Sue Peabody, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of History, Washington State University, Vancouver

"History is a story we tell ourselves about who we are." I love this definition for two reasons. First, it emphasizes the story-telling inherent in all histories. That is, histories are invented and crafted to engage particular audiences. That doesn't mean that they are entirely fictive -- indeed, professional historians go to great length to argue and prove the truth of their stories -- but at the heart of a good history are great characters and plot.Second, the emphasis on we asks us about the boundaries of identity. Who are the "we" in our histories and who are the "they"? How do the stories that we tell implicate us in our relationships to humanity and the rest of the planet?