History

The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood cover

The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood by Alisa Perren and Gregory Steirer, part two

In part two of our episode on The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood, we’ll be discussing why/how has the comic book industry retained its own practices and structure despite the conglomeratisation of media industries, how the comic industry has dealt with digital formats, the different business models in comics publishers and their dependence on Hollywood licensing IP, and the future of the relationship between the American comics industry and Hollywood. Take a listen.

The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood cover

The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood by Alisa Perren and Gregory Steirer, part one

Together, they are the authors of The American Comic Book Industry and Hollywood, which traces the evolving relationship between the two industries from the launch of X-Men, Spider-Man, and Smallville in the early 2000s through the ascent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Arrowverse, and the Walking Dead Universe in the 2010s. In this episode, we’ll be delving into why have “superhero films” become the culturally dominant type of film in the 21st century, the lack of understanding film and TV people have about what artists do in comics, why comics has largely been a precarious industry to work in as a creator, and much much more. Take a listen.

Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson cover

Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson by Tara T. Green, part two

In the second half of this conversation on activist, educator, writer, and bisexual icon Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Tara T. Green discusses Alice’s queerness and her life as a queer person in the 19th century United States. Dunbar-Nelson defied many assumptions a contemporary reader may have of the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction era United States, including that she was exceptionally well-traveled. We learn about Alice’s love of California, her time in New York and contribution to the Harlem Renaissance, and her queer affairs. Take a listen.

Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson cover

Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson by Tara T. Green, part one

Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson has received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist. Pulitzer-prize winning poet Jericho Brown praised the book as “a brilliant analysis.” So who was Alice Dunbar Nelson? Born in New Orleans in 1875, she would become an activist and writer and contributor to the Harlem Renaissance. She navigated a hostile and ever-changing country as a Black bisexual woman, subject to systemic racism and sexism and impositions of “respectability.” More intimately, she navigated an abusive marriage to the well-known writer Paul Laurence Dunbar. Bloomsbury Academic podcast and Tara T. Green discuss how Alice Dunbar-Nelson found ways to not only survive but thrive in a world and a marriage that were fundamentally against her. Take a listen.

Nuclear Russia book cover

Nuclear Russia by Paul Josephson, part 2

This is part two of our episode on Nuclear Russia, and we are continuing our conversation with Paul Josephson, Professor of History at Colby College, USA. We’ll be discussing the groups that have suffered as a result of Russia’s pursuit of nuclear power, a nuclear themed beauty contest, and the evolution of Russia’s nuclear culture. Then looking forward, we consider what Russia’s recent self-proclaimed nuclear power ‘renaissance’ could mean for international security and the environment and what could be done to combat this nuclear resistance. Take a listen.

Nuclear Russia book cover

Nuclear Russia by Paul Josephson, part 1

This is part one of our episode on Nuclear Russia, we start off with an overview of the history of nuclear physics and how its emergence in Russia compares with other parts of the world. We’ll then delve into the ways in which nuclear power influenced the Cold War and vice versa before moving into a discussion of the ramifications Chernobyl had on the Soviet Union and the rest of the world. Take a listen.

A History of Private Policing in the United States book cover

A History of Private Policing in the United States with Bill Miller, Part Two

In part two of this episode, Bill Miller, author of A History of Private Policing in the United States, discusses the history of privatization in the police force, and how, in tandem with the US military and prison system, it has served as a major component of authority in America as an auxiliary of the state. Our conversation covers everything from gun violence, the role of police in suppressing the American labor movement in the 60s, and the current campaign to defund the police.

A History of Private Policing in the United States book cover

A History of Private Policing in the United States with Bill Miller, Part One

In part one of this episode, Bill Miller, author of A History of Private Policing in the United States, discusses the history of privatization in the police force, and how, in tandem with the US military and prison system, it has served as a major component of authority in America as an auxiliary of the state. Our conversation covers everything from gun violence, the role of police in suppressing the American labor movement in the 60s, and the current campaign to defund the police.

Slavery in the Age of Memory book cover image

Slavery in the Age of Memory with Ana Lucia Araujo

Slavery is a horrifying yet fundamental part of history that still shapes modern racism and culture. As a part of our minicast on politics, author and historian Ana Lucia Araujo draws on archival research, interviews, slave narratives, and other resources to explain how slavery is discussed and taught in modern society and the role that memory plays in how we understand race. This episode addresses issues such as the collective and public memory of enslaved people, the willful forgetting of past trauma, and modern attempts at reparations. It also addresses current movements such as the Black Lives Matter protests, the dismantling of pro-slavery monuments and symbols, and the construction of memorials around the world. For anyone looking to discuss collective memory and learn how we can create systemic change to heal from the past.