I recently listened to Thomas Carlyle's On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. It is one of those books that has acquired a reputation few people seem interested in challenging. Mention Carlyle today, particularly in academic circles, and before long someone will invoke the "Great Man Theory" as though the matter has been settled. … Continue reading On Heroes and Hero-Worship in the Information Age
Tag: Technology
The Revolution Will Still Not Be Televised
The revolution will not be televised, will not be televisedWill not be televised, will not be televisedThe revolution will be no re-run brothersThe revolution will be live—Gil Scott-Heron, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised A few years ago, while watching The Get Down, I heard a piece of spoken-word poetry woven into the soundtrack that stopped me cold. … Continue reading The Revolution Will Still Not Be Televised
Emancipation Digitization
History remembers proclamations because they announce more than policy. They declare that the world has crossed a threshold. When Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery did not disappear the moment the ink dried. At that instant, it was, in the most literal sense, merely words on paper. Its authority depended upon institutions willing to … Continue reading Emancipation Digitization
