I purchased a digital pass to the Gloucester History Festival, because I recognized a few names on the program. I was excited to hear from Nicola Tallis, Janina Ramirez, Nathen Amin, and Dan Jones. When I logged into the site, my pass gave me access to over 40 talks on all kinds of history. Topics … More Media Review: The Gloucester History Festival
Last week I attended another virtual Teaching That Succeeds event. Hosted by Holly, Elana, and Kata, this free session focused on the decoding threshold: the point when older students disengage from difficult readings. The mini conference offered two concurrent sessions; I chose Steve Chiger’s “Tier 1 Approaches for Helping Secondary Readers Access Complex Texts.” The … More Chasing Wonder: Fluency and Access for All Readers
On Poetry and Music I am always searching for beautiful voices, and I’ve loved Ian Bostridge’s expressive tenor for many years. When I was in college, I heard him live in concert. Bostridge performs a setting of Tennyson’s “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal,” and it is gorgeous. You will marvel at its serenity and depth: … More Tennyson and the Tenor
Tudorcon 2026 is one month away, and you can still attend with a digital pass. Tudorcon from Home is a fully immersive experience where you can stream the talks, ask questions, and have fun in the chat. Here’s a preview of my talk: The conference will feature 16 speakers and a wide range of topics … More Tudorcon: Last Day to Join the Privy Council
As I listen to the Gloucester History Festival talks online, I’ve added so many books to my reading list. While I initially prioritized the talks on medieval Europe, Vikings, and Anglo-Saxons, I have enjoyed the talks on Classical texts from Ancient Greece by Emily Hauser and Natalie Haynes. Emily Hauser’s work is new to me, … More Book Review: DIVINE MIGHT by Natalie Haynes
In an earlier blog post, I mentioned that I’ve begun a slow read of Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies. Though I possess a Christine de Pizan coffee mug, and her work is often referenced in books on medieval history, I’ve never read this text. I’m using the Audible version of … More Refining Gold: City of Ladies Reflection #1
A few weeks ago, Joseph Bottum’s Poems Ancient and Modern substack shared John Saxe’s “The Blind Man and the Elephant.” This 19th-century comic verse describes six blind men trying to understand an elephant by touch. The poem reaches what Bottum calls an “obvious” conclusion — that none of them can be completely right because of … More An Elephant and Three Blind Poets
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Dr. Lucy Worsley is one of my favorite author-historians, and I’ve been anticipating her book Queens and Kings: An Unusually Personal History of the Monarchy since she announced it on social media. I enjoyed her previous books on Georgian history: Jane Austen at Home and The Courtiers. She was Chief … More Book Review: QUEENS AND KINGS by Lucy Worsley
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ I’m thrilled to review another virtual course on medieval women! This is my third course with Nathen Amin and Dr. Nicola Tallis, and each course has been a delight. I’ve taken The Tudors: The Creation of a Dynasty and Wars of the Roses: Power and Personalities. Nathen and Nicola are … More Course Review: Women Who Shook the Medieval World
On Saturday I was part of A Taste of Tudorcon: eight speakers from Tudorcon 2026 presented a preview of their talks. It was a live event on YouTube with a fun chat option where we could talk with viewers. Here’s my video: The previews include a wide range of topics — Elizabethan fashion, the Spanish inquisition, … More A Taste of Tudorcon
I’ve decided to study Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies. I’m participating in an online close read of this medieval text that will span the next 11 months. Christine de Pizan (1364-1430) received an exceptional education and published her own books, dedicating her work to royalty. She was widely read during … More The Urgent Pull of Poetry: Christine de Pizan & Langston Hughes
Get excited! I’m presenting virtually at Tudorcon 2026 in October! At Tudorcon 2025, I spoke about poetry in the Tudor Court: What is Tudorcon? Tudorcon is a conference about Renaissance history and culture. Its founder, Heather Teysko, runs The Renaissance English History Podcast, which is a fabulous resource for history lovers. Tudorcon takes place in … More Tudorcon, Tudor Scroll, and More!
In his TED presentation, Jacob Collier conducts an orchestra through a song they don’t know and haven’t rehearsed. He builds each part systematically, telling the musicians the notes and techniques to use. Collier revises and affirms as the sections come together. He teaches a few lines, allows the orchestra to play, then moves on. It’s … More Why the Best Teachers Are Actually Conductors
We often think about disabilities in isolation — as if someone won’t share limitations with a person possessing a different diagnosis. But the most interesting thinking comes from putting different ways of living in conversation. These discussions unearth common ground and help us build a more inclusive world. Conversation propels imagination, and imagination builds solutions. This … More Where Do We Thrive? A Teacher’s Theory
Tracy Borman is a formidable Tudor historian and a purposeful writer. I’ve read many of her nonfiction books, including Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I, The Private Lives of the Tudors, and Crown & Sceptre. Borman’s work is consistently engaging, lively, and well-researched. The House of Boleyn is Borman’s latest historical novel, and it was released … More Book Review: THE HOUSE OF BOLEYN by Tracy Borman
