“Highlight of my academic career was getting a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship in 2008-9 to research a history of one of America’s most ubiquitous and beloved civic institutions. The book was the result. This morning’s NYT carries a story about what the Trump administration has done to NEH, which (when combined with its elimination of funding for the Institute for Museum and Library Services) convinces me my 2008 project proposal wouldn’t stand a chance in 2025. Perfect example of ‘controlling the narrative'”