Posts by Pamela
Hubert Bancroft Runs a History Factory
In 1868, a San Francisco book dealer named Hubert Howe Bancroft (1832-1918) set out to write the history of the Pacific slope,[1] from Alaska to the Isthmus of Panama. It was a project on a heroic scale. Bancroft did not write all the books himself, even though he was the only author listed. In fact,…
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Bumbling My Way into Another Year of History Nerdery
Back in 2015, I started the year with a post sharing what I expected to think about in the coming year. I have no idea what inspired it, but I’ve opened each year since then with a similar post. I’ve always found it a useful way to get my thoughts in order, the writing equivalent…
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Lighting a (Metaphorical) Candle Against the Darkness
Shortly after Thanksgiving the song “We Need a little Christmas Now”[1] began to run through my head on constant repeat. It was, quite frankly, annoying. I don’t know about you, but we felt a little subdued going into the holiday season[2] this year, for reasons external and internal. I did not need Angela Lansbury being…
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