May 6, 1970- Shattered glass flew into Park Hall from several windows. Outside, a few thousand students and citizens demanded attention from U.G.A.’s president Fred Davison. When he sent anybody he could convince to face the angry crowd in his stead, they violently broke into the academic building. Four thousand voices rose into the coolContinue reading ““We Want Fred!:” UGA’s Reaction to Kent State, 1970″
Author Archives: Anthony DePaul Sadler
In Floating Fragments: The Great Freshet of 1840
Monday, May 25, 1840– The turbid waters of the Oconee swelled. The artery of a nascent Athens community revolted. The rains began that afternoon and created an injurious effect: the Greatest Natural Disaster in Athens’s History. For days it rained relentlessly. Banks gave way in the Oconee and Savannah watersheds. Milledgeville (then the state capital), Augusta,Continue reading “In Floating Fragments: The Great Freshet of 1840”
Bruises that Won’t Heal: On Derby
The hardest part about discovering a passion, life goal, or purpose is not letting it control you. Life, ironically, steals vivacity. There is a rancid reality that accompanies the pursuit of academia. Most professors warned me. I am trying to heed their advice. There are cures. Hemingway and Faulkner famously drank away their demons. MillionsContinue reading “Bruises that Won’t Heal: On Derby”
Them’s Fightin’ Words
When I realized that a handful of bearded duck callers had taken over the shelves of Wal-Mart and the hearts of many, I felt like the South was taking a GIANT leap backward. The phenomenon seemed to blend Honey Boo-Boo, Quran burners, and Paul Broun into a rancid Brunswick stew. There are those that knowContinue reading “Them’s Fightin’ Words”
Requiem: A Word I Finally Know the Meaning Of
Don’t get me wrong, I love words. They are powerful tools for education and emotionalism. Writing is an art-form. Words are the medium. I recently took the GRE. The experience made me question my love of words. Some words, such as “Agog,” seemed to defy the standard Greek or Latin root transcription. Mostly, it seemedContinue reading “Requiem: A Word I Finally Know the Meaning Of”
A Windshield History: Athens-Augusta (Part 2)
Most mornings I drive with the window down. The cool air brings the scent of the Piedmont to me. Although shrouded in machinery, it is my way of letting nature in. A window pane is not the best way to see the environment. Working farms smell like manure and sweet feed. Rivers smell sweet andContinue reading “A Windshield History: Athens-Augusta (Part 2)”
Thoreau of the West
Today I saw the ghost of Ed Abbey. He played his flute, lifted one leg, and planted it on the brick wall which rested his back. A hobo. A drunkard. A vagabond. Delightfully nomadic. His long, graying beard barely exposed his lips. The brim of his hat nearly touched his nose. He carried a pack,Continue reading “Thoreau of the West”
One Planet, a Singular Problem
I often field questions about Environmental History. “What is Environmental History?” Is the most obvious and common. A certain knot sets in my gut when I have to answer, not because I am uncertain about my choice of profession, but because I know I am stepping into dangerous territory. Environmentalism is a polarizing topic. GlobalContinue reading “One Planet, a Singular Problem”
Southerner
Heat, sweat, rednecks, and slaves. Beer cans floating on molasses rivers. Preachers throwing bibles at demons, deacons visiting widows. Mint Juleps, porch swings, pines, and red clay. Big trucks, battle flags, country tunes, and white lightning. Such is the South, to some. I was born in Tampa, Florida, southern by geography not culture. My grandfatherContinue reading “Southerner”
The Curse
Becoming a specialist creates a curse. An engineer cannot stop trying to figure out how things work. A psychologist cannot have an average conversation. A historian cannot live entirely in the present, a condition which annoys my friends and family to no end. Because much of history is bleak, darkness follows me. Knowing what mostContinue reading “The Curse”
Anthony Sadler 