Susan Wise Bauer
@sjwbauer.bsky.social
Writer, historian, educator, mother/daughter/sister/wife, person.
Happy Tuesday, all, and it is PUBLICATION DAY for THE GREAT SHADOW: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy!
Raise a glass, join my virtual publication party and post cheers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/susan-w...
podcast.show/historically...
Raise a glass, join my virtual publication party and post cheers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/susan-w...
podcast.show/historically...
The Great Shadow: A Guest Post by Susan Wise Bauer - B&N Reads
History and storytelling illuminate the surprising ways that illness influenced human views and behaviors throughout time and continues to today. Read on for an exclusive essay from author Susan Wise ...
www.barnesandnoble.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Happy Tuesday, all, and it is PUBLICATION DAY for THE GREAT SHADOW: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy!
Raise a glass, join my virtual publication party and post cheers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/susan-w...
podcast.show/historically...
Raise a glass, join my virtual publication party and post cheers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/susan-w...
podcast.show/historically...
Two big events over the coming week--the pending icepocalypse and the publication date on Tuesday January 27, of my new book THE GREAT SHADOW: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy. I am distracting myself from the upcoming loss of power with the two newest reviews.
January 23, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Two big events over the coming week--the pending icepocalypse and the publication date on Tuesday January 27, of my new book THE GREAT SHADOW: A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy. I am distracting myself from the upcoming loss of power with the two newest reviews.
I took a bit of a break from Substack over the holidays, but I'm back to work now. Come visit me there for my most recent post.
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
The Elephant in the Room
We're still blaming illness on immigrants
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:11 AM
I took a bit of a break from Substack over the holidays, but I'm back to work now. Come visit me there for my most recent post.
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
I'll be keynoting in Charleston, WV at the end of the month. On 2/20, I'm presenting at William and Mary. And the audiobook of THE GREAT SHADOW is an Audible "Most Anticipated in 2026" selection!
events.wm.edu/event/view/l...
www.audible.com/pd/The-Great...
wvhsn.betterworld.org/events/west-...
events.wm.edu/event/view/l...
www.audible.com/pd/The-Great...
wvhsn.betterworld.org/events/west-...
January 14, 2026 at 10:35 PM
I'll be keynoting in Charleston, WV at the end of the month. On 2/20, I'm presenting at William and Mary. And the audiobook of THE GREAT SHADOW is an Audible "Most Anticipated in 2026" selection!
events.wm.edu/event/view/l...
www.audible.com/pd/The-Great...
wvhsn.betterworld.org/events/west-...
events.wm.edu/event/view/l...
www.audible.com/pd/The-Great...
wvhsn.betterworld.org/events/west-...
January friend trip IN the books. Charleston was beautiful and I love these crazy women.
January 13, 2026 at 4:06 AM
January friend trip IN the books. Charleston was beautiful and I love these crazy women.
Finally made it to Chicago for tomorrow's American Historical Association panel. Headed out to find a burger before bed...and every joint in the city has the Packers-Bears wild card game on the screen and is stuffed with fans.
I love Chicago. It's so purely its own particular thing.
I love Chicago. It's so purely its own particular thing.
January 11, 2026 at 4:15 AM
Finally made it to Chicago for tomorrow's American Historical Association panel. Headed out to find a burger before bed...and every joint in the city has the Packers-Bears wild card game on the screen and is stuffed with fans.
I love Chicago. It's so purely its own particular thing.
I love Chicago. It's so purely its own particular thing.
Quick January speaking update!
On 1/11, I’ll be chairing a panel discussion about classical education at the annual American Historical Society conference in Chicago. Guests welcome!
And on 1/31, I’m keynoting the WVHC annual meeting in Charleston, West Virginia, as well as doing a workshop.
On 1/11, I’ll be chairing a panel discussion about classical education at the annual American Historical Society conference in Chicago. Guests welcome!
And on 1/31, I’m keynoting the WVHC annual meeting in Charleston, West Virginia, as well as doing a workshop.
Annual Meeting - AHA
Join Us at the Annual Meeting Connect with Your Community Since 1884, the American Historical Association annual meeting has been the premier gathering for historians to come together to share researc...
www.historians.org
January 2, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Quick January speaking update!
On 1/11, I’ll be chairing a panel discussion about classical education at the annual American Historical Society conference in Chicago. Guests welcome!
And on 1/31, I’m keynoting the WVHC annual meeting in Charleston, West Virginia, as well as doing a workshop.
On 1/11, I’ll be chairing a panel discussion about classical education at the annual American Historical Society conference in Chicago. Guests welcome!
And on 1/31, I’m keynoting the WVHC annual meeting in Charleston, West Virginia, as well as doing a workshop.
Less than a month to go before publication date for my new book—it’s a slightly nerve-wracking time as we wait for final reviews and pre-order numbers.
December 30, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Less than a month to go before publication date for my new book—it’s a slightly nerve-wracking time as we wait for final reviews and pre-order numbers.
Christmas.
A completely relaxed holiday with presents and burgers (they were delicious!) and homemade Yule log and cookies.
We all needed that.
A completely relaxed holiday with presents and burgers (they were delicious!) and homemade Yule log and cookies.
We all needed that.
December 30, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Christmas.
A completely relaxed holiday with presents and burgers (they were delicious!) and homemade Yule log and cookies.
