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Brian Goldstein

@bgoldst.bsky.social

Urban & architectural historian at Swarthmore. Coming Sept. 2026: Max Bond: The Life and Work of the People’s Architect. Wrote: The Roots of Urban Renaissance: Gentrification and the Struggle Over Harlem. Architecture & race, baseball, jazz. DC resident.

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Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · yesterday

The first review is in! "Destined to become the definitive account of an architect whose quiet influence has long exceeded his recognition." -Mark Gardner "Max Bond: The Life and Work of the People's Architect" out 9/15 @princetonupress.bsky.social! www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/183...

A New Biography Chronicles the Life and Career of a Groundbreaking Black Architect and Advocate

Written by Brian D. Goldstein, the first-ever biography of Max Bond emphasizes his creativity, leadership, and determination to expand the possibilities of the profession.

architecturalrecord.com

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · yesterday

As a proud DC resident, I will always remain a die-hard Cincinnati Reds fan because that way I never have to worry about having hope and then having that hope dashed.

Peter Baker@peterbakernyt.bsky.social · yesterday

After the @nationals.com trades, Jesse Dougherty writes of the "well-earned frustration for fans who are tired of rooting for a team that believes the best path forward is to trade some of its best players, even when it’s on the outer edge of the playoff race." www.notus.org/sports/natio...

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · 2d ago

When you look at whose jobs Harvard College is cutting, it doesn't make you feel good about the institution's priorities: the writing center, the co-op that served students who felt safest & happiest in alternative housing, & the campus's center for public service www.thecrimson.com/article/2026...

Nearly Half of Phillips Brooks House Staff Positions Impacted by FAS Restructuring | News | The Harvard Crimson

The Phillips Brooks House was the hardest-hit Harvard College unit by share of staff positions in a recent round of layoffs tied to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ sweeping administrative overhaul, ...

thecrimson.com

Neil Flanagan 🧱🗃️@jgbollard.bsky.social · 2d ago

I also second @bgoldst.bsky.social's comment here: “The best airports have specificity and speak to you of the place where you are. The DC region has a lot of personality and placeness but the renderings have ignored those aspects." Saarinen's elements have a VIBE that shouldn't be tossed aside.

Edward Russell@byerussell.com · 2d ago

United's plan for Dulles airport is a go. And, no, I'm not focused on the AI slop-esque renderings — “These aren’t real designs," @jgbollard.bsky.social told me — but the green light to transform Dulles into another Atlanta with better architecture.

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · 2w ago

More bad news but honestly feels like a tiny victory that they are stuck with doing something outside that will look incredibly dumb. Of course if anyone goes inside they will see what a misrepresentation they have been hearing about the NMAH. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/a...

Trump Orders Warnings Placed at ‘Inaccurate’ Smithsonian History Museum (Gift Article)

President Trump said the signage at the National Museum of American History would correct what a disputed White House report described as “extreme political activism.”

nytimes.com

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · 2w ago

If you ever thought Trump's architectural shenanigans were abt populism & giving people what they want, then trying to gut Section 106 is all the evidence you need that this has never been abt democratizing anything. Gutting Sec 106 would destroy key means of public participation in the built envt.

NPR@npr.org · 2w ago

A council packed with Trump appointees is poised to rewrite historic preservation rules. Critics say that could help him build his D.C. arch faster — and endanger important sites across the country.

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · 2w ago

I have no strong opinions about Katie Porter either way but it says a lot that the alternative to politics for most longtime politicians is something along the lines of "influencer" or "pundit" and not, like, a real-person job.

Bild
Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · 2w ago

Here's the stream that doesn't need a login. Among other things, it's a good exhibit in the clarity of a question based in fact versus the muddiness of one based in twisted gotcha grandstanding. www.youtube.com/watch?v=961M...

Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian's Efforts to Reshape the Past

YouTube video by GOP Oversight

youtube.com

Emily Wood@ebwood.bsky.social · 2w ago

If you want to watch the shitshow that is the House hearing about the Smithsonian, it’s on CSPAN-3.

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · 4w ago

Ah yes, the museum that displays the Greensboro Lunch Counter should tell the story of how Americans rejected Jim Crow and segregation. Seems the issue here is that the museum doesn’t give white people all the credit for civil rights gains in US history.

Peter Sagal@petersagal.bsky.social · 4w ago

This is from the new WH report on the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, calling for what the museum *should* say about slavery and human rights. One question: those 750,000 people who died in the Civil War to end slavery… who killed them? And why?

It should tell the story of how the colonies inherited slavery from both global and European slaving practices, but also how the words, actions, and ideas of America's Founders helped spark a worldwide movement that ultimately ended slavery. It should tell the story of how at least eight American colonies passed or attempted to pass laws to either tax or severely limit the importation of slaves before the Revolutionary War, only to be forced by the British Crown to continue it. It should tell the story of how 750,000 Americans died in the Civil War. It should tell the story of how Americans came to reject Jim Crow and segregation, backing a colorblind standard derived from America's founding documents. In short, it should tell the story of the birth of America and how the United States, because of the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and upheld in the Constitution, has done more to advance and secure fundamental rights than any other nation in the world.
Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · 4w ago

All I can say about Graham Platner is that when I have to change the radio station bc the accusations are too graphic for the ears of an elementary school student who is also listening then maybe it’s time to reconsider the candidate.

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · last mo.

Who has a darker vision of American history? The people who walk into the NMAH and see a dull indoctrination factory or the people who see families running around at the SparkLab, pretending to ride trolleys, playing Prince’s air guitar, and gawking at the Star Spangled Banner?

PBS News@pbsnews.org · last mo.

A White House report brands the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution, especially at the National Museum of American History, as radical activists who cannot be trusted, indicating that President Donald Trump may be preparing to install his own team. https://to.pbs.org/4y6StDS

Brian Goldstein@bgoldst.bsky.social · last mo.

Key to enjoying tomorrow's game is remembering that the players didn't ask for this. Trump imposed it on them like he imposes all his "gifts"--shoes too big for you, some gaudy piece of crap you are supposed to display. It's how he asserts dominance upon you. But the players have made their own way.