Video circa 1972: Three 70 year old women talk about their childhood Christmas traditions

This is delightful. Recollections on Edwardian era holiday traditions by a trio of older women in 1973. The oldest recalls Christmases from 1902 and 1903. The host is a bit precious and dismissive of modern traditions, but the stories are good. I will say over and over again – we have a lot to learn […]

City of Pittsburgh Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs honors LGBTQ History Month

The City of Pittsburgh Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs honors LGBTQ History Month thisOctober. We know that groundbreaking moments, big and small, have shaped the evolution ofour community since long before colonizers arrived on these waters and lands. The history ofour community is deeply intertwined with the histories of Indigenous, Black, and BrownLGBTQ peoples and we […]

Guest Post for International Lesbian Day: A Boomer’s Bar Life in Pittsburgh

I first met Sue B. a few years ago on social media. She and my wife had mutual friends so we began corresponding and dining out together back when we did those thing. I begged and pleaded with her to put her recollections of queer women’s history into writing. There’s very little first person documentarian […]

Dear David. September 5, 2020

David DeAngelo Pittsburgh

I haven’t written in awhile. As you know, my sweet little dog Ana died suddenly ten days ago. I’m still struggling with this loss. Please forgive my distance. So Wendy Bell got herself silenced on KDKA AM and very likely got herself a national slot somewhere in white supremacy conservative realms. You’ve done important work […]

Part Four – Plagued by Worry: An Historical Look at Pandemics in Four Parts

Read Part One and Part Two  Part Three   Part Four Literature It was Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Masque of the Red Death that probably sparked my early fascination with epidemics.  I remember checking it out of my elementary school’s library over and over.  It both terrified and intrigued me.  Prince Prospero is hiding in his […]

Part Three – Plagued by Worry: An Historical Look at Pandemics in Four Parts

Read Part One and Part Two When a disease is ready to spread to humans, it will find a way, and, like rats, bacteria do not recognize international borders.  It’s natural to want to find something to blame for a disease like this.  But it shouldn’t be at the expense of already vulnerable populations, or […]

Part Two – Plagued by Worry: An Historical Look at Pandemics in Four Parts

Part One can be read here. Part Two The Little Towns that Could (Quarantine) The bubonic plague made a large resurgence in Europe in the mid-1600s.  Venice was one of the first ports of entry.  Knowing their history, however, once it showed up, all boats were quarantined for a time outside of the harbor.  If […]

Podcast Review: Marie Antoinette and Laura Ingalls Wilder #HistoryChicksBinge

Laura Ingalls Wilder Marie Antoinette

I’ve kicked off my planned podcast binge for 2020 by listening to the first two episodes from The History Chicks, a podcast launched in 2011. Episode One: Marie Antoinette Podcast date: January 30, 2011 Time period of subject’s life: 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793 Length of podcast: 66 minutes The first episode sets […]

My 2020 History Chicks Podcast Binge

The History Chicks

I picked a new binge project for 2020 – listening to all of the ‘History Chicks’ podcasts episodes. This is for multiple purposes. First, it is obviously educational and enriching. Second, I’ve been tasked by my therapist to incorporate a new distraction tool into my daily life. Listening to a podcast in the car is […]

Q&A with the Progressive History of Pittsburgh

View of Pittsburgh

I think Black History Month (February) and Women’s History Month (March) are both critical resources to help each of us learn more about the experiences and contributions of our neighbors. One tool that I’ve come to rely upon is the Progressive History of Pittsburgh project, a Facebook page that explores social justice history in this […]