Delighted to share the Call for Papers for a special issue of French Historical Studies on the theme "European-Indigenous Relations in the French Americas" (to be co-edited by Scott Berthelette and myself) CFP and submission guidelines can be found here: read.dukeupress.edu/french-histo...

Frustrated, enraged by all the ways getting this shot has been made difficult…po-tay-to, po-tah-to.

Teen daughter reports that someone asked for her phone number at school today and she said 867-5309. I’m…proud?

The keynote public lecture for the Atlantic Medieval and Early Modern Conference will be offered by Dr. Tom Peace @tpcanoe.bsky.social on the topic, "What is a Treaty?" Friday, October 24, 7:00 pm, at Université de Moncton, Bibliothèque Champlain. Open to the public; no registration required.

My latest: "Numerous studies show that majors in the humanities—typically, in departments of English, history, philosophy, religious studies, classics and languages—lead students to employment and life satisfaction outcomes as positive as those for majors traditionally championed as 'practical.'”

Curious little archival find: a sample of “herbe pour la rage,” apparently given in the 17th century to a French surgeon by John Locke. Any Locke experts out there know what he might have recommended for rabies/fits of violent anger? Answer could be at left, which I haven’t deciphered yet.

Curious little archival find: a sample of “herbe pour la rage,” apparently given in the 17th century to a French surgeon by John Locke. Any Locke experts out there know what he might have recommended for rabies/fits of violent anger? Answer could be at left, which I haven’t deciphered yet.

Had a great time talking with @gmarchildon.bsky.social about my new book for the Champlain Society’s podcast Witness to Yesterday.

My work email (gmail) keeps autocorrecting duck--as in "duck out of a meeting"--to fuck. Bets on how long it's going to take for me to fail to notice this before clicking send on an email to the provost or whatever?

This is a really good point.

The first (of several) opportunities this fall to hear me talk about my new book on the Jesuit Relations is Nov. 13, in Boston College's online Jesuit Studies Café series. Registration link here: www.bc.edu/bc-web/cente... @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

Favourite 10 TV comedies, in no particular order: Blackadder Uncle Silicon Valley Veep Jeeves and Wooster Letterkenny The Inbetweeners Archer Community Arrested Development

The phone in my office was removed due to budget cuts about 15 years ago and I have never once been sad about that.

Forget everything I ever said about not liking LinkedIn.

My favourite thing to do when my kids are playing hide and seek in the house with their friends is to hide in a super obvious spot and scare whoever finds me silly. Good clean fun.

I am in the do-everything-I-can-to-avoid-writing stage of a new article project.

In a zoom meeting we were looking at a document and it said something about reigning in (excess). So I axed the G but SOMEONE PUT IT BACK and so I was basically forced to explain the metaphor—horses, not kings—and anyway I probably ended up looking like a total pedant but at least there’s no G now.

In Alberta, we now have to register in advance and pay out of pocket for the Covid shot. This vaccine was a damned miracle, and now it’s like they’re trying to make sure no one gets it. Maddening.

I'm curious what grocery shopping is like in the US right now. In Canada, items subject to tariffs are labeled, as are domestically produced alternatives. Makes it easy make informed choices, which used to be more labour intensive. Are people in the US getting any of this info in the grocery store?

I can neatly fold a king-sized fitted sheet.

Hey, we made the New York Times! Another proud moment as an Alberta resident…

What I've learned about translating early modern texts is that when dictionaries are no help deciphering an unusual term, just keep looking in more dictionaries. As many as it takes. I just finally found what I needed in the literal ELEVENTH dictionary I checked. No help at all in the others.

"Sudden uncoolness" sounds like an admission that we were once very cool. I'll take it.

Colleagues, think about pitching a paper, research intro, or poster, or participate in a teaching roundtable!

