Professional Biography

I teach courses in American cultural and social history which offer reinterpretations of the American past in light of current understandings about race, class, and gender. As befits my training in American Studies, I'm especially interested in culture: how people structure and make sense of their lives under diverse historical circumstances. My classes frequently ask students to consider how individuals' own stories intersect with broader social and economic developments and how ideas of the self have differed. Students learn relevant law and explore its impact, working the turf between texts and contexts. Course reading is usually diverse, and might include historical interpretations, autobiographies, oral histories, supreme court decisions, fiction and films. I usually mix some lecturing with much discussion, and run an informal classroom. I have been involved in the Gender Studies Program, as well as the History Department.

Academic Credentials

Ph.D. 1981, M.A. 1975, B.A. 1971 Yale University