Sign in

Jeff Manuel

@jeffmanuel.bsky.social
1.5K followers 845 following 1.6K posts

Historian of Energy, Tech, & the Environment; Professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; coauthor of ETHANOL: A HEMISPHERIC HISTORY FOR THE FUTURE OF BIOFUELS (2025) & TACONITE DREAMS (2015) Public & Oral History Practitioner jeffmanuel.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
With the breakdown in US-Canada trade talks today, I'm reposting on my blog an op-ed I published in early 2025 in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch arguing this is madness. It was then, it still is today. jeffmanuel.com/blog-1/2026/...
jeffmanuel.com
Repost: Midwesterners Can’t Afford Trump’s Jokes about Annexing Canada – Jeff Manuel
040
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
One of my pet theories for why Gen Z is in love with the trades is simply that they're more visually suited to Instagram and TikTok. Every white-collar job looks the same in a photo--person at laptop--and it looks boring. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/13/s...
nytimes.com
Mom, Dad, I Want to Be a Welder
Gen Z is increasingly turning to trade schools in hopes of future-proofing their careers against A.I. But getting their parents and peers on board can be a challenge.
230
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
New article alert: "Doing County-Level Digital History at a Regional University: Reflecting on Ten Years of the Madison Historical Project." My co-authors and I share thoughts on the value of local digital history over the long run. 🗃️ cuny.manifoldapp.org/read/doing-c...
cuny.manifoldapp.org
Doing County-Level Digital History at a Regional University: Reflecting on Ten Years of the <em>Madison Historical</em> Project | Doing County-Level Digital History at a Regional University: Reflectin...
By Nichol Allen, Angela Little, Jeffrey T. Manuel, Ben Ostermeier, and Jason Stacy
040
Reposted by Jeff Manuel
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
For Offrange, I wrote about my dad's career as an oats broker and how he and others remade the oat supply chain 40 years ago. Farm policy pushed oats off US farms, Canadian farmers embraced neoliberalism and met the demand, & they filled taconite freighters with oats! ambrook.com/offrange/per...
ambrook.com
My Dad Helped Build North America’s Oat Supply Chain: Can It Be Remade?
In the wake of headlines about the “Oat Mafia” attempting to disrupt America’s oat infrastructure, one writer shares some lessons from the recent past.
2128
Reposted by Jeff Manuel
Michael Chesnut @michaelchesnut.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Good story here of oats, the US, Canada, farm policy, and the Canadian Prairies
141
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
For Offrange, I wrote about my dad's career as an oats broker and how he and others remade the oat supply chain 40 years ago. Farm policy pushed oats off US farms, Canadian farmers embraced neoliberalism and met the demand, & they filled taconite freighters with oats! ambrook.com/offrange/per...
ambrook.com
My Dad Helped Build North America’s Oat Supply Chain: Can It Be Remade?
In the wake of headlines about the “Oat Mafia” attempting to disrupt America’s oat infrastructure, one writer shares some lessons from the recent past.
2128
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I haven't read much coverage of David Roediger's recent memoir, _An Ordinary White_, but I just finished it and would recommend it. Fascinating stuff about St. Louis, Chicago, the origins of whiteness scholarship in the 1990s, and his razor-sharp critique of the modern university. 🗃️
fordhampress.com
An Ordinary White - David Roediger
A prize-winning historian details his intellectual and political evolution Written by the author of the landmark book The Wages of Whiteness and one of the key figures in the critical study of race an...
391
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I've been assigning oral history assignments to my college students for a long time. The podcasting boom has made the technical side of things much, much easier. Smartphones and AI transcription have dramatically lowered the barriers to entry. But podcasts are now shaping what interviewees say+
141
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Deer update: about ten hours after posting this, the deer got snarled trying to jump a neighbor's fence. Police came and the neighbor asked if they'd put it down. Police said they won't discharge a firearm in a residential neighborhood. They unbolted part of the fence and the deer got out +
120
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
If you're a student trying to quickly get up to speed on critical theory and the Frankfort School, this Alex Ross article on Habermas has a straightforward narrative summary: newyorker.substack.com/p/jurgen-hab...
newyorker.substack.com
Jürgen Habermas Defended Reason in a Darkening Age
Alex Ross on the late German philosopher.
