This novel, set in the 1980s in West Africa, concerns one man's travels through Peace Corps, war,... more This novel, set in the 1980s in West Africa, concerns one man's travels through Peace Corps, war, alcoholism and more.
Presence: Hope and 21st Century American Academia, 2020
Observations on American higher education that first appeared as blog posts, these were sparked b... more Observations on American higher education that first appeared as blog posts, these were sparked by the progress of the author's own academic career from adjunct to full professor, a progression that also included six years as the Faculty Editor of "Academe," the magazine of the American Association of University Professors.
Nothing Is Revealed: An Intimate Look Back at 1968, 2019
This started as a blog project, 99 entries on days in 1968 posted on the corresponding days of 20... more This started as a blog project, 99 entries on days in 1968 posted on the corresponding days of 2018. It is a cultural study of sixties America and a personal memoir.
Correspondence and writing were central to the doughboys of World War I. Their writings provide ... more Correspondence and writing were central to the doughboys of World War I. Their writings provide key documentation of the Great War.
The social unrest during the Great Depression led Americans to re-evaluate their ideals—and the l... more The social unrest during the Great Depression led Americans to re-evaluate their ideals—and the literature of the time reflects this shift.
The Cult of Individualism: A History of an Enduring American Myth, Aug 2013
Why do Americans have so much trouble seeing eye to eye today? Is this new? Was there ever an Ame... more Why do Americans have so much trouble seeing eye to eye today? Is this new? Was there ever an American consensus? The Cult of Individualism: A History of an Enduring American Myth explores the rarely discussed cultural differences leading to today's seemingly intractable political divides. After an examination of the various meanings of individualism in America, author Aaron Barlow describes the progression and evolution of the concept from the 18th century on, illuminating the wide division in Caucasian American culture that developed between the culture based on the ideals of the English Enlightenment and that of the Scots-Irish "Borderers." The "Borderer" legacy, generally explored only by students of Appalachian culture, remains as pervasive and significant in contemporary American culture and politics as it is, unfortunately, overlooked. It is from the "Borderers" that the Tea Party sprang, along with many of the attitudes of the contemporary American right, making it imperative that this culture be thoroughly explored.
Population: Five thousand; one-half school-age or younger. Infrastructure: No electricity; water ... more Population: Five thousand; one-half school-age or younger. Infrastructure: No electricity; water from hand pumps; no telephones or two-way radios. Location: Forty kilometers south of the regional capital; sixhundred kilometers from the national capital; on the region's one paved road. Seasons: Growing (rains): June to December; Construction (dry): December to June. IMPRECSION 9 Economy: Primarily subsistence agriculture; some cotton as cash crop; weekly market is third-largest in region. Schools: Primary and middle. Medical: Dispensary (one nurse). Government Services: Fruit-tree nursery; two agriculture extension agents; animal-traction center; vaccination center; veterinarian. Non-Governmental Organizations: One church mission; one private international charity; one Peace Corps Volunteer. During her first months on site, Hughes explored the village and surrounding area. She did not yet have enough insight into the patterns of village life to select a project beyond her established work with agricultural cooperatives. Her primary research included the items detailed above, including looking into patterns of consumption and production, power structures, and ethnic issues. In addition, she investigated the local means for obtaining supplies from the regional capital, a result of her own waits for supplies. Influx of capital to the village comes through cash-crop revenues. Outflux goes through purchase of cheap manufactured goods such as cloth, lanterns and bicycles and raw construction materials. The local market, though large, offers primarily a supply of a limited variety of foodstuffs. Only a few food items come from outside; the supply of local grains, meats, and vegetables is sufficient for village needs. The most curious thing about the village, Hughes decided, was the nearly complete lack of formal businesses. Most villages of comparable size in Togo have at least one dry-goods store. Villages on the paved road usually also have a gas station, a restaurant, and an auto-parts shop. Outside of the bars on the paved road, all this village had was an informal sector of carpenters, masons, bicycle mechanics, and blacksmiths, trades. Demand suggested to Hughes that