Before the Living Room: The Common Room in Colonial and Early American Homes
Recent conversations about the “death of the living room” tend to frame the space as a modern luxury—something invented, popularized, and now potentially lost under pressure from housing costs and … Continue reading
General Casimir Pulaski: A Polish Hero of the American Revolution
Every year, the United States recognizes General Casimir Pulaski—Polish-born hero of the American Revolution—on October 11, commemorating his death from wounds received at the Siege of Savannah in 1779. Known … Continue reading
Is A.I. the Death of the Lecture—or Its Salvation?
In the age of generative A.I., the traditional college lecture faces a dramatic crossroads. Once a cornerstone of higher education, the lecture now stands accused of being outdated, passive, and … Continue reading
The History of Maryland Day: A Celebration of Heritage and Legacy
Maryland Day, celebrated annually on March 25, commemorates the arrival of European settlers in the Province of Maryland in 1634. It is a day dedicated to reflecting on the state’s … Continue reading
The Neil Young Archives: A Fan-based Review
This month, I’ve asked students in my “Digital Textuality” course to submit a technical review of a website. As I watched them progress over the course of a few weeks, … Continue reading
A Dog in the Fog of War: George Washington, General Howe, and an Unlikely Tale of Kindness
During the American Revolutionary War, amidst the turmoil of battle and the clashing ambitions of empires, a small event unfolded that revealed the character of one of history’s most revered … Continue reading
Dan Waber’s Strings: A Pioneering Work of Digital Poetry
While preparing for my digital textuality lectures this semester, I stumbled across a series of video recordings from 2010–2012—artifacts of an earlier era of electronic literature. Many of the works … Continue reading
Haiku Fun
Haiku is a timeless form of poetry that captures fleeting moments with precision and simplicity. Originating in Japan, haiku traditionally follows a 5-7-5 syllable structure and often reflects nature, the … Continue reading
Rediscovering Jutta Hipp: A Jazz Pioneer
My last post shared It’s a Long Commute a fun weekly listening project I’ve been sharing for the past 8-9 months via social media. It’s been wonderful to listen to … Continue reading
It’s a Long Commute: A Journey through Music History
As someone who has long relied on radio news to accompany my weekly commute, I recently decided to embark on a project that combines my love for music with a … Continue reading
The American Civil War and December: How Literature Captured the War’s End and Christmas
The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a pivotal moment in U.S. history, a conflict that altered the nation’s landscape, both geographically and socially. The war left deep scars on the … Continue reading
The Legacy of Charles Dickens: How His Stories Inspired American Holiday Traditions
Charles Dickens, one of the most beloved and influential authors of the 19th century, has left an indelible mark on Christmas celebrations, particularly in the United States. While Dickens’ stories … Continue reading
Celebrating 40 Years of Tetris: A Timeless Classic in Gaming History
This year marks a milestone for Tetris, one of the most beloved video games of all time, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. First created on June 6, 1984, by … Continue reading
Gratitude, Resilience, and the Strength of Community in The Peasant Trilogy
As we gather this Thanksgiving weekend to reflect on gratitude, resilience, and the bonds that sustain us, it’s a meaningful time to explore literature that celebrates these themes. In the … Continue reading
Franciszek Warnadowicz: Polish Crew Member of Columbus’ Voyage
As we celebrate Polish American Heritage Month this October, I’m excited to continue our journey through the rich and diverse history of Polish Americans. This series aims to highlight the … Continue reading
James Howell’s Familiar Letters: A New Video in Book by Book
Here’s the latest addition to my ongoing series Book by Book! In Series Two, we dive into my teaching collection—a curated glimpse into my personal library of historical treasures. Discover … Continue reading
Just My Type: A Look at a 19th-century Specimens Book
Here’s the latest addition to my ongoing series Book by Book! In Series Two, we dive into my teaching collection—a curated glimpse into my personal library of historical treasures. Discover … Continue reading
Celebrating 235 Years of James Fenimore Cooper: The Father of American Romanticism
Today marks the 235th anniversary of the birth of James Fenimore Cooper, one of the earliest and most influential voices in American literature. Born on September 15, 1824, Cooper is … Continue reading
