January 6, 2013

It's Time to Tell the Big Story, Says New President of American Historical Association

It's Time to Tell the Big Story, Says New President of American Historical Association 1

Cliff Moore

Kenneth Pomeranz: "We need to try and claim a little bit bigger piece of the space in the public square."

Enlarge Image
close It's Time to Tell the Big Story, Says New President of American Historical Association 1

Cliff Moore

Kenneth Pomeranz: "We need to try and claim a little bit bigger piece of the space in the public square."

By Marc Parry

New Orleans

Kenneth Pomeranz thinks big. His 2000 book, The Great Divergence, reopened the discussion around a large question: Why did Europe industrialize first? Now, as the newly installed president of the American Historical Association, Mr. Pomeranz will confront major challenges facing the future of his profession. The University of Chicago historian, a China scholar, discussed his goals in an interview at the association's annual conference here. What follows is an edited and condensed