Revised #CFP for the annual meeting of the Atlantic Medieval and Early Modern Group (AMEMG), October 24-25, 2025, in Moncton, NB. Jointly hosted by the Université de Moncton and Crandall University. Propose a paper, poster, or panel! Please help spread the word! amemg.digitalearlymodern.com

Just said yes to a 7th speaking opportunity for the upcoming academic year (two conferences, three talks in support of the new book, two talks about a potential new book project). For various reasons, overlap between them will have to be minimal. 😬 Someone please tell me this is going to be fine.

So proud to be able to share this, due to amazing collaboration with Bethany Nolan, Karolyn Miller, & Janna Mcgaugh though American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT): www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Small dogs that do not care about my new book (and one that does): a thread Mia is pretending she hasn't noticed it.

Aubrey and Phoebe can’t wait to get their paws on my new book! @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

Aubrey and Phoebe can’t wait to get their paws on my new book! @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

THREE strangers, in separate encounters, called out “good job” to me while I was on my morning run. Is my brain so broken that I’m taking this not as small-town friendliness, but as a sign that I now look older than you’d expect a runner at my (not especially fast) pace to be? …Maybe.

So: Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and Truman Capote used to be showered with attention, but “interest in contemporary writers overall has collapsed,” and now people are only interested in Sally Rooney, Zadie Smith, Margaret Atwood, and Barbara Kingsolver. 🧐 Dude. C’mon.

I wrote about some of the eureka! moments over the years that resulted in this book. TLDR: go read some fiction while working on your non-fiction book.

Look at this beautiful thing! And the ice cream pie isn’t bad either. @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social

A fresh batch of these beauties just landed on my porch. One of the things I appreciate about @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social is that their books always have beautiful covers

Once had dinner in the same restaurant as James Carville and I think he noticed us noticing him because the look on his face when he walked by seemed to me like he was bracing for some nonsense. It strains the definition of interaction, but there it is.

Had a great time talking with @gmarchildon.bsky.social about my new book for the Champlain Society’s podcast Witness to Yesterday.

The Jesuit "Relations" explores the intricate relationships between the published Relations and the many other texts written in New France, revealing a rich picture of a historical source that has shaped public understanding of colonial North America. Out now! buff.ly/9yDMh81

Accepting suggestions for funny things to whisper to new PhDs while hooding them today.

First sighting of my new book in the wild, at the @mcgillqueensup.bsky.social table at Congress 2025!

Thursday at 10:45 in WFL 631, if anyone's going to be around. Come chat with me about the Jesuit Relations!

I have read many excellent novels in the last few years, but can’t think of one I enjoyed as much as this one. Just really damned good.

It's funny how many people have told me about their first encounter with the Thwaites edition. You turn the corner in the library and BAM: giant wall of golden-brown books. You can't NOT page through them. #vastearlyamerica

Just got my advance copies, still warm from the press! www.mqup.ca/jesuit--rela...

My new book (The Jesuit Relations: A Biography) will be launched at Congress in Toronto on June 5, in case anyone is planning to be there and wants to hear me talk about my 20-year obsession with these books. Many thanks to the Canadian Catholic Historical Association for hosting!

Excellent news for millennials averse to talking on the phone: my dentist’s office (and maybe yours?) can set up appointments via text message. Love it.

Saw someone wearing an orange and dark blue necktie and asked if the wearer went to Princeton, in case anyone is wondering whether it's possible to live in Edmonton and be completely oblivious to what's happening in hockey.

It would be nice if clothing retailers stopped making their clerks ask for a phone number upon checkout. Some of them have clearly been coached to be very insistent, and it’s awkward for everyone when I say no. No need to call/text: when I need to buy clothes I know where to find you!

Funny idea on the radio this morning: when federal candidates knock on the door, open it, say "bonjour," and watch them panic. Good way to communicate an expectation that federal officeholders speak both official languages, and also good clean fun. (But then vote to block the CPC, obvi.)

My mom’s on her way for a visit and I’m getting an early start on being obnoxious.