Flood Control Infrastructure and ‘Political Hydrology’ along the LA-TX Gulf Coast
An intact portion of the 17th Street Canal (flooded after Hurricane Katrina). Concrete flood walls top the levees. CC by Wikimedia Commons, by Infrogmation The nation’s costliest natural disasters continue to be caused by flooding. Every year, with enormous personal and financial cost to citizens, floods damage crops, infrastructure, businesses, personal property and, most unfortunately,…
Non-Killing Geographies
This column is written with a very heavy heart, coming just several days after the deadly mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The massacre ended the lives of 17 students and staff, injured dozens, and left behind many traumatized survivors, as well grieving friends, families, and community members. Counted…
New Books in Geography — January 2018
Every month the AAG compiles a list of newly-published books in geography and related fields. Some are selected for review in the AAG Review of Books. Anyone interested in reviewing these or other titles should contact the Editor-in-Chief, Kent Mathewson Listed below are the books received from publishers in the last month. January 2018 Aerial Aftermaths:…
Time for a Radical Geographic Literacy in Trump America
Like many geographers, I have a world map hanging in my office. Last time I looked, I didn’t see any “shitholes” on that map. It does not come easy for me to begin my commentary with an expletive (and I apologize to those who I offend), but our current President really leaves me no choice.…
Élisée Reclus in Louisiana (1853-1855): Encounters with Racism and Slavery
In January 1853, the future anarchist geographer Élisée Reclus (1830-1905) arrived in Louisiana, where he spent almost three years. Reclus was in self-exile, having left France in the wake of Louis-Napoléon’s 1851 coup d’état. Élisée and his older brother Élie, future anarchist anthropologist, had organized local opposition to the coup, but left ahead of the…
Visiting Geographical Scientist Program Accepting Applications for 2018-19
The Visiting Geographical Scientist program (VGSP) is accepting applications for the 2018-19 academic year. VGSP sponsors visits by prominent geographers to small departments or institutions that do not have the resources to bring in well-known speakers. The purpose of this program is to stimulate interest in geography, targeted for students, faculty members, and administrative officers. Participating institutions…
Coastal Land Loss in Louisiana: From Denial to Reality
The coastline formed by the Mississippi River is changing continually as part of the never-ending interplay between the forces and processes reshaping and realigning coastal contours and bathymetry. Over millennia, this formative process created Louisiana’s expansive wetlands that once encompassed million acres (11,500 square miles) – about the size of Connecticut and Delaware combined –…
Creating Safe Spaces at AAG Meetings for All
Hollywood, The Hill, and the nation’s newsrooms have been exposed as spaces of sexual harassment, misconduct, and even assault. Yet, sexual harassment and discrimination are neither unique nor new to these highly public industries and this misconduct is unfortunately common to most workplaces. Indeed, conservative estimates suggest that 60% of all women have been victims…
Important Election Information: Update Your Email Address with AAG
The AAG election will be conducted online again, and will take place Jan. 31-Feb. 22, 2018. Each member who has an email address on record with the AAG will receive a special email with a code that will allow them to sign in to our AAG SimplyVoting website and vote. The 2018 election slate will…
Broadening and Caring for the Footprint of Published Scholarship
Many of us can vividly remember the first time we published something and the sense of exhilaration and accomplishment that came with seeing one’s name on an article, chapter, or book. We had good reason to feel that way. The publication was the culmination of long hours spent analyzing data, reviewing literature, developing theory, writing…
Regional Divisions Announce Outstanding Graduate Student Papers from their Fall Meetings
The AAG is proud to announce the Fall 2017 student winners of the AAG Council Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Paper at a Regional Meeting. The AAG Council Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Paper at a Regional Meeting is designed to encourage graduate student participation at AAG Regional Division conferences and support their attendance at AAG…
Dining with Cajuns and Creoles
The foods of New Orleans are an expression of south Louisiana's history, culture, and wetlands. Influences upon the area's traditional cuisine are much like using recipes gathered at a crossroads of European, Caribbean, and Acadian culinary customs at interplay with local ideas and available ingredients. Understanding menus means knowing terms like — roux, remoulade, and…