"How do I take this history and apply it?": Andrew Kahrl
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The newest episode of Drafting the Past features Andrew Kahrl, whose new book The Black Tax: 150 Years of Theft, Exploitation, and Dispossession in America is valuable not only for its subject (seriously, it should be required reading in civics classes) but also because it’s a great example of how to make a complicated and potentially dry subject genuinely interesting and easy to understand. Click the image below to listen to our conversation, or find it in your podcast app:
At the end of our conversation, Andrew said something no one has ever said on the show before. When I asked what he was working on now, before he talked about future projects he mentioned that he still had work to do with this book: "I’ve been ... thinking through, how do I begin to take this history and apply it more directly, whether it be to policy conversations, or particular issues that are happening today?"
What if we all thought about our projects (books, exhibits, whatever) as just one phase in our work, rather than the end product? I loved the idea that, having written a book that clearly explains the history of an injustice, Andrew is now determined to figure out how to make sure people not only learn that history but put it to use. Andrew isn't satisfied to tell the story and leave things there. He knows that there is still real work to do in connecting with communities and people who can use his research to change policy and make a difference in the present.
I'd love to hear what you think about this in the comments.
History writing extras:
- Among the discourse surrounding Ta-Nehisi Coates' new book The Message, one thing really freaked out people who love footnotes: there aren't any. Instead, the "notes on sources" section lists a URL for readers to follow. I appreciated Derek Krissoff's insights on the subject. (If you're interested in the scholarly publishing world, I recommend Krissoff's whole newsletter!)
- I would like to pitch and write more reviews of non-fiction, so to work on my craft I'm trying to read one review every day. LitHub's "5 Book Reviews You Need to Read This Week" feature has been a big help in finding examples. Here's this week's edition.
- I recently got a pitch for an interview with the translator of a new edition of All Quiet on the Western Front (first published in 1929). I'm excited to read the translation, but I'm still trying to decide if it makes sense as a Drafting the Past episode. I'd love your thoughts!