We all needed that.
A completely relaxed holiday with presents and burgers (they were delicious!) and homemade Yule log and cookies.
We all needed that.
Dear followers, the news has been dreadful over the past week; although I have observations I want to make about our world, and about classical education, and about history, and about all of the things I study and write about, I have simply felt that at the moment, silence is the wisest strategy.
December 18, 2025 at 3:22 AM
Dear followers, the news has been dreadful over the past week; although I have observations I want to make about our world, and about classical education, and about history, and about all of the things I study and write about, I have simply felt that at the moment, silence is the wisest strategy.
I’m on board with all of the objections in this article. But none of this is NEW. It’s been going on for decades. This default to smaller, simpler, more digestible sections of literature has been part of American education since at least the 1970s.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
Kids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even in English Class.
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2025 at 8:42 PM
I’m on board with all of the objections in this article. But none of this is NEW. It’s been going on for decades. This default to smaller, simpler, more digestible sections of literature has been part of American education since at least the 1970s.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/12/u...
Time for a Great Shadow update! I'm thrilled that the book just got a starred review in Library Journal, which said in part:
"Bauer’s storytelling style allows readers to practically experience firsthand how humans have adapted to and dealt with disease throughout history."
"Bauer’s storytelling style allows readers to practically experience firsthand how humans have adapted to and dealt with disease throughout history."
December 11, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Time for a Great Shadow update! I'm thrilled that the book just got a starred review in Library Journal, which said in part:
"Bauer’s storytelling style allows readers to practically experience firsthand how humans have adapted to and dealt with disease throughout history."
"Bauer’s storytelling style allows readers to practically experience firsthand how humans have adapted to and dealt with disease throughout history."
Snow day album! It's still coming down and I'm feeling all festive and holiday-ish!
December 5, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Snow day album! It's still coming down and I'm feeling all festive and holiday-ish!
If you’ve been wandering around on any social media channelsou’ve probably seen the polemical posts about Samantha Fulnecky, the University of Oklahama student who got a 0 on her response essay because she turned in an opinion piece instead of an academic response with proper citation.
December 3, 2025 at 4:26 PM
If you’ve been wandering around on any social media channelsou’ve probably seen the polemical posts about Samantha Fulnecky, the University of Oklahama student who got a 0 on her response essay because she turned in an opinion piece instead of an academic response with proper citation.
This is a first for me. I analyzed a TikTok trend!
Have a read and tell me what you think.
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
Have a read and tell me what you think.
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
Potatoes in Your Socks
The MAHA agenda and its unexpected connection to ancient Greek philosophy
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:46 PM
This is a first for me. I analyzed a TikTok trend!
Have a read and tell me what you think.
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
Have a read and tell me what you think.
open.substack.com/pub/susanwis...
Successful Thanksgiving weekend--the trees are trimmed, all the traditional Christmas decorations are out, and we're thoroughly into the holiday season!
November 29, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Successful Thanksgiving weekend--the trees are trimmed, all the traditional Christmas decorations are out, and we're thoroughly into the holiday season!
Reporting back in!
Thanksgiving Day was relaxed and joyful. We had cinnamon rolls at 11 and then basically ate small plates the rest of the day, mostly one or two things at a time. Everyone opened their Advent calendars. There were games. We kept the fire going all day.
Thanksgiving Day was relaxed and joyful. We had cinnamon rolls at 11 and then basically ate small plates the rest of the day, mostly one or two things at a time. Everyone opened their Advent calendars. There were games. We kept the fire going all day.
November 29, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Reporting back in!
Thanksgiving Day was relaxed and joyful. We had cinnamon rolls at 11 and then basically ate small plates the rest of the day, mostly one or two things at a time. Everyone opened their Advent calendars. There were games. We kept the fire going all day.
Thanksgiving Day was relaxed and joyful. We had cinnamon rolls at 11 and then basically ate small plates the rest of the day, mostly one or two things at a time. Everyone opened their Advent calendars. There were games. We kept the fire going all day.
Last year’s Thanksgiving was NOT a good one for me. Looking back, that was inevitable. My mother had died less than three weeks before, my father six months before that, and Thanksgiving was always their holiday.
November 25, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Last year’s Thanksgiving was NOT a good one for me. Looking back, that was inevitable. My mother had died less than three weeks before, my father six months before that, and Thanksgiving was always their holiday.
Long walk down Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg on a blue-sky November day. Just appreciating my local beauty. (It's easy to forget it when you see it often.)
November 21, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Long walk down Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg on a blue-sky November day. Just appreciating my local beauty. (It's easy to forget it when you see it often.)
Please consider a pre-order of my upcoming book, THE GREAT SHADOW! Read more about it here:
substack.com/@susanwiseba...
substack.com/@susanwiseba...
Susan Wise Bauer (@susanwisebauer)
If you’re a follower of my work, please consider pre-ordering my upcoming book The Great Shadow.
This book really grew out of my narrative world history series for W. W. Norton (that would be The His...
substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Please consider a pre-order of my upcoming book, THE GREAT SHADOW! Read more about it here:
substack.com/@susanwiseba...
substack.com/@susanwiseba...
I am mostly an X-refugee these days, but this gave me a good election-day chuckle.
November 4, 2025 at 10:29 PM
I am mostly an X-refugee these days, but this gave me a good election-day chuckle.