Writers, Historians Explore History’s Lasting Influence

Several projects and authors explore how stories about the past shape the present. T.G. Monahan’s novel Dodecahedron uses 12 interconnected stories, folklore and a mysterious object to trace how earlier decisions shape a fictional community across generations, while Kenny Devillier’s The Gog Covenant draws on biblical passages to imagine a future geopolitical crisis, distinguishing fiction from evidence of prophecy. In Wisconsin, the Hear, Here oral-history project is expanding its collection of local stories into virtual-reality experiences and classroom resources, using community histories to help students engage with broader global events. A Center for Jewish History discussion of counterfactual history examines why people imagine alternate pasts and what those scenarios can reveal about the history that actually unfolded. A reader’s letter likewise reflects on historical trauma, democratic self-correction and the role of immigrant communities in American life.