Read The Education of Henry Adams. He has a lot to say about how Jacksonian Democracy was bringing about the end of civilization.

I've never read this. I think I'm going to have to.

(I'll use any excuse to talk about Henry Adams, but he was particularly horrified by populism.)

The late-19th century populist movement? I'll use any excuse to talk about that, but instead of derailing conversation, I'll ask: have you read Larry Goodwyn's The Populist Moment?

I'm always gratified to see the Education up there at #1 in the Modern Library top 100 nonfiction books list.

I haven't read that, but it looks interesting. I'll add it to the list. Late 19th century American history is my special obsession.

One of the conceits of The Education of Henry Adams is that Adams is analyzing why he, the grandson and great-grandson of presidents, was not president himself. He uses that idea to talk about the shift in American politics from Eastern aristocracy to populism.

You know another guy who should have been president but bafflingly was not? Henry Clay.

Late 19th century American history is my special obsession.

I'm actually working on a novel set in the late 19th century. One of the main characters is a lecturer/recruiter for the Farmers' Alliance, which later turned into the Populist Party.

He uses that idea to talk about the shift in American politics from Eastern aristocracy to populism

Gotcha, that's the general democratic populism, not the specific populists.

Actually, I'm sure it is, for some people.

::raises hand::

Hey, they were popular, weren't they? I always got the impression the books did a decent job of supporting the movies.

I like those covers out of context. In context I want more excitement and violence.

I'm actually working on a novel set in the late 19th century.

O, RLY?

One of the main characters is a lecturer/recruiter for the Farmers' Alliance, which later turned into the Populist Party.

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Boy, are you going to be disappointed when you realize that my newsletter mostly consists of incredibly long lists detailing my nicknames for my cat.

Huh. It's like the Gossip Girl books, but about Christian teens.

Part of me wants to read it, to see what it's like.

Huh. The threatening to "out" someone as a Christian seems odd. I mean, when I was in high school and college, it was not being Christian that was weird.

I suppose it depends on your definitions - being nominally Christian is certainly the norm, but I suspect that being highly observant or a member of one of the more fundamentalist sects would be less so at most colleges.