Daniel Litscho: The Story of a Polish Settler in New Amsterdam
The early history of New York, originally New Amsterdam, is often associated with Dutch settlers, as it was established as a Dutch colony in the early seventeenth century. However, the … Continue reading
Exploring the Untold Stories: The History of Polish Americans in Early America
The history of America is a tapestry woven from the diverse cultures, traditions, and experiences of countless immigrants who sought new opportunities in the New World. Among these immigrants were … Continue reading
Dodge’s Literary Museum
Welcome back to Book by Book! In Series Two, we dive into my teaching collection—a curated glimpse into my personal library of historical treasures. Discover rare books, vintage newspapers, and … Continue reading
“Little Pieces for Little Speakers”: A Schoolbook for Recitation
Here is the next installment in my Book by Book: The Teaching Collection Series. This week’s installment looks at Little Pieces for Little Speakers: A Collection of Poetry Designed to … Continue reading
Out of Sorts: A Look at a 19th-century Printing Office
“Out of Sorts” is but one of the many expressions and idioms that can be traced back to the printing world. A sort is another name for a single piece … Continue reading
Projector Reboot: Casting New Light on Book History
After a four-year hiatus, I am thrilled to return to the world of blogging, bringing with me a wealth of new experiences and insights from my tenure as the Director … Continue reading
Where the Angels Lived: Coming Soon from Calypso Editions
I am pleased to announce the next title to be released from Calypso Editions: Margaret McMullan’s Where the Angels Lived. Margaret also published the novel Aftermath Lounge (2015) with Calypso. … Continue reading
Lest We Forget! A Poem
LEST WE FORGET! The World is Round and Very Wet! By Bob Brown Pilsener beer from a tall frosted glass at Luchow’s … Continue reading
America’s First Polish Immigrants: Another Look at Jamestown
Continuing this thread on Jamestown, at the end of class I offered an example of brainstorming research topics. The example I used built from our reading of John Smith’s General … Continue reading
Teaching Jamestown, Virginia … Again and Again
One of the ongoing challenges in teaching a survey class in American history is making decisions on what to cover in the limited amount of time 14 weeks and 3 … Continue reading
Free Books, Open Libraries: 15 Resources for Everyone
Many of my upper-division courses focus on the same general set of questions: How does digital media disrupt “conventional” structures? Structures here range from thought processes and reading and researching … Continue reading
James Rivington, American Printer
James Rivington (1724-1802) was an English-born printer/publisher and journalist in New York City during the American Revolution. Prior to the revolution, he was one of the most popular and widely … Continue reading
Reading by Design … The Great Gatsby
Next semester, I’m teaching another class related to book history and publishing. This course will examine the history and evolution of book design and, specifically, cover art. The question that … Continue reading
Accidental Diarist: A Review
The Accidental Diarist: A History of the Daily Planner in America By Molly A. McCarthy. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013. 302 pp., HC $90 Pb $30) http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/A/bo15357320.html … Continue reading
The Projector Finds a Hobby
Last week I was happy to report the latest issue of Textshop Experiments was released. The video essays included in this issue include new work by H. R. Buechler, Jimmy … Continue reading
LIVE: Textshop 4 … From Digital to Print
I am happy to announce the release of Textshop Experiments’ Volume 4: From Digital to Print. Contents 100 Questions About Writing And The Future by Jimmy Butts Printed Animals by … Continue reading
The Schoolmaster, Translated
Last week, I noted that I would return to completing my translation of selected poems by Marcel Lecomte. To slowly return to this project and to offer another preview of … Continue reading
365
A few days ago, on New Year’s Eve, I completed my #365DayChallenge of posting one image a day on Instagram. So, for now, I’m taking a little break from social … Continue reading
Classic Comics Covers
For those who know me and my work, it’s no secret that I am interested the relationships between texts and images. So much so that I’ve straddled the line between … Continue reading
16 Weeks with Bob Dylan
Colleges are like old-age homes; except for the fact that more people die in colleges. For me, the environment to write the song is extremely important. The environment has to … Continue reading
An Exercise in Creative-Critical Thinking
