Past Present

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**Past Present**

Past Present brings together three historians to discuss what’s happening in American politics and culture today. Natalia, Neil, and Niki bring historical insights to the news of the day, offering listeners an alternative to the reflexive and polarized world of punditry. Interested in the world around you but exhausted by rote reactions and partisan talking points? You’ve come to the right place.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 227: Meatpacking Plants and the Defense of Production Act May 05, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss meatpacking plants and the Defense Production Act.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

President Trump has used the Defense Production Act to order meatpacking plants to stay open, even as these factories have become hotspots for coronavirus infection. Niki commented on how Upton Sinclair's classic novel, The Jungle, exposed the horrible working conditions of meatpackers in the early 20th Natalia referred to Joshua Specht's book Red Meat Republic and Samuel Moyn's review of the book for The New Republic. This Atlantic article on Americans' changing eating habits also informed our discussion.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia discussed Stephanie McNeal's Buzzfeed article, "The Fitness Industry Is in a Crisis."
Neil commented on the recent controversy over Christian influencer Rachel Hollis, as detailed in Stephanie McNeal's Buzzfeed article, "Rachel Hollis Has Apologized After Posting a Maya Angelou Quote without Attribution."
Niki talked about the various meanings attached to May Day.

Episode 226: The Lockdown Protests Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss protests against the current national lockdown.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

Protestors against national lockdown orders have been demonstrating across the country. Niki referred to this Vox piece in distinguishing these protests from the Tea Party Movement and to this Twitter thread about the Anti-Mask League of 1918-19. Natalia referenced this article at The Week about the underlying psychology of these protests.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia discussed the Hulu television series, "Little Fires Everywhere."
Neil recommended David French's column at The Dispatch, "Evangelicals Have Abandoned the Character Test. The Competence Test is Next."
Niki discussed Matt Novak's Gizmodo article, "The Real Story Behind That Viral Photo of President Johnson During the Vietnam War."

Episode 225: Vote-by-Mail and USPS Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the prospect of large-scale voting by mail come November and the fate of the U.S. Postal Service.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

Earlier this month in Wisconsin, voters had to choose between civic participation and public health. Questions over mail-in voting have reignited a debate over federal funding for the post office, as discussed in this Vox Niki explained the longer history of voting by mail that this New York Times article explores.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia discussed the FX/Hulu television show, " America."
Neil recommended Lauren Sandler's new book, This is All I Got: A New Mother's Search for Home.
Niki shared Marc Tracy's New York Times article, "Photojournalists Struggle Through the Pandemic, With Masks and Long Lenses," and Rebecca Onion's Slate article, "'These People Aren't Zombies. They're People'."

Episode 224: Hydroxychloroquine Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss hydroxychloroquine, the drug President Trump is pushing as a potential cure for the coronavirus.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

As COVID-19 continues to claim American lives, President Trump has spoken of anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential cure, despite scant medical evidence supporting this claim. Niki referred to Tom Nichols' book The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters. Natalia referred to Niki's CNN article, also on expertise. Neil cited this Vox piece regarding speculations of Trump's financial interest in hydroxychloroquine, and he also wrote about Trump's fascination with the drug in his column for The Week.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia discussed Zeynep Tufekci's Atlantic article, "Keep the Parks Open."
Neil recommended the new Netflix show, Unorthodox.
Niki shared "Wipe Out," a 99 Percent Invisible episode about toilet paper.

Episode 223: Tiger King Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the new Netflix series, Tiger King.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

Tiger King is a runaway hit as social distancing has increased appetite for binge-watching. Niki referred to this Mother Jones article about the connection between coronavirus and the wild animal trade. Natalia referenced this New York magazine article by Robert Moor that spawned the Netflix show and the Wondery podcast, "Joe Exotic."

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia recommended Jordana Horn Gordon's Kveller article, "The Heartbreaking Loneliness of Mourning During a Pandemic."
Neil discussed David Grann's book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.
Niki shared Megan Garber's Atlantic article, "Homes Actually Need to Be Practical Now."

Episode 222: School Closings Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the history of school closings.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

Schools all over the United States are closing for weeks, perhaps months, in an effort to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. Natalia referenced this New York Times article about the particular challenges faced by homeless students. Niki referred to this history of school closures in response to desegregation orders, and Natalia discussed the limits of comparisons to homeschooling.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia recommended the podcast "Dying for Sex."
Neil discussed the legacy of the late playwright, Terrence McNally.
Niki shared these investigative tweets by writer Sage Boggs – and historian Charles Richter's response – about the origin of the brand name "Triscuit."

Episode 221: Cabin Fever Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia discuss the history of "cabin fever."

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

As social distancing becomes the new norm for many Americans, so too does the stress and anxiety of being cooped up, also known as "cabin fever." Natalia mentioned Jonathan Zimmerman's Chronicle of Higher Education article about online learning. Neil referred to historian Jeanne Boydston's classic book, Home and Work: Household, Wages, and the Ideology of Labor. Niki discussed Daniel Pollack-Pelzner's Atlantic article, "Shakespeare Wrote His Best Works During a Plague."

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia discussed Robert Snow's new book Disney's Land: Walt Disney and the Invention of the Park that Changed the World.
Neil commented on Sapna Maheshwari's New York Times article, "American Teenagers Are Declaring 'Virginity Rocks'."
Niki shared the Canadian Broadcasting Service's podcast, "Uncover: Satanic Panic."

Episode 220: Quarantines Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the history of the quarantine.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, quarantining is becoming a fact of life. Natalia referred to Anne Helen Petersen's essay on selflessness and social isolation and recommended historian Howard Markel's New York Times opinion piece.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia discussed the Netflix show Love is Blind.
Neil recommended Nancy Hass' New York Times Magazine article, "How Floral Arrangements Began to Take Over the Table – and the Entire Room."
Niki shared Livia Gershon's JSTOR Daily article, "How Toothpaste Got Scientific Cred."

Episode 219: Plastic Bag Bans Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the bans on single-use plastic bags.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

On March 1, a plastic bag ban went into effect in New York City. Neil referred to this Washington Post article about such bans around the world and Niki recommended this Atlantic piece on the rise of the plastic bag's popularity. Natalia cited this Washington Post column by Alexandra Petri.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia recommended Martha Verbrugge and Drew Yingling's article, "The Politics of Play: The Struggle Over Racial Segregation and Public Recreation in Washington, D.C., 1945-1950," in Washington History.
Neil discussed Choe Sang-Hun's New York Times article, "He Blames 'Evil' for South Korea's Coronavirus Surge. Officials Blame Him."
Niki shared Jason Lamberg's Comdesres article, "The Origin of the Oxford Comma."

Episode 218: Fat Activism Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the history of fat activism and the body positivity movement.

Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:

In recent years, "body positivity" has become a buzzword. Natalia cited The Fat Studies Reader and this Campus Reform article about more extreme forms of fat liberation. Niki referred to this Bitch Media article about the connections between fat and queer liberation. We previously discussed plus-size models on Episode 98.

In our regular closing feature, What's Making History:

Natalia recommended Alexis Coe's new biography of George Washington, You Never Forget Your First.
Neil discussed Corey Kilgannon's New York Times article, "The Truth About Alligators in the Sewers of New York."
Niki shared Crystal R. Sanders' Washington Post article, "Katherine Johnson Should Also Be Remembered for Desegregating Higher Education."

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