Megan Birk
@megbirk.bsky.social
Historian, basset hound person, national park visitor, sloth hiking team (we get there when we get there), Costco member, wine drinker, etc… Author of Fostering on the Farm, and The Fundamental Institution - UIL press. Views my own and so forth
and so on
and so on
Appreciate this UTK tradition. I got to bookplate a very special book
November 18, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Appreciate this UTK tradition. I got to bookplate a very special book
My usual first stop in DSM - The Early Bird saves me from archival stomach rumblings and a caffeine withdrawal headache every time
September 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
My usual first stop in DSM - The Early Bird saves me from archival stomach rumblings and a caffeine withdrawal headache every time
Reposted by Megan Birk
🚨CFP🚨 The Midwestern History Association invites proposals for the 12th Midwestern History Conference, Thursday, April 30–Friday, May 1, 2026, hosted by Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in conjunction with its annual Altman Symposium in the humanities. Submission Deadline: Monday, December 8, 2025.
2026 Conference — Midwestern History Association
www.midwesternhistory.com
August 12, 2025 at 1:29 PM
🚨CFP🚨 The Midwestern History Association invites proposals for the 12th Midwestern History Conference, Thursday, April 30–Friday, May 1, 2026, hosted by Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in conjunction with its annual Altman Symposium in the humanities. Submission Deadline: Monday, December 8, 2025.
Reposted by Megan Birk
BREAKING: A new experiment in Philly shows cash rental assistance slashed homelessness rates by 57–67%.
August 21, 2025 at 11:35 PM
BREAKING: A new experiment in Philly shows cash rental assistance slashed homelessness rates by 57–67%.
Reposted by Megan Birk
A few people have shared this here today, so I thought I’d post it.
March 4, 2025 at 11:18 PM
A few people have shared this here today, so I thought I’d post it.
Reposted by Megan Birk
"The nation has faced, many times, a conservative Court aligned with bigotry and big business. But the nation has not previously faced a conservative Court aligned with helping the president become a king." — @snipy.bsky.social
The worst chief justice of all time
Move over, Roger Taney and Melville Fuller.
www.publicnotice.co
July 10, 2025 at 3:18 PM
"The nation has faced, many times, a conservative Court aligned with bigotry and big business. But the nation has not previously faced a conservative Court aligned with helping the president become a king." — @snipy.bsky.social
Ahh yes, the old “these poors can work to feed themselves” line. I’m just going to drop this here for my own edification. I know these people don’t read www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=87...
July 9, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Ahh yes, the old “these poors can work to feed themselves” line. I’m just going to drop this here for my own edification. I know these people don’t read www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=87...
Reposted by Megan Birk
Time to post it again.
May 28, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Time to post it again.
A huge thank you to everyone who came and made #mha2025 a huge success. The team at #SHSI was amazing - we couldn’t ask for better partners. There is amazing scholarship about the Midwest happening (grad students you rocked) and next year can’t come soon enough! First, I need a nap!
May 17, 2025 at 11:05 PM
A huge thank you to everyone who came and made #mha2025 a huge success. The team at #SHSI was amazing - we couldn’t ask for better partners. There is amazing scholarship about the Midwest happening (grad students you rocked) and next year can’t come soon enough! First, I need a nap!
I felt this in my bones
Damn, this book is gonna be good
I hope society doesn't collapse before I can publish
I hope society doesn't collapse before I can publish
April 18, 2025 at 8:55 PM
I felt this in my bones
When the research and the news are too close for comfort
RFK Jr.’s clearest proposal so far is his campaign promise to create wellness farms where Americans would reconnect with the soil, an old idea that’s failed many times, @shaylalove.bsky.social reports:
RFK Jr.’s 18th-Century Idea About Mental Health
The health secretary’s clearest plans for psychiatric treatment are a retreat to the past.
bit.ly
April 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM
When the research and the news are too close for comfort
Who among us does not know every word of this banger?
Many of modern America’s problems can be traced back to the 2000 smash hit “It wasnt me” by Shaggy, which pioneered the sort of shameless dishonesty in the face of directly contradictory facts that is now sadly commonplace in our culture
April 9, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Who among us does not know every word of this banger?
