Welcome to my little piece of cyberspace. I am a historian and educator who engages in cultural history storytelling through a variety of media formats.
I run a media production company, Clio’s Scroll Productions, that creates historically focused documentary films, podcasts, and digital exhibits about multiple eras and topics in American History. I have produced and co-written the award-winning documentary film “A Deal New for Public Art in the Free State,” about conflicts over government-funded public art in Kansas. I have written, produced, and hosted historically-focused podcasts, including “Pandemic on the Prairie” about the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic, and “Kansas 1972,” a multiple award-winning Humanities Kansas podcast about Kansas history in 1972. I also create and design websites that showcase museum collections and digital exhibits. Currently, I am working on a documentary film about the Bleeding Kansas era of the 1850s.
My academic interests revolve broadly around 20th-century American history, regional Midwestern history, mass culture, film, and public art. My main area of expertise is the Great Depression era and specifically New Deal arts programs. I am currently creating an archive of New Deal federally-funded art projects in Kansas in the 1930s and early 1940s. I also work as an art consultant and consulting curator with museums, libraries, schools, and other institutions regarding New Deal and regional art in their collections.
I have thirteen years of experience teaching in higher education. Currently I teach classes on American history, history and film, and critical studies at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI).
I give public talks and lectures on a variety of topics, including New Deal Art, the 1918 Influenza pandemic, documentary photography, the ERA, and a podcasting for small institutions workshops. You can hire me through the Humanities Kansas Speakers Bureau or contact me directly.
You can also catch me presenting the classic film series “Once Upon A Time in Hollywoodland” and “Pre-Code Hollywood” at the Stray Cat Film Center in the Crossroads district of Kansas City.
I have Master’s degrees from The London School of Economics and George Washington University and was ABD in the Cultural Studies Ph.D. program at George Mason University. I completed my undergraduate at the University of Kansas.
I am a perpetual student, passionate teacher, film nerd, travel enthusiast, history junkie, art lover, and mother of two humans & three dogs.
You can view my CV here.