Buon giorno!

Welcome to my blog.

I am a first year graduate student at Temple University and my first assignment is to create a blog for my Public History course. I think it's a cool assignment for three reasons:

1) I love the internet. Seriously, any excuse for me to be happily perched by the bell tower with my MacBook Air is a wonderful thing. 

2) It is a relatively informal way for me to express my thoughts about history, which is good because I have many of these thoughts and they are not always well-crafted enough to become part of a paper or class discussion.

3) Everyone in the class has to do this so I'll be able to read about their ideas and experiences and learn from them! Plus, I might be able to get some feedback from my classmates, professor, and any interested friends and family who might read this (Mom? Dad?). 

My historical interests are, generally, in 20th century U.S. and, specifically, conservative movements in the '60s. I am particularly intrigued by conservatives' use of the courts as a means to advance their political agenda.

My only real piece of historical writing at this point is my senior thesis, which I completed in 2008 at the College of Wooster. It is called "The '60s in a Neon Oven: The Chicago 8 and Middle America." It explores the attempts of the prosecution and the defense to sway popular opinion regarding the trial (and all that it represented) in 1969.

In addition to being a student of history, I am also a real person:

• I have been to Italy, France, China, the Netherlands, Malta and, most importantly, Canada.
• I watch too much TV. I especially enjoy Mad Men, House, and 30 Rock.
• I am an enthusiastic spectator of musical theater.
• I bought my first car last year. Well, technically, I think the bank still owns most of the car, but I drive it. Its name is Abbie.
• I am a long-distance member of the world's best book club, called the "Uppity Women." Hence the title of this blog.

Now it's time to get started on my first assignment for my research seminar. I am a little nervous about doing it well and I have a feeling it will not be as much fun as writing in this blog.

Thanks for dropping by!