Kevin Mattson

Kevin Mattson is the Connor Study Professor of Contemporary History at Ohio University. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Rochester. His research focuses on the intersection of ideas and politics in the twentieth century. He is on the editorial board of Dissent magazine, and he serves as a committee chair for the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). He currently teaches courses on U.S. cultural and intellectual history and popular culture.

 

He is the author of many books, most recently We’re Not Here to Entertain, where he documents how the punk rock movement produced ideas and modes of expression that defied the basic assumptions of the time, and reminds readers of punk’s lasting cultural and political importance. The New York Times called his prior book, What the Heck Are You Up To, Mr. President? “exactly what political history should be—incisive, fast-paced, and fun to read.”

 

His writing has appeared in the American Prospect, the Nation, the New York Times Book Review, Salon, and the Guardian. He has made numerous media appearances, including on NPR, Fox News, C-SPAN, and the Colbert Report.