One of the difficulties of studying history lies in the inherent tendency of people to not see themselves as playing a small role in a larger story. We are all the center of our own universe, after all, so it’s hard to remember that everything isn’t actually revolving around our own brilliance. Our actions are our own, but they make up a part of the larger trajectory of human progress. In studying history, the goal is to compose these fine details into a larger picture […]
At Home in this Nation We’ve Made
When I was in 5th grade, we were assigned a “President’s Pack” to complete. It was a just a bunch of worksheets with facts about the Presidents, but it was enough to get me hooked. Ever since, I’ve been completely fascinated by the lives of U.S. Presidents. I’ve never cared as much about their political accomplishments–I wanted to know more about their families and their day-to-day lives. This is exactly what The Residence is about, and I found it completely enjoyable. Kate Andersen Brower used […]
My Kind of Vacation
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
This review is for the audiobook version of Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell. I love history. It was my favorite subject in school. I’ve always seen it as a series of stories, twisted together and linked past to present, leading us to where we are now, not just a list of wars, dates, and names. Those names were people, they lived and loved, they worked, fought, and died. Some we know about, most we don’t, but I love reading and learning about the stories […]
The Real World: Little House on the Prairie
I think I read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books when I was a kid and I watched the TV show for at least a few years when it ran. While I enjoyed the novels and the TV show, I don’t remember re-reading or re-watching them, so I am what you might call a casual fan as opposed to a fanatic. Still, when I read last summer that the “true story” of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life — in her own words — was […]