I’m a historian by trade, and I love history. But that wasn’t always so. When I was in high school and then college in the 1960s, history courses were boring to me. Everything had to do with old white men and wars. So how did I get to love it?
In the late sixties and early seventies, I got involved in the antiwar, women’s, and social justice movements. Oddly enough, I also took up embroidery, something I had done a little of when I was a kid. The embroidery and the women’s movement took me to the study of women’s history. . . and here I am today. I have an M.A. in Women’s History from Sarah Lawrence College and a Ph.D. in History from Stony Brook University. I’ve taught for a total of forty-eight years and have authored five books which are featured on this website.
Oh, and lest I forget. . . I’m a musical theater freak and will go to see most anything.
Congrats, Harriet, on your new site.
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I’m proud to have known you way back when at NYU. Congratulations on your many accomplishments & continuing achievements.
Joanne Davidson
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Dr. Alonso: I attended your class at Fitchburg State College in about 1997. I still have your book on Women’s Activism in the Peace Movement and regard your course as one of the best ever. Turned me into an historian. Here I am as an 80 year old with a recent history of 4 years as President of the local historical society and custodian of many files on local history, etc.
Barbara A. Smith
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Dr.Alonso: As a former student of yours at Fitchburg, I truly appreciated your book “Martha and the Slave Catchers.” It presents a different perspective on the Underground Railroad for me. Congratulations on your latest “Peace” award – well deserved.
Barbara A. Smith
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My first history class ever was U.S. HISTORY II around 1991. You were the professor and it was a stand out class. In retrospect I wish I majored in history because of that very course!
I still read history nearly every day. I just finished the recent Hero of the Empire by Candice Mallard, Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts,
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Fire and Brimstone by Michael Punke
Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham and Civil War Vol 1. By Shelby Foote. All this year! (2020,Still onlyFebruary!)
So thank you for your rare inspiration. The seed you planted germinated and grew a little forest of learning!
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Thank you so much, John, for your message and your update. I’m glad to hear that you love history and it means so much to know I played a small part in that.
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Hi Harriet,
This is Rachelle Lappinen from Fitchburg State. Remember “Life in Miller Hall”. The book you encouraged me to write?
Well, I just made a short video for Women’s History Month about the book, and I would love for you to see it.
Sincerely,
Rachelle
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