What Makes a Personal Archive Special?

In this episode, we talk with Suzanne Akbari, author, and professor of medieval studies at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. 

With Suzanne, we get into the personal archive. The conversation moves between personal practices (how we arrange our shelves) and historical practices (how have centuries before maintained private collections). Through this a paradox arises, how can a personal archive be accessed by, and shared with, others? 

This episode’s Bookish Word, etymythology, was created by UW-Madison graduate students Francesca Bua and Arielle Raymos. 

To learn more about the texts, ideas, and people mentioned in this interview, and to access a transcript, visit the episode guide on HoldingHistory.org.  

Thanks for listening!