any small retail or materials-supply business would likely succeed there. The village chief, elected for life, Hughes found, has popular support but little actual power. Real power rests in the hands of the prefect, whose offices are in the nearest town, thirty kilometers away. The chief officiates costs from the regional capital. In addition, local availability of wood would likely spur even more construction projects. Guaranteed demand from the cooperative plus potential markets made it feasible to assume that several truck-loads of wood could be sold during the supply business's first season. The new business would eliminate transport costs and time delays for the villagers in the purchase of construction supplies. It would increase productivity and employment within the carpentry cooperative. As the first formal business in the area, it would stand as an example, encouraging other entrepreneurs. These factors together add up to economic growth for the whole community. Kombate's own notebooks containing his plans proved that the idea for the construction-supplies business had existed before Hughes' arrival, that she was not introducing an outside idea into the village. Though he was not yet ready to build his shed, Kombate had even obtained rights to land in a central location in the village. To start saving for the business, he had also opened an interest-bearing savings account at the bank in the regional capital. These combined to assure Hughes that the energy behind the project would not be her own. The outside funding that Hughes could bring to the project would augment community benefits from the business for two reasons. First, the new business would become immediately possible, speeding Kombate's own process up by about ten years (by Hughes' estimate based on her analysis of Kombate's numbers). Second, funding would add flexibility to the business and would allow the carpentry cooperative to take advantage of a one-time opportunity: That year an aid organization had authorized funding for wood and for commissioning carpenters to build one desk and one chair for every primary-school student in the village. If the new business were in place in time, the funds would stimulate the local economy instead of the regional capital's, benefiting the local community twice.
This novel, set in the 1980s in West Africa, concerns one man's travels through Peace Corps, war,... more This novel, set in the 1980s in West Africa, concerns one man's travels through Peace Corps, war, alcoholism and more.
Presence: Hope and 21st Century American Academia, 2020
Observations on American higher education that first appeared as blog posts, these were sparked b... more Observations on American higher education that first appeared as blog posts, these were sparked by the progress of the author's own academic career from adjunct to full professor, a progression that also included six years as the Faculty Editor of "Academe," the magazine of the American Association of University Professors.
Nothing Is Revealed: An Intimate Look Back at 1968, 2019
This started as a blog project, 99 entries on days in 1968 posted on the corresponding days of 20... more This started as a blog project, 99 entries on days in 1968 posted on the corresponding days of 2018. It is a cultural study of sixties America and a personal memoir.
Correspondence and writing were central to the doughboys of World War I. Their writings provide ... more Correspondence and writing were central to the doughboys of World War I. Their writings provide key documentation of the Great War.
The social unrest during the Great Depression led Americans to re-evaluate their ideals—and the l... more The social unrest during the Great Depression led Americans to re-evaluate their ideals—and the literature of the time reflects this shift.
The Cult of Individualism: A History of an Enduring American Myth, Aug 2013
Why do Americans have so much trouble seeing eye to eye today? Is this new? Was there ever an Ame... more Why do Americans have so much trouble seeing eye to eye today? Is this new? Was there ever an American consensus? The Cult of Individualism: A History of an Enduring American Myth explores the rarely discussed cultural differences leading to today's seemingly intractable political divides. After an examination of the various meanings of individualism in America, author Aaron Barlow describes the progression and evolution of the concept from the 18th century on, illuminating the wide division in Caucasian American culture that developed between the culture based on the ideals of the English Enlightenment and that of the Scots-Irish "Borderers." The "Borderer" legacy, generally explored only by students of Appalachian culture, remains as pervasive and significant in contemporary American culture and politics as it is, unfortunately, overlooked. It is from the "Borderers" that the Tea Party sprang, along with many of the attitudes of the contemporary American right, making it imperative that this culture be thoroughly explored.
