The Fiction Issue

This month, Perspectives is talking all things historical fiction. In Townhouse Notes, Laura Ansley argues that historical romance novels are an important way history reaches the public. Alix E. Harrow, Suzanne Marie Litrel, and Laury Silvers describe their own forays into writing historical fiction across genres. Jeffrey Wasserstrom offers many ways to use fiction in history classes. Gillian Frank dives into midcentury pulp novels. And we publish the first piece of fiction in Perspectives’ nearly 60-year history by public historian Priya Chhaya. As the original cover art by Anne Lambelet encourages, we hope you find much to imagine in these stories rooted in history.

Illustration: Anne Lambelet (annelambelet.com)

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Perspectives on History December 2021 Cover. Teal cover with an illustration of a girl sitting in a treehouse reading books with an orange tabby cat at her feet. Above the treehouse is the night sky with a dragon, detective, knights, fairies, and aliens in the tree branches. Below the treehouse are historic landmarks around the world.

Staff

Ashley E. Bowen, editor
Laura Ansley, managing editor
Alana Venable, research and publications assistant
Alexandra F. Levy, digital communications coordinator
Liz Townsend, manager, data administration and integrity

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Rebecca Brenner Graham in a red sweatshirt with a white, red, and black jersey on top, and a red ball cap with a white W, the logo for the Washington Nationals. Brenner is pointing to a poster for “Breaking News: Alexander Hamilton” for the George Washington University Museum. Her finger is pointing to “Curatorial Team: Rebecca Brenner, doctorial student, American University.”

December 16, 2021

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December 2, 2021

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A pyramid of six white mugs with the AHA logo in teal sitting on a dark blue AHA table cloth. The AHA slogan, You don’t scare me—I’m a historian, in teal text on a black background with the American Historical Association logo underneath in white text is centered on the image.

December 3, 2021

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December 17, 2021

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News

November 30, 2021

News

Advocacy Briefs, December 2021