My grandparents adopted two cats, Abby and Gibbs, about 9 years ago. My grandmother passed shortly thereafter and last Thanksgiving, my grandfather passed. My parents adopted both cats

It melts my heart to see them alongside one of my childhood cats (who is 14!)

If you’re at #SHEAR2025 today, I hope you’ll consider attending our panel this afternoon on Black families and activism in the Early Republic. I’ll be talking about how families navigated poverty and childcare in Philadelphia.

Selfie after an incredibly successful morning of work at the Rhode Island Historical Society! I am so grateful for their hospitality and excitement about their work. The collection I explored was so insightful for my research.

One of the great outcomes of the “The Great Gatsby” centenary has been the different editions of the novel edited by some leading scholars in Fitzgerald studies. Great to hear their reflections on the process!

I’m in NYC for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society’s conference on the centennial of “The Great Gatsby” - but I still had time for some Civil War era sightseeing!

It is great to be back at Gettysburg College (my alma mater) for the annual Civil War Institute Summer Conference!

If you’re at SHEAR this summer, I hope you will attend my panel - All graduate students presenting their work on Black families, the law, and activism.

I got a great haul of reading material from the Midtown Scholar! I’ll be enjoying today’s nice weather with a good book

I had the great chance to share some material from the very early stages of my dissertation research at a recent conference on the history of Black Philadelphia. It was three great days of scholarship and community!

Just finished Erik McDuffie’s “The Second Battle for Africa” and it is one of the best books I’ve read in awhile. Deeply researched and thought provoking, I had a hard time putting it down the last two days.

I am so excited for SHEAR this summer! My panel is entirely compromised of graduate students - keep your eye out for it in the conference program.

I had a wonderful time on my whirlwind less than 48 hour long visit to Kentucky where I gave a lecture at Camp Nelson National Monument and recorded an episode of the Park’s new podcast!

I finally had the chance to read Percival Everett’s “James.”
This book deserves every ounce of praise it has received!

Snow on the last day of class before Thanksgiving break has resulted in zero students attending. Alas, I will present todays lesson on the 1970s to an empty room.

I had a great time chatting with the Phi Alpha Theta chapter here about applying to grad school and what my experience in graduate school looks like. It was wonderful to connect with some of our really amazing undergrads.