Unrelentingly Seeking the Mess: Another Accolade for Our Contributors

Paul Harvey

Don't miss introducing yourself (again) to my friend, Professor of American Studies and Religious Studies at Yale, and the most capaciously omnivorous intellectual that I know, Kathryn Lofton -- the latest "Top Young Historian." Her manifesto:

Every historian realizes, at some point or another, that what they do is something may be more interpretive, more imaginative, and more manipulative than chatter of "objectivity" suggests. But when Trouillot named my glee an innocence-and my "discovery" an imperial format-I think I began, finally, to commit to history. Not as a romance with data, or a story to unfold, or a voice to ventriloquize, but as a practice of powerful criticism, one in which we unrelentingly seek the mess, especially when anything presents too easily, too neatly, too logically, to be true.

Comments

Kathryn Lofton said…
Paul, as always, you name the cold hard truth: I am an omnivore without a dilemma. Give me hot dogs or give me death! Happy end of the semester, everyone -- KL
Anonymous said…
once again the good people at HNN know what they are doing. Congratulations to Katie for such excellent work (and another well-deserved honor). Congratulations to HNN for showing just how wise they are in selecting the folks who - like Katie - are shaping their fields.
Paul Harvey said…
K -- Cheers, and I'll have some food-like substances in your honor today during office hours. P.

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