In May 2020 I was invited by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) to discuss my book Intemperate Spirits in one of their “Speak for a sandwich” sessions. These are informal, invited presentations for IHS staff over lunch. Due to COVID I was not able to join them in person for the talk, but chatted … More What’s the deal with Prohibition?
According to a Sept. 9, 1922 article in the San Francisco Examiner, The Jewish World newspaper had claimed Irish, Swedish, Scottish and Greek residents of San Francisco were getting monthly supplies of sacramental wine “under the names of Goldstein, Blumberg, Silverstein, Levinsky and other adopted Jewish cognamens.” Kassens (2019) “The clever fake rabbis who made … More Clever ‘fake rabbis’
Hello! Welcome to my new author page. On August 5, 2019 my first (hopefully of many) book, Intemperate Spirits: Economic Adaptation During Prohibition, was released as an ebook. The hardback version is due out in a few weeks. I will use this webpage to promote the book and its blog to share updates, stories related … More Welcome