Course Adoption Season and Special Offer!
Course Adoption Season and Special Offer! 
by Ed Blum
Even though we have just entered Spring, the Fall Semester is not far off, and this means course adoptions. Since my undergraduate days at the University of Michigan, I have loved the selection of books. I remember walking up the stairs at Shaman Drum Bookshop to find in packed shelves the texts for my new classes. Perhaps Professor Juster assigned The Kingdom of Matthias (“oh, this looks sexy,” I would think to myself). Or perhaps Professor Montoya (sadly, she is now at New York University) would have us read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (“Dee Brown… I thought he was a basketball player for the Celtics,” my undergraduate and basketball-loving mind would turn). I would thumb through the books, looking at what had been underlined, what the author looked like, who blurbed the book and had I read any of their material. Sometimes there would be random phone numbers in the book; one time a “break up” note that led me to wonder if it had ever been delivered. The world of books, authors, and readers was a magical and mystical one to me, one
that I wish had been explained more fully. Now, as a professor, author, teacher, and reader, I find the selecting the texts as much fun as finding them and the process of interacting with readers just as mystifying. And this brings me to the point of my post. I want to propose interactive sessions between authors and readers – professors and students – either through email dialogue or through phone conference calls.
This past year, I have had several wonderful teaching experiences with colleagues who have used one of my monographs in their course. One two occasions, I conducted conference calls with the students to discuss the book – why I wrote it, what I left out, what they thought of the material, what their impression was of Du Bois or of post-Civil War America. On several other occasions (mostly local), I had the chance to sit down with students who had read my material. On all occasions, the times were marvelous. The questions were brilliant and insightful. Some of the comments I wished I could lift and cram into the books. Some of the students I wished I could cram into my own classes. And so… I had an idea. What if I offered that kind of activity to any professor or teacher who adopts one of my monographs for class? Would that be an added and fun incentive for folks to teach it? Would that be a way to break down the barriers between authors, teachers, and readers? So let’s give it a shot.
If you decide to adopt Reforging the White Republic or W. E. B. Du Bois, American Prophet for any class next year, just drop me an email at eblum AT mail DOT sdsu DOT edu,and we will set up a time for an interactive dialogue with you and your students. Also, I want to invite any other scholars who are interested in this kind of arrangement to post their comments here and let other readers know.
by Ed Blum
Even though we have just entered Spring, the Fall Semester is not far off, and this means course adoptions. Since my undergraduate days at the University of Michigan, I have loved the selection of books. I remember walking up the stairs at Shaman Drum Bookshop to find in packed shelves the texts for my new classes. Perhaps Professor Juster assigned The Kingdom of Matthias (“oh, this looks sexy,” I would think to myself). Or perhaps Professor Montoya (sadly, she is now at New York University) would have us read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (“Dee Brown… I thought he was a basketball player for the Celtics,” my undergraduate and basketball-loving mind would turn). I would thumb through the books, looking at what had been underlined, what the author looked like, who blurbed the book and had I read any of their material. Sometimes there would be random phone numbers in the book; one time a “break up” note that led me to wonder if it had ever been delivered. The world of books, authors, and readers was a magical and mystical one to me, one
that I wish had been explained more fully. Now, as a professor, author, teacher, and reader, I find the selecting the texts as much fun as finding them and the process of interacting with readers just as mystifying. And this brings me to the point of my post. I want to propose interactive sessions between authors and readers – professors and students – either through email dialogue or through phone conference calls.This past year, I have had several wonderful teaching experiences with colleagues who have used one of my monographs in their course. One two occasions, I conducted conference calls with the students to discuss the book – why I wrote it, what I left out, what they thought of the material, what their impression was of Du Bois or of post-Civil War America. On several other occasions (mostly local), I had the chance to sit down with students who had read my material. On all occasions, the times were marvelous. The questions were brilliant and insightful. Some of the comments I wished I could lift and cram into the books. Some of the students I wished I could cram into my own classes. And so… I had an idea. What if I offered that kind of activity to any professor or teacher who adopts one of my monographs for class? Would that be an added and fun incentive for folks to teach it? Would that be a way to break down the barriers between authors, teachers, and readers? So let’s give it a shot.
If you decide to adopt Reforging the White Republic or W. E. B. Du Bois, American Prophet for any class next year, just drop me an email at eblum AT mail DOT sdsu DOT edu,
Comments
I’ve used the “engage the author” approach in my own classroom via a class blog, and it has worked quite well so far.
I teach at a college preparatory school, and in an Advanced Placement European History class had students read a chapter of David Northrup’s book on Africa and the Atlantic world. Part of the assignment was to pose questions to Prof. Northrup via the class blog – and he graciously agreed to respond in the comments section. The conversation was engaging and lively, and students (juniors and seniors) really took the assignment seriously. Also in that same class in an earlier unit on historical biography and constructing the past, Ed Blum chimed in about his own experiences writing/researching biography. Students really enjoyed this kind of conversation. (interested readers may want to check out the September and October 2007 archives at http://sbsapeuro.blogspot.com/)
I also tried this once during doctoral coursework in the fall of 2005—the conference call approach that is—when I was discussion leader for Steve Estes’ book _I Am a Man_. Unfortunately email problems on my end prevented us from connecting at the right time, but Steve agreed to field questions from the class and no doubt it would have been a great discussion/exchange.
I hope to utilize these approaches in the classroom again soon and look forward to hearing about other experiences with this.
I have occasionally encouraged my students to email the authors of books, and they absolutely love being able to ask questions and get a response.
Needless to say, I'd be more than willing to make myself available to field questions from students (especially if it would encourage book sales).
BTW: Excellent lecture/discussion/seminar this past week at the University of Houston.