History in Focus S3 E10 The Craft of Writing History with Drafting the Past’s Kate Carpenter
13 snips
Jun 4, 2025 Kate Carpenter, creator of Drafting the Past and a Princeton PhD candidate, dives into the art of historical writing. She discusses her journey from journalism to academia, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and editing in crafting narratives. Carpenter explores the hidden labor involved in history, the struggles of historians in academia, and how storm chasing intertwines with American culture. Additionally, she reflects on the evolution of climate awareness in writing and shares her hopes for future storytelling projects.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Kate's Career Shift to History
- Kate Carpenter moved from journalism into history after working as a newspaper reporter in Idaho.
- Her master's research on environmental history led to discovering a gap in storm chasing history, inspiring her dissertation and podcast.
Dig Into Concrete Writing Practices
- Ask concrete questions about writing such as routines, tools, and read excerpts with writers to analyze.
- This makes discussions about writing history specific and practical, avoiding vague generalities.
Embrace Messy Writing Process
- Most historians feel embarrassed about how disorganized their writing process is.
- The messy process often produces the best ideas, and no single perfect writing method exists.