• From 2008 to 2021 Jason A. Smith was the associate director of the Wisconsin Academy and editor of its quarterly magazine of Wisconsin thought and culture, Wisconsin People & Ideas. He is an editor and nonprofit communications professional with many years of experience crafting compelling stories and translating complex ideas for diverse audiences. Before joining the Wisconsin Academy in 2008, Jason was the managing editor of The Common Review, the quarterly magazine of the Great Books Foundation, where he also developed anthologies for adult reading groups. While in Chicago, Jason worked with Chicago Public Schools to pilot a reflective reading course for their system-wide service learning program. Jason has nearly twenty years of experience in the publishing and nonprofit sectors, and has advised on a number of publications by the American Library Association and the Project on Civic Reflection at Valparaiso University. He lives in Monona with his wife and two kids.

Magazine Article

Ask a historian

Ask a historian. Over the past year or so, this phrase has become my standard answer to questions raised about our so-called “unprecedented times.”  Can you... Read more.
Magazine Article

Picture this

My wife once asked me why we print photo essays in the magazine. “Photos are everywhere online and everyone has a camera these days,” she said. “So, why bother?” ... Read more.