Population: Five thousand; one-half school-age or younger. Infrastructure: No electricity; water ... more Population: Five thousand; one-half school-age or younger. Infrastructure: No electricity; water from hand pumps; no telephones or two-way radios. Location: Forty kilometers south of the regional capital; sixhundred kilometers from the national capital; on the region's one paved road. Seasons: Growing (rains): June to December; Construction (dry): December to June. IMPRECSION 9 Economy: Primarily subsistence agriculture; some cotton as cash crop; weekly market is third-largest in region. Schools: Primary and middle. Medical: Dispensary (one nurse). Government Services: Fruit-tree nursery; two agriculture extension agents; animal-traction center; vaccination center; veterinarian. Non-Governmental Organizations: One church mission; one private international charity; one Peace Corps Volunteer. During her first months on site, Hughes explored the village and surrounding area. She did not yet have enough insight into the patterns of village life to select a project beyond her established work with agricultural cooperatives. Her primary research included the items detailed above, including looking into patterns of consumption and production, power structures, and ethnic issues. In addition, she investigated the local means for obtaining supplies from the regional capital, a result of her own waits for supplies. Influx of capital to the village comes through cash-crop revenues. Outflux goes through purchase of cheap manufactured goods such as cloth, lanterns and bicycles and raw construction materials. The local market, though large, offers primarily a supply of a limited variety of foodstuffs. Only a few food items come from outside; the supply of local grains, meats, and vegetables is sufficient for village needs. The most curious thing about the village, Hughes decided, was the nearly complete lack of formal businesses. Most villages of comparable size in Togo have at least one dry-goods store. Villages on the paved road usually also have a gas station, a restaurant, and an auto-parts shop. Outside of the bars on the paved road, all this village had was an informal sector of carpenters, masons, bicycle mechanics, and blacksmiths, trades. Demand suggested to Hughes that any small retail or materials-supply business would likely succeed there. The village chief, elected for life, Hughes found, has popular support but little actual power. Real power rests in the hands of the prefect, whose offices are in the nearest town, thirty kilometers away. The chief officiates costs from the regional capital. In addition, local availability of wood would likely spur even more construction projects. Guaranteed demand from the cooperative plus potential markets made it feasible to assume that several truck-loads of wood could be sold during the supply business's first season. The new business would eliminate transport costs and time delays for the villagers in the purchase of construction supplies. It would increase productivity and employment within the carpentry cooperative. As the first formal business in the area, it would stand as an example, encouraging other entrepreneurs. These factors together add up to economic growth for the whole community. Kombate's own notebooks containing his plans proved that the idea for the construction-supplies business had existed before Hughes' arrival, that she was not introducing an outside idea into the village. Though he was not yet ready to build his shed, Kombate had even obtained rights to land in a central location in the village. To start saving for the business, he had also opened an interest-bearing savings account at the bank in the regional capital. These combined to assure Hughes that the energy behind the project would not be her own. The outside funding that Hughes could bring to the project would augment community benefits from the business for two reasons. First, the new business would become immediately possible, speeding Kombate's own process up by about ten years (by Hughes' estimate based on her analysis of Kombate's numbers). Second, funding would add flexibility to the business and would allow the carpentry cooperative to take advantage of a one-time opportunity: That year an aid organization had authorized funding for wood and for commissioning carpenters to build one desk and one chair for every primary-school student in the village. If the new business were in place in time, the funds would stimulate the local economy instead of the regional capital's, benefiting the local community twice.
Political lies can be well intended, with supposedly noble ends justifying unseemly means. As gre... more Political lies can be well intended, with supposedly noble ends justifying unseemly means. As great art uses fictitious details to illuminate greater truths, the lies of wartime—ruse de guerre—can bring about victory, as in “Operation Mincemeat,” when fake letters on a corpse washed ashore in Spain fooled the Germans out of reinforcing Sicily during World War II. In other instances, however, the upshot becomes less noble.
Why does journalism continue to fail so completely in its coverage of the outrages of Trump and t... more Why does journalism continue to fail so completely in its coverage of the outrages of Trump and the new age of American politics? Why does its language continue to provide cover for radical change, making it seem as if it's simply business as usual? Why don't reporters change the words they use when describing a changed situation? NYU professor of journalism Jay Rosen compiled a Twitter thread into a Facebook post on the last day of April 2017. He titled it " The Everyday Language of News Distorts the Reality of Trump. " As I was reading it, I kept thinking about George Orwell's 1946 essay " Politics and the English Language. "
"Yes, the hatreds are alive and well, but they are not going to be stopped until we understand—an... more "Yes, the hatreds are alive and well, but they are not going to be stopped until we understand—and start addressing—their real foci and causes. Until we stop reacting to the provocations and take on the also dangerous (and yet possibly rewarding, which the other can never be) path of reconciliation."
