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Episode #6: From 18th Century Central America to 21st Century Cincinnati, with Brianna Leavitt-Alcántara
My guest in Episode #6 is historian Brianna Leavitt-Alcántara. Bri is a specialist in colonial Central America, especially the history of women and religiosity. She’s also my friend and colleague here at the University of Cincinnati. We have a great, wide-ranging conversation that explores her childhood in California, the kinds of struggles that most young people have as they try to figure out what to do with their lives, graduate school, being mentored by the great Bill Taylor, the ins and outs of archival research in Latin America, life in rural Kentucky, and more. We even delve into the opioid epidemic as Bri describes some past struggles with addiction in her own family.
As always, the episode is available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocketcasts, and the Substack app.
Episode Outline
0:00-5:10: Introduction.
5:10-12:00: The origins of Bri’s interest in history, early life in California, her parents’ influence.
12:00-16:30: Bri as a young student, the University of San Francisco and the road to actually studying history and Latin America.
16:30-25:20: Her father’s family and dealing with Mexican identity in the middle of the twentieth century, life for Mexican-Americans in the USA.
25:20-32:45: From USF to graduate school at Berkeley and working with Bill Taylor.
32:45-39:55: Starting graduate school, early struggles, learning how to work in archives and read colonial documents.
39:55-48:30: The process of finding a research topic, problems with the archives, finding a dissertation topic in fascinating old wills.
48:30-59:45: Grad school friends, competition, imposter syndrome, and, thankfully, we didn’t have social media back then.
59:45-1:13:00: Finishing the dissertation, real life intervenes, work routine and figuring out how to get a lot done with little time.
1:13:00-1:20:15: Looking for a job in 2008-2009, more real life intervenes, opioid addiction in the family.
1:20:15-1:28:25: Landing a first job, life in Danville, Kentucky, coming to the University of Cincinnati.
1:28:25-1:40:35: New research project on a Maya rebellion led by a thirteen-year-old girl, thinking about a new book.
1:40:35-end: Conclusion.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isaaccampos.substack.com
View all episodes
By Isaac CamposMy guest in Episode #6 is historian Brianna Leavitt-Alcántara. Bri is a specialist in colonial Central America, especially the history of women and religiosity. She’s also my friend and colleague here at the University of Cincinnati. We have a great, wide-ranging conversation that explores her childhood in California, the kinds of struggles that most young people have as they try to figure out what to do with their lives, graduate school, being mentored by the great Bill Taylor, the ins and outs of archival research in Latin America, life in rural Kentucky, and more. We even delve into the opioid epidemic as Bri describes some past struggles with addiction in her own family.
As always, the episode is available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pocketcasts, and the Substack app.
Episode Outline
0:00-5:10: Introduction.
5:10-12:00: The origins of Bri’s interest in history, early life in California, her parents’ influence.
12:00-16:30: Bri as a young student, the University of San Francisco and the road to actually studying history and Latin America.
16:30-25:20: Her father’s family and dealing with Mexican identity in the middle of the twentieth century, life for Mexican-Americans in the USA.
25:20-32:45: From USF to graduate school at Berkeley and working with Bill Taylor.
32:45-39:55: Starting graduate school, early struggles, learning how to work in archives and read colonial documents.
39:55-48:30: The process of finding a research topic, problems with the archives, finding a dissertation topic in fascinating old wills.
48:30-59:45: Grad school friends, competition, imposter syndrome, and, thankfully, we didn’t have social media back then.
59:45-1:13:00: Finishing the dissertation, real life intervenes, work routine and figuring out how to get a lot done with little time.
1:13:00-1:20:15: Looking for a job in 2008-2009, more real life intervenes, opioid addiction in the family.
1:20:15-1:28:25: Landing a first job, life in Danville, Kentucky, coming to the University of Cincinnati.
1:28:25-1:40:35: New research project on a Maya rebellion led by a thirteen-year-old girl, thinking about a new book.
1:40:35-end: Conclusion.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit isaaccampos.substack.com