In the Media Archive:
Jacques Coste Cacho (PhD candidate in Latin American History) recently published an blog essay in the prestigious Mexican newsmagazine, Nexos, reflecting on the role of "loyal" versus "independent" intellectuals in the context of the shift in presidential power in Mexico, "Los intelectuales y la hegemonia."
Dr. Robert Chase discussed his research recently, first a book panel discussing "Books Behind Bars" as part of the Organization of American Historians annual conference and then a radio program with Professor Gerald Horne.
CSPAN's American History TV panel "Books Behind Bars"
Discussion of Dr. Chase's book, We Are Not Slaves, on the radio program "Freedom Now," which aired on KPFT LA radio on June 22nd.
Yalile Suriel (PhD, 2021) recently published an article that provides historical context to the contemporary police interventions on college campuses for Inside Education, "Are We Repeating the Same Mistakes of the 1960s?"
The Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal has published its final article of the year, "The Revolutionary for the People: The Assassination of Fred Hampton," by Kyle DeVinney. DeVinney discusses how Fred Hampton’s assassination was a result of government corruption and prejudice, drawing on a variety of sources ranging from FBI memos, newspaper articles, and interviews to highlight the government’s involvement in Hampton’s death.
Stephanie Kelton, who teaches a course on the "Ideologies of Capitalism" in the History Department, will be on the Daily Show to promote the Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) documentary, Finding the Money! Official US/Canadian release will be May 3 in NYC and will run in the city until May 9, locations on the website. The Daily Show is on Comedy Central at 11:00 pm EST and the latest episodes can be found here.
Congratulations to undergraduate Jordan Yang for his recent publication in the Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal, “’His Terrible Tribunal’: Lay and Ecclesiastical Authority in the Death of Thomas Becket.” Yang discusses how Thomas Becket's assassination resulted from his struggle with King Henry II, one that centered around conflicting notions of royal and ecclesiastical authority in the twelfth century.
Undergraduate Beth Gatto published her article, “Translation of Arabic Literature Under Alfonso X: A Case Study of Christian-Muslim Relations in Castile, 1251-1335” in the latest issue of the student-run History journal. Here she analyzes how the translation of Kalila wa-Dimna under Alfonso X’s reign impacted Castilian literature and portrays a more accurate depiction of Muslim-Christian relations in medieval Spain.
Jacques Coste Cacho (PhD candidate, Latin American History) recently published an editorial in the Mexican online newspaper, Expansión/Política, in which he argues that the greatest achievement of Mexican President Lópes Obrador has not been the elimination of inequality, as promised, but rather the elevation of the army to a position of unprecedented power and influence over all sectors of Mexican life.
The Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal is proud to announce the publication of its latest article, “’Under the Cobblestone, the Beach’: The Counterculture’s Critique and Strategy of ‘Spectacles’” by undergraduate Yulia Pechhenkina. In this fascinating piece, Pechhenkina discusses how the late 1960’s counterculture movement strategically used "spectacles" as a means to challenge oppressive societal norms and how these spectacles in turn transformed society.
Jacques Coste Cacho (PhD candidate) recently published a brief essay in Spanish that draws on work he did for Professor Gootenberg's graduate seminar on Commodities, "¡Salud! ¡Y a Seguir Las Fiestas!" in the online Mexican magazine, Expansion/Política.
Professor Eric Zolov was recently interviewed for the podcast, “Mexico’s War on Rock with Cristian Salazar” which focused on the history of rock music in Mexico during the 1960s-70s, and the ways in which rock faced attacks by the government and left-wing intelligentsia.
Congratulations to Karl Nycklemoe (PhD candidate) for his recent peer-reviewed publication in The Middle West Review, "Sensing Death and Beauty: Mary Henderson Eastman's Dahcotah, the Myth of Indian Vanishment, and the Environment on the Upper Mississippi River." By claiming Indigenous peoples were discordant and landscapes sublime, Karl shows how Henderson's work portrayed the environment as 'wild' and ready for settlement, despite the centuries of Indigenous ownership and stewardship of the region.
Congratulations to Zornitsa Peeva on the publication of her article “Protection, Devotion, and Destruction: The Symbolism of Eyes in Ancient Mesopotamian Art” in the Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal. Zornitsa draws upon ancient Mesopotamian literature, artifacts, and art to emphasize the eye’s powerful role in Mesopotamian society and cosmology.
The Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal is pleased to announce the publication by undergraduate David DeFilippis, "The Use of Child Organizations to Create Totalitarian States in the Interwar Period" in the current issue of the journal. David's research analyzes how youth organizations were used to create the totalitarian states of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Soviet Union during the Interwar period.
Congratulations to Sebastian Rosa for his article, "The Rising Blade that Pierces the Setting Sun: The Fall of Japan's Imperial Aristocracy and the Rise of the Samurai," recently published in The Stonybrook Undergraduate History Journal in which he examines the factors that caused the fall of the Japanese Imperial Court's political authority and the rise of the samurai in the twelfth century.
Congratulations to undergraduate Roy Harel for his recent publication in the Stonybrook Undergraduate History Journal, "Constellations of Identifies: Synagogue Mosaics and their Implications," in which he analyzes how synagogue zodiac mosaics, John Chrysostom's polemical sermons, and late antique Near Eastern material culture reveal the fluidity of cultural association and identity of the Bet Alpha Jewish community as well as the extent of group differentiation in the Near East.
PhD Candidate, Will Mack, featured on KOMU televised news discussing Black history and Florida's curriculum changes.
Prof. Chris Sellers recently published a piece in Salon, "Atlanta, Crucible of Democracy: How the City's Tortured History Got Us Here," that draws upon his recent monograph, Race and the Greening of Atlanta: Inequality, Democracy, and Environmental Politics in an Ascendant Metropolis (University of Georgia Press)
Matthew Ford (PhD, '23) has recently written an article for Jacobin on the mounting tensions between faculty and administration in the California State system, "Management at California State University is Living Large While Faculty Struggle.
Assistant professor Sussanah Glickman was interviewed for Physics World magazine on why so much money was spent on quantum computers before they even existed.
Professor Shobana Shankar was recently interviewed for the "Writing Africa" project, where she spoke about her recent book An Uneasy Embrace: Africa, India and the Spectre of Race.
On Wednesday February 15 Professor Shirley Lim will be conducting a lunchtime Anna May Wong book reading group and an evening conversation with NPR's Eric Deggans at the Griot Institute for the Study of Black Lives and Culture at Bucknell University. Find the link to both events here.
Prof. Shobana Shankar recently published a co-authored article, "Peace and Economy in Uganda: 50 Years after Idi Admin," for the Wilson Center's Africa: Year in Review 2022 publication.
Professor Shirley Lim was recently featured on BBC 4 Radio Show's podcast Screenshot . The episode aired January 20th, 2023 and offers a refreshing perspective on Hollywood's pre-code Babylon. Check out the podcast here.
Distinguished Professor Paul Gootenberg reflects on the history of drugs in a conversation with Ethan Nadelmann on the podcast Psychoactive.
Latin American PhD students, José Miguel Munive Vargas and Nicolas Allen, provide an astute political and historical analysis of the current situation in Peru for the podcast, Africa is a Country.
Brenda Elsey (PhD 2007)
Brenda Elsey, PhD 2007 who currently teaches at Hofstra University, recently published an Op-Ed in the New York Times titled, "Lionel Messi is the Right Man for Argentina's Post-Macho Movement." The article discusses Messi's recent FIFA evolution and how that reflects Argentinian culture and politics.
Gabe Tennen (PhD Candidate)
PhD Candidate Gabe Tennen recently published a piece in the New York Daily News online and print edition titled "Lessons from the Fires Last Time: Jews and Blacks in NYC." The article analyzes the complicated relationship between Black and Jewish people through the prism of the 1968 Oceanhill-Brownsville teacher's strike.
Eric Zolov (Professor)
Prof. Eric Zolov and his wife, Terri Gordon-Zolov (The New School), were recently interviewed about the making of their book, The Walls of Santiago, and their views on the current situation in Chile, "Los muros en Chile van a hablar por mucho tiempo" for the Chilean online magazine, Kmcero.
Ken Wohl (Phd Candidate)
PhD Candidate, Ken Wohl recently wrote an op/ed blog in the Washington Post. It takes up the election in Michigan and a statewide Democratic sweep in offices through the lens of the state's long history as a champion of the labor movement.
Nancy Tomes (Distinguished Professor)
Professor Nancy Tomes recently published and article in the Washington Post that discusses the repercussions of the 1918 Ifluenza.
Sara Lipton (Professor)
Professor Sara Lipton, currently at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton University, recently published a review essay, "The Jewish Authenticity Trap" in The New York Review of Books.