020
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
I have a short comment about the policies driving used cooking-oil theft for Inc. magazine. This is one of those things no one thinks about when making policy, but years later there are crooks outside Dirty Harry's beach bar, stealing the old grease. www.inc.com/amaya-nichol...
inc.com
Why Thieves Are Suddenly Targeting the Trash Behind Beachside Restaurants
Two men were just arrested in Delaware for stealing this common waste product. Here's why officials don't think it's an isolated incident.
010
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
The regular morning standoff
photograph of a brown dog staring at a deer through a window
150
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Have a dad who's an agricultural "yield bro"? Maybe he'd like a book about the global history of ethanol for Father's Day. Now under $20 for the hardcover on Amazon. www.amazon.com/Ethanol-Hemi...
amazon.com
Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels
Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels [Manuel, Jeffrey T., Rogers, Thomas D.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels
140
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
The St. Louis region often feels like the land the time forgot. But the upside is that I get to stop at North America's last remaining Mister Donut
A photograph of a Mister Donut street sign with blue sky in the backgroundPhotograph of a brown building with a Mister Donut sign on the wall
120
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Re-reading _All the King's Men_ for the first time since high school. As a middle-aged academic, I now realize the book is a long exploration of one man's alt-ac career.
150
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Interviewing archivists and I've learned a new word
winnie the pooh meme joking about the word "arrearage"
110
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
A beautiful tribute to Paula Kamps, an artist and a friend. She will be missed. mailchi.mp/mleblancchic...
mailchi.mp
Remembering Paula Kamps (1990-2026)
000
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
A highlight for a true 20th century US history nerd like me--today I got to talk to someone who had digitized a big chunk of the FSA-OWI photograph collection! I learned they scanned the prints in quadrants to get the quality they needed then stitched them together digitally. 🗃️
050
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Grim conclusions from the new AAA&S Humanities Indicators report
Screenshot of text from a web pageScreenshot of text from a web page
100
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
I haven't followed the LLM training lawsuits closely, but this update on the case against Meta and implications for academic authors—including journal article authors—is intriguing (h/t to @janefriedman.com's newsletter) www.authorsalliance.org/2026/05/05/s...
authorsalliance.org
Elsevier v. Meta: AI Training Lawsuit Explained
Elsevier and other publishers are suing Meta over AI training data. Here’s why the case matters for copyright, access to knowledge, and everyday users.
030
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
In the nerdiest energy story of all time, I'm meeting with a guy who has developed a table-top board game about running an oil refinery because he wants to add a historical dimension
070
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Lovely set of short reflections on Illinois history in light of the 250th in the current issue of the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society. I'm damn proud to claim the Prairie State as my adopted home. scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jishs/is...
scholarlypublishingcollective.org
Volume 119 Issue 1 | Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society (1998-) | Scholarly Publishing Collective
000
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
It's been a tough year in higher ed, but the students remind us why we do this. A highlight from this weekend's undergraduate research symposium: a student presenting his research into 1980s Christian hair metal, with the wig to match.
A person in a hair-metal wig makes a presentation with a powerpoint slide.
160
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
It's the season of retirement celebrations, which feel like the center of gravity in academic humanities these days. Every time I attend one I think about this scene from John Williams's _Stoner_. Congrats to all those retiring this spring.
screenshot of text from the novel _Stoner_
1919
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Glad to see @alofstehage.bsky.social's book on US farmers in Brazil featured in Offrange magazine. I'm biased, but the global agribusiness links between the US and Brazil are such an important and little-understood story. ambrook.com/offrange/boo...
ambrook.com
Better Off in Brazil?
