The Sketch Book: What is this place?
If you take a moment to read through some of the writing on this blog, particularly the more recent pieces, you’ll find a theme that often emerges is a sense of place. I love to take a place-based approach to history, because, as you’ll see, places add complexity to the historical narratives we think we know. Places are powerful historical forces, which is to say places are powerful and important to the everyday human experience of today.
So, what is this place?
The Sketch Book[1] is a place to look at American history from different perspectives. The goal is to broaden, deepen, and disentangle the complications of our history — because the human experience, as you may agree, is quite broad, deep, and complicated. This makes history more accessible to us, almost tangible. It helps us to see ourselves in past historical moments and confront dark historical deeds[2] so we can better understand the present and inform the future.
What to expect
Compelling history. The content here will range thematically, topically, and periodically. My graduate studies focused on the American West in the 1800s; landscapes, environments, and the national park system; and public history — and much of my work as a public historian focuses on colonial America and the American Revolution in New England. So, you may find I tend to lean more in those directions but I’ll strive to be creative and original in everything I write.
Casual conversation. My aim is straight for the junction of informal and informative. Style and tone should feel like a casual discussion backed by authoritative historical research and sober analysis.
Open communication. Expect me to respond to any comments or questions. The best channels for those right now are the comments section of blog posts or email. For those who offer feedback, expect me to receive it in good faith and to incorporate it as I see fit. Please be in touch!
What not to expect
Inflexible structure. Don’t expect a strict adherence to themes or frameworks, at least for now. Writing will vary in substance, structure, and style. That means long-form, short-form, lists, opinions, series, pieces that I may have placed elsewhere, off-the-cuff reflections, research discoveries, and pretty much everything else (within reason!) are on the table. We’ll find out together if any sort of overriding structure, theme, or pattern emerges naturally over time.
Detailed citations. I’m going to take a cue from JL Bell of Boston 1775 on this. Don’t expect me to include explicit source citations. I don’t want to do anybody’s legwork or be anyone’s definitive source. This blog is all about fun and experimentation underpinned by good, solid history. I’ll quote from sources directly and will let you know if I edit anything for the sake of clarity. And I’ll include details that will allow you to find the source material on your own, if you so desire. If anyone has questions or comments about sources, please be in touch.
An agenda. Once, while leading a guided tour for the National Parks of Boston, a visitor asked me if it was going to be a “woke” tour. I asked them what they meant and they responded by asking if I was going to be political. I replied that the history of the American Revolution is inherently political. But what they were really asking was if I had some kind of agenda. And while this episode still strikes me as somewhat absurd even to this day, I think in a way the person’s skepticism was also valid. It represents a distrust in government institutions and the ongoing distortion of our history. So I want to state clearly that while we will discuss politics and contextualize history through our present political moment, this blog is not geared toward any political affiliation, association, or movement. Indeed, the practice of history can sometimes be advocacy but if for whatever reason I ever approach this realm, I will be upfront and transparent about it.
About me
My name is Nick and I’m a public historian. I have a bachelor’s degree in English, a master’s degree in history, and a graduate certificate in public history.[3] I enjoy outdoor recreation, museums, movies, road trips, roadside historical markers, and spending time with family, especially my human child and cat child.
I want to hear from you!
Sent! Thank you for reaching out.
[1] Love to my Irving fans out there.
[2] Contradictions, hypocrisies, violence, and more.
[3] Fields in environmental history, public history, and 19th century American history of the West and Borderlands.
The Sketch Book of Nick DeLuca 