The Paltry Nude Starts on a Spring Voyage Wallace Stevens (1919) But not on a shell, she starts, Archaic, for the sea. But on the first-found weed She scuds the … Continue reading
Francis Hopkinson’s Ode to the Fourth of July 1788
This summer, I was awarded a fellowship and small stipend to continue my work on American printing history. The goal was two engage in a reenactment or historical performance / … Continue reading
Fort Garrison, Maryland
From time to time, I’ve written about local (often hidden) historical gems around Maryland. For this post, I wanted to add to this growing list with a building just a … Continue reading
Sleep Habits & Literary Production
Sleep deprivation is a major problem these days, leading to a host of physical and emotional problems. It has been the focus of many studies in recent decades, and, just … Continue reading
Types of Book-Binding: An Introduction
Building on what I’ve called the Right PATH method (Performance/Production, Aesthetic, Theory, History), I wanted to add a little supplemental guide to types of binding we will cover … Continue reading
An Introduction to Book-Binding … Workshop
Two weeks ago, my paper history course had its latest workshop, on printing. We were fortunate to use the under-utilized printing facility at Stevenson in a workshop led by printer, … Continue reading
Camera-Friendly Copenhagen
I can’t believe that it’s been five years since I visited the city of Copenhagen! This week I was looking through some old photos, in part looking through shots to … Continue reading
The History of Paper: Getting to Gutenberg
It’s midterms here! Below is a brief review of some of the work and ideas covered in my History of Paper course. The course blog documents a bit more: https://mulberrymummiesmarshes2017.wordpress.com/. … Continue reading
Ian McKellen, Teacher: A Note on Teaching Gesture
In the last few years, I’ve noticed a major shift in my research and in my methods of teaching: a focus on performance. Part of my thinking is a turn … Continue reading
Pursuit of the Pawpaw: A Sneak Preview
What’s that? A fruit that tastes like a mix between a banana and a mango and that is indigenous to North America? Curious? If you’ve never heard of the pawpaw, … Continue reading
What a Twit!
twit, n.1 Pronunciation: Brit. /twɪt/ U.S. /twɪt/ Forms: Also 15 twyte. Frequency (in current use): Etymology: < twit v. 1. a. An act of twitting; a (light) censure or reproach; … Continue reading
Sounding Out Supplements: Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan’s Influences, Inspirations & Impersonations I’ve been so invested in the History of Paper class, it recently occurred to me that there have been no posts here on another … Continue reading
Sampling: The Introduction to the History of Paper Course
I’m very excited about the upcoming weeks of my History of Paper course. I’ve already blogged about setting up the course blog and the first posts will appear soon. I … Continue reading
Paper Infographics
Walter Ong’s classic Orality and Literacy will be one of the first texts we’ll read in my “History of Paper” course this fall. Attached to this reading/discussion, I’ll ask each … Continue reading
Coming Soon . . . Fall Course on the History of Paper
We’re just a week away from the fall semester! I was a little disappointed last year after my pitch for a “History of the Book” special topics class was deemed … Continue reading
Student Projects from Spring ’17, Part 3
Finally, I’ve come to the last part of this series on student projects…in retrospect, I now wish I’ve created a separate website to host or curate all of these projects. … Continue reading
Student Projects from Spring ’17, Part 2
This is Part 2 of the series on student projects from this past semester. The last post featured videos of place-based historical studies. This post shares some images from a … Continue reading
Student Projects from Spring ’17, Part 1
For the next few posts, I wanted to share something a little different: samples of student work produced this past spring. I’ve been teaching American History courses for the past … Continue reading
Shadow of the Moon Turns 20
A few weeks ago, I was asked to contribute an essay on music/history, and, as exciting as the project seemed, I’m afraid I’ll have to turn the offer down. But … Continue reading
Paper-making History: Some Bookmarks
Last fall, I taught courses in the history of graphic design and the history of printing (both Visual Arts courses). Before I got things started, I posted an entry here … Continue reading
Forthcoming Textshop Issues: 2017-2018
Our next issue is only one week away!!! As we make the final edits to the forthcoming issue of TEXTSHOP EXPERIMENTS . . . Here’s what’s scheduled down the production … Continue reading
The Projector 
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