My year-end reflection: In Praise of Public History
My year-end reflection isn’t about what I did this year, but about what got me through this year: public history. While I continue to do a little consulting, what really helped was public history's heady mix of desperately-needed perspective and sheer nerdy enjoyment. Some of it was stuff I read; some was stuff I listened to or watched; and a little was even stuff I did.
By public history, I mean history developed with academic rigor but delivered to the non-academic public with story-telling, flair and humanity: rigor without rigidity. Public history occupies the accessible middle ground between rigorous but ponderous academic history and popular history that is flippant, frothy and unburdened by the facts.
As if the current reality weren’t bad enough, we’re living through a regime which intentionally wants to subvert and even pervert history to justify policies and behavior that, in fact, can’t be justified. Public history is a key antidote, bringing us back to the reality of our complex, difficult and diverse heritage. What I’ve written in the past about history in general certainly applies to public history:
“History doesn’t repeat, and it may not even rhyme, but it instructs and informs. History teaches us perspective. It teaches us humility. It teaches us to respect and value traditions that are different from our own. And it teaches us to read and think with healthy skepticism, including realizing that we can’t be certain of the past, let alone the future.”
I want to recognize – and recommend – my top five sources in public history that helped save a truly difficult year for me. Maybe they’ll interest (or help) you, maybe you can subscribe or support them, or maybe they'll spark your curiosity to find your own public history resources closer to home:
- Heather Cox Richardson who gives us our daily dose of sanity in her "Letters from an American" (in addition to her brilliant books and other work).
- Joanne Freeman with her unique (and often humorous) insight into truly American turmoil, especially the Founders and the pre-Civil War era.
- Jason Herbert whose fantastic "Reckoning" podcast brings his Educated Everyman approach to history (and movies). He costs me a lot of money because he introduces me to books and authors I never heard of and can’t resist.
- The Pursuit of History/History Camp, a non-profit that continually gives me the chance to learn, connect and even present. Thanks to this group, this year I got to study Bunker Hill with the Boston City historian one day, explore Paul Revere’s house with a great interpreter the next, and present on the Armenian Diaspora on the third day (sharing the research done by my late friend, John Yacobian).
- Friends of History (part of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation), where I listen, learn and also serve as a docent in the Walking Tours of Historic Downtown Santa Fe.
Some other people didn't make that top five but certainly deserve Honorable Mention in my public history list:
- Hampton Sides, author, student of great, deeply-flawed men facing tumultuous circumstances. I got to interview him in 2024 for a TPOH event and found him very generous with his time and insights.
- Erik Larson, author, student of tumultuous events and the men and women who try to cope with them.
- Rob Martinez, New Mexico State Historian (and wonderful musician), who makes our complex history accessible in his "History in 10 Minutes" series on YouTube.
- John Cass, bridging the gap between public history and genealogy with unique insights and "neighbor history" methodology.
- Clint Smith – because I just belatedly encountered his wonderful 2021 book How the Word is Passed this year (thanks to Sarah Faude) – and it helped me better understand so many of the public history experiences I had during the year, including my own work as a history docent in Santa Fe.
Hang on to anything that gives you sanity in the new year. If history is it for you, consider exploring (and supporting) those I list, share this with others, and share your suggestions back with me. Here's hoping we can all find our own ways to make it through this next year.
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