The Things We Choose Not to Know

I was out recently with my partner, and we met a retired couple. When they discovered I was a historian, his first question was whether I was a ‘Marxist’. I laughed it off, and he said, ‘No, you don’t look like one.’ He appeared to be serious, which my partner and I found funny, given […]

Read more "The Things We Choose Not to Know"

Why I Play the Lottery

I play the lottery for a similar reason to why I find histories of everyday life so wonder-filled. (It’s a bit of a weird connection, but let’s see if I can make it work.) I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard someone call the lottery a tax on the stupid. Sure, the odds […]

Read more "Why I Play the Lottery"