Nancy Tomes (Distinguished Professor)
Professor Nancy Tomes is collaborating with the World Health Organization to produce two reports that represent one of the first such collaborations between Historians and the organization. “What are the historical roots of the COVID-19 infodemic? Lessons from the past. Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report 77” by Nancy Tomes and Manon Parry examines the historical roots of the COVID-19 infodemic to set out lessons learned from past disease outbreaks. See the LINK to pre-register for the webinar on November 8th.
Rob Chase (Professor)
Associate Professor Robert Chase was recently quoted in an article in the Washington Post, "Slavery is Still Allowed in Prisons; Now it's on the Ballot in 5 States" on removing the "slavery clause" from state constitutions this election cycle.
Shirley Lim (Professor)
Professor Shirley Lim was recently quoted on NPR and in the New York Times for an article on the pending release of a new commemorative quarter that will feature the Asian-American actress, Anna Mae Wong. Lim's coverage of Anna May Wong includes appearances on CBS, CNBC, and Inside Edition. Lim's most recent book is a historical biography of Wong, Anna Mae Wong: Performing the Modern (Temple University Press, 2019).
Michael Corcoran (Undergraduate)
The Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal is pleased to announce the publication of its third article of the semester, "Chocolate Pudding and Space Aliens: How the Heaven's Gate Cult Propagated" by Michael Corcoran, a third-year history major and music minor in the BA/MAT Social Studies Teacher Preparation Program. Michael's article analyzes two recruitment tapes recorded by Heaven's Gate in order to examine the cult's methods and beliefs, while explaining how people fell victim to the cult's brainwashing.
Jashua Berkowitz (Undergraduate)
The Stony Brook Undergraduate History Journal is pleased to announce the publication of a new article by Joshua Berkowitz, "'We Don't Want Your Rations, We Want This Dance': Native American Dance and the Battleground for Native Identity." Joshua is completing his BA in History and will be pursuing his Masters in Teaching at Stony Brook starting in the spring. He is Secretary of the History Club and for the past two years has served as senior editor of the journal.
Eric Zolov (Professor) Terri Gordon-Zolov (The New School)
Professor Eric Zolov and his wife, Terri Gordon-Zolov (The New School), recently published an interview titled, "Turning Art into a Political Weapon," by the online journal, Public Seminar, where they discuss their book The Walls of Santiago and the current situation in Chile.
Shobana Shankar (Professor)
Professor Shobana Shankar recently sat for an interview with Africa is a Country titled, "Africa Holds up a Mirror to India." The interview discusses Professor Shankar's recently published book An Uneasy Embrace: Africa, India, and the Spectre of Race (2021) and the implications on current racial tensions. To read the full piece, click HERE.
Shiley Lim (Professor)
Professor Shirley Lim recently worked with the History Channel to create the podcast "Anna May Wong Steps into the Spotlight." Access it here.
April Masten (Professor) and Marie McInnis (University President)
Stony Brook President and History Department faculty member, Dr. Maurie McInnis, filmed an episode of C-SPAN's Lectures in History series, "The Shadow of Slavery in American Public Life." She presented her lecture to students enrolled in Professor April Masten’s HIS327 class, “The Arts as History,” which looks at how works of art are also historical documents. Professor Masten introduced President McInnis by discussing her field of academic study, which looks at the role that historical scholarship can play in public conversations about race and focuses on the relationship between art and politics in early America, with a focus on slavery.
Paul Gootenberg (Professor)
Prof. Paul Gootenberg was recently featured in the podcast hosted by Dr. Richard Miller, Mind, Body, Health & Politics where they discussed the topic, "Do You Know the History of Cocaine?"
Monique Watson (BA 2014)
Monique Watson (BA, '14), who returned to the History Department last Spring to give an inspiring talk to our undergraduates, was recently featured in Stony Brook Matters in a wide-ranging conversation about her experiences as an undergraduate and beyond.
Adrián Marquez (PhD candidate)
Adrián Marquez (PhD candidate) recently published a short essay, "Claves para un anti-capitalismo del siglo XXI" in the independent Uruguayan newspaper, La Diaria.
Eric Zolov (Professor)
Professor Eric Zolov and his wife, Terri Gordon-Zolov, were interviewed by Chilean historian Camilo Trumper about their new book, The Walls of Santiago: Social Revolution and Political Aesthetics in Contemporary Chile (Berghahn) in the latest issue of the literary magazine, Brooklyn Rail.