When Industrial Age technology began to catch up with the printing trade, several things happened... more When Industrial Age technology began to catch up with the printing trade, several things happened. One of these was the splitting of a single profession into several. Though there had been compositors and pressmen and editors before, in most shops the roles were played by individuals who could slip in and out of them according to need. Personally, I loved this about the print shops I trained in as a kid. I think I always knew I wanted to write, but I loved the process of transferring words to product and wanted to learn every particular. I didn't think one was better than the other–just different. Few people have had the luxury I had, of learning both sides. By the time the Hoe lightning press was introduced in the 1840s, the printing trade had begun to divide. Editors and writers found themselves removed from the mechanical activities of adding ink to paper and folding and binding. The tasks were no longer combined in individuals the way once they had been. The technology of writing had been removed from the process of composition. Of course, technology did have an impact on composition: new pens, better paper, the typewriter and, finally, the computer. But it wasn't until the dominance of this last was established that the technology of production began to return to the act of composition. An early printer often wrote copy, set it in type, proofread the page and printed it. Only recently has something analogous become possible once more. This is wonderful, but the recombining also causes problems: Those who had come to be relegated to " support " status (like actual printers) are now agitating for equal status, in universities, at least, with the academic equivalent of the newsroom. When the divide first occurred, printers and writers often came from the same stratum of society —naturally, for they had recently been one and the same. Even past World War Two, journalists tended to come from the same level of society as factory workers, farmers and printers. That is, they were rarely part of the elite. The rise in status of the profession came from new media possibilities and increased fame. Among the intelligentsia, journalism had something of a working-class odor right up to the time of Watergate, when the phenomenal success of Woodward and Bernstein changed perceptions of the profession completely. The same has been somewhat true for the computing staffs at our universities–though their 'Woodstein' has yet to appear.
The clear racism fueling Donald Trump's presidential campaign, no longer talked about only in hus... more The clear racism fueling Donald Trump's presidential campaign, no longer talked about only in hushed tones on the far left, has opened discussion of other impacts of racism. We are Ġnally able to talk about the toxic impact of dog-whistle politics in a number of areas of public policy -not the least being education.
In Cult Pop Culture: How the Fringe Became Mainstream, Volume One: Film and Television. Bob Batch... more In Cult Pop Culture: How the Fringe Became Mainstream, Volume One: Film and Television. Bob Batchelor, ed. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2012. 165-174.
When I was opening my café in the early nineties, I redid the plumbing for the entire space. This... more When I was opening my café in the early nineties, I redid the plumbing for the entire space. This meant, at the time, that a New York City plumbing inspector would have to sign off on the work before we could open. My licensed plumber was there, of course. We followed the inspector around, his face growing more and more glum as he looked at the new waste lines, the sinks, the hook-up to the espresso machine. Finally, when he had seen everything, he turned to the plumber and shrugged. The plumber suggested that they take a little walk around the block.
The following is an email interview between Sean Scanlan, the editor of NANO, and Aaron Barlow, F... more The following is an email interview between Sean Scanlan, the editor of NANO, and Aaron Barlow, Faculty Editor of Academe, the magazine of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
What follows is the draft of a chapter of a book I am working on, one based on my experiences as ... more What follows is the draft of a chapter of a book I am working on, one based on my experiences as a 16-year-old in 1968. This chapter covers the most dramatic events in my personal life that year and takes place in Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands and Belgium. I am trying to combine the academic and the personal, as I do in Unfolding. As a matter of fact, some of the incidents recounted here also appear there, and I have taken the liberty of using a few passages from Unfolding as the bases of parts of this chapter:
This morning, NYU professor Michael Rectenwald woke up to discover he had been ‘disappeared’ from a website that had once featured at least three of his articles. The articles remained, but his name was no longer connected to them. The byline name, which had been his, now belonged to someone else.
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This morning, NYU professor Michael Rectenwald woke up to discover he had been ‘disappeared’ from a website that had once featured at least three of his articles. The articles remained, but his name was no longer connected to them. The byline name, which had been his, now belonged to someone else.