With diminishing opportunities at home, some U.S. soybean farmers have relocated thousands of miles South. A new book considers the impact.
162
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
At yesterday's Southern Illinois Univ board meeting, faculty were angry about a proposed contract with Risepoint, an online program manager (OPM). As @tressiemcphd.bsky.social has written over and over, OPMs are bringing the for-profit model inside public higher ed. www.youtube.com/live/U8B5b0Z...
youtube.com
Board of Trustees Meeting 4/16/26
YouTube video by SIU Board of Trustees Meeting
0358
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
An update on the saga of 45Z, the Clean Fuels Production credit that *might* pay farmers for regenerative practices. This one's had a lot of twists and turns since it was created by the Inflation Reduction Act.
132
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
Really interesting website by @remiwnd.bsky.social, an engineer and historian, that documents the origins of "wind and site engineering" for wind energy projects.
041
Reposted by Jeff Manuel
Andrew Berzanskis @aberzanskis.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
"Well written, thoroughly researched, and deeply informative... The authors successfully demonstrate how ethanol’s long, complex history informs its future." New review of "Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels" by @jeffmanuel.bsky.social & Tom Rogers from @oupress.bsky.social
152
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
As a scholar of esoteric topics, I rarely see direct connections among my projects. But today's inbox has one—an ethanol-powered ship for transporting iron ore www.marinelog.com/news/vale-an...
marinelog.com
Vale announces first ethanol-powered ocean-going vessel
Helping Maritime Professionals Make Informed Decisions
140
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
"Well written, thoroughly researched, and deeply informative" Thanks to Elizabeth Bennett for a thorough (and positive!) review of _Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels_ networks.h-net.org/group/review... 🗃️
networks.h-net.org
Bennett on Manuel and Rogers, 'Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels' | H-Net
Manuel, Jeffrey T.; Rogers, Thomas D.. Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels. : University of Oklahoma Press, 2025. Illustrations, maps. 300 pp. $34.95 (cloth), ISBN 9780806196015. Reviewed by Elizabeth Bennett (Science History Institute) Published on H-Environment (April, 2026) Commissioned by Daniella McCahey (Texas Tech University)
073
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Job alert! Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is hiring a tenure-track digital archivist. I'm on the search committee and happy to answer questions. Please share widely! This is a great collection, full of hidden gems, in an academic library committed to students. apply.interfolio.com/184021
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
12022
Reposted by Jeff Manuel
Hayden L. Nelson 🌲🐺🦫🔥🪵 @haydenlnelson.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Call for Proposals! I’m co-editing a collection on “The Extractive Midwest” with @brianleechphd.bsky.social, Jeff Schramm, and Sarah Mittlefehldt. We seek 300-500 word abstracts for book chapters between 6,000-8,000 words (not including notes). Send us your submissions before August 30, 2026!
docs.google.com
The Extractive Midwest CFP
The Extractive Midwest Call for Proposals for Edited Volume Description: Typically defined as a fertile, renewable, and nurturing region, the Midwest has also experienced a long history of extractio...
01312
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
I have no clue how or why Amazon's algorithms do what they do, but the hardcover of _Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels_ is currently on sale for 20 percent off. www.amazon.com/Ethanol-Hemi...
amazon.com
Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels
Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels [Manuel, Jeffrey T., Rogers, Thomas D.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels
154
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Last month, Tom Rogers and I had the pleasure of joining the University of Minnesota's History Department book club to talk about _Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels_. The recording is now up on YouTube! youtu.be/eGcHlh7t-lc?...
youtu.be
February 2026 History Book Club | Ethanol
YouTube video by DepartmentHistory
021
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Lots of historical comparisons to the 1970s in the news lately, but Jonathan Coppess has a good one comparing the situation facing US farmers' then versus now. farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2026/03/flas...
farmdocdaily.illinois.edu
Flashback, 1979: What the Previous Cliff Might Tell Us About the Potential One Ahead - farmdoc daily
Jonathan Coppess -
010
Reposted by Jeff Manuel
Ian Petrie @icpetrie.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
JOB: Ruth Wynn Woodward Junior Chair in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (Assistant Professor, 2-year Term), Simon Fraser University universityaffairs.ca/search-jobs/...
