After finishing my postdoc at Cornell's Humanities Scholars Program, today is my first official day as a Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Union College in Schenectady, NY, where I will teach modern US history and finish writing my book on late 20th century US anarchism.

It is the last day of my postdoc at Cornell's Humanities Scholars Program, and what a joy it was. When much of academia, especially the humanities, is under attack, it was lovely to be in a space that unabashedly celebrates the role of the humanities in higher ed -- and in life.

Happy to share I have a chapter on anarchafeminism and reproductive freedom in the forthcoming book "Anarchafeminist Horizons at the End of Gender: Praxis Across Movements, Solidarities Across Borders," edited by Nathan Poirier & Zane McNeill, coming from Bloomsbury in Feb 2027.

Just submitted proofs for a forthcoming journal article on North American anarchist gatherings in the 1980s in the Journal for the Study of Radicalism. I look forward to sharing it when it is published!

I have a piece on "Anarchist Institutions" in this forthcoming book simply titled "Anarchisms," published by Dog Section Press. I LOVE the illustration @catsimsart.bsky.social did for my chapter and I'm super excited for the book. Support it here: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/anarchisms

There is a real contradiction between the argument that academia is controlled by the left and the reality that the professors getting fired, denied tenure, blacklisted, and fleeing the country from far-right death threats are almost all, in fact, on the left.

The AHA leadership election is over and the Democracy Slate totally lost, right? Unless I missed it (and googling failed), there hasn't been any public acknowledgement of this, which feels odd. Does anyone know the vote counts or anything? Weird to have total radio silence.

Sometimes I despair at the state of higher ed (right-wing attacks, the job market, AI, etc. etc.), but I also remember how excited I was to go to college. The summer before, I pored over the course catalog, thrilled by visions of everything I could learn. What a joy, learning!

Sad to see that Hard Crackers: Chronicles of Everyday Life is calling it quits, but they had a great decade of publishing. Who will pick up the mantle of Race Traitor in their place? hardcrackers.com/farewell-2/

Farewell

We wish to inform our readers and supporters that after 10 years of publishing in print and online, Hard Crackers is closing up shop. This announcement brings with it a mix of pride and sadness: pride...

hardcrackers.com

It is hard not to conclude that Trump is laying the groundwork to declare a national emergency to interfere with midterm elections this fall. In South Korea a 2024 coup attempt was defeated by mass popular mobilization. That is what would be necessary here to defend democracy.

I'm teaching a class this fall on the history of the 1960s in the US -- what a dream! I have most of the readings nailed down, but I'm curious to hear: what are your favorite pieces of writing (or film or other media) on the sixties?

I have a piece on "Anarchist Institutions" in this forthcoming book simply titled "Anarchisms," published by Dog Section Press. I LOVE the illustration @catsimsart.bsky.social did for my chapter and I'm super excited for the book. Support it here: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/anarchisms

Dog Section Press crowdfunding for there next publication: Anarchisms - Collection of 10 essays aims to increase awareness of – and encourage involvement in – anarchist forms of organisation. - Crowdfunder page with more information: 👉 www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/anarchisms 👈 - youtu.be/-EXPNaF58hM

Anarchisms

YouTube video by Dog Section Press

youtu.be

I don't want "consumer choice" in health insurance that makes me spend hours trying to decipher the "best" option for benefits in a new job (how do you choose? Who knows!). At this point I'm essentially a single issue voter on Medicare for All.

Some AI boosters act like it's a huge win to say "you can't actually 'not use' AI because it's in everything now, including all of Google's tools and algorithms" -- you know what has gotten so much worse the last couple years? Google! Along with *checks notes* everything else.

Ok now back to your regularly scheduled anarcho-history-posting. "Here's why making diy vegan iced lattes is actually anarchist praxis..."

Spencer Beswick@spencerbeswick.bsky.social · 4w ago

I have started making iced lattes at home that taste just like $7 iced lattes and I feel like I have unlocked a summer secret. Takes two minutes to make coffee in the Aeropress and add oat milk and ice. Incredible.

I have started making iced lattes at home that taste just like $7 iced lattes and I feel like I have unlocked a summer secret. Takes two minutes to make coffee in the Aeropress and add oat milk and ice. Incredible.

Tbh I really think a lot of longtime lefties who hate DSA are still stuck with their image of the org from before 2016.

It feels auspicious that DSA became the largest socialist organization in US history (with 120k members) on the July 4th 250th anniversary.

The idea that today's most important political divide is between YIMBYs and NIMBYs is just patently absurd to me.

As a Historian™, I say that there have been three (3) moments in American history in which it was acceptable to be patriotic: during and after the Revolution, Civil War through Reconstruction, and New Deal through WWII. 1/

Looking forward to presenting my piece "Anarchist Institutions: Infoshops and Beyond" at the Anarchist Studies Network conference in August. The conference is in Manchester, but I will be presenting as part of the online day.

Instant pot stans constantly gaslight everyone about how fast and easy they are. Sure, just add all the ingredients, wait 20 min for it to pressurize, another half hour to cook, then 15-20 min to depressurize. All without being able to taste and adjust seasonings. I don't get it.

We watched the first episode of the Ken Burns American Revolution documentary series and unfortunately military history is still as boring as ever.

I just looked at recent posts in r/RFKJrForPresident and they feel that Trump utterly betrayed the MAHA movement (true). I just wish they could ask themselves: what is it about them and their movement that led them to trust the most obvious liar and conman in the country?

I'm reading Gordon Wood's (RIP) book on the early American republic and I am actually surprised to learn the extent to which Hamilton and most of the Federalists (in their own words) hated the French Revolution and straight up wanted to build a monarchy modeled after Britain. 1/

I love finding stuff like this: "Socialist Mayors Discuss Nation's Problems" in 1990 with Bernie Sanders and Benjamin Nichols (socialist mayor of Ithaca, NY). It's wild to me that there was a small revival of municipal socialism in the 1980s-90s that we just never talk about.

Jenny Brown: “More important than speaking truth to power is speaking truth to each other in order to build our power. This is how we’re going to protect and advance abortion rights, and it’s also how we’re going to win the other things we need for our happiness. 1/2

Invisible Committee, "Call" (2004)

For a terrifying treat, try this: stand next to a road for a while watching cars and notice just how many people drive around glued to their phones. Fun!