Faculty Profile - Woden Teachout

Dr. Woden TeachoutDr. Woden Teachout is a professor in Union Institute & University’s Master of Arts Online program. Her most recent publication, Capture the Flag: A Political History of American Patriotism, has been reviewed by many national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, which wrote, “If the flag’s history offers any lessons, and Ms. Teachout argues convincingly that it does, the battle for the flag’s meaning is unlikely to end, if ever.” (Read the complete WSJ review).

An historian and cultural critic interested in the development of American patriotic culture, Dr. Teachout holds a Ph.D. in the history of American civilization from Harvard University, and has taught at Harvard and Middlebury College.

@UI&U recently talked to Dr. Teachout about her new book and her role at UI&U.

@UI&U: Why were you inspired to write Capture the Flag? How did the idea for the book come about?

Capture the Flag:
A Political History of American Patriotism WT: My doctoral dissertation was on the development of patriotic culture and practices in the late 19th century, so I have been interested in patriotic culture for a long time. In the spring of 2003, I went to an anti-war protest with my sister, and we took an American flag. I was shocked at the reactions we got. People started looking at us oddly, and moved away from us in the crowd; it became clear that they weren’t sure if we were part of the demonstration or part of a counter-demonstration.

For me, the flag meant democracy, a government of the people by the people and for the people, while those around us saw the flag as an irretrievably pro-war symbol. And so I became very interested in the flag’s political meanings over the course of our history.

@UI&U: Are you surprised by the success of the book?

WT: I’m delighted. Of course, it’s been a pleasure getting such wonderful reviews, but it is even more powerful to know that the book has sparked people to think about patriotism and the flag and how they intersect with our politics.  I have really enjoyed talking to people about what the flag means to them, and they’ve told me some remarkable stories.

@UI&U: Is there a particular story or stories that people have been responding to?

WT: Yes, there have been a couple. One story is about how captured American sailors used the flag in 1778, during the course of the American Revolution. The flag wasn’t a symbol of our government as a whole in the way we use it today; rather, it was a very personal symbol for sailors because of the flag’s use on ships. That is often a big surprise.  And readers are also very moved by the stories of the flag in the civil rights movement and in the Vietnam era, when the Vietnam Veterans Against the War took over the Statue of Liberty.

@UI&U: Have any doors opened for you since the book has been out? Any new opportunities?

WT: Yes, I’ve been asked to give a number of talks at colleges and universities, as well as bookstores and libraries. In fact, one of the first invitations was to be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of the National Association of Independent Flag. This is an audience I didn’t imagine myself writing to, so I’m really looking forward to it.  I know we’ll have some good conversations.

@UI&U: How long did it take you to write and publish the book? How long was the process?

WT: It took four years from crafting the book proposal to proofreading the galleys. I was fortunate in being able to draw on the research in my dissertation.

@UI&U: Can you explain your writing process?

WT: I began by reading all the scholarship on the flag and patriotism I could find. From that, it became clear that there were certain eras I wanted to focus on. I was able to sift through the flag stories from those eras to find the ones that really captured a moment of transformation: a moment in which the flag took on new meaning. For any given era, I had about 20 stories to work with. Often the strongest story would be immediately apparent, but on several chapters I began working with one story and found, after a couple drafts, that another story would work much better.

@UI&U: What would say to someone who wants to write and publish a book? Any advice for nonfiction writers?

WT:  All writers need to think about audience.  It seems like such an elementary insight, but it’s often a revelation for scholars.  I knew that I wanted to write a book that was intriguing not only to scholars, but to a general audience, and I knew I wanted to write stories since that was what drew me to history in the first place.  One book in particular, Thinking Like Your Editor, helped me think through how to structure the stories into that larger narrative.  And then, of course, the most important thing is sitting down to write every day.  I would often think of Virginia Woolf, who used to tie herself to her desk.

@UI&U: Switching gears a little bit… what drew you to work here at Union?

WT: I began teaching in the UI&U Vermont undergraduate degree program as an adjunct in 2003.  I was so inspired by the program, by the learners, and by my fellow faculty members. I knew that this was the right place for me.  And then I was fortunate to be on the task force for developing the M.A. Online program, so when the opportunity to teach in this program opened up, I applied.

@UI&U: We hear a lot about why online learning is so beneficial to learners. As a professor, what are the benefits of teaching online?

WT: For me, the primary benefit of teaching online is access. It’s a privilege to teach so many bright people in our program, most of whom would not be in school if it weren’t for the online option. And professors also benefit.  Teaching online gives me flexibility, and since I have young children, that’s very important to me.

@UI&U: What do you like about Union’s M.A. Online program, specifically?

WT: We’ve done an excellent job balancing the advantages of structure and flexibility. At the beginning of the program, learners take foundational courses that give them the necessary skills and orientation in their disciplines; as they move on, they use the independent study courses to follow their own interests.

@UI&U: What are you working on now? Are you planning another book? Any new developments in the M.A. program?

WT: I have a couple book ideas percolating.  Both are about political protest. The first would be to look at the Wobblies (do we need to have an “editor’s comment briefly defining the Wobblies?”  organizing in the forests of the Pacific Northwest; the second would be looking at some of the big labor strikes in the Northeast.  And I may land on a different topic entirely.  I’m looking forward to diving into the research and seeing where it leads.  In the meantime, we in the M.A. program are reworking our foundational courses in order to integrate them even more closely with the later coursework.  That’s where my energy and attention is right now, and it’s a rewarding process.