On Episode 14, the Lone Star Deep Dive Podcast spotlights Dr. Brian M. Ingrassia, an associate professor of history at West Texas A&M University. We asked him to join us to talk about a new series of articles about the Comstock Law of 1873 that is being published by the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era (SHGAPE), and why that and similar laws may be relevant in today’s politics (especially with regards to proposed restrictions on women's reproductive freedom).

In addition to his work as an educator, Brian is a prolific author and editor. He has published two books on the cultural aspects of American sports: The Rise of Gridiron University: Higher Education's Uneasy Alliance with Big-Time Football (published by the University Press of Kansas in 2012) and Speed Capital: Indianapolis Auto Racing and the Making of Modern America (published by the University of Illinois Press in 2024). He also edits The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, published by Cambridge University Press. Brian lives in Amarillo, Texas.

DIVE DEEPER!

Visit the SHGAPE blog for the series of articles about Anthony Comstock and the laws he helped get passed in 1873. The inaugural post is live now, and new installments will appear in coming months. These articles will be published in the aforementioned Journal of theGilded Age and Progressive Era under the name "The History and Legacy of Anthony Comstock and the Comstock Laws."