Greetings from the University of North Alabama

Greetings from the road! I’m writing tonight from Florence, Alabama, home of the University of North Alabama, Helen Keller, and some outstanding fishing (I made a friend on the plane here and was close to hiring a guide).

Me at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, home of the Swampers. Yes, those Swampers.

But northern Alabama is also the home of a tremendous amount of musical history. W.C. Handy lived here. The Rolling Stones recorded here. So did Bob Seger, Paul Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Lynryd Skynyrd. And of course, so did Aretha Franklin. Which brings us to tonight’s Historians At The Movies session.

If you missed out on it the first time, Respect is the 2021 biopic of the Queen of Soul starring Jennifer Hudson. Apparently Franklin selected Hudson for the role herself. The film covers a big span of her life, up until 1972 and Muscle Shoals plays a huge role in her first big hit. But you can’t talk Aretha Franklin and not talk about Civil Rights, or her struggles with alcohol, or faith. Her life was very much a human experience, filled with the peaks and valleys many of us travel through. Hers is a story of perserverance. And I can’t wait to share it with the HATM community and the students here at the University of North Alabama.

I’ve been brought to campus to talk to the students about HATM, life as a historian, and how to build a brand on social media. This is the sixth or seventh event I’ve done and I always get so excited to be on campus. I love being at a university. I love the feeling of walking a campus, of talking to students.

I admit to a certain amount of trepidation on these things. I want to make sure the university and students benefit from these events. Will students respond to the talk? Will they know anything about twitter? How can I drive home the importance of public-facing scholarship? Will the #HATM audience be there? Will the engagement be good or will it be quiet? There’s more than a little anxiety before and during these events.

But I think tonight is gonna be a lot of fun. Who doesn’t love Aretha Franklin? And our musical nights are always big. My guess is many of you will be singing along with us.

I’m heading out to tour the University of North Alabama this morning. Florence is a BEAUTIFUL place. Can’t wait to see it. And I can’t wait to see you tonight, either. Join in tonight on twitter and on Amazon Prime for RESPECT at 8pm eastern/7pm central. We’re gonna have fun tonight.

J