Off-Campus History

Mar 15 2024 31 ep. 62 mins 30
Off-Campus History Podcast artwork

Because ”Based on a True Story” is more complicated than you think. This is a podcast about public portrayals of history—movies, games, museums, and more. On each episode, I (Louis Reed-Wood, a PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto) have a conversation with a fellow historian about a public portrayal of the history they study! — Logo by instagram.com/nethkaria

  History  Education
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New Podcast Announcement and Trailer - Listening T.O. History!

Mar 15 2024 4 mins  
I have a new podcast, Listening T.O. History! Here's a quick announcement about it and the trailer. Check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/show/17OnQyM5pOXgcflZbBBlno.

Episode 29 - Suburbia’s Past, Present, and Future with Hana Suckstorff

Mar 20 2023 91 mins  
Today we’re digging into the history of urban planning in twentieth-century Canada and the US! Particularly, we discuss why our cities came to be oriented around car-dependent suburbs, and what consequences that style of design has for our lives today. In this episode, I’m joined by fellow Torontonian and historian, Dr. Hana Suckstorff. Our conversation today responds to ongoin

Episode 28 - Chatting about Historical Movies with Kevin Winterhalt

Feb 27 2023 56 mins  
On today’s episode, we chat about all things historical movies! I’m joined by Kevin Winterhalt, previous Off-Campus History alumnus and PhD Candidate at the University of Colorado-Boulder. His research examines the intersection of professional sports and politics in the modern United States. It’s a bit more of an informal chat today as we dive into our thoughts on historical

Episode 27 - Nitro and Heritage Minutes with Melanie Ng

Jan 16 2023 63 mins  
Today we’re discussing the 1992 Heritage Minute “Nitro” and its depiction of Chinese Canadian history, as well as Heritage Minutes more generally! For those unfamiliar, Heritage Minutes are a series of 60-second short films intended to depict major moments in Canadian history. “Nitro” introduces viewers to the experiences of Chinese workers who built the Canadian Pacific

Episode 26 - Kimathi at War with Julie MacArthur

Dec 12 2022 77 mins  
On today’s episode, we dig into the history of the Mau Mau Rebellion with someone working on a film about it! I’m joined by Julie MacArthur, Associate Professor of History at the University of Toronto, to discuss a feature film she is presently co-writing. The film, currently with a working title of Kimathi at War, will centre on the experiences of Mau Mau rebels who fought aga

Episode 25 - The Founder with Steve Penfold

Nov 14 2022 83 mins  
On today’s episode, we’re talking about the history of fast food! Specifically, our conversation today focuses on the 2016 film The Founder. The film follows the early years of McDonald’s as a fast food chain in the 1950s, with Ray Kroc employing cutthroat business tactics to transform the restaurant into a huge chain and achieve what he views as success. Michael Keaton stars

Episode 24 - Hester Street with Miriam Borden

Oct 10 2022 65 mins  
On today's episode, we’re discussing the 1975 film Hester Street and its depiction of Jewish immigration to the United States at the turn of the twentieth century! Hester Street is based on an 1896 novella by Abraham Cahan named called Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto. The film follows a Jewish immigrant family in 1890s New York who come into conflict over the extent to which

Episode 23 - The Last of the Mohicans with Jonathan Bayer

Sep 12 2022 49 mins  
On today's episode, we’re discussing 1992’s The Last of the Mohicans. This epic adventure film stars Daniel Day-Lewis and was adapted from an 1826 novel by James Fenimore Cooper. The film is set during the Seven Years War—sometimes known in the United States as the French and Indian War. The story centres on Hawkeye, the adopted son of a Mohican chief, who seeks to protect tw

Episode 22 - Historical Board Games with Benjamin Hoy

Aug 22 2022 73 mins  
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Professor Benjamin Hoy to discuss teaching history through board games, with a specific focus on the 2013 game Lewis & Clark: The Expedition as well as board game portrayals of Indigenous history. Lewis & Clark is based on—you guessed it—the Lewis & Clark expedition of 1804 to 1806 that was sent by US President Thomas Jefferson to explore l

Episode 21 - ’71 with Nick Baker

Aug 01 2022 80 mins  
Today we’re discussing the 2014 film ’71 and its depiction of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. For those who aren’t familiar, the Troubles was a period from the late 1960s to the late 1990s. The Troubles saw significant political unrest and violence waged by paramilitary organizations and British forces over the status of Northern Ireland. The majority of the island of Irela