This conversation is part of the Spring 2026 Sociological Life Lessons class @sunybrockport.bsky.social. An experiment that I will be writing about soon for @firstpublics.bsky.social! *posting this with the goal of upping the accountability...

and, perhaps most importantly, organized and chaired by Alex Channon, University of Brighton.

and then returning one more time as the book reviews editor where I had the honor of working with a series of scholars who I admire including Ryanne Pilgeram, Stefano Bloch, @gokceyurdakul.bsky.social, @dsilver432.bsky.social, and @kaareeenah.bsky.social

and then again with Kelsey Berry to write about emergence of a new type of final girl in horror movies - journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

then recording the official @contexts.org podcast with @sarahlageson.bsky.social before returning a few years later as an author to write about masculinity in the surf and on the mats with Clifton Evers - contexts.org/articles/int...

Also worth noting that this is the concluding issue under the amazing editorial leadership of @sethabrutyn.bsky.social @aminghaziani.bsky.social and @lettapage.bsky.social. I feel lucky/honored to have been invited to tag along as the books editor for the final stretch.

"While we face an era marked by rising authoritarianism, entrenched racism, and a culture of hyper-individualism, the hope for a more livable society remains real and worth striving for." @mlamont.bsky.social @ruha9.bsky.social @gokceyurdakul.bsky.social

"They remind us that the work of seeing and valuing others begins not with abstract policy but everyday acts of recognition. This vision offers important possibilities, inspiring ongoing effort and collective care."

"And yet, scholars like Michèle Lamont and Ruha Benjamin urge us to imagine a different society. Their books challenge us to consider how a more just and livable world might be built, how it emerges and fails, and how it might be reclaimed in moments when justice is endangered."

but really, setting basketball nostalgia and fandom aside, the level of research is stunning.

Few things said are more correct than this