Just concluded, a most satisfying read, with much to say on law and 19th century English society, with key stretches set in Lincolnshire, among many other wonderful things…

I’m pleased to note that I am the author of two chapters—one on lynching, the other on religion—in this forthcoming collection on the history of Racism in the USA, which will be published in German in February utb.de/doi/book/10.36…

Heading home from campus tonight. A very timely discussion in American History to 1865 this afternoon about the electoral college & the presidency in the context of the writing of the Constitution & the debate over its ratification.

At Al Smith’s grave this All Souls’ Day morning, a son of the Lower East Side, New York governor & Democratic presidential candidate in 1928. His 1928 presidential campaign is analyzed in chapter 5 of my book The Making of American Catholicism.

I’m now Matthew Pfeifer.bsky.social Check me out there

At the South Dakota Symphony’s revival of Douglas Moore’s opera Giants in the Earth on Sunday. Great to hear such a committed performance of this work based on the Ole Rølvaag novel set in 1870s Dakota Territory. Am reviewing for The Middle West Review.

I have a chapter on Lynching in the Midwest in this important new book edited by Jon K. Lauck Jon Lauck published by Oxford University Press @OUPHistory

Pope Leo XIV’s biography is rooted in Midwestern & New Orleans Catholicism, both a focus of my book The Making of American Catholicism, recently reviewed in The Journal of American Ethnic History scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jaeh/artic…

This afternoon interviewed Delta David Gier, music the South Dakota Symphony. An extremely impressive vision of the role of the orchestra in the 21st century United States, including fostering connections with the local community (in the SDSO’s case among others, the Lakota).

Listened to the never released recording of the first performances of Douglas Moore’s opera Giants in the Earth at Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library this afternoon

A productive visit to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections this afternoon for work in the papers of Ronald Phillips, a clarinetist who played in the Seattle Symphony under Thomas Beecham & in the L.A. Philharmonic under Alfred Wallenstein.

First day of the fall semester with the usual frisson of excitement. 18 students in the global lynching & collective violence course, which is among its highest enrollments in recent years.

This arrived in the mail yesterday from Tübingen, my first publication in German; chapters I’ve written on lynching, and on religion & racism in US history, in this important collection edited by Silvan Neidermeier

I’m working on an article on the 19th century history of St. Raphael, one of the older R.C. churches in Queens. This morning looked at the sacramental registers of this church on the 19th century periphery of Manhattan, soon to be bound into NYC’s dynamic 1898 consolidation.

Have finished responding to the copy edits of this comprehensive reference work that I have edited—seven years in the making—that will be published by Fortress Press in Minneapolis in the Spring.

On this All Souls’ Day eve, at the grave of New York Governor Al Smith, the Democratic presidential nominee in 1928. Governor Smith’s campaign is discussed in the context of New York City Catholicism in Chapter 5 of my book The Making of American Catholicism.

Spending the turn-of-the-year correcting the proofs for this comprehensive reference work that I have edited and which will be out in 2026 with Minneapolis’s Fortress Press. Fantastic proof-reading and editorial team.

Chaired an interesting session on Chicago’s Catholic history at the American Catholic Historical Association’s meeting this afternoon

I’m proud to say that this Commonweal article on how 19th century German immigrants helped create American Christmas was born in my HIS 381. Kathleen Brady, a distinguished biographer of Lucille Ball & Sts. Francis & Clare, audited the class & wrote this. commonwealmagazine.org/silent-night

Now available for pre-order, out in August fortresspress.com/store/product/…