Happening now: What’s Next in Midwestern History at OAH
April 5, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Happening now: What’s Next in Midwestern History at OAH
We had a fantastic turnout today for the MHA ⚡️round at OAH. It was inspiring to hear from our future colleagues about their work
April 3, 2025 at 10:27 PM
We had a fantastic turnout today for the MHA ⚡️round at OAH. It was inspiring to hear from our future colleagues about their work
The MHA is excited to promote graduate student work tomorrow at OAH - please join us for the ⚡️round at 2:45
April 2, 2025 at 10:12 PM
The MHA is excited to promote graduate student work tomorrow at OAH - please join us for the ⚡️round at 2:45
Reposted by Megan Birk
March 30, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by Megan Birk
Labor friends in Washington state tell me that ICE “violently” detained farmworker activist Lelo Juarez today. They’re looking for immediate support. More info at this link, and below.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
March 25, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Labor friends in Washington state tell me that ICE “violently” detained farmworker activist Lelo Juarez today. They’re looking for immediate support. More info at this link, and below.
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Megan Birk
Sen. Bernie Sanders highlighted a new analysis showing that the wealthiest 1% has extracted $79 trillion from the bottom 90% of Americans since 1975. In 2023 alone, $3.9 trillion was redirected upward—enough to provide every U.S. worker with a $32,000 raise.
Sanders: 1 Percent Has Sapped $79T in Wealth From Bottom 90 Percent Since 1975
In 2023 alone, $3.9 trillion was sapped from the bottom 90 percent— enough to give every worker a $32,000 raise.
buff.ly
March 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Sen. Bernie Sanders highlighted a new analysis showing that the wealthiest 1% has extracted $79 trillion from the bottom 90% of Americans since 1975. In 2023 alone, $3.9 trillion was redirected upward—enough to provide every U.S. worker with a $32,000 raise.
Reposted by Megan Birk
This is very nearly the text of the recently-surging-in-popularity 1944 OSS (proto-CIA) publication "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" which suggests, among other things: "WORK SLOWLY," "misroute materials," "snarl up administration in every possible way," & "misunderstand all sorts of regulations"💪
February 6, 2025 at 4:00 AM
This is very nearly the text of the recently-surging-in-popularity 1944 OSS (proto-CIA) publication "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" which suggests, among other things: "WORK SLOWLY," "misroute materials," "snarl up administration in every possible way," & "misunderstand all sorts of regulations"💪
In addition to feeding people: babies, children, the elderly, WIC and SNAP generate between $4-$9 for every dollar spent by the programs. Just maybe a relevant issue for the week. Government spending doesn’t just help people, programs and grants are also economic engines at the local and state level
January 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM
In addition to feeding people: babies, children, the elderly, WIC and SNAP generate between $4-$9 for every dollar spent by the programs. Just maybe a relevant issue for the week. Government spending doesn’t just help people, programs and grants are also economic engines at the local and state level
Reposted by Megan Birk
If people want to write their senators this site has info on how much economic impact NIH has in each state:
www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
January 23, 2025 at 1:28 AM
If people want to write their senators this site has info on how much economic impact NIH has in each state:
www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/nih-in-your-...
Friendly reminder on Jan. 15 deadline for the MHA Gjerde Book Prize @illinoispress.bsky.social @univnebpress.bsky.social @uchicagopress.bsky.social @uminnpress.bsky.social @ucpress.bsky.social @uncpress.bsky.social
Jon Gjerde Prize — Midwestern History Association
www.midwesternhistory.com
December 12, 2024 at 9:52 PM
Friendly reminder on Jan. 15 deadline for the MHA Gjerde Book Prize @illinoispress.bsky.social @univnebpress.bsky.social @uchicagopress.bsky.social @uminnpress.bsky.social @ucpress.bsky.social @uncpress.bsky.social
Reposted by Megan Birk
In case you missed it, we recently re-shared our story of an 8-year-old who was killed on a Wisconsin dairy farm.
You can read the full "America's Dairyland" series here: www.propublica.org/series/ameri...
You can read the full "America's Dairyland" series here: www.propublica.org/series/ameri...
December 5, 2024 at 6:16 PM
In case you missed it, we recently re-shared our story of an 8-year-old who was killed on a Wisconsin dairy farm.
You can read the full "America's Dairyland" series here: www.propublica.org/series/ameri...
You can read the full "America's Dairyland" series here: www.propublica.org/series/ameri...
Reposted by Megan Birk
Our sixth annual list of books by historians working off the tenure track.
2024 Contingent Book List
When you’re shopping for books this season, consider a contingent scholar.
contingentmagazine.org
December 3, 2024 at 1:29 AM
Our sixth annual list of books by historians working off the tenure track.
Friendly reminder that next week the MHA is hosting a very timely book talk. Plenty of time to register before W.
November 26, 2024 at 6:21 PM
Friendly reminder that next week the MHA is hosting a very timely book talk. Plenty of time to register before W.