Category: UNCATEGORIZED

[Editor’s note: A San Antonio executive writing under the pen name Felix Culpa once again graces our blog with his take on national politics. The hits just keep coming.]

Other than the diehard partisans, everyone seems to be complaining that this year’s presidential contest forces us to choose between two distasteful candidates. Google “lesser of two evils” and you’ll see what I mean. But to me, the choice isn’t really between Evil One and Evil Two, it’s between relatively benign corruption and relatively dangerous reaction.

Or, if you’re a fan of Coen brothers movies, between Pappy O’Daniel and Homer Stokes.

Hopefully by now you’ve seen, and committed to memory, the great “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” (If not, you’re probably a millennial, so first, read the blog post that precedes this one, and second, download the movie on Yidio or Crackle or whatever stupidly named app you people…

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Ed Ayers and Gary Gallagher are two of the best southern historians working today. Ed Ayers is from Tennessee, taught at UVA, and is now president emeritus and professor at the University of Richmond. Gary Gallagher came to UVA by way of Penn State, University of Texas, Colorado, and Los Angeles. Both are now working in the field of Civil War studies. Ed Ayers new book, The Thin Light of Freedom, will be published next fall. Gary Gallagher’s most recent book is The American War, which he co-wrote with scholar Joan Waugh, is available in bookstores now.

It’s a long episode, but a good one. Give it a listen!

To commemorate LGBTQ Pride month during June 2016, UTSA Special Collections staff have created two exhibits that give patrons a glimpse into some of the amazing LGBTQ collections held by the repository and offer a portal to San Antonio Pride celebrations of the past.

LGBTQ Pride Special Collections exhibit at the UTSA Downtown Library

Located in the UTSA Downtown library and the John Peace Library Faculty Center, the exhibits highlight t-shirts with Pride motifs, local queer publications, and images from San Antonio Pride events of the 1990s.

T-shirts as Historical Objects

Ever think that well-worn t-shirt stuffed in the bottom of a drawer should be thrown out one day? Think again! Some t-shirts and textiles shine light on cultural trends and local history! The t-shirts on exhibit for Pride 2016 were donated along with more traditional archival materials such as photographs and organization records. Fortunately, donors had the foresight to…

Mountain laurel in bloom, March 1992. Photo source: Office of University Communications Photographs, UA 16.01.01, UTSA Libraries Special Collections.

Every May, as classes end and students graduate or head off on summer adventures, I’m shocked to realize how quiet the university becomes—especially after the persistently frenzied feeling that signals the end of the spring semester. The vibe on campus settles into its summer rhythm, allowing a greater opportunity to notice the beauty of the outdoor spaces we inhabit in our daily working lives.

Tomato plants in the garden of the Back 40 at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. Photo source: Kristin Law.

Tall corn in the garden of the Back 40 at the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures. Photo source: Kristin Law.

Whew! Yeah, it’s kind of a long title, I know. I don’t need to tell any of you that Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War are huge passions of mine. While I’m not a scholar in either area, I still do a great amount of reading and research about it. I do that for personal interest but also for blog posts on here.

I always come across things every day that I find really interesting. It’s usually just some random, little fact.  I decided that every week (or perhaps more) I’m going to try and do a post about some cool things I learn about Abraham Lincoln and/or the Civil War. Or perhaps it’ll just be some random facts I’ve known for awhile and just feel like writing about them. Some of the things I find might even turn into longer blog posts.

So, what are some things I found out…