My posts will primarily explore history and the internet by drawing on some of the more recent debates, services, sites, and web trends that might be relevant or particularly useful to the historical community in general.

My first post, for example, explores how short URLs could potentially rein in run-away links in things like course materials, endnotes/footnotes, and finding aides both online and off.

I’ve been keeping up with ActiveHistory.ca since they started following me on Twitter a while back and jumped at the chance to join them because I respect their approach and identify with their purpose:

We define active history variously as history that listens and is responsive; history that will make a tangible difference in people’s lives; history that makes an intervention and is transformative to both practitioners and communities. We seek a practice of history that emphasizes collegiality, builds community among active historians and other members of communities, and recognizes the public responsibilities of the historian.

Building community is why projects like ActiveHistory.ca are important and the reason I’m excited to work more closely with them over the coming months.

I thought I’d frame my inaugural post with an homage to Bill Lawrence’s superb sitcom Scrubs. If you haven’t seen the show, the plot is focused through a reflective first-person narrative and each episode title employes “my” as prefix to match.

It’s a useful means of introducing myself and a narrative style I’m going to adopt on occasion.

MY THIRD REVOLUTION

I’ve had this site up and running for a few years now. This is my third attempt at keeping it updated and maintained. I never really intended it to be anything more than a formal web address but becoming quite active on Twitter throughout the past year has made it evident that I need a more formal platform for certain content and musings.

MY PLOTLESS FICTION

There’s really no underlying theme to this site, but the word “missives” does come to mind. In past, I’ve envisioned a regularly scheduled program but that’s rather unrealistic. What I do plan on featuring is a weekly missive or article with a theme, punctuated by otherwise unannounced outbursts and links at random intervals.

Of course, this does not include essays and reviews featured on the “Writing” page of this site, which I have separated because the style of writing differs significantly. That won’t have a schedule either but I will at least review one book a month.

MY SHAMELESS BORROWINGS

I don’t know if you noticed but someone put The Baffler back in print. Stop what you are doing immediately and rejoice. And when you’re finished that you should subscribe. Commodify Your Dissent (1997) is one of my favourite essay collections and I’ve always though of Thomas Frank’s writing in particular as something of a standard. The Baffler’s patient disrespect for bullshit and falsehood is a tradition worthy of emulation.

I’m also going to borrow Heather Mallick’s end-of-column “This Week” and append it to my weekly post. If you’re not familiar with Mallick, she’s one of the most eloquent journalists in Canada and has excellent taste in books with a certain penchant for recommendation to match.

The typography in the Literary Review of Canada (LRC) is really impressive — to say nothing of their writing or contributors. While this theme is already fairly close to their layout, I will make no attempt to hide further adaptations or similarities.

MY IMPLIED PASSERS-BY

I’m not sure how you found your way here but you did.

Thanks for visiting.

Feel free to comment as well — even if you disagree. And please see my “About” page for more details.