Episode 57: Seth Rockman Vows This Time Will Be Difference
Dec 3, 2024
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In this conversation, historian Seth Rockman shares his expertise on labor history and the ties between slavery and capitalism. He discusses the challenges of writing and the importance of mentorship in shaping a historian's journey. Rockman dives into his new book, revealing the connections between New England artifacts and their influence on Southern plantation communities, highlighting the roles of women in this complex economy. He also reflects on the iterative nature of the writing process and the influence of various literary styles on his craft.
Dr. Seth Rockman highlights the significance of mentorship and rigorous editing in shaping his academic writing style and clarity.
Procrastination and self-doubt are recurring challenges for Rockman, who strives to find a personal rhythm in his writing process.
Rockman's experiential research in weaving illustrates the importance of hands-on learning in understanding historical production processes related to his work.
Deep dives
Listener Engagement and Year-End Reflections
The episode emphasizes listener engagement by inviting them to share their favorite history books from the past year. Participants are encouraged to send in recorded messages highlighting their selected books and the reasons for their choices, regardless of the publication date. This initiative aims to create an inclusive year-end episode that reflects the audience's interests and fosters a sense of community. The deadline for submissions set for December 8th adds urgency and excitement to the participation.
Interdisciplinary Insights from Dr. Seth Rockman
Dr. Seth Rockman discusses his career in academic writing, focusing on the distinctions between writing as an academic versus as a creative writer. He reflects on the challenging learning curve he experienced in graduate school, highlighting the importance of mentorship and rigorous editing from advisors. Specifically, he mentions his advisor's insistence on 'word economy', which significantly influenced his writing style and approach to clarity. Rockman believes that encountering criticism and learning to navigate the academic writing landscape is essential for growth.
Personal Writing Challenges and Practices
Rockman candidly shares his struggles with procrastination and the cycles of self-doubt that accompany his writing process. He admits to poor writing habits, relying on last-minute efforts and late-night work sessions. Despite acknowledging these challenges, he stresses the importance of finding a personal rhythm in writing, emphasizing that individual preferences vary widely. By scheduling specific times for writing in his calendar, he aims to establish a balance between academic responsibilities and creative work.
Research Methods and Writing Integration
The relationship between research and writing is explored as Rockman shares his preference for immersing himself in archival materials before formal writing begins. He discusses the necessity of external deadlines, such as conference papers, which often prompt him to synthesize his research findings into coherent narratives. While he typically finds writing a means to clarify his thoughts, he acknowledges that the integration of writing and research can be a complex and evolving process. Rockman highlights that, despite his long attachment to certain projects, productive writing often emerges from encountering deadlines and the need for accountability.
Experiential Learning and Material Culture
Rockman details his experiential research in weaving, which allowed him to gain firsthand insight into the production processes relevant to his work on plantation goods. By learning how to work with a loom, he enhanced his understanding of textile production and the labor involved, which informs the narrative of his book. He emphasizes the value of experiential learning in history, inspiring him to encourage similar approaches in his courses. This experience, while limited in visibility within his book, underlines the connection between tactile engagement and comprehensive historical understanding.
Welcome back to Drafting the Past, a show about the craft of writing history. In this episode, Kate Carpenter interviews historian Dr. Seth Rockman. Seth is a historian at Brown University. His first book was called Scraping By: Wage Labor, Slavery, and Survival in Early Baltimore, and he is also the co-editor of the volume Slavery’s Capitalism: A New History of American Economic Development. He does a great deal of interesting interdisciplinary work on labor history, and he has even been called on to share his research findings on slavery and capitalism with the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. His new book, out now, is called Plantation Goods: A Material History of American Slavery. You’ll love Seth’s responses about how challenging the writing process can be, the joys of archives and the need for deadlines to drag us out of them, and why his dissertation adviser’s advice is always in his ear while he writes.
Thanks for listening to this episode of Drafting the Past. I also want to give a special shout out to some of the newest supporters of the show on Patreon at the third draft tier. Huge thank you to Lauren S., Megan N., Kate D., Katie B., and Jenny S., as well as all of the supporters at the first and second draft tier. Drafting the Past is a one-woman show, and your financial support makes it possible to keep going. If you would like to join these amazing supporters, you can visit patreon.com/draftingthepast to learn more. And of course, you can visit draftingthepast.com to find notes from this and every episode of the show. Until next time, remember that friends don’t let friends write boring history.
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