Meet the (Digital) Historian: An Interview with Robert Nelson

Rob Nelson (Ph.D., College of William and Mary) is the Director of the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond and is a scholar of nineteenth-century America. Erstwhile’s Beau Driver spoke with Dr. Nelson about the possibilities and pitfalls of using Digital Humanities techniques in historical scholarship. Erstwhile blog: Hello Dr. Nelson, Could you introduce…

Alt-Ac Spotlight: Advice from Colorado’s Assistant State Historian

Meet B. Erin Cole (Ph.D., History, University of New Mexico), Colorado’s Assistant State Historian. Today she gives Erstwhile a glimpse of what her job entails, along with some advice for those considering careers in public history. Successful public historians, she explains, must be able to work across diverse topics, in assorted mediums, and with a variety of…

Video Games Can Teach History. Seriously.

Erstwhile’s Sam Bock explains how instructors might productively bring video gaming into the classroom. Mention historical video games to most professional historians at your own peril. The ensuing snort of derision will surely be loud enough to rattle the very masonry of the ivory tower. While this attitude is certainly not unexpected, it is born of  a prejudice…

Remembering Pete Seeger on Labor Day

Erstwhile’s Beau Driver spotlights the folk singer, songwriter, and activist, Pete Seeger, in celebration of Labor Day and to commemorate the artist’s passing early this year. On January 27th of this year, the influential singer, songwriter, and activist, Pete Seeger, passed away. A great champion of labor and civil rights, Seeger was often outspoken against…