Comments on: Advice from one old liar to another

By: PorJ

PorJ — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:47:45 +0000

Now THIS is how a Vietnam-vet/History Professor should tell their story to the undergrads! ("I hold history very sacred"). Ellis coulda learned something from "Back to School."

By: Rad Readr

Rad Readr — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:46:38 +0000

LOL!!!

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:21:07 +0000

Early american history is NOT about 4th grade bathroom humor? So that’s why I never got it.. .

Actually, I think it’s more important that there be nothing confusing or ambiguous.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:06:58 +0000

p.s. Here’s a TOOL chest for all to borrow and lend, as they see fit.

TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL
TOOL

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:06:04 +0000

Actually, John S., I’m waiting for “The Social Diseases of the Founding Fathers.” Maybe I oughta write that one? The problem with that is that one couldn’t completely avoid women’s history. (But the bonus of writing that book is that I could just make hooker jokes and tee-hee my way through the Early Republic with 4th grade sex jokes. That’s the kind of history of sexuality in early America that will find a large popular audience!)

By: John S.

John S. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:53:26 +0000

I will only reprimand you on one count, Historiann. You seem to be implying that “Dogs of the Founding Fathers” would not, in fact, be a totally awesome book. Granted, “Cats of the Founding Fathers” would be better. But still–wouldn’t you rather read that than most of the other political history that gets published?

By: feministprof

feministprof — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:57:33 +0000

i LOVE the preemptive “TOOL” — any chance i can liberate that one for my next faculty meeting??

By: HistoryMaven

HistoryMaven — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:31:52 +0000

What’s worse, I think, is that the model of the memoir many of the contributors mentioned is the presidential memoir, with only secondary discussion of “insider” memoirs. Now, Cheney as veep took extraordinary powers beyond his job description, so the employment of the presidential memoir example may be apt. But gee whiz! Why didn’t any of the commentators recognize, in this comparison, the implicit acknowledgement of Cheney’s power and hubris? Are there vice-presidential memoirs out thar?

I asked this of Lincoln’s first veep, Hannibal Hamlin, but he kept sputtering about Abe’s unwillingness to give him any real power.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:01:24 +0000

Excellent contributions, all of you! (I’m especially envious of TR at getting to ride shotgun–literally–with the Barrow Gang.)

OK–now’s about the time when a graduate student or junior faculty member will show up and lecture me for making fun of the esteemed Professor Ellis, scolding me for my “inappropriate tone” and informing me very sternly how incredibly incredible his books are so I should just STFU because I’m just a girl.

So–here’s a preemptive “TOOL” for the lot of you. Kthnkxbai!

By: Susan

Susan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:41:26 +0000

You folks are such pikers. What’s a couple of hundred years? I mean, when I was talking to Shakespeare last week, he told me how he had written his plays, and how silly it was for anyone to think anyone as delicate as the Earl of Oxford could have written them. Maybe I should write this as an article for the Sunday Times Magazine?

I’m not sure the Goodwin has a job: she lives by her pen. Ellis, on the other hand, has an endowed chair.