A Wannabe Food Historian I'm having a lot of fun learning about food in Colonial Massachusetts. Not that I like to eat or anything. There's a lot to discover about the types of foods that were available then, how they were processed, and how the meals were cooked. I started following a few food historians, … Continue reading Food in Colonial Massachusetts
Author: Meredith Allard
Five Books I’ve Been Enjoying
There's a Reason They Call a Ph.D. a Terminal Degree You do feel a bit terminal (as in brain dead) when you finish a Ph.D. The other day I saw a tweet from Dr. Witch Hazel (@HazelMonforton) that summed up my reading experience while working on my doctorate: Random guy: Oh wow you have a … Continue reading Five Books I’ve Been Enjoying
That’s Dr. Allard To You
First of all, to those of you who have been following me for years, a huge thank you. If you’ve been following me for a little while or you're just stopping by to visit, you may have noticed that I had gone dark, meaning no new posts here and little by way of social media. … Continue reading That’s Dr. Allard To You
Advice On How To Be Happy From Robert Louis Stevenson
Finding Life Advice At Starbucks I was standing in Starbucks when I saw this list from author Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) hanging from the community board. I think his advice is as appropriate today as it was over a hundred years ago. I’ve been pretty busy lately, … Continue reading Advice On How To Be Happy From Robert Louis Stevenson
What I’m Reading: The Salem Witch Trials and Some Time Travel
Here are some books I've read recently, when I found time between revising my dissertation, as well as the next books on my To Be Read list. Books I've Read Virgins by Diana Gabaldon I read the first five of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander novels while I was knee-deep in dissertatin'. I love the Outlander books … Continue reading What I’m Reading: The Salem Witch Trials and Some Time Travel
Daily Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
How Did They Live in Colonial Massachusetts? The main reason I felt drawn to writing Down Salem Way was that there wasn’t much space to explore James and Elizabeth’s lives in 1691-1692 in Her Dear and Loving Husband. We get glimpses of that time through James and Sarah’s memories, but the focus in Her Dear … Continue reading Daily Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
How to Live Like a Poet According to Jack Kerouac
Researching and Writing During a Busy Term I can verify that life as a PhD candidate is a lot of work. There are times when, after long days of researching, writing, and teaching courses at my university, I feel as if I'm lacking even one viable brain cell. I can walk into the supermarket for … Continue reading How to Live Like a Poet According to Jack Kerouac
What I’m Reading: Lincoln and Dickens
I tend to go through these phases where I’ll read 10 historical novels in a row, then some literary fiction, then a classic or two, and then I’ll read nonfiction for weeks on end. I've been in quite a nonfiction mood these days, and I've found myself reading a number of historical biographies. Some of … Continue reading What I’m Reading: Lincoln and Dickens