By Sean Graham This week, I talk with Matthew S. Wiseman, historian of science and medicine in modern Canada. We discuss why militaries engage in scientific research, the civilian benefits of that research, and how scientists navigated their research during the Cold War. We also chat about research consent within a military environment, the challenges of researching the Cold War… Read more »
By Sean Graham We’re back from our summer hiatus with a new season and we’re kicking it off by talking with Craig Baird, the host of Canada History Ehx about his new book Canada’s Main Street: The Epic Story of the Trans-Canada Highway. We talk about his motivation to write about the highway, why the highway doesn’t have the same… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talk with Mary Frances Phillips, author of Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins. We talk about the process of writing a historical biography of a living person, tracking down new archival sources, and how Ericka Huggins ended up in prison. We also chat about COINTELPRO plots and how Ericka ended… Read more »
By Sean Graham Sean Graham talks with Caitlin Keliiaa, author of Refusing Settler Domesticity: Native Women’s Labour and Resistance in the Bay Area Outing Program. They discuss the residential schooling system in the United States, the goal of outing programs, and Indigenous young women and girls’ domestic labour as part of the program. They also chat about the community built… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talk with John M. Efron, author of All Consuming: Germans, Jews, and the Meaning of Meat. We discuss the relationship between Jewish culture and meat consumption, the unique relationship between Germans culture and Jewish meat, and how that has been depicted over the years. We also chat about the cultural significance of meat and meat… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talk with Judith Weisenfeld, author of Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race & Psychiatry in Slavery’s Wake. We discuss about the origins of the book, how the antebellum period shaped perceptions of African American religion, and the role of ‘religious excitement’ in insanity diagnoses. We also chat about the connections between race and religion,… Read more »
https://media.rss.com/whatsoldisnews/2025_05_06_22_37_16_425192c6-9b95-415b-bc74-6bb72d0f17b8.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham I’m is joined by Sarah E.K. Smith, author of Trading on Art: Cultural Diplomacy and Free Trade in North America. We talk about Sarah’s interest in cultural diplomacy, what constitutes art in the context of free trade, and how cultural policies shaped artistic and curatorial expression at the end of the… Read more »
https://media.rss.com/whatsoldisnews/2025_04_10_15_56_48_9905e30a-3522-4a12-a309-582c107bb527.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham This week, I talk with Barbara Messamore, author of Times of Transformation: The 1921 Canadian General Election about one of Canada’s turning point elections. We discuss the post-war economy’s, including tariffs, role in the campaign, how suffrage influenced the election, and the emergence of William Lyon Mackenzie King on the national… Read more »
https://media.rss.com/whatsoldisnews/2025_04_02_16_08_28_f2fbd94a-c940-4d3d-9ea0-ee12ff2e678b.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham This week, I talk with Nina Studer, author of The Hour of Absinthe: A Cultural History of France’s Most Notorious Drink. We talk about the drink’s origins, its cultural importance in France, and its consumption by French soldiers. We also chat about the class distinctions associated with the drink, how gender… Read more »
https://media.rss.com/whatsoldisnews/2025_02_19_04_53_22_ee55139b-5ee2-4d6f-9a5f-ce41b5a0adca.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham Sean Graham is joined by Amanda Bittner, author of Platform or Personality: The Role of Party Leaders in Elections. They talk about how polling data is used, partisan voting patterns, and the role of leaders in swaying voters. They also discuss policies v. personalities, the significance of branding leaders, and the… Read more »
