have you ever wondered how soap became so smelly?
Or what soap production might have to do with warfare?
If so, join us for a virtual conversation about these and other soapy matters tomorrow, January 13 at 5:00 EST!
Register here: www.masshist.org/events/Indus...
Or what soap production might have to do with warfare?
If so, join us for a virtual conversation about these and other soapy matters tomorrow, January 13 at 5:00 EST!
Register here: www.masshist.org/events/Indus...
Massachusetts Historical Society: Industrializing Olfaction: How Soapmakers Changed the Urban American Smellscape in the Late 19th Century & Early 20th Century
www.masshist.org
January 12, 2026 at 6:35 PM
Blueskis, have you ever wondered how soap became so smelly?
Or what soap production might have to do with warfare?
If so, join us for a virtual conversation about these and other soapy matters tomorrow, January 13 at 5:00 EST!
Register here: www.masshist.org/events/Indus...
Or what soap production might have to do with warfare?
If so, join us for a virtual conversation about these and other soapy matters tomorrow, January 13 at 5:00 EST!
Register here: www.masshist.org/events/Indus...
I woke up this morning to an email from Jonathan Ned Katz, the father of gay American history, telling me that my article is in print in The New York Times. I am standing on his shoulders. He paved the way for so many of us to do this work. Thank you, Jonathan!
January 8, 2026 at 12:21 AM
I woke up this morning to an email from Jonathan Ned Katz, the father of gay American history, telling me that my article is in print in The New York Times. I am standing on his shoulders. He paved the way for so many of us to do this work. Thank you, Jonathan!
Proud to have published January 6 & the Politics of History w/ historians Jill Lepore, Joanne Freeman, Stephanie McCurry, Elizabeth Hinton, Will Sturkey, Julian Zelizer. The book includes a vital debate about historians’ responsibilities as public intellectuals. www.amazon.com/January-Poli...
January 6 and the Politics of History (History in the Headlines)
January 6 and the Politics of History (History in the Headlines) [Downs, Jim, McCurry, Stephanie, Freeman, Joanne B., Hinton, Elizabeth, Lepore, Jill, Sturkey, William, Zelizer, Julian E., Downs, Jim] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. January 6 and the Politics of History (History in the Headlines)
www.amazon.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:58 PM
Proud to have published January 6 & the Politics of History w/ historians Jill Lepore, Joanne Freeman, Stephanie McCurry, Elizabeth Hinton, Will Sturkey, Julian Zelizer. The book includes a vital debate about historians’ responsibilities as public intellectuals. www.amazon.com/January-Poli...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
Right after the January 6 insurrection and in the years afterward, historians wrote about its echoes in the past and its implications for the future.
Here is a roundup of their online articles, with links:
megankatenelson.com/historians-c...
Here is a roundup of their online articles, with links:
megankatenelson.com/historians-c...
Historians Contextualizing the Capitol Insurrection: A Roundup – Megan Kate Nelson
megankatenelson.com
January 6, 2026 at 3:46 PM
Right after the January 6 insurrection and in the years afterward, historians wrote about its echoes in the past and its implications for the future.
Here is a roundup of their online articles, with links:
megankatenelson.com/historians-c...
Here is a roundup of their online articles, with links:
megankatenelson.com/historians-c...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
@jimdowns.bsky.social on ‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Gay Culture’s Next Frontier www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Opinion | ‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Gay Culture’s Next Frontier
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 10:47 PM
@jimdowns.bsky.social on ‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Gay Culture’s Next Frontier www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
I really like this column by Jim Downs.
Heated Rivalryis a terrific show. It is wonderful to see gay people accurately portrayed on the screen as real human beings.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Heated Rivalryis a terrific show. It is wonderful to see gay people accurately portrayed on the screen as real human beings.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Opinion | A Sweet, Sexy, Happy Love Story Between Two Men. Revolutionary.
www.nytimes.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:38 AM
I really like this column by Jim Downs.
Heated Rivalryis a terrific show. It is wonderful to see gay people accurately portrayed on the screen as real human beings.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Heated Rivalryis a terrific show. It is wonderful to see gay people accurately portrayed on the screen as real human beings.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
Perhaps what excites people most about the show “Heated Rivalry,” Jim Downs writes, “is not the thrill of naked bodies but the shock of being emotionally known. That is what some of us have been missing.”
Opinion | A Sweet, Sexy, Happy Love Story Between Two Men. Revolutionary.
We need stories that capture how we live — in the touch, the embrace, the everyday if boring intimacies that were never meant to be translated.
nyti.ms
January 3, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Perhaps what excites people most about the show “Heated Rivalry,” Jim Downs writes, “is not the thrill of naked bodies but the shock of being emotionally known. That is what some of us have been missing.”