002
Reposted by Jeff Manuel
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Live shot of the biofuels-for-national-security caucus, which has been frozen in carbonite since around 2007
Han Solo thawing from carbonite (a man in a white shirt surrounded by a red glow)
67713
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Live shot of the biofuels-for-national-security caucus, which has been frozen in carbonite since around 2007
Han Solo thawing from carbonite (a man in a white shirt surrounded by a red glow)
67713
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
If, as historians @calebwellum.bsky.social & Meg Jacobs argue, the 1970s energy crises were the proving grounds for neoliberalism, what is the political economy that's likely to emerge from a new energy crisis? 🗃️
063
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
You'll know we're in big trouble if Trump is wearing a cardigan
030
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
If you're an editor or journalist looking for experts who can speak knowledgeably about previous oil crises, the program from this 2024 conference has a great list.
041
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
"Ethanol is so boring," they said, "no one cares." Well, check out the number one song on the hot rap charts right now: Don Toliver's "E85" from his "Octane" album. Obviously, this song is a hidden analysis of flex-fuel vehicle policies 😂 www.billboard.com/music/chart-...
billboard.com
Don Toliver Scores His Second Rap No. 1 in 3 Weeks As ‘E85’ Tops Chart
Two weeks after Don Toliver's first Hot Rap Songs chart No. 1 with "Body," "E85" is on top. Travis Scott co-produced both, from the album OCTANE.
150
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Very cool to see the paintings of my friend Paula Kamps featured in @adamtooze.bsky.social's chartbook adamtooze.substack.com/p/top-links-...
adamtooze.substack.com
Top Links 1027 Why the US gas business loves exports. Unger on Keynes. Decarbonization coalitions & the last Mauds in America.
Great links, images, and reading from Chartbook Newsletter by Adam Tooze
010
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
I wrote about the strangeness of following events in Minneapolis—where I'm from—and watching a citizenship naturalization ceremony in St. Louis, which is my home now. Not sure if anyone wants or needs more words about these things, but here are mine. jeffmanuel.com/blog-1/2026/...
jeffmanuel.com
Reflections on Minneapolis While Watching a Citizenship Naturalization Ceremony – Jeff Manuel
052
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
If you need a reading recommendation while hunkered down for a winter storm, this is the best one, bar none
The cover of a book titled Wolf Willow by Wallace StegnerA page of text from a book titled "Genesis"
030
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
If you'd like some Minnesota-related news that's not terrible, Tom Rogers and I will be talking about our book, _Ethanol: A Hemispheric History for the Future of Biofuels_, as part of the University of Minnesota History Department's book club on Wednesday, February 11, from 6-7 pm.
193
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Historians: is there a good book or article on the history of the League of Women Voters? A student will be processing an archival collection of local LWV records and I'm looking for relevant background readings. Thanks! 🗃️
366
Jeff Manuel @jeffmanuel.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Thanks to Ethanol Producer Magazine (the trade magazine for biofuels, in case you're not a subscriber) for featuring _Ethanol: A Hemispheric History_ in the current issue. ethanolproducer.com/articles/sha...
ethanolproducer.com
‘Shaped By Its Past’ | Ethanol Producer Magazine
Multiple themes emerge as historians compare the historic development of ethanol production and policy in Brazil and the U.S.
051
Reposted by Jeff Manuel
Anne Trubek @atrubek.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
This is a rare example of doing two type of opeds often done poorly well (AI & Rust Belt op-eds)
nytimes.com
Opinion | When A.I. Took My Job, I Bought a Chain Saw
2124