Research

#Bookhour: Tuesday 25th November, Marilynne Robinson’s Lila

In last night’s first ever #bookhour twitter chat, Marilynne Robinson scholars Dr. Rachel Sykes, Anna Maguire and Jenny Daly joined U.S. Studies Online Co-Editor Michelle Green to discuss Marilynne Robinson’s latest publication, Lila, the final novel in Robinson’s Gilead trilogy.

What emerged was an insightful and fast-paced discussion in which the group explored the idea of Robinson as the true central character of the series, and to what extent Robinson’s Gilead trilogy can be described as a series of “shared intimacies” with Ames. They rounded on the question, is Lila an American novel, and if so whose “America” is this? How ordinary or extraordinary is Lila and her circumstances? Does Lila include a social reformist message, and does it translate to our era?

Teaching History and Theory through Popular Culture: My First Time Designing a Module

“The academic analysis of popular entertainment can serve to bridge the chasm between traditionally “highbrow” literature and the more populist media that often defines a student’s pre-existing cultural experience. One educator, Rana Houshmand, describes this practice as the “scaffolding [of] difficult literacy skills” – a strategy which has proven remarkably successful in foundational projects where the critical analysis of hip-hop lyrics has been used as means of connecting students’ contextual experiences with the analytical skills developed in the classroom.”

60 Seconds with Anna Maguire

What has been your most memorable career moment so far?

Giving up my first career in order to start my PhD.

Celebrating Neutrality? What We Can Expect from America’s Ongoing Centennial Commemorations of the “European War” (WWI)

Will the sacrifices of the dead suddenly take on a new importance as the one hundred year mark passes? Will American neutrality continue to be highlighted alongside the United States’ absence from the causes of the war, separating the nation from its European counterparts?

60 Seconds with Sima Jalal Kamali

“How did you come to your current area of research?”

After doing my M.A dissertation on Toni Morrison’s trilogy Beloved, Jazz and Paradise, I really wanted to expand my research on Black Women’s literature. This interest introduced me to Maya Angelou’s autobiographical oeuvre, which became the focus of my PhD research.

Meet the Curator: ‘Show Me the Money: The Image of Finance, 1700 to the Present’

Whilst ‘Show Me the Money: The Image of Finance, 1700 to the Present’ is in the middle of its four-stop tour, one of its three curators, Dr Paul Crosthwaite, takes time out his busy schedule to be interviewed by USSO.

60 Seconds with Shima Jalal Kamali

“How did you come to your current area of research?”

In my undergrad poetry class, I read Langston Hughes’ poem “Cross” and I remember telling myself then that I will one day devote my future research on him and his work.

My Archival Adventure as an Academic Researcher across the Atlantic

When I began my PhD in January 2013, I knew that a significant part of my research requires archival materials that are mostly based in the USA, in particular the renowned Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. I will not lie; the opportunity to do archival work in the States and at Yale University was not only exciting and inspiring but also unbelievably unreal.

Black History Month Roundup: U.S. Studies Online Special Series

Throughout October 2014 U.S. Studies Online has published a series of posts by U.K. and U.S.-based academics of all levels in honour of the UK’s Black History Month. This is a round-up of the series all in one place.

“An Eagle On His Button”: How Martial Portraiture Affirmed African American Citizenship in the Civil War

The wearing of a military uniform symbolises the desire to prove one’s worth as a citizen. There were few other ways in which African Americans could gain a platform from which to prove their equality with white men, and to earn their right to citizenship in the post-war United States, than through honourable action carried out in the midst of great national suffering. This is especially so considering the prior use of African American manpower to act as cooks, teamsters and burial workers for the military. These portraits provide undeniable proof of military service, and as such the uniform and weaponry included in these photographs transcend being merely destructive armaments and become tools for the attainment of equality and freedom.