Here’s a quick preview of the newest issue of The American Historian:
The August 2017 issue of The American Historian features two compelling essays and a roundtable on “Health and Body.” Trysh Travis traces the history of “self-help” culture in the United States and argues that various self-help ideas have enjoyed popularity thanks to the American ideal of individuality and self-reliance. Jessica Martucci shows how breastfeeding, a practice once on the decline, has enjoyed a renaissance due to grassroots movements and organizations such as La Leche League, which offered support and guidance to mothers who wanted to breastfeed despite resistance from hospitals and doctors. Finally, in a roundtable, Jennifer Brier, Julio Capó Jr., Christina Hanhardt, and Dan Royles discuss early popular histories of HIV/AIDS and how they were received. This roundtable is part of a larger discussion that will be featured in the September 2017 issue of The Journal of American History.
The issue also includes a piece by Betsy A. Beasley and David P. Stein on the ins and outs of making a history podcast, and Denise E. Bates details how the use of adaptive courseware in online classes creates exciting opportunities for students to learn at their own pace. Elizabeth Bergman writes on her experience from transitioning from a college professor to a high school teacher and offers helpful tips and pointers to others who are contemplating such a change. We also have an essay from OAH president Ed Ayers on the recent increase in digital tools in the historian’s arsenal, news from the OAH, and interesting historical facts and tidbits in our Ante and Post sections.
As always, we welcome your comments on both our print and online materials. Please send comments to theamericanhistorian@oah.org or tweet at us at @TheAmHistorian. Also, please feel to send us any content or ideas for content to the e-mail address above.
