Are We a Nation of Strangers Living Amidst a Fading Sense of Place?

"Instead of volunteering and getting-to-know each other, community-building citizens who once typified this nation…Americans have become privatized, atomized, focused within their property lines." Cited by John Hallwas, On Community: A Crucial Issue, a Small Town, and a Writer's Experience ON THIS EPISODE Our topic today is entitled “A Nation of Strangers.” This episode serves as …

10 Obstacles Facing Community Builders: An Introduction to our “On Community” Series

"We live in an unprecedented era, when community is under siege from a variety of forces, & the negative ramifications of that are continually mounting." John Hallwas, On Community: A Crucial Issue, a Small Town, and a Writer's Experience ON THIS EPISODE We begin our series on the book "On Community: A Crucial Issue, a …

DND Minipod – Chapter 4: Hollywood Westerns & Primary Sources

ON THIS EPISODE This Dime Novel Desperados MINI-POD profiles a Hollywood Western & primary sources that Dr. Hallwas used to write the book. We recommend first listening to the episode this MINI-POD accompanies: Chapter 4: Law & Order and Prison Life HOLLYWOOD WESTERN “High Noon” (1952) starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, & Lloyd Bridges. QUESTIONS …

Dime Novel Desperados – Chapter 4: Law & Order and Prison Life

ON THIS EPISODE We continue our examination of the book “Dime Novel Desperados: The Notorious Maxwell Brothers” by Dr. John Hallwas. This episode provides an overview of Chapter 4 – “Law & Order and Prison Life.” If you recall our last chapter, Ed Maxwell has been arrested after committing his 1st crime robbing a clothing …

Witchcraft in Forgottonia – Episode 2: The Influence of England & Colonial America

ON THIS EPISODE We continue our series about the social & cultural history of witchcraft based on the book "Witchcraft in Illinois" by folklorist Michael Kleen (check out Michael's bio below). Please note, this series definitely does not intend to endorse a belief in magic or the occult. Our primary purpose is to simply apply …

Witchcraft in Forgottonia – Episode 1: How do we know what we know?

ON THIS EPISODE On this edition of the Forgottonia Project, we’re sharing our 1st episode in a series on the social & cultural history of witchcraft in Illinois. Please note, this series definitely does not intend to endorse a belief in magic or the occult. Our primary purpose is to simply apply some historical skills …

DND MINI-POD – Chapter 3: Hollywood Westerns & Primary Sources

ON THIS EPISODE This Dime Novel Desperados MINI-POD profiles a Hollywood Western & primary sources that Dr. Hallwas used to write the book. We recommend first listening to the episode this MINI-POD accompanies: Chapter 3: The Maxwells in McDonough County HOLLYWOOD WESTERN “Rio Bravo” (1959) starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, &  Ricky Nelson QUESTIONS TO …

Dime Novel Desperados – Chapter 3: The Maxwells in McDonough County

ON THIS EPISODE We continue our examination of the book “Dime Novel Desperados: The Notorious Maxwell Brothers” by Dr. John Hallwas. This episode provides an overview of Chapter 3 – “The Maxwells in McDonough County.” Our last chapter profiled a difficult childhood for the boys in nearby Fulton County. While we remain in Western IL, …

Dime Novel Desperados – Chapter 2: The Maxwells in Troubled Fulton County

ON THIS EPISODE We continue our examination of the book “Dime Novel Desperados: The Notorious Maxwell Brothers” by Dr. John Hallwas. This episode provides an overview of Chapter 2 – “The Maxwells in Troubled Fulton County.” Shout out to CHS student Andrew Christian for helping with this episode. The MINI-POD for this episode (which is …