Panel Discussion on Regional Westerosi Military Traditions

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For a while now, I’ve been part of a virtual panel along with JSLAL, History of Westeros, and Lady Gwyn from Radio Westeros, where we swapped ideas about the military traditions of the Seven Kingdoms.

Rather than keeping our thoughts to ourselves, we got together last week and recorded a podcast about it.

Check it out!

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Thoughts on Game of Thrones, Season 8 Episode 2

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A third done with the final season, let’s see where we stand?

Talking Game of Thrones, Season 8 Episode 1 on Graphic Policy Radio

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For those of you who haven’t gotten their fill of talking about Season 8 Episode 1, I appeared on Graphic Policy Radio along with Elana Levin and Dothraki expert Tihi Hayslett.

Check it out!

Thoughts on Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 1

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Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more…

RFTIT Tumblr Weeklyish Roundup

Hey folks! Here we are, the last Tumblr Roundup before the final season of Game of Thrones…which I will be covering, albeit in a somewhat abbreviated fashion, focusing more on what I think will or won’t happen in the books than detailed recaps, although I’ll register my opinion about any truly egregious plotting/characterization.

But in the mean-time, we’ve got Tumblrs:

ASOIAF:

• Clarification re: Night’s Watch specialization.
• Clearing up confusion re: bastard naming conventions.  
• Reverse-engineering Ghiscari culture.
• Symbolism of the Iron vs. Dornish thrones.
• Why are lordlings called “my lord”?
• Historical updating of maps.
• How Donal Noye lost his arm. 
• Historical examples of over-mighty vassals.
• Byzantine crowns.
• Examples of noblewomen keeping their own names.
• Historical parallels to the Master of Whisperers.
• What it means to act “open-handed.”
• Littlefinger is not a bourgeois revolutionary.
• How do maester get assigned to castles?

Non-ASOIAF:

• Third parties in U.S history.
• My new favorite historical-event-that-should-be-a-movie.

 

Fire & Blood: The Long Reign

After a salutary break from what had been a bit of Fire & Blood-related burnout, I’m back to tackle the last and biggest Jaehaerys chapter.

So join me, as like sands through an hourglass, these are the days of House Targaryen’s lives…

RFTIT Tumblr Weeklyish Roundup

Hey folks! The next Fire & Blood recap is up to 450 words, so I am making progress despite A. getting over a nasty cold and B. being super-busy with writing lectures. Defiinitely looking forward to Spring Break, when I should have more time to write. In the mean-time, we’ve got some interesting stuff on the Tumblrs.

ASOIAF:

• What factors affected popular political sensibilites of Tudor England?
• What options did Jon Snow have other than the Night’s Watch?
• What coinage does the Iron Bank use for making loans?
• Arthur Dayne’s motivations at the Tower of Joy.
• A Northern fleet in the War of the Five Kings.
  • Part II
• Bearl Island as a Northern naval base.
  • Part II
• The status of the Lannisters of Lannisport.
• Anti-monarchist politics in the era of the divine right of kings.
• Why wasn’t the Wall an option for Rickard Karstark?
• Braavos as Venetian vs. Japanese.
• Classism in fantasy and the impoverished aristocrat trope.
• Ancient/medieval translators on campaign.
• Strengths and weaknesses of the Seven Kingdoms re: econ dev.

Non-ASOIAF:

• A professor’s thoughts on the college admissions scandal.
  • Part II
• My answer to *the* Batman question.
• Thoughts on Captain Marvel.

Non-ASOIAF Content: A People’s History of the Marvel Universe Continues

Hey folks! I’m heading off to California this week for a short vacation, but in the meantime, I’ve got a new People’s History of the Marvel Universe essay. This time, I’m looking at how the Hellfire Club complicated the mutant metaphor.

Check it out!

RFTIT Tumblr Weeklyish Roundup

Hello, everyone! Apologies for not posting sooner; I’ve been in a bit of a Sisyphean cycle recently where I spend the entire week doing the lecture for the coming week and then restarting again, so haven’t had the most time for writing. In the mean time, I do have some Tumblr goodness for you:

ASOIAF:

• How many beggars are there in King’s Landing?
  • Part II
• Does Cersei know Pycelle is a Lannister stooge?
• Why no science vs. religion conflict between the Citadel and the Faith?
• Is cotton grown in Westeros?
• What might a more modern North look like, administratively?
• Did smallfolk care about foreign rulers? (Depends.)
• Why didn’t noble houses resent Aegon’s mistressing?
• How was Jaime supposed to take the Iron Throne?
• The Dothraki and the Jogos Nhai:
  • Part I
  • Part II
• Could England have won the Hundred Years War?

Non-ASOIAF:

• Follow-up on working-class superhero characters.

Non-ASOIAF Content: A People’s History of the Marvel Universe Returns!

Hey folks! As you may have noticed, I haven’t posted for a bit. That isn’t because I haven’t been writing – although teaching has slowed me down a might – but because inspiration struck from another quarter.

So for those of you who are fans of my writing about the intersection of comics, history, and politics, I bring you the latest installment of A People’s History of the Marvel Universe! This week, how Captain America brought down H.R Haldeman, CREEP, the Watergate plumbers, and Nixon himself.

Check it out!