MAJOR NEW PROJECTS COMING TO HISTORY KILLERS!
Many New Features Coming Soon!
As someone who spent a couple decades writing, producing, and performing music, it has always been at the back of my mind to share that side of myself with my current and future readers/subscribers. For the past several years, since this publication first began, not only have articles been consistently written and multiple forms of media published, but I have also had two books published (History Killers and Other Essays by an Intellectual Historian—available here, and Rights Reign Supreme: An Intellectual History of Judicial Review and the Supreme Court—available here), gotten articles published in other outlets (including at Oregon Encyclopedia, Brownstone Institute, and more), and have taught numerous college-level history courses at a number of different higher education institutions. It has truly been an amazing and busy handful of years, and now it is looking to be even busier and more exciting than ever before.
With multiple new projects on my plate, including my new academic journal, History is Human: A Journal of American Intellectual History, I have considered what I can do to keep History Killers relevant and interesting (at absolutely no point was ending this publication ever under consideration). As this transpires, content will diversify. As my rigorous academic history work finds a new home at the History is Human Journal (subscribe to that publication here to stay up to date on my historical work and to support my mission to provide a new avenue for inquiry into American intellectual history), content in this publication will focus more and more upon my various other projects. This includes the social commentary that has always defined this publication. It will also include, however, shining a light on other creative outputs, including new writing projects and my history as a singer/songwriter/musician/producer/composer, which long preceded my work as a historian.
One of the new regular features that is forthcoming here is: The Doctoral Diaries, where I will be keeping a multi-media journal of sorts tracking my experiences as I navigate the world of being a History PhD student in the nation’s capital.
This is news in and of itself! I have been offered the position of Columbian Distinguished Fellow at
George Washington University’s History Department
in Washington, DC. There, I will be spending the next several years earning my doctorate in history, conducting research, working as a teaching assistant and guest lecturer, and ultimately working on one of my next history books. This project is years in the making and will be a several-years-long process!
Not only will this provide a new side of myself to share with you all, but it is hoped that my experiences may be valuable to others, particularly those pursuing an advanced degree or possibly something related to American history or constitutionalism. The Doctoral Diaries will also be fun for me, as it will allow me to reach out to you all—which is all the more important because doing such work can lead to feelings of isolation when one is not cognizant of the risks.
Returning to where this article began, regarding the history of my musical output and how I will soon be sharing this, etc.:
Over about twenty or so years, I wrote and produced a dozen studio albums, featuring about a hundred original songs. For the first time, I will be sharing them through this publication. Subscribers will receive several free songs each year. The styles of these many songs range from acoustic folk to punk to metal to electronic to experimental/ambient. No matter your taste, you are likely to enjoy at least some of what there is to offer.
I am very excited to share the music of my band, MASONIC BLOCK, with you through History Killers over the coming years. You are not likely to like everything, and that is perfectly alright. The point is that my musical work was a substantial part of my life and focus prior to pursuing a career in history. It is work that I am very proud of, and happy to now share with a side of my life who this may be new to. Some of it is odd, even challenging, while other material is immediately accessible. More than anything, I am happy to see this part of my life that has largely laid dormant in recent years (as work as a writer/professor/historian has grown) experience a prolonged resurgence of sorts. For those interested in finding out more and listening to some songs sooner than when they will be delivered through this publication, you can do so by going to the official MASONIC BLOCK website here.
Believe it or not, despite the enormous news and significant announcements made above, this is not all. There are actually even more works and projects, unrelated to those mentioned, that will see release over the next year. Stay tuned for news related to these as-yet unannounced projects!
There is so much to do. There is so much going on. There is so much to share. Thank you for being part of this journey. Remember too to check out the History is Human Journal, and please consider providing financial support to the project of making a new history journal that is life-affirming and avoids nihilistic reductionism (without ignoring the facts). Check out the journal by clicking on the image several lines below.
Help us make history!
Thank you for everything. I look forward to having you be part of this new, ever-evolving publication.
-James M. Masnov
Founder, History Killers
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