Shirley Lim (Professor)
"Professor Shirley Lim discussed the historical problem of whitewashing in film and Asian-American representation for Turner Classic Movies before the screening of The Good Earth (1937) which featured the Chinese-American actress, Anna May Wong. Wong had lost the lead role portraying a Chinese woman to a white actress, Luise Rainer."
Willie Mack (PhD Candidate)
PhD student Willie Mack published a blog essay, "The Success of the Valley Road Community: A Hidden History of Nassau County's African American and Indigenous People" for Preservation Long Island. Mack is working with Associate Professor Jennifer Anderson this semester as a ACLS Public Scholars Fellow.
Shobana Shankar (Professor)
Professor Shobana Shankar recently did a podcast interview about her recent book, An Uneasy Embrace: Africa, India, and the Spectre of Race for the series, Afrofiles which features conversations with scholars of African Studies. Her book and research was also featured in a recent article in Stony Brook University News.
Shirley Lim (Professor)
Professor Shirley Lim recently published an article in The Conversation, "After Hollywood thwarted Anna May Wong, the actress took matter into her own hands" to coincide with International Women's Day.
Eric Zolov (Professor) and Terri Gordon-Zolov
Professor Eric Zolov and his wife, Terri Gordon-Zolov, were interviewed by Chilean historian Camilo Trumper about their new book, The Walls of Santiago: Social Revolution and Political Aesthetics in Contemporary Chile (Berghahn) in the latest issue of the literary magazine, Brooklyn Rail.
Nancy Tomes (Distinguished Professor), Paul Kelton (Professor)
Professors Nancy Tomes and Paul Kelton were recently quoted in the article, "Against Different Backdrops, Public Responses Differ in Two Pandemics," TBR Newsmedia.
Stephanie Kelton (Economics and Public Policy)
Professor Stephanie Kelton, who is teaching a class this semester in History ("Ideologies of Capitalism") is featured in a New York Times profile on Modern Monetary Theory, "Time For a Victory Lap*," Feb. 6, 2022.
Lori Flores (Associate Professor)
Associate Professor Lori Flores was recently interviewed by NPR in a discussion about the decline in membership of the United Farm Workers union, why it’s happened, and if things can change.
Eric Zolov (Professor)
The Wall Street Journal published a Letter to the Editor by Professor Eric Zolov in response to Mary Anastasia O’Grady opinion piece on the upcoming presidential election in Chile, "Chile's High-Stakes Election."
Robert Chase (Associate Professor)
Associate Professor Robert Chase recently led a conversation with Jorge Antonio Renaud, a formerly incarcerated person who is now the Regional Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Southwest of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. The conversation took place at the Casa de Resistencia Bookstore in Austin, Texas for the public radio show " People United: The Show in Solidarity with the People of the World," and includes powerful readings by Renaud of several poems.
Lori Flores (Associate Professor)
Assoc. Professor Lori Flores was quoted in an article from The Guardian, " 'It Dances in Your Mouth': Why Americans Are Eating More Cilantro than Ever"
Nancy Tomes (Distinguished Professor)
Professor Nancy Tomes was recently quoted in the article, " From Pandemic to Endemic: This is How We Might Get Back to Normal," published in The Guardian.
Chris Sellers (Professor)
Professor Chris Sellers was quoted in Newsday, " Suffolk Eyes Preserving Land in Environmental Justice Areas," November 28, 2021. See here for PDF.
Sara Lipton (Professor)
Professor Sara Lipton participated in a panel of educators on October 26, 2021 to discuss the history of and ways to combat antisemitism during an event at the Great Neck North High School auditorium. See the article here in The Island Now.
Eric Beverley (Associate Professor)
Assoc. Professor Eric Beverley contributed " Afterword: Who does the Deccan belong to?" to a series that recently appeared in the South Indian digital news and opinion platform The News Minute. The feature section on the Deccan, was organized by a collective of younger scholars primarily based in India, and represents a larger attempt to generate public conversations about the political meanings of humanistic and social scientific scholarship on a key region of India.
Mohamad Ballan (Assistant Professor)
Assistant Professor Mohamad Ballan recently published a short essay, " Muslim Refugees in Medieval Malta (ca. 1463)? Mobility, Migration and the Muslim-Christian Frontier in the Mediterranean World " on the Medieval Studies Research Blog.
Lance Boos (PhD Candidate)
PhD candidate, Lance Boos, recently published a blog essay for The Gotham Center for New York City History (CUNY Graduate Center) entitled, " James Rivington: Music Purveyor in Revolutionary New York."