As a historian, I’ve learned to wait on what things mean. Seeing HBO/MAX’s Heated Rivalry become a cultural event felt like a signal. I wrote about that moment in The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Opinion | A Sweet, Sexy, Happy Love Story Between Two Men. Revolutionary.
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:04 PM
As a historian, I’ve learned to wait on what things mean. Seeing HBO/MAX’s Heated Rivalry become a cultural event felt like a signal. I wrote about that moment in The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/o...
Historian Kim Phillips-Fein in NYT Opinion: “Today people leave New York not because they are afraid of being mugged but because they fear their landlords are about to raise their rents.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/o...
Opinion | Since When Is It Radical to Reclaim New York for New Yorkers?
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 4:42 AM
Historian Kim Phillips-Fein in NYT Opinion: “Today people leave New York not because they are afraid of being mugged but because they fear their landlords are about to raise their rents.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/o...
I write about how Desire is easy but identity is the burden.
That’s the logic Heated Rivalry can’t escape — and it’s why the show feels stuck in the past, no matter how hot it gets. slate.com/life/2025/12...
That’s the logic Heated Rivalry can’t escape — and it’s why the show feels stuck in the past, no matter how hot it gets. slate.com/life/2025/12...
The Horniest Show on TV Actually Has a Weirdly Conservative Message. Don’t Fall for It.
Why do we keep skating in circles?
slate.com
December 20, 2025 at 12:14 AM
I write about how Desire is easy but identity is the burden.
That’s the logic Heated Rivalry can’t escape — and it’s why the show feels stuck in the past, no matter how hot it gets. slate.com/life/2025/12...
That’s the logic Heated Rivalry can’t escape — and it’s why the show feels stuck in the past, no matter how hot it gets. slate.com/life/2025/12...
I wrote about how HEATED RIVALRY popularity is tied to an outdated narrative framework—and why that matters. slate.com/life/2025/12...
The Horniest Show on TV Actually Has a Weirdly Conservative Message. Don’t Fall for It.
Why do we keep skating in circles?
slate.com
December 18, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I wrote about how HEATED RIVALRY popularity is tied to an outdated narrative framework—and why that matters. slate.com/life/2025/12...
Thrilled to announce our CFP for a new LCP–APS conference on the long history of Black declarations of independence. Presenters will focus on one document to keep the work publicly accessible
Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
December 9, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Thrilled to announce our CFP for a new LCP–APS conference on the long history of Black declarations of independence. Presenters will focus on one document to keep the work publicly accessible
Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
Preorder at www.ugapress.org/978082037712...
December 2, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Preorder at www.ugapress.org/978082037712...
Reposted by Dr. Jim Downs
"It was the first time in American history that literature had been organized under the subject heading of 'gay culture.'" — historian Jim Downs
The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop's grand opening weekend was #OTD 1967 at 291 Mercer Street.
👉 bit.ly/oscar-wilde-...
The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop's grand opening weekend was #OTD 1967 at 291 Mercer Street.
👉 bit.ly/oscar-wilde-...
November 18, 2025 at 11:17 PM
"It was the first time in American history that literature had been organized under the subject heading of 'gay culture.'" — historian Jim Downs
The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop's grand opening weekend was #OTD 1967 at 291 Mercer Street.
👉 bit.ly/oscar-wilde-...
The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop's grand opening weekend was #OTD 1967 at 291 Mercer Street.
👉 bit.ly/oscar-wilde-...
Big news for the 250th! We at LCP & APS are organizing a conference: BLACK DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE — Before & After 1776.
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Call for Proposals: Black Declarations of Independence – The Library Company of Philadelphia
librarycompany.org
November 24, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Big news for the 250th! We at LCP & APS are organizing a conference: BLACK DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE — Before & After 1776.
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Big news for the 250th! We at LCP & APS are organizing a conference: BLACK DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE — Before & After 1776.
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Call for Proposals: Black Declarations of Independence – The Library Company of Philadelphia
librarycompany.org
November 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Big news for the 250th! We at LCP & APS are organizing a conference: BLACK DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE — Before & After 1776.
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! Please spread the word!
librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Big news for the 250th! We at LCP & APS are organizing a conference: BLACK DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE — Before & After 1776.
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Call for Proposals: Black Declarations of Independence – The Library Company of Philadelphia
librarycompany.org
November 22, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Big news for the 250th! We at LCP & APS are organizing a conference: BLACK DECLARATIONS OF INDEPENDENCE — Before & After 1776.
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
Please consider submitting a proposal!
Featuring Annette Gordon-Reed and Nell Painter! librarycompany.org/academic-pro...
