Jennifer Jordan
@sociologyofplants
Historical sociologist working on beer, food, cities, waterways, textiles. My book on hops in 19th century Wisconsin out in Fall 2026, aka @sociologyofplants aka @historicalhops
Before we fled the 1008 AQI in Marquette, Michigan, this week, I learned a new unit of measurement:
Update, we actually ended up getting with six new stamps in our lighthouse passports before we packed it all in and headed back home.
This is what it looks like today, tho “quality” has actually improved.
At least we did get three new stamps in our lighthouse passports…
Making yardage that I will zigzag stitch, cut, and hem for dish towels. I got a giant pile of extremely affordable linen odds and ends from the Milwaukee Rec Department’s weaving center, so I am trying to slowly weave my way through that stash.
Toggling between weaving linen and writing about linen… 🧵🪡🧶✍️
Also not related to my book, but nearby there was a set of tree stump-themed graves, I assume there is some kind of trend or symbolism connected to that? 🪵☠️🪦
Ida’s headstone has sunk even further into the grass. I thought last night about how many ways there are to forget. Her grave is slowly being consumed by the earth, but her name lives on in online archival records and in holdings of the Wisconsin Historical Society.
The inscriptions on the obelisk give away part of the story, but of course in any book covering the 1860s, all of the subjects have passed onward either way. Don’t look too closely if you don’t want to know how the story ends.
The little flat stone that simply says “Ella” rests near a family obelisk, in central Wisconsin.
Literally uncovering the grave of the central figure in my forthcoming book yesterday. Her sister’s grave is even more hidden. But I knew where to look because of the work of archivists and Findagrave.com…
19th century Milwaukee brewery ledgers might also do the trick. A kind young archivist once offered to lift them off the cart for me. 😅👵🏻
For me, fiber arts have become a very good way to channel my fidgety academic energy. 3 years ago I couldn’t sew, weave, etc., now I am an actual weaver and quilter. I just made this lil’ baby quilt for friends, and I even joined the board of directors of the Newbury School of Weaving. 🤓
This semester I taught a brand-new course, The Cultural Sociology of Milwaukee, and it went so well! It was a 200-level course, oriented toward lower division students. We took field trips all over campus (map library, archives, art gallery, music studios) and had modules on food, music, and art.
Many more great virtual talks on Saturday! WWII and brewing, www.beerculturecenter.org/bcs-full-sch...
Fwiw we have been told not to open Canvas until we get the all clear, even if it seems functional. Hopefully they are just being over-cautious (and that was sent at midnight).
And if you are in Chicago, head to Suncatcher Brewing for a conversation that “brings together leading voices in brewing and Indigenous studies to explore how ingredients, place, and heritage shape more than just what's in your glass.” 🍻
The Guinness toucan at 2 pm (these times are all Chicago time)
Excited and grateful to see the first blurb for Beer Ghosts, from an eminent knower of hops. We also set the date today for a fall hop history day at the local living history museum, picking hops, a little book talk, ending with fiddlers and beers by lantern light. 🍻👻📚🎻🌾🌿
BRB just drinking a high life from the basement fridge while whatever the hell this is passes by.
Thank you! It was so much work 😅 but also so interesting to research. When I started the project I had no idea that women and Wisconsin would be at the heart of the story. (Both photos from the Wisconsin Historical Society.)