Tackling the Roots of Racism in Virginia
Working on an encyclopedia day in and day out for more than a decade is rewarding and sometimes depressing. It’s rewarding to think that—if you are doing your job responsibly—the… Read More»
Symbols Matter
It was impossible not to feel the weight of history when Gov. Ralph Northam announced that the state-owned statue of Robert E. Lee that towers over Richmond, physically and emotionally,… Read More»
Echoes of Pandemics Past
When Encyclopedia Virginia was approached two years ago about adding an entry on the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic in Virginia, director Peter Hedlund wasn’t sure it would be germane enough for our readership.… Read More»
What a Difference a Year Makes
It was just over a year ago that I was first introduced to Encyclopedia Virginia when Peter Hedlund, who directs the project, moderated the panel I appeared on at the Virginia Festival… Read More»
Saying Goodbye
This morning a smart young Virginia Humanities intern interviewed me about my job as editor of Encyclopedia Virginia. We talked about the almost twelve years I’ve been working on the… Read More»
This Day (All But the Kitchen Sink Edition)
On this day in 1607, Christopher Newport and a small company of men began exploring the upper reaches of the James River, where they were feasted by the Indian weroance Ashuaquid. Two years later, a feast would have tasted even better,… Read More»
Looking for the “whole story” of slavery
We get a fair amount of reader feedback here at Encyclopedia Virginia. For instance, we are still hearing about our entry on the United Daughters of the Confederacy and we… Read More»
Plug in Your Speakers: Season 3 Is Here
We just dropped season 3 of our podcast Not Even Past. Each episode crafts a short narrative drawn from the encyclopedia, pairing it with an interview with someone connected to… Read More»
A Poet on Pierce Street
In Season 3, Episode 6, of Not Even Past, host Brendan Wolfe travels to 1313 Pierce Street, the Lynchburg home of Anne Spencer, a poet, gardener, and luminary of the… Read More»
A Voice Out of Slavery
In Season 3, Episode 5, of Not Even Past, host Brendan Wolfe marvels at the power of Bethany Veney‘s writing, which tells the story of her life in slavery, the… Read More»
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