Associate Professor of History, Eugene Lang College, The New School

Past Present

Past Present Podcast, Episode 352

November 22, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the new weight loss drug, Ozempic. ...

Past Present

Past Present Podcast, Episode 351

November 15, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the results of the 2022 midterm elections....

Past Present

Past Present Podcast, Episode 350

November 8, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the past and uncertain future of affirmative action in higher education....

Past Present

Past Present Podcast, Episode 349

November 1, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki discuss the recent scourge of rats in New York City and elsewhere. ...

Past Present

Past Present Podcast, Episode 348

October 25, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Panics over “Halloween sadism” have resurged yearly for decades. Niki referred to historian Paul M. Renfro’s book Stranger Danger: Family Values, Childhood, and the American Carceral State, and Natalia cited this Wall Street Journal article about fentanyl abuse. All of ...

Past Present

John Fetterman

Past Present Podcast, Episode 347

October 18, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: John Fetterman is the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, and an NBC interview drew attention to his disability and media’s treatment of it. Natalia referred to Rebecca Traister’s profile of Fetterman for New York magazine. Neil recommended this ...

Past Present

Herschel Walker

Past Present Podcast, Episode 346

October 11, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Natalia, Niki, and Neil discuss the Senate campaign of Herschel Walker and the controversy it has created. ...

Past Present

The Protests in Iran

Past Present Podcast, Episode 345

October 4, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the political protests in Iran....

Past Present

Pickleball

Past Present Podcast, Episode 344

September 27, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Pickleball is a booming recreation trend – and is inspiring controversy. Natalia referred to this leftist manifesto against pickleball and Christopher Lasch’s chapter in the Culture of Narcissism on the “degradation of sport.” She also talked about it on TikTok. ...

Past Present

The Averted Rail Strike

Past Present Podcast, Episode 343

September 20, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Railway workers came close to striking last week. Niki referenced this episode of her This Day podcast. Natalia cited this New York Times article, and Niki drew on this Guardian piece about the burst of unionization. In our regular closing feature, ...

Past Present

Queen Elizabeth II

Past Present Podcast, Episode 342

September 13, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth II....

Past Present

Mikhail Gorbachev

Past Present Podcast, Episode 341

September 6, 2022 • by Nicole Hemmer, Natalia Mehlman Petrzela and Neil J. Young

Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev has died. We reflected on the slew of essays in U.S. publications remembering Gorbachev through a mostly positive light. Neil mentioned Saturday Night Live’s frequent send-ups of Gorbachev. In our regular closing feature, ...