Category Archives: All Posts

Go Country, Young Man (90s Music Nostalgia)

Posted on September 22, 2019 by

The Ken Burns-produced Country Music documentary that premiered on PBS last week is predictably great. It’s also giving me fits of nostalgia remembering the time I tried to be an “alternative country” singer. It was a very late-1990’s thing to … Continue reading →

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Twain Trip and Strange Stars Review

Posted on September 4, 2019 by

I’ll have at least one more research trip to the Mark Twain Papers in Berkeley between now and December (before I present at MLA on Twain’s love of sea adventure novels). I’m hoping to work a Bay-area bookstore appearance in … Continue reading →

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American Novel to 1900 (Class Details)

Posted on August 29, 2019 by

This summer, I’m teaching UC Davis’s “American Novel to 1900” class. I used the class to try something I’d always wanted to do–something scholar Paul Lauter did while developing the uber-inclusive Heath Anthology of American Literature–namely, asking students to prioritize … Continue reading →

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August Updates: Book and Articles

Posted on August 12, 2019 by

My American Novels to 1900 class for UC Davis started last week, and I’m finishing up some big projects before fully diving into that pool. First, I’m doing final proofreading review for my “Science and Technology” chapter of Cambridge University … Continue reading →

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New Gears and God Review

Posted on July 21, 2019 by

Last month’s issue of Nineteenth-Century Literature featured a review of Gears and God. It requires a subscription to read the whole thing, but I’m providing a link to the preview of the first page from University of California Press’ page. … Continue reading →

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New Editing Gig at Mark Twain Annual

Posted on July 3, 2019 by

Last week, I formally agreed to be the new Book Review Editor for the Mark Twain Annual. The Annual is a fantastic journal–one that I look forward to each year. They publish Twain scholarship that takes risks, tries things, and … Continue reading →

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Live at ConQuesT 50

Posted on June 14, 2019 by

I returned from Kansas City a few weeks back and thought I’d share some highlights from the annual science fiction convention (ConQuesT). I appeared on two panels (one on American Gods, one on Doctor Who) and had reading that included … Continue reading →

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