HAR Editorial Update, Summer 2025

There’s a lot happening at the History of Anthropology Review.

First, this spring’s Environmental Anthropologies: Pasts, Presents, Futures conference, co-hosted by HAR and the Yale History of Science and Medicine Program, was a great success. Across two days of panels and conversations, we explored how anthropologists have studied and theorized relations among social forms, ideas, and environments from the late nineteenth century to today—looking at useful insights as well as toxic legacies from both celebrated and neglected paradigms. The event brought together an exceptional group of scholars—anthropologists, historians of science, environmental researchers— spanning career stages and thematic interests. They offered deeply engaging contributions on questions of ecology, empires, political economy, Indigenous knowledge, collecting practices, the more-than-natural, and speculative futures. It also offered an important opportunity to test the capacity of HAR not just as a publishing platform, but as a site of intellectual gathering. Further it was a great example of HAR advisors lending a major hand: Ramah McKay and Joanna Radin were co-organizers, and Joanna generously welcomed us at Yale, gave an inspiring closing talk, and rounded up both an engaged audience and considerable financial support from her department and others. We’ll publish a detailed report on the conference soon, as well as most of the talks—stay tuned.

The conference also allowed us to gather much of the HAR editorial team in person, with outstanding help from managing editor Sarah Pickman. We took that moment to plan new projects and reflect on our working structures and the rhythms of editorial life at HAR. We’ve now asked all active editors to commit to a renewable two-year term. This structure—lightweight but purposeful—has already yielded a helpful sense of shared timing and expectations, and it has allowed for movement between roles. Some longstanding editors have stepped into “alumni” status, while new colleagues have taken up expanded responsibilities. We’re extremely grateful to those “alumni” editors for all they’ve done for the site, and wish them the best as they move on. We’ve updated the HAR masthead to reflect these changes.

Alongside these changes, I’m pleased to share a major development in HAR’s leadership. Rosanna Dent agreed to serve as co–Editor-in-Chief, starting in April, and later this year, Nick Barron will join her in that role. I’ll be stepping back into the advisory board, making room for this new editorial phase while remaining engaged in support.

Both Rosanna and Nick have brought remarkable energy, insight, and care to their editorial work, and it will be exciting see the site continuing to evolve under their guidance. They’ll be generously assisted by the dedicated core of Managing Editors (Allegra Giovine, Adrianna Link, Peter Collopy, Cameron Brinitzer, Sarah Pickman), who have seen HAR through the past decade, the advisory board, and the new and experienced editors in all the site’s departments. This rotation marks an important milestone for HAR, a sign of the maturity and sustainability of the project, and of generational renewal over the fifty-plus years since the History of Anthropology Newsletter began. (As a related note: Ira Bashkow, previously on the advisory board, has rejoined the team as an editor, with new work underway in Clio’s Fancy. We’re delighted to have him contributing in this new capacity!)

In terms of publishing, we’re on pace for a strong year. We’ve wrapped up two thematic dossiers: Histories of Ethnoscience, and Feminist Anthropologies in Australia (edited by Benjamin Hegarty). An interview-based review of a newly published novel by Zora Neale Hurston is part of our effort to expand the genre of the review into something more dialogical and situated, and goes along with an essay based on incredible new archival discoveries about Hurston’s time at UNC which underscore the university’s misjudgement in missing a recent opportunity to honor her and her work. We’re also continuing with our core offerings: Reviews, calls for papers, news from the field, regular additions to the Bibliography, collaborative posts from our friends at HOA (AAA), HOAN (EASA), BEROSE, and increased social media outreach coordinated by our News team. And the HAR-initiated History of Anthropology reading group at CHSTM continues to host regular lively conversations.

Finally, I want to highlight an initiative that brings out HAR’s potential for teaching and providing useful resources for students and instructors: the HAR Syllabus Project, coordinated by Caleb Shelburne. This new series collects syllabi, and invites contributors to reflect on how they teach the history of anthropology—sharing assignments, challenges, and creative strategies. The first installment of the series includes a thoughtful piece by Nick Barron, exploring how he introduces students to the colonial histories embedded in anthropological theory. We’ll continue to add to the collection: future syllabus posts can explore decolonial approaches, collaborations with archival institutions, and teaching with historical and speculative fiction. If you’d like to contribute you syllabus, or suggest someone who might, please be in touch—we’d love to feature voices from across our network.

Thank you, HAR readers, for reading, contributing, and doing what you do to shape the history of anthropology. The journal and its community continue to thrive because of your involvement and support. We’re grateful to have you with us as we enter the next chapter.