Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · 11d

This is really sweet and deeply weird (in a good way)!

Sara Chatfield @poliscisara.bsky.social · 12d

Our department has the wonderful tradition that when someone publishes a book, @smotus.bsky.social bakes a cake in its honor. He really went above and beyond on this one!

Link to the book: www.cambridge.org/core/element...

A child, woman, and man stand in a classroom holding a cake decorated to look like a toilet.

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · 21d

Hello historians! Amid...everything, there still seems to be a prof job market & I seem to be on it. Self-promote I must. If you are interested in early federal Indian agents, inquiry-driven history teaching, an in-progress JQ Adams pod, etc, please visit my new world wide website, zacharyconn.com.

Dr. Zachary Conn

[email protected]

zacharyconn.com

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Reposted by Zachary Conn

Robert Colby @rkdcolby86.bsky.social · Aug 21

Fantastic resource for historians: a spreadsheet of NARA's digitized microfilm, with links to the files in the Archives catalog. May it help you as much as it has helped me.

www.archives.gov/files/colleg...

www.archives.gov

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Aug 9

Specialization can go too far. But have you ever encountered a toaster oven as good at its core function as a humble toaster is?

Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Aug 7

IIRC Solomon preferred to play it in “Purple Haze.” You know how it is—the later generations aren’t hung up about the whole classic vs alternative rock thing

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Jul 12

It’s ultimately for others to judge, of course, but I think that after two years of sometimes frustrating effort I now sort of understand how to write a narrative history podcast. Mostly, it involves making room for the sounds of horses.

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Jul 11

I just had such a nice catch-up call with a former colleague from my high school teaching days. In that setting, students are not the only ones who forge meaningful friendships through shared struggle.

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Jul 8

Very excited for, and a little nervous about, this 3-minute presentation on the Indigenous side of the American Revolution at SHEAR 2026! I somehow got chosen to be on this list of heavy hitters ⚾️

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Jul 8

Very excited for, and a little nervous about, this 3-minute presentation on the Indigenous side of the American Revolution at SHEAR 2026! I somehow got chosen to be on this list of heavy hitters ⚾️

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Jun 27

The word “methodology” echoes across the bar. I must be at a conference again.

Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Jun 26

Excited to go to my first SHAFR and try to help get the word out that US-Indigenous relations = international relations! Lmk if anyone wants to meet up or feel free to approach me at the conference. Just as a heads up: I am rather short but make up for it by being rather loud.

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · May 31

I am excited to announce that through vigorous archival research I have made a major historical discovery: It was hard for the US government to get things done under the Articles of Confederation.

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · May 28

Something has happened to me and now I'm a Cafe Guy instead of a Home Guy for writing. Still adjusting to lack of musical control. The all-day cafe near my apt in Dallas is great but they switch to evening music around 5 and now we're listening to the whole Taylor Swift Reputation LP--not her best!

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · May 23

a cartoon character sitting on a bus with the words i 'm in danger above him

ALT: a cartoon character sitting on a bus with the words i 'm in danger above him

media.tenor.com

Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · May 15

Oh I could have sworn it was called “No Mercy” or “Slime out of Mind”

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · May 5

In the past, I have liked but not loved Car Seat Headrest, but I think their new album (a rock opera!) may be an actual masterpiece.

Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Apr 22

RBG the fact that you feel comfortable sharing this stuff and that it apparently helps you is legit an example for me of what philosophers call “the problem of other minds”! “Problem” as in fascinating question, not normative problem, of course

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Apr 22

I awoke this morning to find that in my dream I’d been full-on teaching a class I’m excited to offer this fall. Amid all the darkness around us these days, I am grateful to have meaningful work that inspires me, even on an unconscious level. So many people lack this; it cannot be taken for granted.

Reposted by Zachary Conn

The JER Pano @thejerpano.bsky.social · Apr 16

Check out the Early American Tracker!

The #JERPano invites academic historians, public historians, federal workers, teachers, and concerned citizens to submit evidence of changes made to the Early American historical record.

Visit The Panorama at: thepanorama.shear.org/2025/04/09/t...

"Visit the Early Republic Tracker" "Keep History Accessible!" The Early Republic Tracker is now live! The #JERPano is launching a public initiative to document efforts to erase or distort historical interpretation at national sites, museums, websites, and other public venues.
We invite academic historians, public historians, federal workers, teachers, and concerned citizens to submit evidence of changes to the Early American historical record on the Panorama.
The Tracker serves as a record and tool for historical accountability. We will respect requests for anonymity. Please help us ensure these changes do not disappear down the memory hole by visiting and contributing to the site

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Apr 10

At 34, I am apparently now old enough to be in charge of making charoset for the Passover seder. The mid-30s are an exciting time for personal and spiritual growth.

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Reposted by Zachary Conn

Stephen West @stephenwest.bsky.social · Apr 9

to all who celebrate...

description from Huntington library:

"A lithograph printed on heavy paper. Satirical "death certificate" issued for the Southern Confederacy. Mourning border, each line in different typeface, with: Died, Near the South-Side Rail Road, / on Sunday, April 9th, 1865, / The Southern Confederacy, / Aged Four Years, / Conceived in Sin, Born in iniquity, Nurtured by Tyranny, Died of / a Chronic Attack of Punch. / Abraham Lincoln, Attending Physician. / U.S. Grant, Undertaker. / Jeff Davis, Chief Mourner. Below in smaller print an epitaph that ends with: And this one line shall grace your grave-- / Your death gave freedom to the slave."

https://hdl.huntington.org/digital/collection/p16003coll6/id/5033

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Apr 2

Deploying the "Omit Filler Words" function on the podcasting software I use makes me feel like a minor god. I wish I could zap away every wretched "um," "uh," and "you know" from my speech in everyday life.

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Mar 31

My version of Proust’s madeleine is that if I eat a gummy bear I’m back to trying to soothe myself while spending two weeks on a tour bus attempting to interest 24 unruly ninth graders in the Indigenous history of the American Southwest.

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Mar 31

The way you manage to balance the four core professorial responsibilities (research, teaching, posting, service) is very admirable!

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Zachary Conn @zacharyconn.bsky.social · Mar 31

Entering a ride share with the driver playing Grover Washington, Jr. can be a very good or a very bad omen. The ultimate musical border case.